Memory Verse: “Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (Colossians 3:14, NRSVue).

INTRO: Admittedly, there is much in the Christian life that defies explanation. How can a person really “die” and be “raised to life” when, to all appearances, he or she is the same person and has had no such physical life-and-death experience? How can a growing believer effectively explain to someone how a living person dies spiritually and why “spiritual death” is essential to receiving and living an “eternal life?”

Q: What is the connection between “love” and “death” that Paul speaks so firmly about in all of his letters? How does the death of Jesus help us understand this concept? How does a person “die” and then “raised” to new life in Christ? Is this a completed act in by immersion baptism or is there more to this experience found in daily life?

Q: In Colossians 3:12-14, Paul mentions certain “qualities” that believers are to pursue and pray for as they grow in spiritual maturity. What makes it possible for believers to reveal these qualities in their lives? (“Tender mercies, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering; bearing with one another, and forgiving one another,” and “above all . . . love” – Col. 3:12-14, NKJV)

CLOSING SIDEBAR:

“Above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection.”
— Colossians 3:14 (NKJV)

“Love is not simply one virtue among many in this list; it is the virtue that binds them all together. Paul sees love as the power that transforms moral behavior into genuine community. Without love, the other virtues remain fragmented and incomplete. Love gives coherence and wholeness to the life of the church.”
— Ben Witherington III, The Letters to Philemon, the Colossians, and the Ephesians

Paul highlights love as the essential force that holds the church together. Love moves believers beyond tolerance toward genuine care and commitment. When love governs relationships, unity deepens and the church reflects the character of Christ to the world.

NEXT WEEK, we’ll look at Paul’s counsel for “Living with Each Other.” My thanks to Naomi Cueto and Faith Montes, our program engineers, and to all of you for listening in. Until next time, for the “Good Word,” I’m Phil Muthersbaugh.