The Word of Christ (Col 3:16)

"Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and admonishing one another in all wisdom, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, with thankfulness in your hearts to God" - Col 3:16

It is supposed that Paul's letter to the Colossians was written around 60 AD. To us moderns when we hear a phrase such as "the word of Christ" we likely think of the red letters in many of our Bibles - the direct words of Jesus. However, to the early Christians, the Bible as we know it had not yet been fully compiled. When Paul refers to "the word" of Christ, he is likely not referring merely to direct quotations from Jesus as found in the four gospels, but rather to something even more fundamental.

Many translation including the NIV have rendered this phrase "the message of Christ." The original Greek term in question is none other than Logos.

Logos has been translated into English as the familiar 'word' but also in such diverse terms as message, reason, logic, pattern and principle. The 'word of Christ' refers not merely to the words coming out of Jesus' mouth, but to the very essence and core of His teaching. Thus, when reading Paul's directive to "let the logos of Christ dwell in us richly," we can expand our minds to interpret it in terms such as these:

To let the divine Pattern of Christ dwell and grow within us- and to allow this pattern to guide our every thought, word and deed, gradually transforming our nature to become One with His.

To internalize the righteous Principles of Christ - which were embodied and demonstrated through His life - allowing them to direct our desires and thoughts, inching us closer to the state of perfection awaiting us in heaven.

To submit our minds to the Logic of the Christ - inspiring us to make decisions not based on passion but based upon the solid foundation of unchanging Truth which is Jesus Himself.

To submit our hearts to the primordial, uncreated Reason of Christ. We acknowledge that our intentions are not always good. But by emulating the divine Reason we are able to purify our hearts and gradually draw nearer to God.

Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst." - John 6:35