St Luke's Church Eccleshill - Articles from "The Link"

The centrality of Jesus

The scheme of bible readings for church services has us looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossians this summer (beginning 15th July). Why would we be interested - what do we have in common with them?

Colossae was a small town about 100 miles east of Ephesus, near Denizli in modern Turkey. There are no records of how the church there began, but it was probably during St Paul’s visit to Ephesus that two prominent men from Colossae became Christians: Epaphras and Philemon. And they went back home and told people there about Jesus.

People welcomed the new well enough, and the church was born; but its problem was that there were a lot of other religious views around in the town, and people were tempted to have a “pick and mix” approach to their faith.

So, for instance, those of a Jewish background wanted to keep the food-laws and festivals. Those who were used to the “mystery religions” wanted to keep the idea of secret rituals which gave access to deeper truths. Some felt that angels were important, some wanted Greek Philosophy and asceticism. All of those things tended to downgrade Jesus, and make him just one aspect of faith.

But Paul realized that you can’t do that and keep a lively faith. If faith isn’t about Jesus, it isn’t real faith. If we think these other things get us close to God, we haven’t grasped what Jesus’ death was all about. So Paul writes a letter to explain how Jesus is the complete focus of how we really get into a relationship with God.

I remember one year, shortly after I became a Christian, that the Scripture Union’s “Daily Bread” bible-reading notes began one year by going through Colossians. Those few days were billed as “A New Start for New Christians”, and I remember thinking how clearly St Paul had gone about trying to set out why real faith keeps its focus on Jesus.

We too live in a world where people like to “pick and mix” their religious ideas. For the best of reasons: many people genuinely think they’ll get closer to the “truth” that way, and they’ll find a religious view which will support them through life. The only trouble with this idea is that it doesn’t work, and people who try it usually wind up with no beliefs and no security in their lives. So we invite you to hear St Paul’s alternative view and focus on Jesus.

John Hartley

	*St Luke's Church, Eccleshill - The Link* magazine** The Link is published monthly at 40p (Senior Citizens 35p), and we deliver free within the parish and post copies (at the reader's expense) to those who request it. Please contact us if you would like a free copy for a trial period. July 2007, Page 6.
Home Page. Index of articles: by subject, by date. In this issue: (July 2007) Cooperative? Soma, Colossians, Hymn. Other articles on the bible.	The centrality of Jesus The scheme of bible readings for church services has us looking at Paul’s letter to the Colossians this summer (beginning 15th July). Why would we be interested - what do we have in common with them? Colossae was a small town about 100 miles east of Ephesus, near Denizli in modern Turkey. There are no records of how the church there began, but it was probably during St Paul’s visit to Ephesus that two prominent men from Colossae became Christians: Epaphras and Philemon. And they went back home and told people there about Jesus. People welcomed the new well enough, and the church was born; but its problem was that there were a lot of other religious views around in the town, and people were tempted to have a “pick and mix” approach to their faith. So, for instance, those of a Jewish background wanted to keep the food-laws and festivals. Those who were used to the “mystery religions” wanted to keep the idea of secret rituals which gave access to deeper truths. Some felt that angels were important, some wanted Greek Philosophy and asceticism. All of those things tended to downgrade Jesus, and make him just one aspect of faith. But Paul realized that you can’t do that and keep a lively faith. If faith isn’t about Jesus, it isn’t real faith. If we think these other things get us close to God, we haven’t grasped what Jesus’ death was all about. So Paul writes a letter to explain how Jesus is the complete focus of how we really get into a relationship with God. I remember one year, shortly after I became a Christian, that the Scripture Union’s “Daily Bread” bible-reading notes began one year by going through Colossians. Those few days were billed as “A New Start for New Christians”, and I remember thinking how clearly St Paul had gone about trying to set out why real faith keeps its focus on Jesus. We too live in a world where people like to “pick and mix” their religious ideas. For the best of reasons: many people genuinely think they’ll get closer to the “truth” that way, and they’ll find a religious view which will support them through life. The only trouble with this idea is that it doesn’t work, and people who try it usually wind up with no beliefs and no security in their lives. So we invite you to hear St Paul’s alternative view and focus on Jesus. John Hartley
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