(The following questions are derived from a method laid out in my book for Law and Gospel preachers, Afflicting the Comfortable, Comforting the Afflicted. These questions attempt to get at some of the crucial ways the Word is functioning in the text. My brief method may be purchased through wipfandstock.com or amazon.)
1. How does the Word function in the text? This pericope begins, oddly enough, in the middle of a prayer where the author is praying that the hearers might receive strength, endurance, and patience, as well as joy in their status as saints, who have been rescued from death and the devil and transferred to the realm of Christ. But no sooner has the Beloved Son been mentioned when the author launches into an extended hymn of praise, giving glory to Christ. This announcement is pure Gospel, as the author announces all that Christ is, and all Christ has done on behalf of the whole cosmos.
2. How is the Word not functioning in the text? There is no announcement of the Law in this text, i.e. a word which functions to announce our need for a Savior. Having said that, it is clear that the redundancy in the hymn that lifts up Christ's dominion over all things, (five times!) all creation, and all rulers and powers, indicates the existence of many things, creatures, and powers who might try to claim that they too have some power. The existence of such a claim is evidence of the need which the cosmos has for this Beloved Ruler.
3. With whom are you identifying in the text? We can certainly identify with those to whom these words were penned. We are also those who need the prayers of this writer who asks God to give us strength, endurance, patience, and joy. We too stand in need of this proclamation of the sovereignty of Christ, to give us faith in the face of those who would claim and abuse their own power.
4. What, if any, call to obedience is there in this text? There is not a call to obedience, per se, but in the opening prayer, we can assume there exists the desire that we all live faithfully, enabled by the God-given strength, patience, endurance, and joy that Christ gives.
5. What Law/Gospel couplet is suggested by this text? Without a word of Law here, we will need to use our imaginations to come up with several couplets. Some possibilities: the sovereignty of evil/the sovereignty of Christ; the power of darkness/the realm of the beloved Son.
6. Exegetical work: In Ralph Martin's commentary on this passage, he notes that the situation at Colossae revolved around the status of the stoicheia, the elemental forces of the universe. These forces, seen in the sun, moon, stars, and other aspects of creation, when they retained their status as "created orders", presented no problem for followers of Christ. But when these forces become part of a cosmology that treats them as rivals to Christ, there is a problem. "No longer do such cosmic forces remain neutral as part of the creation; they are in rebellion and need to be 'recreated' by having their hostility drawn and neutralized."(Martin, Interpretation series, Ephesians, Colossians, and Philemon, p. 107) This is the underlying situation; followers of Christ need to understand that only Christ is sovereign - there is no other. All things, all creatures, all powers, seen and unseen, are under the reign of Christ. Finally the author announces that "all the fulness of God" is pleased to dwell in Christ. No stone is left unturned in announcing Christ's dominion. When one does a word study on the "thrones, dominions, rulers, and powers" in verse 16, this becomes even more obvious. According to Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, thrones are "one of the highest classes of angels", dominions are "members of a class of angels", rulers are ""those who have at their command supernatural and ungodly powers", and powers are "powers in Satan's sphere of domination." (Volumes I, p. 488-89, Vol. II, p. 566f, Vol. III, pp. 166 and 1096). What this reveals is that Christ's reign is, in many cases, an unseen one. Christ's dominion is in the spiritual realm, at least for now. On the Cross, we are told, the victory has been won. We must live in faith, for it remains unseen for us.
7. How does the Crossings Community model work with this text? Bruce Martin does a nice job of picking up on the cosmic struggle that is evident in this text. In his analysis, "War and Peace", he shows how reluctant any of "the powers", either within or without us, are to give up our claim to sovereignty. Christ, however, "makes peace through the blood of his cross" despite our best attempts to continue the war. See Martin's complete analysis at crossings.org/text-study.
8. Consider the insights of the pioneers of the New Homiletic? This text is a deeply theological one, thereby in danger of seducing the preacher into preaching a theological lecture. Eugene Lowry always cautioned us to remember that the sermon must have a plot, with tension and release. This is good advice, particularly when working with this text.
Blessings on your proclamation!
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