As we continue our journey through the Bible in forty posts, we now explore two of Paul’s letters which are connected in both theme and message.

Colossae was a spiritually curious city, but its openness to all kinds of religious ideas led to confusion. People mixed legalism, ascetic practices, angel worship, mystical knowledge, and human traditions, believing they could reach God through complex spiritual methods. Jesus became just another element in a do-it-yourself approach to salvation.

Paul responds with clarity in Colossians, reminding them who Jesus really is. He describes Christ as the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, the one in whom, through whom, and for whom all things were made. Everything in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, including thrones, powers, rulers, and authorities, was created through him. He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. As the head of the church and the firstborn from among the dead, Christ holds supremacy in everything. God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him and, through him, to reconcile all things, on earth and in heaven, by making peace through his blood shed on the cross (Colossians 1:15–20).

There’s no need, Paul says, to chase secret knowledge or climb spiritual ladders. In Jesus, the path to God is direct and complete. He urges the believers: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory (Colossians 3:1–4). Their new identity is found not in striving, but in resting with Christ in God.

While Ephesians shares many of these themes, it also brings a unique focus on the unifying power of God’s grace. Paul speaks of how God’s love crosses every boundary, cultural, ethnic, and social. Through Christ, all are welcomed equally into God’s family. The dividing walls that once kept people apart are broken down, and in their place stands a unified body, the Church, made up of people from every background, reconciled through grace.

Together, Colossians and Ephesians offer a powerful message: Jesus is fully God, utterly sufficient, and the one in whom all things are reconciled. Salvation isn’t earned or unlocked through spiritual performance, it’s received through faith. And in that faith, all people, without exception, are invited to belong.

This is one of a series of posts outlining all the books of the Bible. Previous Next