At first glance, we might consider "unchastity, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry" the actions and character of some notorious sinner. If we are honest, though, aren't these vices part of the warp and woof of everyday modern life in the United States, as well as many other places in the world? Yes, upon reflection, we must admit that unbridled desire, whether sexual or otherwise, compounded by selfish egotism describe the tenor of normal life for most folks. Thus, we may wonder, is our modern society particularly wicked? I'll admit I tend to interpret modern American life as acutely stupid and mean, but my own theological commitments remind me that these vices occur perennially in every age, society, and person within a world stained by sin. Therefore, the vices St. Paul lists in Colossians 2:5 and 8 do not describe some especially bad people but the general inhuman and unnatural state of humanity in this present age, which are people who do obeisance to its rulers and powers.
Consequently, Paul reminds the Colossians that they died to the present age of unholy and vicious living; indeed, Christians have been "raised with the Messiah" to new life, and ought to live according to the Messiah's rule. Whether in first century Colossae or twenty-first century America, the "power of darkness" lingers on, and the rulers and powers will govern anyone who is willing to set their mind upon the flesh. However, Christians have died to this way of life, which may seem perfectly normal or sensible according to the logic of the world, and have been given new life in the kingdom of God's Beloved Son.
Paul's exhortation to the Colossians to live according to the word of the Messiah, then also poses existential questions to modern readers. Paul's guidelines for a Christian life are not a mere list of rules to be broken or kept that define a person as good or bad. Rather, Paul outlines a Christian way of life according to the wisdom of God revealed in the Messiah Jesus. St. Paul does not divide up humanity into good people and bad people, moral people and immoral people. Instead, Paul divides the world into those people who remain enslaved to disordered cosmic powers and stuck in their sins and those people God liberates in the Messiah—God's desire is for all to come to eternal life in the Messiah.
If we continue to read Colossians as a letter of spiritual direction, then Paul's instruction for a Christian life answers the question: How do I become who God already knows I am in Jesus?
Colossians 3:1-17 according to the NRSV
3:1 So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, 3 for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
5 Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly: fornication, impurity, passion, evil desire, and greed (which is idolatry). 6 On account of these the wrath of God is coming on those who are disobedient. 7 These are the ways you also once followed, when you were living that life. 8 But now you must get rid of all such things—anger, wrath, malice, slander, and abusive language from your mouth. 9 Do not lie to one another, seeing that you have stripped off the old self with its practices 10 and have clothed yourselves with the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of its creator. 11 In that renewal there is no longer Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave and free; but Christ is all and in all!
12 As God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, meekness, and patience. 13 Bear with one another and, if anyone has a complaint against another, forgive each other; just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. 14 Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony. 15 And let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in the one body. And be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly; teach and admonish one another in all wisdom; and with gratitude in your hearts sing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs to God. 17 And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Colossians 3:1-17 according to my translation
3:1 If therefore you were raised with the Messiah, seek the things above, where the Messiah is sitting at the right hand of God; 2 set your minds on the things above, not on the things of the earth. 3 For you died, and your life is hidden with the Messiah in God; 4 whenever the Messiah is revealed, who is our[1] life, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
5 Put to death therefore the parts of you on the earth, unchastity, impurity, passion, evil desire, and the greed that is idolatry, 6 on account of which the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience. 7 Among whom also you formerly walked, when you lived in them; 8 but now you also must put away all such things, wrath anger, malice, slander, abusive language from your mouth; 9 do not lie to one another, having stripped off the old man with its practices 10 and having put on the new man, which is being renewed in knowledge according to the image of the one creating it, where there is no Greek and Jew, circumcised and uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free, but the Messiah is all and in all.
12 Therefore, as God's chosen ones, holy and beloved, put on inward compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness, patience, 13 putting up with one another and forgiving each other if anyone has a complaint against another just as the Lord has forgiven you, so should you; 14 but above all these things put on love, which is the bond of perfection. 15 And let the peace of the Messiah rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called in one body, and be thankful. 16 Let the word of the Messiah dwell in you richly, teaching and warning each other in all wisdom, with psalms, hymns, spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God; 17 and everything, whatsoever anyone might do, in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus giving thanks to God the Father through him.
The Two Paths
The Didache, or The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles, provides an early example of Christian spiritual direction. The Didache does not claim to be written by one of the Apostles but sums up their teaching, and it was likely written at the end of the Apostolic era sometime around 100 A.D.[2] The Didache begins naming two paths: "There are two paths, one of life and one of death, and the difference between the two paths is great."[3] The path of life consists in Jesus' teachings, namely those about love and nonviolence found in the Sermon on the Mount. In contrast, the path of death consists in egotism, disordered love, and fulfilling our desires on our own terms at the expense of others.
The path of death continues in every age and in every place as the road most travelled. In fact, the American Dream that everyone might attain success and a better life in this fair land, is a near synonym of the way of death. For, I don't know many people who define success and a better life in terms of the self-sacrificial ethic of Jesus' cross. Instead, success and a better life find definition in terms of comfort, security, and efficiency. For example, modern ideas of self are inextricably wound up in sexuality. We imagine a well-adjusted person is someone who has come to terms with their sexual orientation, and an attractive person is someone who has easy access to sex. Nevertheless, high divorce rates, not to mention a general carefree attitude about fornication, indicate that we modern people are unwilling to make sacrifices for sex. We want romance without understanding and longsuffering. I wonder if that is why our nursing homes are so full of lonely people; once our bodies decay beyond desirability, then no one desires us because we no longer understand the love of friendship. Sadly, in our time the path of death appears as a many laned highway.
Do you not know, or have you forgotten, that in the Messiah Jesus you died to the way of death? St. Paul argues in Colossians that Christians have already died with Jesus to the path of death, which is the path that crucified the Messiah. Moreover, Christians have been raised to new life, to walk the path of life in the Messiah Jesus whom God raised from the dead. C. S. Lewis' oft quoted sermon "The Weight of Glory" comes to mind:
Indeed, if we consider the unblushing promises of reward and the staggering nature of the rewards promised in the Gospels, it would seem that Our Lord finds our desires, not too strong, but too weak. We are halfhearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.[4]
St. Paul tells the Christians at Colossae that their lives are hidden with the Messiah to be revealed with him in glory. His words remain true for us, and we must not settle for anything less than basking in the glory of God's presence. The Christian community travels the path of life, which is defined by sacrifice. The path of life, which is the way of cross, the way of love, the way of Jesus' disciples, marks the only way we become who God already knows us to be.
[1] Most manuscripts read your.
[2] Didache in The Apostolic Fathers I, LCL, ed. and trans. Bart Ehrman (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2003), 411.
[3] Ibid., 417.
[4] C. S. Lewis, "The Weight of Glory," https://www.doxaweb.com/assets/weight_of_glory.pdf.