Let the Word of Christ Dwell Richly in You
Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord. (Colossians 3:16 KJV)
What did Paul mean when he exhorted the Colossians to let the word of Christ dwell in them richly?
As the ESV Bible notes state, the word of Christ “probably refers to the teaching about Christ as well as the words of Christ himself.” By extension, it meant the entire body of truth about Jesus. Since these Colossians’ brethren did not hear Christ in person (most likely) and did not have the New Testament, the word of Christ came to them through the teachings and preaching they heard. Today, we have the word of Christ as the Bible and the written or spoken messages of the Bible from God’s ministers.
Paul says the word of Christ the Colossians heard should dwell in them richly. For us today, it means the words of Christ we hear or read. So words—written or spoken—can dwell in someone. But how do those words dwell in us?
Words are like packages: they have an outer box and inner treasure. The outer box is the written letters or audible sounds; they serve as the delivery person of the content. The content, however, is the information or knowledge those words convey. When we hear spoken words, the words enter our ears, shed their outer box (the sounds), and deliver knowledge to our hearts!
The word of Christ dwells richly in us as the knowledge of Christ in our minds and hearts.
Meditate
What happens when you read the Bible? How do those written words dwell in you?
Apply the Word
Is the word of Christ dwelling richly in you? Please note the adverb “richly.” The Word should not only dwell in you, but it should dwell abundantly in a distinctive manner, ample quantities, or plenitude.
Pray
Ask the Spirit for the desire to increase the knowledge of Christ dwelling in you.
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Good day Pastor Patrick Oben. I have read the book of Daniel and Revelation but I don’t understand some aspects of the books. I will like to know if you have bible study series on them that I can listen to or read for a clearer understanding. Thanks for yielding to the Lord.
Hello Dorcas,
Yes, Daniel and Revelation can be a little challenging but they will open up as you read them repeatedly. And yes, I had planned a teaching on “How to Understand the Book of Revelation”, and I will probably do that sometime next year. But I did a teaching on Daniel’s seventy weeks which is the backbone of prophecy and I also made mention of simple truths to help understand the book. These are some teachings on Revelations and Daniel that will be helpful to you.
Daniel’s seventy weeks
Part 1:
https://youtube.com/watch?v=gjHSDFFpfNw&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8_AJeHFfZrI
Part 2
https://youtube.com/watch?v=b8ORIGcAgTA&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
Understanding 666
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8_AJeHFfZrI&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
The Dragon with 7 Heads and 10 Horns in Revelation
https://youtube.com/watch?v=8JT2FHGIRrk&si=EnSIkaIECMiOmarE
Hope these help. Do not hesitate to reach out if you run into some difficulty with these books,
Blessings