Does toleration demand religious pluralism? Our society is full of different belief systems – and increasingly so as they mix and mingle. The situation was much the same in Colossae, a small town in Asia Minor / Turkey. There was a church founded by Epaphras, one of Paul’s converts. The town was founded on a trade in purple dyed wool (purple from cyclamen). But the Church was troubled by false teaching, a mixed and complicated drawing from many sources – Christian, Jewish, Greek mystery cults . . .In fact, many similarities with twenty first century society.
Paul writes to the Church, and quickly speaks of Jesus. We face a temptation to avoid him, to talk instead about our tradition, how we like to do things. Shouldn’t we just take Jesus as one teacher among many ? – what about Muslim view of Jesus, about the Mormons Joseph Smith, and the Bahai’s Bahaullah. You can get lost here – but not with Paul.
Paul is going to spell out the importance of Jesus (we are reading from Colossians 1:11-20) :
[God] “has rescued us from the power of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. “
Colossians 1:13
This is the story of conversion– an individual coming to faith, not just to personal satisfaction and clarity, but life!
Christ is the visible likeness of the invisible God. is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation; 16 for in[d] him all things in heaven and on earth were created, things visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or powers—all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He himself is before all things, and in[e] him all things hold together.
Colossians 1:15-17
Christ existed before all things, and in union with him all things have their proper place. Jesus first, superior to all he created (including many of these strange spiritual things we don’t know much about. Christianity is not committed to saying there are no other spiritual powers or forces – but asserts the greatest of all). You can’t say that, and then follow it with “Jesus is one among many teachers and holy men” or “Jesus is another prophet”. It doesn’t make sense – you must choose one or other. Jesus is the head of his body, the church; he is the source of the body’s life. He is the first-born Son, who was raised from death, in order that he alone might have the first place in all things.
“For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him God was pleased to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, by making peace through the blood of his cross. For it was by God’s own decision that the Son has in himself the full nature of God.
Colossians 1:19,20
It was through the Son, then, that God decided to bring the whole universe back to himself. God made peace through his Son’s blood on the cross and so brought back to himself all things, both on earth and in heaven. Jesus is not just part or the church, or founder of the church – he is head, and life-source, and living ruler. Jesus is the one who brings us back to God – Christ is King because of the Cross, and that by the plan and decision of God. Paul will not allow Jesus’ role to be diminished, his place as head and ruler of the Church to be challenged.
Here we are in the twenty first century. Yes, we have many faiths, traditions and practices, and our Christian faith leads us to respect the freedom of people to believe, and even get faith wrong. But, is there a greater prophet? Someone more modern who will put Jesus in his lower place? Would you seriously think of replacing the creator of the universe, who played the key and costly role in setting us free? That would indeed be madness.