This study is from an on going online Daily Bible Study at:
DailyBibleStudy.Org | Daily Bible Study Index Page | Daily Bible Study Online E-Book Library
Colossians 2:5
5 For [gar] though [ei kai] I be absent [apeimi] in the flesh, [sarx] yet [alla] am I [eimi] with [sun] you [humin] in the spirit, [pneuma] joying [chairo] and [kai] beholding [blepo] your [humon] order, [taxis] and [kai] the stedfastness [stereoma] of your [humon] faith [pistis] in [eis] Christ. [Christos] KJV-Interlinear
5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ. NASB
You do not have to sit in front of a teacher or instructor, in order to learn. You do not have to have a pastor, or preacher, or instructor in your presence in order to learn spiritual truth.
The Word of God is also called Christ. Jesus Christ is also called the living word. Christ is called the Word, and so forth. When you have the content of the scriptures in you, you also have Christ in you. They are virtually the same, in effect.
Christ is not with us physically. He has not been on this earth walking and talking among humanity for nearly 2000 years. No one, except those who lived in that first Christian generation, has seen Jesus, nor has anyone heard His voice, since then.
And yet through the generations people have studied the word, learned it, written about it and taught it to untold billions.
Sitting in a beautiful cathedral, or church, in a tent, or even in your own home, will make no difference to your learning potential. There is no advantage in your surroundings, with respect to growing up in life. In fact most of your growing up takes place in your everyday life, which is not in a church, but in your home, on the road, at work, etc.
Most of your growing up, in fact all of your growing up, is based on your thought processes, not your environment.
Paul is pleased with the successful spiritual growth and steadfastness of those folks he knew or had heard of, but you also should be pleased when you advance in your spiritual life, when you hear of others advancing in their spiritual lives, when you participate in the advancement of others in their spiritual life, simply because most blessing comes from God to advancing believers.
The more spiritually mature believers there are in the world, the more prosperity there is. Fewer believers advancing means less prosperity, and greater adversity.
The order of ones mind, comes through doctrine in the soul. Doctrine in the soul means more responsibility in ones life. Who you are, where you live, what you do, and how you learn are irrelevant.
With doctrine comes freedom. Freedom brings responsibility. Responsibility brings liberty. Liberty brings opportunity. Opportunity brings success. Success brings prosperity. Prosperity brings wealth. Wealth brings security. Security brings contentment. Contentment brings true happiness.
That is your objective, and it all begins with Bible doctrine. Nothing else in life can produce happiness.
