Making sense of Scripture

I'm a pretty visual learner and even with looking at my Bible, there are times I read something (especially by Paul) and think, What did he just say? Paul loves big long sentences with lots of clauses that are just packed full of information.

In my quiet time this morning, I read Colossians 1:9-14. I love passages like this--prayers I can pray for others. But in true Paul fashion, this paragraph is made of only three sentences.

For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. And we pray this in order that you may life a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving things to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

So as I go through it, I tend to write it down in my journal in a visual way that helps cement it in my mind. I ask questions that Paul answers through his various clauses and compound sentences.

Here's what I mean:

For this reason, 

WHAT REASON? (Their faith and love Paul talks about in verse 4)

since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you 

WHAT DO PAUL & TIMOTHY PRAY?

and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will 

HOW DOES GOD FILL THEM WITH THE KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL?

through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. 

WHY DO THEY NEED SPIRITUAL WISDOM AND UNDERSTANDING?

And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: 

HOW DO THEY LIVE THIS KIND OF LIFE AND PLEASE GOD?

• bearing fruit in every good work, 
• growing in the knowledge of God, 
• being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might 

WHY DO THEY NEED THIS POWER?

so that you may have great endurance and patience, 

• and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, 

FOR WHAT?

who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. 

HOW DID GOD QUALIFY THEM?

For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 

WHAT HAS THE SON DONE?

in whom we have redemption, 

WHAT IS REDEMPTION?

the forgiveness of sins.

Comments

[Dawn W]

I love this passage and it was neat to have you break it down like this. I have to do that occasionally, too, otherwise it's too much info packed into one passage and I end up missing big chunks.

Blessings!

[chapmanchick]

Deconstructing Paul.... maybe a new book title?

[Mandy]

Thanks for this- what a great lesson on dissecting scripture!

[Sallye]

I love the NKJV of 1:13 He has delivered us from the power of darkness and conveyed us into the kingdom of the Son of His love.

Convey-carried. Makes this very personal and visual to think of God carrying us as a man carries his son Deut 1:31 from the power of darkness into the kingdome of the Son of His love.

Sallye

[Marla Taviano]

Oooh, I vote yes on the new book title! :)

[Kristy]

This was a good exercise for me when reading scripture - thanks!