Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. (Colossians 3:15)
We have often interpreted this verse in an individualistic fashion to mean that each Christian should have peace in our heart. This verse is even appealed to in support of the teaching that intrapersonal peace in our heart is a means by which we discern God’s will for our life. Is this what Paul was conveying? Let’s look at the context.
Therefore, as the elect of God, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience, 13 bearing with one another and forgiving one another, if someone happens to have a complaint against anyone else. Just as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also forgive others. 14 And to all these virtues add love, which is the perfect bond. 15 Let the peace of Christ be in control in your heart (for you were in fact called as one body to this peace), and be thankful. 16 Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God. 17 And whatever you do in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him. (Colossians 3:12-17)
Both the grammar and the context make it clear that Paul is speaking of interpersonal, social peace, not intrapersonal peace. “Your” is plural, so Paul is talking about the church as a whole, not individuals within the group. This is also obvious from Paul’s parenthetical comment that the Colossians “were in fact called as one body to this peace.” He was speaking of peace on the corporate level.
The preceding context is even more telling. In verse 11 Paul said we are all one in Christ, and because of this we are to show mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, longsuffering (v. 12), forbearance, and forgiveness toward one another (v. 13). Why did Paul speak of forbearance and forgiving one another? It was because there was interpersonal conflict within the church at Colossae, resulting in the lack of peace. That is why Paul told them to forgive anyone they might be quarreling with (v. 13) and put on love. Immediately following this we find the verse in question. He admonishes them to let peace rule in their (plural) hearts because they are called into one body. His message was to quit fighting and bringing strife into the body of Christ, but to forgive and let peace rule in the body of Christ.
When read in context, it also becomes clear that Paul is not employing “peace in your heart” as a form of discerning the will of God. Paul is not talking about how we make decisions or know the will of God. He is talking about living peaceably with our fellow brothers and sisters.
Keep it in context….
Thinking to Believe 
February 18, 2017 at 11:58 am
“Why did Paul speak of forbearance and forgiving one another? It was because there was interpersonal conflict within the church at Colassae, resulting in the lack of peace. That is why Paul told them to forgive anyone they might be quarreling with (v. 13) and put on love. Immediately following this we find the verse in question. He admonishes them to let peace rule in their (plural) hearts because they are called into one body. His message was to quit fighting and bringing strife into the body of Christ, but to forgive and let peace rule in the body of Christ.”
In contrast to exhortation driven by strife; a message of encouragement engendered by faithfulness in the risen Messiah:
Ephesians 1
1:1 Paul, an apostle of Christ Jesus by the will of God,
To the saints who are at Ephesus and who are faithful in Christ Jesus:
2 Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ,
4 just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him. In love
5 He predestined us to adoption as sons through Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the kind intention of His will,
6 to the praise of the glory of His grace, which He freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
7 In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace
8 which He lavished on us. In all wisdom and insight
9 He made known to us the mystery of His will, according to His kind intention which He purposed in Him [John 6:39-40]
10 with a view to an administration suitable to the fullness of the times, that is, the summing up of all things in Christ, things in the heavens and things on the earth [1 Corinthians 15:20-28]. In Him
11 also we have obtained an inheritance, having been predestined according to His purpose who works all things after the counsel of His will,
12 to the end that we who were the first to hope in Christ would be to the praise of His glory.
13 In Him, you also, after listening to the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation–having also believed, you were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise,
14 who is given as a pledge of our inheritance, with a view to the redemption of God’s own possession, to the praise of His glory [Romans 8:11,14-17].
15 For this reason I too, having heard of the faith in the Lord Jesus which exists among you and your love for all the saints,
16 do not cease giving thanks for you, while making mention of you in my prayers;
17 that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him.
18 I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints,
19 and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might
20 which He brought about in Christ, when He raised Him from the dead and seated Him at His right hand in the heavenly places,
21 far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come.
22 And He put all things in subjection under His feet, and gave Him as head over all things to the church,
23 which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all [Romans 8:27-34].
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February 19, 2017 at 11:15 am
Jason:
About Paul’s letter to the Colossians(Christians, Brethren, People, Saints, Faithful) living in Colosse; the letter is yes, speaking to the group but not only to the group, to the Individuals as well; there is no separation here.
Whether the plural or the singular is being employed, only the writer could say for sure if not specific, not the reader.
Grammatically speaking, “their” can be both (plural) and used as a non-gender specific replacement for (singular) his/hers.
Same as “your”. “Your” is a possessive adjective, and adjectives do not change according to number or gender in English. As you can see, “your” is the possesive adjective for both the second person (singular) and the second person (plural).
When one preaches to the choir, the director specifically refers to the soprano, alto, tenor, bass sections if named as groups but if each group has 5 singers it must also be for the 5 individuals in that specific group.
If you are speaking to a barber shop quartet and you speak to the group regarding the date and time for their next venue you expect that all four individuals will show up and nobody would think he was speaking to the group but not to the individual. But if you speak to the bass, etc. as needing more forceful (….oomph….) that is for one individual. It is quite impossible to sermonize to a congregation and disregard the individuals who make up the corporate whole.
This is semantic niggling of a distinction without a difference and is a logical fallacy.
I note that you used the term “their” with parenthesis (plural) but that opinion is yours, used to support your notion that Paul was speaking to the corporate whole. Paul may indeed have been speaking about “corporate peace” but that would be impossible without individual peace that makes up the corporate peace.
Contrary to Mitt Romney’s observation and the Supreme court giving personhood to corporations, for some purposes: Supreme Court ruled that corporations have the right to spend money in candidate elections, and that some for-profit corporations may, on religious grounds, refuse to comply with a federal mandate to cover birth control in their employee health plans.
These are personal rights accorded to corporations. To many, the concept of corporations as people seems odd, to say the least and while it is not new, it yet remains a mere legal fiction.
It is worth noting also that Paul, while speaking as though he knew Jesus and Jesus message and that most Christians constantly quote Paul, Paul in that same letter to the Colossians says in Col 1:5 ….”….The lines of purpose in your lives never grow slack, tightly tied as they are to your future in heaven……” Now the fact that Paul describes “the lines of purpose” laid up for a future heaven means that Paul was not there yet and still harbored the same impression that Christians today harbor because Paul did not know what he was talking about when he spoke of a future heaven. “Heaven” is not a future event as Jesus plainly taught his disciples but Paul perpetuated that fallacy and all Christians follow Paul instead of Jesus. Unfortunately for them they remain ignorant to Jesus by following the false preaching of Paul. Not that all things Paul preached are false, but a “future” heaven clearly is not the message of Jesus.
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September 12, 2018 at 8:11 am
Jason, I apologize for contacting you this way but I read your article about time and Einstein’s error on the onenesspentecostal forum and just wanted to say that I agree except for one of your comments:
“Time is necessarily contingent on matter for its existence and expression. ”
I disagree that time is contingent on matter. If God begins thinking on something then later stops, the period in between is a period of time.
Time is necessarily contingent on life or an awareness of self for it’s existence and expression.
The idea that God is outside of time is in my opinion erroneous. He is ageless but not timeless.
Kevin McMillen
304-376-1727
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September 12, 2018 at 8:36 am
Man thinks, God can not think and does not think. Such thing as “in between” time is obtuse.
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September 12, 2018 at 8:41 am
One more thing.
No offense intended.
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September 12, 2018 at 8:52 am
God is not a He. You may say S/he is ageless & genderless.
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