Him We Proclaim

Colossians 1:28 (ESV) … “Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ.”

This world needs Jesus. At the heart of all the hurt and pain that this world struggles with is the need for Jesus. Our world is a broken world with broken people. The time has come for God’s king to be known in the whole world. Therefore, the servant of the gospel (ambassadors of Christ) must proclaim Christ.

Proclaiming Jesus, in public and in private, is what the servant of Christ is to do. Formally and informally. For the Apostle Paul that meant proclaiming Jesus before a court, in a synagogue, in the marketplace, in private conversation, in the writing of letters. ‘We proclaim him’ said of the Lord Jesus Christ.

In our passage, the word ‘everyone’ is used three times. In the original there are echoes of the ‘all things’ in 1:15–20. All people are now to hear of Christ in whom all things have their origin, existence and reconciliation.

a. Warning everyone

Proclaiming Christ means warning everyone. People’s lives cannot be the same once Christ is known. They must change, and they must not drift back to old ways. The Greek word behind ‘warning’ is translated in 3:16 by ‘admonishing’.

b. Teaching everyone

Proclaiming Christ means teaching everyone. People’s thinking and understanding of life and the world cannot remain the same once Christ is known. There is much to learn.

On the one hand, this is a task that can only be done with [literally, in] all wisdom, in the sense that it will take wisdom to know how Christ is to be proclaimed in various situations and to different people. On the other hand, the message itself is the ultimate wisdom, for (as Paul will say shortly) ‘all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge’ are hidden in Christ (2:3). Paul prayed that the believers would ‘be filled … in all spiritual wisdom and understanding’ (1:9). To proclaim Christ is therefore to convey wisdom.

c. With a purpose

Proclaiming Christ has this purpose: that we may present everyone mature [or, perfect] in Christ. That, you remember, is what Paul spoke of as the purpose of what Christ has done for you in 1:22: ‘in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him’ at the final judgment. Paul, the servant of the gospel, proclaims Christ (1:28) in order that the purpose of Christ’s death (1:22) might be fulfilled! [1]

Pray today that in your service to Christ that you proclaim Him! What our world needs more than anything is the good news of Christ our King!

[1] Woodhouse, J. (2011). Colossians and Philemon: So Walk in Him (pp. 87–88). Ross-shire, Great Britain: Christian Focus.