Dan Olinger

"If the Bible is true, then none of our fears are legitimate, none of our frustrations are permanent, and none of our opposition is significant."

Dan Olinger

 

Retired Bible Professor,

Bob Jones University

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On Memes

October 6, 2025 by Dan Olinger 2 Comments

This past week I came across a link to an interview about memes. It sprang from a news story about something—I’ll just say, um, edgy—that the president did, posting a meme that portrayed Hakeem Jeffries, the House Minority Leader, in a sombrero and stereotypical moustache. It wasn’t exactly high art, just a sloppy cut-and-paste job—it was, after all, a meme, and one of the defining features of memes is sloppy cut and paste. The White House released it in both photo and video form; The Guardian and numerous other outlets called the latter a “deep-fake video,” but I don’t think the production values of the video nearly rise, or sink, to that level, though it did put words, including vulgar ones, in Sen. Schumer’s mouth. 

The conversation in the podcast—I assume that’s what this interview was part of—turned to the social significance of memes in the current culture, in conjunction with a discussion about whether this particular meme was racist. The guest observed that when he was a young journalist, he would have thought that it was, but that now he’s inclined to see it as a form of political satire. In the process he seemed to be defining memes as a new, creative literary form, combining kitschy art (that was not his term) with creative social comment. I took him to mean that they are an ironic combination of lowbrow graphics with much more nuanced implied commentary. 

I don’t think I agree with him—about the novelty, I mean. It seems to me that memes are simply another form in a long tradition of cartooning. This meme, I think, is an example of a specific form of cartooning, the political cartoon, in the tradition of Thomas Nast, but many memes have no political content at all, thus falling into the general category of cartooning. This “new” art form has been birthed by a couple of social factors: the fact that the internet has made everyone a publisher (there was lots of commentary on that 25 years ago  or so), and the rise of simple and efficient computer-aided graphics in association with word processing. These factors were new 25 years ago with the advent of the web, but they’re common now; and as I say, the art form of social commentary through graphic design goes all the way back to the ancients. 

And that means that the edginess, the acidity, the, well, meanness, of the art form is absolutely nothing new. I easily recall the Palatine Alexamenos Graffito, which pictures Christ on the cross with the head of a donkey; and I’m sure that those with wider expertise in the ancient world could cite numerous examples from the inscriptions and literature that are centuries older than that. 

There is a power in cartooning that derives from the cleverness of the nonverbal art. All humans react, at some level or other, to the ironic twist, the “Gotcha!” of a new insight, a new take, especially when it involves a heated social controversy. It makes the proponents laugh, and it makes the opponents rage. 

It occurs to me that this rhetorical power is accompanied by a counterbalancing danger, which is apparent in this specific meme. Any visual art, such as a political cartoon, is inherently subjective; it allows the viewer to impose a variety of meanings onto it, with what we might call a reader-response reaction; those who see it will interpret it in the light of their own experiences and ideologies. In this case, the president’s opponents will invariably see it as racist, and his supporters will invariably tell the opponents to lighten up—it’s just a joke. 

And that will be followed by commentary on the sad socio-political situation of extreme polarization that gives everybody a hair-trigger, knee-jerk response. 

Thus, I suppose, has it ever been. 

The current situation gives us a frank look at the moral brokenness of humans. We treat our opponents without empathy, and then we criticize them when they respond as emotional beings with strong convictions—as I do to the Alexamenos Graffito. I don’t see mocking of the Son of God, in the act of dying for my sins, as anything near clever. And I ought to be able, therefore, to empathize with emotional responses to the mocking of the deep commitments of my fellow humans, even those with whom I have significant disagreements. 

In every generation there are those who decry the lack of empathy. But if history is any guide, it is likely to remain part of our social fabric until Jesus comes. 

I find comfort in Jesus’ promise of return and redemption. For those who see that as fiction, I’m afraid I have no realistic long-term comfort to offer. 

Filed Under: Culture, Ethics Tagged With: empathy, memes

On Greeting Strangers

October 2, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

This is an Old Guy Observation and Meditation. 

I’ve noticed over the decades that the practice of greeting strangers is declining. When you pass someone on the sidewalk—or on the street if there is no sidewalk—fewer and fewer of those someones will look you in the eye, smile, maybe nod, and say “Hello!” 

During my student days, my school encouraged a culture where you said hello when you passed someone on campus. Of course, there were logistical constraints; if the sidewalk was crowded (say, between classes), nobody felt the need to greet each of those people—though you might greet friends in the crowd as they came by. More recently I’ve noticed that the practice no longer seems to be part of that culture. 

Now, I’m not going all “good old days” here; the old days had their imperfections and irritations, and I, like everybody else, noticed them and complained about them more than I should have. And cultural practices change over time, often for perfectly good reasons. I can think of a couple of reasons the practice of greeting strangers has declined. 

The first, I think, is a consequence of the Sexual Revolution of the 1960s, which promoted sex as a simple biological function rather than a blessed consequence of a committed union. Anytime a culture rejects the purpose of a divine gift, that gift will become distorted, and the distorted practice will bring dangers and other harms. 

In this case, it’s standard safety practice now for lone women to ignore men they don’t know. With the increase in sex-related crimes since the ’60s*, women don’t want to act friendly in situations they perceive as risky. You look straight ahead and ignore the guy. And that’s good thinking. I’m always conscious of when I’m alone and walking behind a lone woman; I don’t want to cause her anxiety, so I’ll typically walk slower to increase the distance between us or even change my course. And of course, if a lone woman doesn’t greet me on the sidewalk, I take no offense. She has no idea what kind of monster I might be. 

A related matter is the increase in sex slavery in more recent years. In particular, children are warned about “stranger danger,” and those warnings are eminently sensible. So if kids don’t greet me, I take no offense at that either; in fact, I’m less inclined than I used to be to greet children I don’t know. Who’s this strange old man, anyway? 

A second reason for the decline in greetings is technology—phones and earbuds, most commonly. Lots of people multitask with their walking time, listening to music or podcasts, or catching up on texts. Nothing objectionable about that. I’ve noticed a few occasions where I couldn’t see any earbuds, said hello, and the person just completely ignored me. I try to exercise the biblical principle of giving people the benefit of the doubt (1Co 13.4-7, most directly) and just let it pass. Maybe the problem’s more with my eyes than their ears. 

But though I understand the forward march of culture, I miss the old practice of saying howdy. 

Speaking of culture, something I’ve noticed in rural Africa is the good reason why hardly anything begins on time: when you’re walking to an appointment, you’ll likely meet someone you know, and of course you’ll stop and greet him, and ask him how his family is—each family member, by name—and take some time to demonstrate that you value his friendship. It’s not seen as rude to keep people at your destination waiting; wouldn’t it be even more rude to brush off someone who’s standing right next to you? 

I love the sense that makes. 

So Africans—and African-Americans—will talk about “Africa time” and laugh, and I’ve come to appreciate the laughter as a nod to a cultural valuation of grace and love for neighbor. Of course we’re not going to start on time—and that’s a good thing! 

I’m not going to grouse about the “defects” of our culture like an old curmudgeon, but I am going to keep looking on-comers in the eye and say howdy if they return my look. 

If they don’t, no judgment. But I think our world would be a better place if we were on Africa time. 

* There’s complexity to the data, including varying legal definitions of rape and consent, and the question of a possible increase in reporting rather than incidence. 

Photo by Weichao Deng on Unsplash

Filed Under: Culture Tagged With: greeting

Light on the Horizon 

September 29, 2025 by Dan Olinger 5 Comments

First, a personal note. Today is the 44th anniversary of our first date. Happy anniversary, Babe. 

Now, the post. 

I have a clear memory of an event from when I was just 3 or 4 years old. 

My father and I were going someplace in the car—I believe that would have been the yellow 1954 Nash Rambler. I was standing up on the floor behind the front seat. (We weren’t much on child restraint—or anybody restraint—in those days.) It was nighttime, and I got interested in the oncoming headlights. There wasn’t a lot of traffic, but every so often another pair would appear on the horizon. I got to saying, “Here come annuddah one” when that happened. 

Dad joined in the game, responding with, “That’s all, Dan, no more.” Of course, that just increased my excitement when the next one appeared. Before long I was jumping up and down and screaming, “HERE COME ANNUDDAH ONE!!!” and laughing hysterically. Dad was laughing enthusiastically too. 

I didn’t really understand his joy until I became a Dad myself. 

And nearly 70 years later, I remember hanging onto the back of the front seat, and seeing the oncoming headlights, and jumping up and down, and screaming, and hearing my Dad laugh with unmitigated enjoyment. 

Dad remembered it too, until the day he died after six years of dementia. We often spoke of it. 

Another thought, seemingly unrelated. Bear with me. 

My wife and I like to go to Hilton Head Island once a year, sometimes more. I like the fact that now that I’m retired, we can go during the school year, the “off season,” and get lower rates. 

When we’re there, one of my favorite activities is to get up an hour or so before sunrise and walk east on the beach for a couple of miles, timing it so I arrive at a certain favorite spot just as the sun peeks the top of his shiny bald head up over the horizon. Typically the beach is empty when I start the walk, but by sunrise there are a dozen or so people at the spot, some doing yoga poses as they face the sun, others reading their Bibles, others just walking around picking up shells. 

World War II correspondent Ernie Pyle once wrote, “Dawn is the most perfect part of the day—if you’ve got the nerve to get up and see it” (“Roving Reporter,” The Pittsburgh Press, 7/7/43). 

Some people worship the sun; maybe some of the people out on the beach with me fall into that category. But whatever the specifics, we all seem to have this visceral response to the sunrise. It seems meaningful to us, in some way. 

Long, long ago the Creator of heaven and earth made a promise. After a global flood of judgment, he said that no such flood would happen again. And then he said, 

While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease (Ge 8.22). 

Every morning, he said, the sun will rise. 

I think that our attraction to sunrise is based in the fact that we, in the image of God, rejoice that he keeps his promises—that he is faithful. Even those who don’t know him respond to that image at the very core of their being. 

We were at Hilton Head again this past week. And do you know what I thought each morning as I saw the southeastern sky slowly lighten, and the color display adorn the horizon? 

“HERE COME ANUDDAH ONE!” 

I didn’t jump up and down and shout and laugh hysterically, because I didn’t want to spend the rest of my time at Hilton Head in a padded room. 

But the joy was just as intense—even more so, because this light on the horizon is infinitely more meaningful than those oncoming headlights all those decades ago. 

And you know what? That sunrise is always there. It’s not transitory. It’s a permanent halo around the earth, which is rotating underneath it at a thousand miles an hour (at the equator). And thus we see it every morning, and again from the other side every evening. 

Before they died, my wife’s parents had a small plaque hanging in their hall bathroom. It featured a nature scene and the words “Ever watchful / ever faithful / everlasting is the Lord.” 

Indeed. 

Photo by Jason Pischke on Unsplash

Filed Under: Personal, Theology Tagged With: attributes, faithfulness, systematic theology, theology proper

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 10: Closing Thoughts

September 25, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy | Part 6: Muscle | Part 7: Gratitude | Part 8: Specifics 1 | Part 9: Specifics 2 

So how does God make well-rounded Christians? 

Well, like all maturation, it takes time. It involves growth in comprehension, beginning with knowledge that is supplemented by understanding that comes from the means of grace and from experience. It involves growing in one’s knowledge of God and the consequent maturation of a living, personal relationship with him. It involves experiencing hard things that develop endurance and, yet again, more understanding. It involves experiencing victories that teach methods for and confidence in future victories. 

The primary element, I would assert, is that personal relationship, that love of God, that makes our confidence in his presence and trustworthiness almost second nature to us, beyond even the ways that we trust our closest human friends. With that relational foundation we walk with him throughout the day; we expect his direction and empowerment; we trust his will, in the light and in the darkness; and we see everything as from his hand, prompted by his wise love, something for which we should be profoundly grateful. 

That’s what I want to be when I grow up. 

Who is He on yonder tree 
Dies in grief and agony? 

Who is He who from the grave 
Comes to succor, help, and save? 

Who is He who from His throne 
Rules through all the worlds alone? 

’Tis the Lord! oh wondrous story! 
’Tis the Lord! the King of glory! 
At His feet we humbly fall; 
  Crown Him! crown Him, Lord of all! 

– Benjamin Russell Hanby 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 9: Specifics 2

September 22, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy | Part 6: Muscle | Part 7: Gratitude | Part 8: Specifics 1 

As we noted last time, Paul ends this chapter by listing, in two parts, a number of things for which we should be thankful. The first part lists what God, in the persons of both the Father and the Son, has done in his work of saving us. The second part, which we turn to in this post, is more personal; in the chapter’s final paragraph Paul focuses on what God has done in us as well as for us; and he meditates on how that has affected his life and ministry, and by implication, how it can affect ours as well. 

Building on his summary of what God has done for us in the previous paragraph, he now begins to talk about consequences. What difference does it make in us that the Father and the Son have “qualified us to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light” (Co 1.12)? 

  • He has reconciled us to God (Co 1.21-22); we’re not his enemies anymore. We don’t have to be afraid. 
  • How has he done that? The Son became human, corporeal, so that he could die “in the body of his flesh” (Co 1.22); and by that death he paid the price for the sins we had committed, which sins had positioned us as God’s enemies. The offended one took the offense on himself and brought reconciliation. We are forgiven. 
  • As a result we are “holy and unblameable and unreproveable in his sight” (Co 1.22). As far as he is concerned, we are in a special class, with nothing to answer for. And this is someone who knows all things perfectly. He knows. But he will never speak of our offenses again. 
  • If you stick with it (Co 1.23). Now, this calls for some explanation. Paul is not saying that we have to stop sinning in order to “stay saved”; he has already said clearly that those who have begun by faith cannot mature through works (Ga 3.3), and he will later tell a protégé that we are not justified by any works of righteousness (Ti 3.5). He is referring here to Jesus’ teaching (Jn 15.1-10) that all who are genuinely in Christ will abide in him; “continuing in the faith” (Co 1.23) is not the cause of our salvation, but evidence that it has happened. We will endure; we will succeed. 
  • Now Paul gets more personal. He begins to express his thankfulness that God has allowed him to have a part in telling the Colossians and others of these great gifts of salvation (Co 1.23-29). He vows to remain faithful to his calling, to continue to spread the word of the gospel so that more may hear. 

How is that something for which we can be thankful? 

Well, Paul is not unique in his divine calling. Jesus’ last words to his disciples—and by extension to us (Mt 28.19-20)—were the same call that Paul would later receive (Ac 9.15): we are to take the gospel to the ends of the earth. 

What a privilege that is! That we should be appointed representatives of the very God who created heaven and earth! That we should be ambassadors of reconciliation, of peace, of joy to those who walk in darkness! That every day we can watch for divine appointments, “chance” meetings, brief interactions that can make an eternal difference! 

How can we not thank him? 

How can we not face the real and significant challenges of each day with the joy of anticipating God’s presence and power and provision from beginning to end? 

How can we not face the darkness and chaos of our culture with the joy of knowing that God has already provided the means of reconciliation and applies it, with infinite power and certain success, to the hearts of those who believe? 

Next time: a brief closing thought. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 8: Specifics 1

September 18, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy | Part 6: Muscle | Part 7: Gratitude 

Paul has spent just under 3½ verses (Co 1.9-12a) summarizing the process by which God matures his people. That’s taken up 7 posts so far in this series. Now, jumping off from his final step of thankfulness, Paul spends almost 17 verses—almost 5 times as many—delineating specific things for which we should be thankful. 

This is no afterthought. It’s at the core of what matures us. If we want to grow up, we need to pay thoughtful attention to the list, so we can construct our thinking around it—so it can inform and underlie what we think about everything else. 

I note that Paul’s list comes in two sections. In the first (Co 1.12-23), he focuses on what God has done for us in salvation. In the second (Co 1.23-29), he meditates on the great gift God has shown him personally in allowing him to have a role in spreading the story of that salvation. 

Much could be written on these verses—and much has been. One of my commentaries has more than 50 pages of dense type exegeting just these 17-18 verses. Given the purpose of this blog, I won’t do that. :-) I’ll summarize. 

But here at the beginning I’ll say that these truths should fill our thoughts every day; they should inform our decisions; they should drive our goals. They should be how we live. 

So we turn to what God has done for us. Paul focuses first on the Father’s work, and then on that of the Son. 

What has the Father done? 

  • who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light (Co 1.12). We were by nature not qualified to be saints (“holy ones”) and thus to inherit their standing before God. God has made us qualified. (Paul will explain how he has done that in a bit.) 
  • He rescued us from the domain of darkness, and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son (Co 1.13). We were by nature citizens of a dark kingdom, one ruled by the evil one; and we were not inclined to emigrate. But God made us citizens of an infinitely brighter kingdom, one ruled by his Son, one greater than the Evil One. 

Now Paul expands on the person and work of the Son, who has redeemed us. 

  • in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins (Co 1.14). The Son has removed us from under the authority of the Evil One and has made us his own, or redeemed us. We have a new passport, one that gives us entrance to the spiritual universe over which God himself rules. And he has done all this by the simple (!) act of forgiving our sins. That’s what frees us from the Evil One; that’s what “qualifies us to share in the inheritance of the saints in light” (Co 1.12). 
  • He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation (Co 1.15). The Son is Lord over all—even the Evil One. I’ve written much more extensively on this passage elsewhere. 
  • For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things have been created through Him and for Him (Co 1.16). The Son is the Creator; he is the “Elohim,” “God,” of Genesis 1. 
  • He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together (Co 1.17). He also maintains all that he has created; he is what we call “Providence.” 
  • He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, so that He Himself will come to have first place in everything (Co 1.18). As the one who created us and who redeemed us from the Evil One, he is the head of the body of all believers; he directs our life here on earth, and we represent him here. Further, his resurrection from the dead guarantees our own resurrection in due time. 
  • For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fullness to dwell in Him (Co 1.19). The Son is all that the Father is; God is One. 
  • 20 and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven (Co 1.20). All of this is but a part of something far bigger than you and I. God is reconciling everything—the universe and everything that is not the universe—to himself. In his plan, all will be at peace, ruled justly and cohesively. The chaos will end. 

Is there anything here for which we can be thankful? Because of which we can face the pressures and trials of the day? 

A day in the light of these truths is a good day indeed. 

There’s even more to come. Next time. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 7: Gratitude 

September 15, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy | Part 6: Muscle 

Paul now comes to the fourth and final characteristic of one “walking worthy of the Lord” (Co 1.10): “giving thanks unto the Father” (Co 1.12). 

Gratitude. It’s a characteristic we often lack. 

I suppose there are several reasons for that—beyond the general fact of human depravity, of course. 

First, we’re selfish, self-centered. We’re focused on what we need, or what we want; if we don’t have it, we’re driven to get it. If we do have a particular thing we need, then we focus on something else that we don’t have. There’s always something, isn’t there? And the drive to get The Thing typically attracts our attention more easily than the gratitude for The Things that we do have. 

I suppose a way to mitigate this problem is to be content—that is, to recognize that you need less than you think you do. Now, I’m not talking to the single Mom of 4 kids who’s working two or three jobs—somehow—to keep all the bills paid. There are clear instances of genuine need, and feeling that lack is no failing. 

But for most of us, that scenario is not what we’re facing, even in times of economic pressure. Witness the ubiquity of businesses renting out storage lockers—there are two within a block or two of my house—as just one evidence of the fact that we have more than we need. As further evidence, take my testimony, which is typical of people my age. We’re trying desperately to get rid of a houseful of stuff so our kids don’t have to wade through it after we die. And much of that stuff we haven’t used, or perhaps even seen, in years, or even decades. These days I’m finding boxes of stuff in my attic that I had literally forgotten I had. I’m not suggesting we go all Marie Kondo on everything, but the simple fact is that most of us have much, much more than we need. 

I’m realizing that in my retirement I can live much more simply, much more cleanly, and yes, simultaneously even much more comfortably than I ever thought possible. Contentment is a liberating and pacifying thing. 

A second reason for thanklessness, I think, is a lack of attention to the source of what we have. Where did I get my ability to walk routinely without pain? To smell the honeysuckle growing in my yard? To see the gradations of brilliant color that embellish my skies every morning and evening? To hear the laughter of my grandson when I say, “Gotcha!”? My generous Father has given me all these things freely and from my earliest days on this earth. How good. How kind. How deserving of a daily word of thanks. 

My daily prayer time includes a section of thanking God for the countless things he has done for me physically, providentially, and spiritually. I have a list, and I go over it constantly. And let me say that a side effect of this practice is peace—something sadly missing in much of the current culture. 

A third reason for ingratitude, and the last one I’ll mention, is lack of attention—or rather, inordinate attention to less important things. We’re focused on What We Gotta Do Right This Minute. And there’s something to be said for responsible living, for excellence, for prioritization, for stewardship. But life is about people as well as projects and processes, and we invest wisely when we give attention to the benefits that others bring to our lives. When they smile, or say a kind word, or offer a hand, or give a gift, these are things that have measurably improved our lives and for which we should be grateful. And we should put that gratitude into words, whether prayed, spoken, or written. 

Well. This has been more of a meditation than an exegesis. There’s a place for that. 

Next time, we’ll turn to the passage, where Paul spends the rest of the chapter—17+ of its 29 verses, or more than half—specifying things for which we should be thankful. It will be fun to spend some time on that pleasantly aromatic pathway. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 6: Muscle

September 11, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness | Part 5: Intimacy 

Paul comes now to the third in his list of four characteristics of those who “walk worthy of the Lord” (Co 1.10): they are, he says,  

Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness (Co 1.11). 

There’s a lot to talk about in this clause. I’ll note initially that most of us have trouble taking Paul seriously here. This is an astonishing promise. 

First, he says, we are “strengthened with all might.” Now, right on its face, it seems beyond belief. “All might?” Really? 

Well, that’s what it says. Of course, we need to read contextually. God is omnipotent (e.g. Ge 18.14), and he’s also holy, or unique (Is 6.3; 45.5-6), which means that we are not as powerful as he is. So in what way is the mature believer “strengthened with all might”? 

I’d suggest that God provides us with all the strength we need to do whatever he wills or calls us to do. We’re strong enough. We can get it done. 

And lest we get nervous about making extravagant claims, Paul piles on the confirmation. In just this phrase Paul uses both the verb and the noun forms of the same word: literally, we are “strengthened with all strength.” 

Now, Paul is a Jew, educated under Gamaliel the Rabban, and he knows his Hebrew language and culture. When a Hebrew speaker wanted to emphasize something, he repeated or duplicated it. In Genesis 1, for example, God says to Adam, if you eat the fruit of that tree, “dying, you shall die” (Ge 2.17). Most English translations rightly render that as “You shall surely die” or “You shall certainly die.” Scholars call that a “Hebraism.” 

So if the mature believer is “strengthened with all strength,” then he is, as my Bostonian friends would say, “wicked strong.” 

But there’s more. The next phrase gives the scope, or the measure, of that strength: “according to his glorious power.” The word “power” here is a different Greek word, one that means simply “might,” whether physical or military or political. I think the point here is not that we’re as strong as God—as we’ve already noted, that’s impossible—but rather that God’s commands for us are backed up by his omnipotence; we act not merely in our own strength, but with the impelling force of his omnipotence. We can do whatever God calls us to do. 

One more thing. Paul adds a phrase here that specifies the kinds of things he’s calling us to do. Not impressive exploits or acts of strength, but rather “all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness” (Co 1.11). Both patience and longsuffering have to do with bearing up under a heavy load, not collapsing, finishing a difficult experience. We might say “endurance.” Often in the Scripture the words are connected to suffering or persecution. 

How about that? A key evidence of spiritual maturity is that you don’t lose your cool. You don’t quit under pressure. You don’t let exhaustion, or pain, or fear move you to stop trying, to stop standing. When you’re persecuted, you take it, for as long as the persecutor can dish it out. 

You Just Do It. 

And finally, Paul says, you Just Do It with a smile on your face. “With joyfulness,” he says. 

Yikes. 

We have an example of that in the very earliest days of the church. After Peter healed a lame man in the Temple (Ac 3.1-10), he preached Christ to the gathered crowd (Ac 3.11-26). In response the Jewish leadership demanded that the apostles stop their preaching, under threat of severe punishment (Ac 4.1-22). But the church saw this opposition as the fulfillment of prophecy (Ac 4.23-31) and determined to continue preaching; and the apostles continued their healing miracles (Ac 5.12-16). 

In response the Jewish leadership came down hard and eventually determined to execute the apostles, but began with a beating (Ac 5.17-40). And how did the apostles respond? 

They departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for his name (Ac 5.41). 

They rejoiced that God had allowed them to suffer. 

And they kept preaching: 

And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ (Ac 5.42). 

Strengthened with all might. 

It can happen. 

Next time: thankfulness. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 5:  Intimacy

September 8, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship | Part 4: Fruitfulness  

As Paul continues his list of specific ways that we will “walk worthy of the Lord, unto all pleasing,” he comes to item 2: “increasing in the knowledge of God” (Co 1.10).  

It shouldn’t surprise us that he lands here at this point; while the “good works” he’s just discussed are a necessary, even crucial, evidence of our regeneration—“faith without works is dead,” Jesus’ half-brother pithily observed (Jam 2.20)—Jesus made it abundantly clear that good works are not the central definition of Christian life. Throughout his ministry he lambasted the Pharisees, who had more good works going for them than anybody else in their day—even tithing their herbs and spices (Mt 23.23)—because they ignored “justice, mercy, and faith” (Ibid.). He identified the greatest commandment as “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind” (Mt 22.37); and in an intimate conversation with his Father, he said, “This is life eternal, that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (Jn 17.3). 

So it’s clear that Christian maturity is about more than just Doing What the Boss Says. Perhaps we can even say that it’s about more than the Lordship of Christ—though it is certainly about that. Christian maturity goes beyond that to the personal, to the intimate, to having a deep and loving—may I say affectionate?—relationship with God. We sometimes speak of “asking Jesus into our heart”—there’s some controversy about that—but as we’ve noted already, God is One, and we seek that intimacy with the Father (recall John 17.3, referenced earlier) and with the Son and with the Spirit, as One. 

The word knowledge here, as in the previous verse, has a preposition prefixed to it in the Greek (epiginosko as contrasted with ginosko). Sometimes, but not always, such a preposition signifies an intensification: so here, perhaps “to know with certainty,” “to know more deeply.”  

Maybe, maybe not. Trench thinks so, as does Geisler in the Bible Knowledge Commentary. But in any case we do not doubt that Paul is holding before us the goal of knowing God as thoroughly,as profoundly, as transformatively as a human can. 

Note that Paul describes this knowledge of God as “increasing.” This is something that grows, that develops, over time. 

We know what that’s like; we experience that in all our human relationships. My wife and I have been married for more that 41 years. There was a time when I didn’t know her at all. As we became acquaintances, we needed time for our understanding of each other to develop. Along the way there were times of misunderstanding due to the relative shallowness of the relationship. But as time proceeded, as experience was added to experience, we began to understand one another, to care for one another, to love one another. Most couples say that they thought they knew each other when they got married, but they realize now that they were just beginning. 

So it is in our walk with God; we are, after all, his bride (Rev 21.9). Unlike our human relationships, this growth is not reciprocal; God knows us perfectly from the beginning. But we have a lifetime of learning to do, and mature Christians find that their understanding and trust grow with that learning. 

Skeptics sometimes accuse Christians of being naïve, overly trustful, acting in blind faith. But that is not at all what’s happening. I trust my wife when I can’t see her, because I know her and have known her for decades. The mature Christian has the same kind of relationship with God. He knows his goodness and greatness from experience, and  he trusts him as a consequence. 

Do you have trouble trusting God? That’s normal for people who aren’t well acquainted. Give it time, and pay attention; God’s greatness and goodness will become apparent, and that will mature you over time. 

Next time: slow-twitch muscle.

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

How God Makes Well-Rounded Christians, Part 4: Fruitfulness 

September 4, 2025 by Dan Olinger Leave a Comment

Part 1: Introduction | Part 2: Obedience | Part 3: Relationship 

Paul now lists four specific ways that we will “walk worthy of the Lord, into all pleasing” (Co 1.10): 

  • Being fruitful in every good work, 
  • Increasing in the knowledge of God; (Co 1.10) 
  • Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness; (Co 1.11) 
  • Giving thanks unto the Father (Co 1.12). 

That’s quite a list. Keep in mind that these things are what God accomplishes in us—so they are achievable. 

The first characteristic that Paul chooses to list is fruitfulness. This follows naturally from what he has just said; if you are walking worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, then you are bearing fruit. 

In my early days as a Christian, my instructors tended to see “fruit bearing” as soul-winning or evangelism. I don’t doubt that that’s part of it, and a significant part; evangelism—and then discipleship—is the Great Commission that the ascending Christ left with us (Mt 28.19-20). Some see in Psalm 126 a motivation to evangelism: 

5 They that sow in tears shall reap in joy. 6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him (Ps 126.5-6). 

While I believe the context indicates a much broader scope to this observation, it certainly would include the concept of evangelism. 

But overall, when the New Testament speaks of “fruit” in the Christian life, it’s speaking about good works as evidence of faith (e.g. “the fruit of righteousness,” He 12.11; Jam 3.18) or character development, most famously in the “fruit of the Spirit” (Ga 5.22-23). I think it’s reasonable in this context (“fruitful in every good work”) to read this characteristic as demonstrating consistent success in our spiritual efforts to walk in a way that’s pleasing to God. We will fail on occasion, of course; the “old man,” as Paul describes our sinful nature, remains with us (Ro 7.24), and we stumble along the way, perhaps every day. (Or is it just me?) 

But in the main, there is growth and development of character; we can see progress from the way we used to be to the way we are now. I’ve been encouraged by the fact that as I grow older, and I have a longer timeline to recall and evaluate, the progress is easier to see. The sin nature is still there, and it may not be easy to see improvement from last week, or even last month, but oh, are things different from 50 years ago! Here is clear evidence of God’s working in my life, his ready grace and empowerment over time. 

Because he is omnipotent, God is never in a hurry; he is never under the pressure of time. He has done his work in me, and in you, as he has pleased, and he will continue faithfully until our last breath—and then he will sanctify us perfectly. There is great peace in that. 

And there is great peace in meditating on the specific “fruit of the Spirit” that he is developing in our character: 

  • Love, or others-centeredness. Thinking about, and living for, others instead of your own priorities or even needs. 
  • Joy, or persistent optimism about God’s control of present and future. Looking for what he’s doing rather than complaining or fearing about trials. 
  • Peace, or confident resting in the goodness of God’s plan. Freedom from fear, the predominant characteristic of present society. 
  • Endurance, or the ability to bear up under challenging loads for as long as necessary. This is a natural consequence of peace. 
  • Kindness, or care in treating others as you would be treated. This is a natural consequence of love. 
  • Goodness, or “interest in the welfare of others” (BDAG). This, too, springs from love. 
  • Faithfulness, or reliability, persistent adherence to the truth. I would suggest that this is another consequence of peace. 
  • Gentleness, or “the quality of not being overly impressed by a sense of one’s self-importance” (BDAG). Another consequence of love. 
  • Self-control, or strength over your natural instincts. This too springs from love, a devaluing of your own interests in favor of those of others. 

God is doing this in you, over time, in his time. Enjoy watching this happen, and take heart from the experience. 

Next time: increasing in the knowledge of God. 

Photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash

Filed Under: Bible, Theology Tagged With: Colossians, New Testament, sanctification, soteriology, systematic theology

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