Christ’s appearance that was mentioned in this section of the epistle to the Colossians is his appearance in the last day. The apostle wishes that we appear with Christ in the glory produced from our purity. Therefore, Paul assures, immediately after this, that we should “put to death our members”. Of course, he doesn’t mean to destroy this or that member, but he uses this image of the member of the body metaphorically to speak about our sins that we have to put off as if they were parts of us.
He mentions five lusts and emphasizes on covetousness considering it idolatry; his words here are echoes from the Bible that forbids us from worshiping God and money together. After that, he mentions sins from another kind, sins that have the mouth as their tool (malice, blasphemy, lying).
Paul related all these to the “old man” in us, the man of sin that wasn’t renewed through grace. The contrary of this, is the “new man” who’s constantly renewed through grace, moves towards the knowledge of God through love and obedience, and the image of the creator is renewed in him since he has been created according to this image.
For if all of us reached this, there shall be no difference between Greek and Jew, i.e. between Christians coming from Paganism and others coming from Judaism; these were differences with racist backgrounds that were found in the ancient church. Jews were circumcised while Gentiles were not. Therefore, Paul wanted to confirm the symbol of the difference saying: “neither circumcised nor uncircumcised”.
Then he mentions another cultural difference denying the conflict between Barbarians and Scythians. Barbarians were the non-Greek people, and were uncivilized according to Greeks. Scythians, on the other side, were people that had little civilization living in southern Russia.
However, the big conflict (difference) in that time was between free people and slaves. Slaves did not have a legal personality and weren’t allowed to get married legally while they were allowed to cohabitate.
Post-Pauline Christianity, despite his words concerning this, wasn’t able to get rid of slavery. A Christian could be a slave according to the Roman law, but in the church he’s a brother of the free man sharing with him Holy Communion. In his epistle to Philemon, Paul raised the status of slaves.
If all of these differences vanish from church’s dealing with people, Christ shall appear as everything and in everything. The Church has revealed a new unity through Christ’s blood.
Unfortunately, and despite the New Testament’s warnings concerning differences between people, we still see a big gap between man and woman, i.e. superiority, we also find a difference between a man and his servant or maid in addition to injustice towards servants including violence, oppression, and beating. We see a preference in the way the church treats the rich and the poor. The difference between classes has sometimes its effect on the faithful that share the Holy Grail. We also find a difference between the educated and the ignorant although they are one according to God, or we find contempt for the disabled and maybe a differentiation between people on the basis of beauty and age although people are equal according to God’s opinion and love for them.
If Christ was everything for you, people shall become all equal for you as they are for him.
Translated by Mark Najjar
Original Text: “الانسان الجديد” – 16.1.2011
