It is not only our duty but also our privilege to obey the exhortation of Col. 3: 1, 2 to

set out minds on things above.  In the course of our ministry, we often pass this

exhortation on to others and have it passed on by others to us. While the Word preached,

just as it is written, is full of power, yet there is in it such fullness that always there is

room for exposition and application. This enables faith to be exercised with intelligence

and the truth of the particular passage to be perceived with a measure of comprehension.

In this series it is therefore our endeavour to direct attention to what the Scriptures

mean when they speak of "things above".

Following the lead of the passage itself, our attention is first drawn to the fact that

"things above" are expanded by the apostle himself as "where Christ sitteth on the right

hand of God". To obtain some idea of "things above", therefore, we must learn from the

Word what are the answers to the questions:

The Scriptures contain ample evidence that the Lord Jesus Christ is now "far above all

heavens" (Eph. 4: 10). The original reads huperano panton ton ouranon, about the

translation of which there is no controversy. Huperano occurs only three times in the

N.T., as follows: Eph. 1: 21; 4: 10; and Heb. 9: 5.  Concerning the heavens

themselves we can have no opinion that is of weight, but we have no difficulty in

understanding the reference to the ark and the cherubims:

The instruction to Moses were:

The cherubims were made "of the matter of the mercyseat" (Exod. 25: 19 margin),

and as the mercyseat is said to be above the ark, so the cherubims are said to be over the

mercyseat. We find upon further examination that whereas the church of the One Body is

blessed in heavenly places, en tois epouraniois, "in the over heavens", Christ, their

exalted Head, is said to have ascended above all heavens, or, as we read in Heb. 4: 14,