substitute for the thorough knowledge of the will of God in accordance with Divine

wisdom and perception. So, before dealing with the false teaching which was Satan's

substitute for the Truth in chapter 2:, the Apostle stresses the real knowledge and

acknowledgment which leads to lasting practical results. The reader should compare here

the first prayer of Eph. 1: 15-23 which likewise starts with wisdom. This is the first

requirement if we are ever to have a real grip of God's truth with its riches of grace and

glory. These supreme riches of God are the subject of Paul's prison letters. Is the Lord

going to entrust them to foolish people?--and let us be honest, we are all foolish to some

extent by nature. "If any man lack wisdom let him ask of God, Who giveth unto all men

liberally . . . . ." (James 1: 5) is the Divine promise that alone can remedy this.

"In experience then, this is where we must all start, with the gift of Divine wisdom,

which the human intellect of itself cannot provide.  From this will follow Divine

understanding, the spiritual discernment, which again is a gift of God, and both of them

leading to practical results, a walk that is worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing that is,

giving Him complete satisfaction. This should be the first aim of our lives, and reminds

us of Enoch, who pleased God with his walk and was later translated by God and `was

not found' (Gen. 5: 24; Heb. 11: 5).  We, too, as members of the Body of Christ are

`translated' ones (Col. 1: 13). The worthy walk is expressed in three ways in Paul's

prison letters--`worthy of the calling' (Eph. 4: 1), `worthy of the gospel' (Phil. 1: 27) and

`worthy of the Lord' (Col. 1: 10). The Apostle likens such a walk to `bearing fruit' and

from this practical working out of the Truth comes a growing knowledge (epignosis) of

God. Or could it mean that this vital spiritual growth springs from the acknowledgment

of God and His claims. Both of these statements are of immense importance to each

member of the Body of Christ. We only grow spiritually as we respond to the truth of

God, and obedience to the knowledge of God that one has already received, is the

necessary condition for reception of further knowledge. In other words, cramming the

brain with Bible facts, merely an intellectual approach, accomplishes nothing. Nor will

our heavenly Father give greater heavenly knowledge to us when we are not acting on

what we already possess.

In his prayer, Paul now requests that the believers at Colossae be `empowered with all

power in accordance with the might of His glory'. This takes our minds to Eph. 1: 19-23

where the Apostle describes this as the `power of His resurrection' which conquered

death and exalted Him to the supreme position at the right hand of the Father. This

overwhelming force is put at the disposal of the redeemed. It is to `usward who believe'

and its practical apprehension would be all-sufficient to enable these believers to face up

to all opposition and every trial that would test their faith. It is well to note that

`strengthened' translates the present participle dunamoumenoi which indicates a

continuous experience, not one that is seldom or never repeated.

From this we are led to a three-fold fruit, patience, long-suffering and joyfulness.

`Patience' is better rendered `endurance', the steady persistence exhibited by a runner in a

race, who continues right to the goal without giving up. `Longsuffering' will stand up to

provocation without retaliation or bitterness. It has been pointed out that the Stoic often

exhibited patience and longsuffering, but he seldom did it with joyfulness. One can show