The Agape (LOVE) Boat

This morning I felt led to read from Paul's letter to the Colossians 2:2-3,6-7 NIV:

[2] "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, [3] in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

[6] "So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, [7] rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."

Talk about loaded verses!  The whole second chapter has much to reflect on, but these 4 verses seemed to resonate with my mind and spirit this morning, more than the others, so I will spend some time digging into them. 

It is interesting how Paul correlates being united in love as a precursor to having the full riches of complete understanding and knowing the mystery of God.  In other words, this is foundational to our ability to understand Christ.  We can't rightly perceive without this uniting love. 

I guess that makes sense, as John says that God is love (1 John 4:8) so if He defines love, we must experience and know love to know Him. 

The original Greek word that has been translated united is the word symbibázō (from 4862 /sýn, "identified with" and 1688 /embibázō, "to board a ship") – properly, bring together (combine), "causing to stride together" (TDNT); (figuratively) to grasp a truth by intertwining ideas needed to "get on board," i.e. come to the necessary judgment (conclusion); "to prove" (J. Thayer).

This is accomplished through Agape love, or love where we prefer others. The definition is as follows -  agápē – properly, love which centers in moral preference. So too in secular ancient Greek, 26 (agápē) focuses on preference; likewise the verb form (25 /agapáō) in antiquity meant "to prefer" (TDNT, 7). In the NT, 26 (agápē) typically refers to divine love (= what God prefers).

This is an interesting word picture, Paul is praying for them that they might experience preferring to being in the same boat together, working together.  I like to say we are all in the boat rowing in the same direction, in this case its an agape (love) boat.

Again, Paul says this experience is essential to our grasping the mystery of God in and through Christ. 

This strikes me as essentially requiring us to lay down or independence, our individualism, and being willing and preferring to join ourselves to others!   No wonder many in the American church struggle to embrace and experience the fullness of God's plan for the church and His Kingdom.  Even in our congregationalism, we don't often have strong relationships with our neighboring congregations, instead thinking our expression is the right way of doing things. Oh Lord, help us!

We want to experience the full riches of complete understanding that we might know the mystery of God and all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden in Him, in Christ!  Help us to get this first part correct, this agape boat!

Finally, we are called to live our lives connected to Christ, rooted and built up in Him, overflowing in thankfulness.  Again, we must willingly lay down our independence, and connect ourselves to Christ.  In Him is hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Lord, help us to learn to prefer this connected life, this unity with others and with You!  Help us to experience this pathway to a greater understanding, a greater experience of Your nature, Your oneness and preference for each other.

Amen and Amen!