“Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.” — Colossians 3:16.
This one verse is jammed packed with meaning!
Letting the word [“word” or “logos” or the Divine Expression (i.e., Christ) — from The New Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, James Strong, LL.D., S.T.D., Thomas Nelson Publishers] to dwell in you [“dwell” or “enoikeo” meaning “to inhabit” (Strong’s definition) or the “indwelling” of the Word of Christ (from the word “dwell” in the Vine’s Complete Expository Dictionary of Old and New Testament Words, W.E. Vine, Merrill F. Unger, William White, Jr., Thomas Nelson Publishers) is essential to experience the “mystery” of God’s will (Colossians 1:9 KJV) and His “…revelation in the knowledge of him.” (Ephesians 1:17).
“The word of Christ” dwells “in you richly [“richly”or “plousios” meaning copiously (having or yielding an abundant supply, exhibiting abundance of fullness, as of thoughts or words — Google definition)] in all wisdom;” [“wisdom” or “sophia” meaning (spiritual) wisdom — Vine’s definition].
So “the word of Christ” is abundant in spiritual wisdom. What a blessing!
“The word of Christ” draws one to know more of this abundant spiritual wisdom which is given to us freely, and which gives us joy.
“The word of Christ” compels us to teach and admonish “one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs [“spiritual” or “pneumatikos” meaning “divinely supernatural” — Strong’s definition] singing with grace [“grace” or “charis” meaning the divine influence upon the heart, and its reflection in the life; gratitude, favour, joy, liberality — Strong’s definition] in your hearts to the Lord.” Just think of the supernatural effect in your life!
In the Vine’s, it states in its definition of the word “admonish” (or “noutheteo”) that “The difference between ‘admonish’ and ‘teach’ seems to be that, whereas the former has mainly in view the things that are wrong and call for warning, the latter has to do chiefly with the impartation of positive truth, cf. Col. 3:16; they were to let the Word of Christ dwell richly in them, so that they might be able (1) to teach and ‘admonish’ one another, and (2) to abound in the praises of God.”
Therefore, because of the definitions explained before, much is occurring with the meaning of this verse when we experience “the word of Christ” especially in a daily worship of God. How blessed we are in our active participation (“psalms and hymns and spiritual songs”) of “the word of Christ.” This is for everyone to experience.
Do a deep and extensive study of the Holy Bible every day to understand fully just what you are reading to know “the Word of Christ.”
Praise be to the Lord our God! God bless you all!
Brenda A. McGee has attended New York Theological Seminary in New York, NY, and Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, CA as a Master of Divinity student.