This Orthodox Christian commentary is derived from a series of sermons given by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, where His Eminence has been serving since the early 90s.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
(COLOSSIANS) THE SURVIVAL OF CHRISTIANITY IN COLOSSE: The budding congregation of Christians in the city of Colosse was threatened by the temptation to relapse to paganism. St. Paul steps in by writing this letter to warn them against apostasy, as well as other philosophies of men (such as Judaistic ceremonialism, angel worship, and an improperly harsh form of asceticism). The singular message St. Paul wanted to impress upon them was: Christ is the fullness of God and is the all-sufficient Savior.
(1 THESSALONIANS) KEEPING THE SECOND COMING IN MIND: St. Paul tries to remind the Thessalonians about the need to maintain their steadfastness in the faith, and he instructs them on how to live a holy life, worthy of their calling. He brings to their mind the Second Coming of Christ as a means of motivation and also comfort in light of the persecutions they had been facing.
(2 THESSALONIANS) THE SECOND COMING-NOT JUST YET Having brought to their minds the Second Coming of Christ, some Thessalonians thought that the persecution they were enduring meant Christ was coming now (as in, in their lifetime), to the point that people quit their work! St. Paul corrects their misunderstanding and motivates them for continued spiritual progress.
His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef expounds on the subject of overcoming hopelessness and despair, describing reasons that lead to feeling down, providing guidance on dealing with despair, and shares bible verses on the subject.
Boundaries are like a fence with gates, which are opened to what is good, yet are closed to whatever is bad. If I, however, closed shut my heart completely, and did not let it ever be opened, this fence is consequently transformed into a wall that completely isolates and imprisons me. Building boundaries is not against love and individuality, but makes clear our responsibilities and our role.
His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef, having many years of experience, reveals what healthy boundaries are, how to build them, and what are some obstacles to setting them.
H.E. Metropolitan Youssef was ordained Bishop in 1992 and elevated to Metropolitan in 2022 for the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States. His Eminence has completed a Ph.D. degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from St. Mary University in San Antonio, TX.
As the only record of the first thirty years of the early Church, the book known as The Acts of the Apostles, follows the ministry of the apostles, with a particular focus on St. Peter in the first half, and St. Paul in the second half. The author of the book is St. Luke the Evangelist, "the beloved physician" as St. Paul described him (Colossians 4:14), who was a companion of the apostles during several missionary trips; it was the second historical account written by St. Luke to a man named Theophilus (assumed to be a Roman officer), with the first account being the Gospel of St. Luke (after which Theophilus is presumed to have converted to Christianity).
This book, inspired by God, records for us the establishment and early growth of the Church, and relates several conversions (Ethiopian eunuch, St. Paul, and Cornelius). Without this work, we would be without an answer to "what happened next" after the gospel accounts, we would not have the context to help us understand many of the writings of St. Paul, and we would not have the benefit of seeing the Holy Spirit's work in the ministry of the apostles, as they fulfilled God's directive and theme of this book: "You shall be witnesses to Me" (Acts 1:8).
Colossians, 1 & 2 Thessalonians
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000This Orthodox Christian commentary is derived from a series of sermons given by His Eminence Metropolitan Youssef of the Coptic Orthodox Diocese of the Southern United States, where His Eminence has been serving since the early 90s.
ABOUT THE BOOK:
(COLOSSIANS) THE SURVIVAL OF CHRISTIANITY IN COLOSSE: The budding congregation of Christians in the city of Colosse was threatened by the temptation to relapse to paganism. St. Paul steps in by writing this letter to warn them against apostasy, as well as other philosophies of men (such as Judaistic ceremonialism, angel worship, and an improperly harsh form of asceticism). The singular message St. Paul wanted to impress upon them was: Christ is the fullness of God and is the all-sufficient Savior.
(1 THESSALONIANS) KEEPING THE SECOND COMING IN MIND: St. Paul tries to remind the Thessalonians about the need to maintain their steadfastness in the faith, and he instructs them on how to live a holy life, worthy of their calling. He brings to their mind the Second Coming of Christ as a means of motivation and also comfort in light of the persecutions they had been facing.
(2 THESSALONIANS) THE SECOND COMING-NOT JUST YET Having brought to their minds the Second Coming of Christ, some Thessalonians thought that the persecution they were enduring meant Christ was coming now (as in, in their lifetime), to the point that people quit their work! St. Paul corrects their misunderstanding and motivates them for continued spiritual progress.
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