Colossians 3:16 and Chapel

This website has really changed my thinking about chapel. I use to go to chapel and just zone out, but then I started paying attention to see if what Mark Boone was saying was true. The more I pay attention and think about chapel the more I do not like it. I have been thinking and searching scripture (not really the right way to look at scripture) about what “worship” is really about and I came across this verse. As I began to meditate on this verse I was encouraged and so I wanted to share with those who care.

Am I taking this verse out of context? The context of Colossians 3 is that Paul is giving guidance to Christians in different areas of life. Can I apply this verse to worship? This verse is about singing and is to be used as direction on singing. If you take singing as worshiping God (see Colossians 3:17), then yes, I believe it can be applied to worship.

“Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you, with all wisdom teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God.” Colossians 3:16 (NAS)

Let the word of Christ richly dwell within you – the gospel is the word of Christ and it must richly dwell within you. It is not enough for it to just be there, but it must be your master and you must take instruction from it.

"It must be always ready and at hand to us in every thing, and have its influence and use. We must be familiarly acquainted with it, and know it for our good. It must dwell in us richly: not only keep house in our hearts, but keep a good house. Many have the word of Christ dwelling in them, but it dwells in them poorly; it has no mighty force and influence upon them. Then the soul prospers when the word of God dwells in us richly, when we have abundance of it in us, and are full of the scriptures and of the grace of Christ." Matthew Henry Commentary on the Whole Bible (1971)

Many people go to chapel and “put on a show.” It is just a show when their lifestyle does not show that the word of Christ richly dwells in them. For example, sometimes I have trouble forgiving those who trespass against me. When I do not forgive them, then I am not letting the word of Christ richly dwell within me because God forgave me. So when I hear people talking about other people and do not have the heart to forgive them and then see them in chapel with their hands in the air and their “worship face” on it breaks my heart. They are not truly worshiping God because they are not letting the word of Christ dwell within them.

With all wisdom - The proper office of wisdom is to apply what we know to ourselves, for our own direction. The word of Christ must dwell in us to make us doctors, but to make us good Christians, and enable us to conduct ourselves in every thing as we become more Christ-like.

Teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs - Iron sharpens iron. We improve our knowledge by communicating it to others for their edification. We must admonish one another in psalms and hymns. Singing of psalms is a gospel ordinance.

It is a sad that the songs we sing in chapel do not have very much doctrine. It is difficult to teach and admonish one another when there really isn’t anything to teach and admonish. It is also sad that people have their eyes closed when they sing because they are suppose to be teaching and admonishing ONE ANOTHER with spiritual songs. Do you talk to people with your eyes closed? If you do, you are weird. It is true that we ARE singing to God (see the next part of the verse) but we are also teaching each other. Singing of psalms is a teaching ordinance as well as a praising ordinance. This is a hard concept, but just think about it.

Singing with thankfulness in your hearts to God - When we sing psalms, we sing with grace in our hearts, if we are suitably affected with what we sing and go along in it with true devotion and understanding. Singing of psalms is a teaching ordinance as well as a praising ordinance; and we are not only to quicken and encourage ourselves, but also to teach and admonish one another, equally excite our affections, and convey instructions.