"For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ." (Colossians 2:1-5)

January 6, 2026

Dear friends,

One of my happy places is my library at home. In addition to shelves of books, there are comfy chairs (usually holding books and papers), fountain pens, a computer, lamps which provide warm pools of light, and, of course, a cat who keeps company, especially if there's sunshine to bask in.

Most mornings, this is where I retreat from the noise and fury of the world. It sounds cozy, and it is. But it is more important than that, as you will see.

I have all kinds of books -- history, poetry, fiction, and whatnot, but mostly, the books are about Christian topics -- Bibles, theology, biblical commentary, archaeology, language studies, church history, biographies, and so on. After all, the passage I quoted above tells us, "...in him [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Col 2:3)

For 1500 years leading up to Jesus Christ coming into our world, we had Moses, David, Solomon, and the Prophets writing of the One to come, and when He came, we had the Apostles writing to proclaim and explain him to us. And since then, for 2000 years we've had church fathers, apologists, theologians, philosophers, missionaries, mystics, poets, pastors, martyrs, hymn-writers, artists, dramatists, commentators, scribes, and counselors of all kinds delving into the riches of our Lord Jesus Christ. Indeed, church history is a mixed bag of beauty and ugliness, but if you look for the beauty in it, the sheer wealth of that wisdom and beauty will overwhelm you. For "...in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

Now, all of this may seem a bit irrelevant, and something for people who live in ivory towers. Time spent reading books and writing and thinking seems a self-indulgent luxury. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Apostle Paul was certainly not an ivory-tower kind of guy. Look at the context of the verse we are considering.

According to the passage above (Col 2:1-5), we grow in wisdom and knowledge, because we, like Paul, are in a "great struggle" for the gospel (2:1). We are contending for truth in a dark and confused world. People need assurance, and to be encouraged, and to come to understand God's "mystery", which is his plan of redemption with Christ at the center (2:2). That means they (and we) need to understand the flow of history from God's perspective. We need to help guard believers from being deluded by false teaching (2:4), and so, to enable them to be firm in faith (2:5). We need the treasury of the knowledge and wisdom of Christ to equip our fellow believers. We need wisdom and knowledge that we might share that wisdom and knowledge with others, all in order that we might know Christ better. This is personal, but this involves mental content, too.

My home library was (and is) not only a respite from the sound and fury of the world, it was the place where I got equipped to go back out into the world. It was a place of reading, prayer, reflecting, and clarifying my thoughts before the Lord. It was the place of consulting the minds of the generations before me. Yes, the Bible came first. And seeking the power of the Holy Spirit. But we also stand upon the shoulders of men and women who came before us. Upon my shelves were the collected thoughts and experiences of others who faced what we face today, or at least, something very similar.

A couple of objections: 1) "You were a pastor in ministry and so it was important for you to study in your library." True, but we're all in ministry, aren't we? (Deut 6:7; Heb 5:12; 1 Pet 3:15) You have people around you who ask you questions about God and about life. You have children, family members, co-workers, and neighbors who may ask you, "But what about ____ in the Bible?" You can only say, "I don't know," so many times before you look empty-headed. One of my professors said, "The unexamined life is not worth living, and the unexamined faith is not worth believing." And then, 2) "I don't need a library (as in books), because I have my phone and a computer. I can look it up on the spot." Well, yes, you can. That's better than nothing. Check out the link below (yes, that's digital) to read the difference between information gleaned from a screen vs. gleaned from a book. A real book is better.

We are given a wealth of knowledge and wisdom in Christ. These riches are waiting to be found and studied and applied. They come from him, and they lead us back to him. Let's be clear, we don't study knowledge for knowledge's sake, but for Jesus' sake. They are hidden in him for our use, that we might know and worship him, and live wisely. Sitting quietly in your home library, reading and writing and thinking, may seem an idle pleasure. But to grow in the riches of Christ is never an idle or useless thing.

Why not make 2026 a year of discovery of the treasures of knowledge and wisdom in Christ? What will you read first?

LINKS.

-- Some might say that having a library in digital form is just as good as books in printed form, but there's a case to be made, for books in print, for deeper learning here and here. (I have plenty of both.)

-- Here's a fascinating article that relates an interview with C. S. Lewis in 1962, in which he was asked what books shaped his sense of vocation and philosophy of life. Full disclosure: I've not read most of them, but currently I'm working on Boethius and George Herbert.

-- I’m praying especially for freedom and justice for Venezuela and Iran today, and for relief for fellow Christians in Nigeria. The events of the past week brought back memories of the Cuban missile crisis of 1962 (I was 11 at the time and my father was stationed at the Pentagon). I heard planes flying south all night long. In hindsight I'm thankful for the providence of God and the Monroe doctrine.

-- I have developed a migraine condition inherited from my mother, which has gotten worse in recent months. My doctor said the best site for information is The National Headache Foundation. Maybe that will help some of you. I’m just beginning to appreciate all that my mother went through.

FINAL QUOTE.

“You can never get a cup of tea large enough or a book long enough to suit me.” (C.S. Lewis)

That's it for this week, the first one of 2026!

Sandy

Afterwords is an occasional newsletter on topics of interest to me (Sandy Young) since my retirement from full-time pastoral ministry. Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are from The ESV Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version), copyright 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.