Another Anti-Parenthesis Moment

Colossians 3:1-11

Every time I go on these rants about being anti-parenthesis I receive a little good-natured grief because I'm known to use the grammatically unimportant punctuation myself (really, I do). I want to clear the air before the grief comes: I only get upset at the use of parenthesis in the bible because the parenthesis is being used to enhance a language which had no such punctuation. In fact, the parenthesis, or brackets, were not used until the late 14th century. Why, then, are we placing them in a writing that didn't use them, let alone know how they're to be used.

With this in mind let's take another look at verse 5 from our reading today. If, if, we replace the parenthesis with other puncuations the words "which is idolatry" enhances the list, not further describes the last entry in the list. Could it be that Paul is saying all of the things which come before those words are a result of, or in danger of becoming, idolatry.

I have what might be a better way of writing that verse (at least a more proper way, according to what Paul's overall message is):
            "Put to death, therefore, whatever in you is earthly - fornication, impurity, passion, evil                     desire - which is idolatry."

I submit this different way of thinking because, really, how can passion be an earthly evil unless it becomes that which we put before God. Yet the word is included in the list. The writer of the letter to the church in Colossae is making the point that we are all sinners. We all have those things in our lives which we put between us and God or us and one another. We all have something which causes us to separate our relationships. The point of today's passage is to remind us that we have a Christ in whom we can give our lives to in order to repair and rebuild those relationships.

It's through Christ we can begin to understand the vision of God as Jesus teaches it to be. It's through Christ that we learn to love God and one another unconditionally and to reach out to help those in need. It's through Christ we learn to give up those things which bring false hope, and put our energies into what brings truth.

It's through Christ we learn to find the peace and joy we long for.