He writes this in prison.
"Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things."
No human without Christ can live this revelation in prison. 🙏
The Benimar has moved north to Ploujean, just outside Morlaix. And Le reads Colossians and immediately asks where the writer was standing.
And Scripture proves her point with Paul's own biography.
Acts 16:25: "And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them." That was the Philippian jail — the very city whose letter Le finished four days ago. Feet in the stocks, back bleeding, midnight. Singing.
No natural human capacity produces that.
And Colossians 3:3 — the verse immediately after the two Le quoted — explains how it is possible:
"For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
The life is not in the cell. It is stored somewhere the guards cannot reach. That is why a prisoner can set his mind above — because that is where he actually lives. The body is in Rome. The life is already seated.
Paul had never been there. He says so in 2:1 — as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. He is writing to strangers.
The town. Colossae sat in the Lycus valley in Phrygia, about a hundred miles inland from Ephesus, with Laodicea and Hierapolis as near neighbours (4:13). Once prosperous — known for a dark red dyed wool — but faded by Paul's day. It is the smallest, least important place Paul ever wrote a letter to.
The church. Founded by Epaphras (1:7, 4:12), a Colossian himself, almost certainly converted during Paul's three years at Ephesus — all they which dwelt in Asia heard the word (Acts 19:10). Paul never went; the word travelled without him.
The occasion. Paul is in prison (4:3, 4:18 — remember my bonds), most likely Rome, in the early 60s. Epaphras came to him with a report: their faith and love were real (1:4-8), but something was creeping in.
Piece it together from Paul's corrections: philosophy and human tradition (2:8), circumcision (2:11), food rules and festivals and sabbaths (2:16), worship of angels (2:18), touch not, taste not, handle not (2:21), and the stoicheia — the elemental spirits (2:8, 20).
A respectable religious add-on. Christ, plus some extra access. And Paul's entire answer is one line Le read tonight: in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, and ye are complete in him. Nothing to add. Nothing missing.
The letter travelled by Tychicus, with Onesimus (4:7-9) — so Philemon went in the same mail bag. And around AD 60-61 an earthquake struck the Lycus valley. Colossae never really recovered; today it is an unexcavated mound in a field.
Which leaves this: the most exalted description of Christ in any of Paul's letters — image of the invisible God, in him all things hold together — was written from a prison, to a declining little town he had never visited, by a man who had never met them. And it outlasted the town by two thousand years.
"So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy... For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and in Christ you have been brought to fullness."
"Ainsi donc, comme vous avez reçu le Seigneur Jésus-Christ, marchez en lui, étant enracinés et fondés en lui, et affermis par la foi, d'après les instructions qui vous ont été données, et abondez en actions de grâces. Prenez garde que personne ne fasse de vous sa proie par la philosophie et par une vaine tromperie... Car en lui habite corporellement toute la plénitude de la divinité. Vous avez tout pleinement en lui."
Colossiens 2:6-10 · Louis Segond"As you received." Comme vous avez reçu. Parelabete — received, again. The whole month keeps returning to that verb. And note what Paul does with it: the way in is the way on. You received Him; now walk the same way you started. Nothing changes methods halfway.
"Rooted and built up." Enracinés et fondés. Two pictures, two tenses. Rooted is agricultural and already done. Built up is architectural and ongoing. Rooted once. Building daily.
"Hollow and deceptive philosophy." Par la philosophie et par une vaine tromperie. Le, September 15: don't overthink, just worship. And 1 Corinthians 1:20: where is the disputer of this world? The same warning, a third time.
"You have been brought to fullness." Vous avez tout pleinement en lui. Peplērōmenoi — and it is the same root as the plērōma dwelling in Him one verse earlier. His fullness; our filling. The vessel is filled from the source.
"When you were dead in your sins... God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross."
"Il vous a rendus à la vie avec lui, en nous faisant grâce pour toutes nos offenses; il a effacé l'acte dont les ordonnances nous condamnaient et qui subsistait contre nous, et il l'a détruit en le clouant à la croix; il a dépouillé les dominations et les autorités, et les a livrées publiquement en spectacle, en triomphant d'elles par la croix."
Colossiens 2:13-15 · Louis Segond"The charge of our legal indebtedness." L'acte dont les ordonnances nous condamnaient. Cheirographon — a handwritten IOU, signed by the debtor's own hand. The one document you cannot dispute, because it is in your own writing.
And He nailed it to the cross. Not paid in instalments. Cancelled, and posted publicly.
Le: I was mercied because God is merciful. This is the receipt. And Romans 8:1, in Brittany: there is therefore now no condemnation — because the paper that did the condemning is gone.
"Triumphing over them." En triomphant d'elles. Thriambeusas — the Roman triumph parade, conquered enemies marched through the streets behind the victor's chariot. The cross looked like His defeat. Paul calls it the victory procession.
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God."
"Si donc vous êtes ressuscités avec Christ, cherchez les choses d'en haut, où Christ est assis à la droite de Dieu. Affectionnez-vous aux choses d'en haut, et non à celles qui sont sur la terre. Car vous êtes morts, et votre vie est cachée avec Christ en Dieu."
Colossiens 3:1-3 · Louis SegondLe has already prayed this passage.
James Smith's prayer, a week ago: "Lift my heart to things above, and fix it ever there!" Smith was quoting Colossians 3:1-2. Once again the devotional handed her the verse before the chapter did.
"Your life is hid with Christ in God." Votre vie est cachée avec Christ en Dieu. Hidden — therefore safe, and therefore out of reach of the cell.
2 Corinthians 4:7: we have this treasure in earthen vessels, that the excellency of the power may be of God, and not of us. The clay is ordinary on purpose — so nobody mistakes where the light is coming from.
Le, September 18: fools for Christ — the best place to be, because our vision of Christ is clearer. Paul in chains sees more than Paul free.
"Therefore, as God's chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience... And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts... Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly... through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts."
"Ainsi donc, comme des élus de Dieu, saints et bien-aimés, revêtez-vous d'entrailles de miséricorde, de bonté, d'humilité, de douceur, de patience... Mais par-dessus toutes ces choses revêtez-vous de la charité, qui est le lien de la perfection. Et que la paix de Christ, à laquelle vous avez été appelés, règne dans vos cœurs... Que la parole de Christ habite parmi vous abondamment; instruisez-vous et exhortez-vous les uns les autres par des psaumes, par des hymnes, par des cantiques spirituels, chantant à Dieu dans vos cœurs sous l'inspiration de la grâce."
Colossiens 3:12-16 · Louis Segond"Clothe yourselves." Revêtez-vous. Endysasthe — Romans 13:14, at Sword Beach: put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ. The same verb. There, the Person. Here, His characteristics.
"Over all these put on love, which binds them all together." Le lien de la perfection. Love is the belt over the robe — the thing that keeps the rest from falling off. 1 Corinthians 13, eight days ago: the more excellent way.
"Let the peace of Christ rule." Règne dans vos cœurs. Brabeuetō — to act as umpire, to make the call.
Two peace pictures, two nights running. Last night, Philippians 4:7: phrourēsei — peace as a sentry at the gate. Tonight: peace as the umpire inside. Guarding the door, and settling the arguments within.
"Psalms, and hymns, and spiritual songs." Des psaumes, des hymnes, des cantiques spirituels.
Le — this verse names what has been happening to you all month. Trust and Obey. Blessed Assurance. Psalm 142 — a psalm that arrived as a song. Your mother's hymn. September 15, in your own words: when songs show up in my mind, let it flow. Paul put all three categories in one verse. You have been living the verse.
And thankfulness runs through the whole passage — 2:7, 3:15, 3:16, 3:17. Four times in one reading. Written from prison. 🙏
"He writes this in prison. No human without Christ can live this revelation in prison."
Le · Ploujean, Finistère · September 30, 2026 · The body in Rome, the life already seated — hid with Christ in GodSinging at Midnight
Acts 16:25 — Paul and Silas in the Philippian jail, feet in the stocks, singing. No natural capacity produces that.
Hid with Christ
The life is not in the cell. Stored where the guards cannot reach. That is why a prisoner can set his mind above.
The Handwriting
Cheirographon — the IOU in your own hand. Not paid in instalments. Cancelled, and nailed up publicly.
Psalms, Hymns, Songs
The verse that names Le's whole month. Trust and Obey. Blessed Assurance. Psalm 142. Her mother's hymn.