About This Video
In Part 3 of their Colossians 1 discussion, Delaney and Shawn revisit the opening verses and go deeper into the distinctions between the gospel (as preached in the apostolic age) and what they call the great newsThe message that prophecy is fulfilled and we are free to pursue God in love and liberty—without fear or religious control. — the message relevant for today. They note that Paul is writing to a community of believers, not non-believers, and clarify that his letters are rooted in a specific historical moment, directed toward specific people who were transitioning from material religionA fulfilled system of temples, rituals, and laws—replaced by direct spiritual relationship. into spiritual faith.
Delaney raises questions about how people today come to know the truth without needing to be taught the gospel in the same way it was delivered back then. Shawn clarifies that during the apostolic age, ontological knowledge of Jesus — the historical man — had to be shared by apostles and eyewitnesses. But today, in a post-fulfillment age, that knowledge can arise through spiritual confirmation, without needing prior instruction or scripture. This marks a key shift between gospel preaching (urgent and external) and great news realization (internal and spiritual).
They also explore the limitations of the Greek word “world” in translations, the past-tense language used in Paul’s writing (“he has rescued us”), and how those references were specific to the audience he addressed — not necessarily to all people in all times. Delaney challenges and refines her understanding of whether all people are already saved from “darkness” or only from certain obstacles like material religion. Shawn emphasizes that God removed all external barriers to relationship with Him, but did not override individual free will — people can still resist the light if they choose.
The conversation underscores TGNN’s fulfilled view: that Christ’s work has completed the age of material religionThe biblical era of temples, laws, and rituals—ended in 70 A.D. to make way for spiritual freedom., granting all people access to spiritual communion — but without coercion or mandated belief. As they end, they recognize that the language of scripture must be carefully interpreted in context, especially when distinguishing between what applied to the early church and what applies today.
