Bits of Torah Truths – #Torah Concept in the NT: Admonish one another – Episode 794
Colossians 3:16
3:16 דְּבַר הַמָּשִׁיחַ יִשְׁכֹּן נָא בְּקִרְבְּכֶם בְּשֶׁפַע; לַמְּדוּ וְהוֹכִיחוּ זֶה אֶת זֶה בִּמְלוֹא חָכְמָה; שִׁירוּ לֵאלֹהִים בְּתוֹדָה וְנֹעַם בִּלְבַבְכֶם, בְּמִזְמוֹרִים וְתִשְׁבָּחוֹת וְשִׁירִים רוּחָנִיִּים.
#torah#torahwisdom#torahtruth#torahforlife#torah4you#torahtruth
Colossians 3:16
3:16 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. (NASB)
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Paul’s call to “admonish one another” in Colossians 3:16 reflects a communal ethic already embedded in the Torah’s vision for Israel. The Torah repeatedly commands mutual correction, covenantal responsibility, and instruction rooted in love and fidelity to God.
– Torah parallels –
- Leviticus 19:17 – Israel is commanded not to hate a brother but to “surely rebuke your neighbor,” establishing admonition as an act of covenantal love.
- Deuteronomy 6:6–7 – The words of God are to be taught, spoken, and reinforced continually within the community, implying mutual exhortation.
- Deuteronomy 8:2–5 – God disciplines Israel as a father disciplines a son, forming the pattern for Israel to practice corrective instruction among themselves.
- Exodus 18:20 – Moses is instructed to teach the people statutes and the way they must walk, modeling admonition as guidance toward righteous living.
- Deuteronomy 13:12–14 – The community must investigate and correct wrongdoing, showing shared responsibility for moral direction.
- Deuteronomy 31:12–13 – Public reading of the Torah is meant to admonish the entire assembly, so they learn to fear God and obey His commands.
- Numbers 27:18–20 – Joshua receives Moses’ spirit and charge, demonstrating the transmission of corrective leadership and instruction within the covenant community.
– Context Synthesis –
Paul’s instruction in Colossians 3:16 to admonish one another arises from the indwelling word of Messiah shaping the community’s life. The Torah provides the foundational pattern: God’s people are responsible for one another’s spiritual direction, correction, and growth. In both the Torah and Paul’s teaching, admonition is not punitive but restorative, rooted in love, covenant loyalty, and the shared pursuit of holiness. The New Testament community continues the Torah’s vision of mutual accountability, now centered in Yeshua and empowered by His word dwelling richly among believers.
– Core Insight –
Admonishing one another is a continuation of the Torah’s covenantal ethic in which God’s people lovingly guide, correct, and strengthen each other. Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 3:16 stands firmly on this foundation, calling the community in Yeshua to embody the same mutual responsibility and care that the Torah first established. This is how Paul taught Torah in the NT; the Torah has not passed away!
Visual Summary of Concepts the Torah in the NT
