The Nugget:
Col 3:17 And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.
My Comment:
Thanksgiving is a special holiday that is rooted in American history. It is surprising how many school children, and perhaps adults, are not well acquainted with the story of the First Thanksgiving. You may recall that the Pilgrims who came over on the Mayflower had a difficult time coping with the hardships of the new land to which they came. They received help from native Americans who were, of course, already here. We traditionally call them Indians, because Columbus when he sailed in 1492 thought he could reach India from Spain by sailing west, not knowing there were two large continents that were in the way. In any case, the Pilgrims, under the spiritual leadership of William Bradford, celebrated that first Thanksgiving, grateful to God for His providence and protection and provision for their survival. Thanksgiving has been a tradition since then. It surely has a sound Biblical foundation.
To dig deeper into Colossians 3:17 read the cross references I share below:
- whatsoever ye do. ver. *Col 3:23. *2 Ch 31:20, 21. **Pr 3:6. Jn 2:2, 5. *Ro 14:6-8. **1 Cor 10:31. in word. Pr 18:4. Ro 15:18. 2 Th 2:17. James 2:12. *1 J 3:18. or deed. or, in work. Col 2:6. Ro 15:18. do all. 2 S 15:15. %Zc 7:6. 14:20. +*Jn 2:5. *Jn 15:14. *1 Cor 10:31. 2 Cor 5:15. James 1:22. 3 J 5. in the name. The Name of Jesus is a symbol of His character (WKF, p. 209). =Dt 10:8. =Dt 18:5. 1 K 18:32. Ps 86:11. *Mic 4:5. Zc 10:12. +*Mt 28:19. Jn 14:13. Ac 2:21. 3:6, 16. 4:10, 18, 29, 30. 5:40. 9:27, 29. 10:48. 16:18. *Ac 19:17. Ro 6:11. 16:22. 1 Cor 5:4. 6:11. Ep 5:20. 6:5. Phil 1:11. 2:10, 29. +*He 6:10. 13:21. James 5:14. of the Lord Jesus. +*Ac 10:36. *1 Th 4:1, 2. 2 Th 3:6. giving thanks. Gr. eucharisteō (S#2168g, 2 Cor 1:11). ver. Col 3:15. *Col 1:12. +*Col 2:7. *Col 4:2. Ps 34:1. 100:4. 107:1. +Ps 136:1. Ezk 45:17. +*Da 6:10. Mt 14:19. 26:27. Mk 6:41. *Mk 8:6. Ac 27:35. Jn 11:41. Ro 1:8. 7:25. 1 Cor 1:14. 2 Cor 4:15. 8:16. *+Ep 5:20. *Phil 4:6. +*1 Th 5:18. 1 Tim 4:3-5. *He 13:15. *1 P 2:5, 9. *1 P 4:11. Re 7:12. God. Ep 1:17. Phil 2:11. 1 Th 1:1. He 1:5. *1 J 2:23.