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The Epistle of Paul to the Colossians Not Reason but Christ 1 - 10 2.1. For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for those who have not met me face to face. Although Paul had never seen or knew any of the Christians at Colosse or Laodicea he had a great burden and concern for them that they may go on in Christ. He therefore agonizes in prayer on their behalf because they were being threatened by false teachers. 2.2. My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged, and that they may have all the riches that assurance brings in their understanding of the knowledge of the mystery of God, namely, Christ, He prays for five things:1. That their hearts will be comforted, or encouraged (1 Thes. 5: 11). 2. They will be united together in Christian love (knit - as wool is knitted together to make one strong garment). 3. Abound with full assurance of spiritual riches and blessings. 4. Have a fuller knowledge of the revealed truth of salvation in Christ. 5. That they should get to know more definitely and accurately the mystery of God. 2.3. in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge All wisdom and knowledge belong to and dwell in God and are revealed to us through His Son (1 Cor. 1: 24, 30). ’ 2.4. I say this so that no one will deceive you through arguments that sound reasonable. The reason for Paul saying this is to safeguard them from any who should come and seek to lead them astray by flattering and persuasive words (Rom. 16: 17 - 18). 2.5. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Although Paul was not present with them in body nevertheless he had such a close spiritual bond with them that it was as if he were. He rejoices in seeing their disciplined lives (1 Cor. 14: 40), the firmness of their faith and commitment to Christ.
2.6 - 7. Therefore, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and firm in your faith just as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. Although they had received Christ as Saviour it was not an end but the beginning of a new life in Him therefore they needed to continue on in an ever deepening and closer walk with Him. Paul uses three separate things to illustrate this going on. Firstly he uses a plant firmly rooted and as a plant puts forth its roots deeper into the earth in order to receive the nutrients it needs to grow so believers are to get more rooted and grounded into Christ. Secondly a building; the wise builder builds his house upon rock so we are to build ourselves upon the Rock and a sure foundation that is Jesus Christ so that we shall never be moved or destroyed (Isaiah 28: 16, 1 Cor. 3:11). Thirdly a business “established“ - a business is said to be established when it has proved it is trustworthy so as we go on with Christ we shall prove to be faithful and true and secure in Him. The banner unfurled over these three things are to be one of thanksgiving. 2.8. Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. Paul now returns to the warning he briefly mentioned in verse four. We are to watch out be on our guard against those who will cheat (spoil) us of our faith and inheritance by coming to us with their own ideas and reasoning. Things that they have made up in the imagination and deceitfulness of their own hearts and minds that are nothing but empty words. The source of their teaching is the lower or crude notions that govern a sinful world for men's ideas of a material world rather that spiritual. These teaching are completely opposite and in contradiction to those of Christ. 2.9 - 10. For in him all the fullness of deity lives in bodily form, and you have been filled in him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. John Wesley said “Jesus Christ being God, is all we need.” In Him the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells in bodily form and we in Him are made full and have come to fullness of life. Amplified N.T. has it “In Christ believers too are filled with the Godhead, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, the three in one, and reach full spiritual stature.
Not Law but Christ 11 - 23 2.11. In him you also were circumcised — not, however, with a circumcision performed by human hands, but by the removal of the fleshly body, that is, through the circumcision done by Christ. God gave circumcision to Abraham as a sign of the covenant the promises that he had given him (Gen. 17: 10) an the law required every male Israelite to be circumcision. Circumcision did not cleanse from sin nor was it a covering for sin the animal sacrifices were given for this it was only a sign. The false teachers were saying that in order to be completely saved believers had to be circumcised in the flesh. Paul says no it is circumcision of the heart, spiritual circumcision, which has been done for us by Christ's sacrifice and it is by His blood that we are cleansed from all sin (Gal 5: 2 -3 & 6). 2.12. Having been buried with him in baptism, you also have been raised with him through your faith in the power of God who raised him from the dead. Here he also makes clear that to be baptized in water does not save you it is an open confession of our faith that we have been saved through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. 2.13 - 15. And even though you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he nevertheless made you alive with him, having forgiven all your transgressions. He has destroyed what was against us, a certificate of indebtedness expressed in decrees opposed to us. He has taken it away by nailing it
to the cross. Disarming the rulers and authorities, he has made a public disgrace of them, triumphing over them by the cross. Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ God have made us spiritually alive, forgiven us our sins and wiped out, done away with the demands of the law by nailing it to the cross (Rom. 6: 15, 7: 6); He has triumphed over Satan. 2.16 - 17. Therefore do not let anyone judge you with respect to food or drink, or in the matter of a feast, new moon, or Sabbath days — these are only the shadow of the things to come, but the reality is Christ! Because of this we are not to let anyone judge us or pay attention to those who seek to impose religious rules and regulations telling us that these things will make us more spiritual. These are only shadows of the reality that is found in Christ. 2.18 - 19. Let no one who delights in humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind. He has not held fast to the head from whom the whole body, supported and knit together through its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. Let no one rob you of the truth or of your reward in heaven by insisting on a false humility and worshipping of angels through visions they claim to have received. They do not hold that Christ is the Head of the church but it is through Him and by Him that the whole body, the church, is held together and enables us to grow spiritually. 2.20 - 22. If you have died with Christ to the elemental spirits of the world, why do you submit to them as though you lived in the world? "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings. If we have therefore died with Christ and been delivered from sin we have no need to follow worldly regulations made by men for these deal only with outward things that will perish not the eternal things of Christ. 2.23. Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and false humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body — a wisdom with no true value — they in reality result in fleshly indulgence. Such man made rules may make us look good and feel good but they are not genuine and lead only to self pride. They cannot help us in our fight against the flesh or honour God it is only as we yield ourselves to God can this be truly accomplished (Rom. 6: 13). Galatians 2: 16 says “Therefore, knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Christ Jesus, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified". © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2013 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org