SUBVERSIVE ORTHODOXY: The Triumph of Jesus Colossians 2:8-15. Getting to the Heart of the Atonement By Bill Mounce

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1 Loudonville Community Church Volume 2 - Number 14 The week of February 5, 2017 SUBVERSIVE ORTHODOXY: The Triumph of Jesus Colossians 2:8-15 THIS WEEK S CORE STATEMENT CORE COMPETENCY - The Sufficient Atonement of Christ Getting to the Heart of the Atonement By Bill Mounce Old Testament noun: kappo )כּ פּ ר ת ret). Generally translated atonement cover or mercy seat, kappo ret almost exclusively occurs in Exodus 25 and 37 (in the building of the ark of the covenant) and in Leviticus 16. The word describes the golden cover placed on the ark of the covenant; on it were two cherubim whose outstretched wings formed Yahweh s earthly throne. Because he lived there, the Most Holy Place had to be filled with a cloud of incense on the Day of Atonement, lest the high priest see him and die. All forgiveness and purging of sin, of course, is possible only because of the forgiving grace and mercy of God. Jesus is himself the New Testament noun: ἱλασµός (hilasmos). Hilasmos refers to an atoning sacrifice or propitiation. This word occurs in 1 John 2:2 and 4:10. Jesus is himself the sacrifice that atones for sin. Our sins have destroyed our relationship with God, but Christ s shed blood purifies us from all sin and restores us to fellowship with God (1 John 1:6-7). We should never forget that the root of our reconciliation with God is his incredible love, expressed when he sent his Son to be our atoning sacrifice. New Testament noun: ἱλαστήριον (hilaste rion). Hilaste rion means atonement cover or sacrifice of atonement or that which propitiates or expiates. In the Septuagint, it s used almost exclusively for the atonement cover (kappo ret) placed on top of the ark of the covenant. 1. In Hebrews 9:5, hilaste rion corresponds to the Old Testament use the atonement cover on top of the ark. That s where God dwelt in all his glory. sacrifice that atones for sin. Our sins have destroyed our relationship with God, but Christ s shed blood purifies us from all sin and restores us to fellowship with God. 1 John 1: The other use of hilaste rion is in Romans 3:25, where Paul writes that God has presented Jesus as a place of atonement. This word must relate first to its Old Testament usage, so that Jesus is the person/place where God passes over our sins without punishing them because of his sacrifice. Christ now occupies the very place the atonement cover inhabited in the Most Holy Place for the removal of sins on the Day of Atonement. He s also the One in whom God lives in the flesh, and the One through whom God s wrath against sin (Rom. 1:18) is placated, resulting in a renewed relationship between God and rebels. When we put these two Greek nouns together along with the verb hilaskomai, we see that Jesus is represented in the New Testament as the priest who performs the atonement sacrifice (hilaskomai), as the One who is himself the atonement sacrifice (hilasmos), and as the place where the atonement sacrifice occurs (hilaste rion). Everything we need for God s forgiveness, for the removal of God s anger, and for reconciliation with God himself can be found in Jesus.

2 This Week s Complementary Passage Psalm 22 Why Have You Forsaken Me To the choirmaster: according to The Doe of the Dawn. A Psalm of David. 1 My God, my God, why have you forsaken me? Why are you so far from saving me, from the words of my groaning? 2 O my God, I cry by day, but you do not answer, and by night, but I find no rest. 3 Yet you are holy, enthroned on the praises of Israel. 4 In you our fathers trusted; they trusted, and you delivered them. 5 To you they cried and were rescued; in you they trusted and were not put to shame. 6 But I am a worm and not a man, scorned by mankind and despised by the people. 7 All who see me mock me; they make mouths at me; they wag their heads; 8 He trusts in the Lord; let him deliver him; let him rescue him, for he delights in him! 9 Yet you are he who took me from the womb; you made me trust you at my mother's breasts. 10 On you was I cast from my birth, and from my mother's womb you have been my God. 11 Be not far from me, for trouble is near, and there is none to help. 12 Many bulls encompass me; strong bulls of Bashan surround me; 13 they open wide their mouths at me, like a ravening and roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint; my heart is like wax; it is melted within my breast; 15 my strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue sticks to my jaws; you lay me in the dust of death. 16 For dogs encompass me; a company of evildoers encircles me; they have pierced my hands and feet 17 I can count all my bones STEP ONE... READING what the passage says (Read it at least three times) Colossians 2: See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 11 In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. they stare and gloat over me; 18 they divide my garments among them, and for my clothing they cast lots. 19 But you, O Lord, do not be far off! O you my help, come quickly to my aid! 20 Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog! 21 Save me from the mouth of the lion! You have rescued me from the horns of the wild oxen! 2

3 STEP TWO... OBSERVING how the passage moves Return to the passage and mark key words, phrases and movements: Underline twice the phrase, See to it in verse 8. This is only the second command in the Colossian letter so far. Circle the words philosophy and empty deceit. These are the two things the Colossians were commanded to look out for. Underline the two phrases that begin with according to. These two phrases help to define philosophy and vain deceit. In verse 9, circle the whole fullness and bodily and draw a two-ended arrow linking both. Use a different color pen and underline all the phrases like in Him or with Him. You should have underlined seven phrases. Bracket every phrase referring to what Jesus did at the cross. 3

4 STEP THREE... Ask the five W questions and the one H question: 1. WHO is speaking? Who is this about? Who are the main characters? And, to whom is it speaking? 2. WHAT is the subject of the passage? What does the passage say about the subject? 3. WHEN do or will the events occur? When did something happen to a particular person, people, or nation? 4. WHERE did or will this happen? 5. WHY is something said or mentioned? Why would or will this happen? Why at this time? Why this person? 6. HOW will it happen? How is it to be done? How is it illustrated? 4

5 STEP FOUR... UNDERSTANDING what the passage means This commentary is intended to enhance your own study of the text. Colossians 2:8-15 (ESV) 2:8 See to it. The word is a command, not a suggestion. It calls for a discerning attitude to be the habit or practice of every believer in the Colossian church. The word means to watch, to see. In the context of the spiritual dangers present it carries the force of: "Look out!" "Beware!" "Watch out!" "Take heed!" "Take note!" "Be aware of! that no one takes you captive. This points to a real and not just a hypothetical danger. The form of the sentence is a measure of the imminence of the peril (Lightfoot). captive. The word captive was used to refer to the stripping off the arms of a slain enemy, robbing, or carrying away. It literally means to carry away prey and then to lead away as booty, slaves or captives. The image in context is of carrying someone away from the truth into the bondage of error. The Colossians were submitting themselves to a new and disastrous slavery. philosophy. The word is literally the love of wisdom. The only time this word is used in the Bible. The modern definition of the word should not be read into its use here. Philosophy, as the study of reality, knowledge, and values, is a profitable and biblically supported endeavor. However, this is not the meaning of the word here. In this context, it carries a negative connotation and refers to quasi religious doctrines and speculations (i.e. Gnosticism) all of which are irreconcilable with the Christian faith. Any philosophy, though championed by the most brilliant intellects, that tends to lure the soul from Christ, that puts anything in the place of him, or depreciates in any way our estimate of his glorious character, is false and full of peril (George Barlow). empty deceit. This refers to something that is empty, vain, fruitless, without usefulness or success, false, fallacious. Kenos (empty) has no correspondence to truth or reality. It describes not only that which will not succeed but also that which has no purpose! The word deceit means to delude, deceive, beguile. It describes something that leaves a false impression. It describes an idea that causes someone to have misleading or erroneous views concerning the truth. according to human tradition. The tradition means to surrender, yield up, entrust, deliver up. It has the idea of giving over or passing on. The word appears 13 times in the NT. Just because it has been passed down doesn t make it true. The question we must always ask is is it based in Scripture? according to the elemental spirits of the world. This refers to the first principles of something; the elements refer to the basic building blocks of matter. Among the ancient Greek philosophers, stoicheion designated the four basic and essential elements of the universe, namely: earth, water, air, and fire. The word eventually came to refer to the ABC's, and then to any elementary knowledge. and not according to Christ. Jesus is the yardstick by which every philosophy and all human knowledge is measured. 2:9 the whole fullness. The word fullness refers to completeness. Complete deity filled Jesus in bodily form. Pleroma is the very word the Gnostics used for the entire host of intermediary beings between God and man. To the contrary, Paul said that Jesus is the only incarnate Lord, crucified, risen, and ascended is the only Mediator between God and men. Deity. It means the Godhead, essentially, perfectly, it is the very personality of God and denotes His divine nature, including all of His attributes and perfections. dwells bodily. This means to settle down (be at home, dwell) in a place; to take up a permanent abode or residence. The deity of Jesus took up residence in His body. 2:10 and you have been filled in him. This means to be completely filled in Christ. In contrast to empty philosophy, believers are filled with Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The word filled is perfect tense and indicates a past completed action with present ongoing effect or result. who is the head of all rule and authority. This refers to Jesus as head. It emphasizes His authority over all. Rule: to govern. Authority: His right and might over all angelic hierarchies. The Gnostics were consumed with angels. Christ is head over all angelic beings. It is ridiculous to be preoccupied with angels when we have the Creator of angels as the object of our affections. 2:11 In him also you were circumcised. Literally, to cut something off or away ("to cut off around"). It signifies a removal of what has been cut away. made without hands. This phrase indicates an internal, supernatural, divine act; a spiritual circumcision. by putting off the body of the flesh. Figurative of removal. The only occurrence in Scripture. Away from + to come out of something; used for clothing or armor. A putting off, a getting out of or stripping off. Paul is saying then that in this spiritual circumcision, the body of the flesh is taken off like an old garment and cast away. by the circumcision of Christ. Christ accomplished this spiritual circumcision at the cross. 2:12 Having been buried with him. To bury with someone or bury together. A reference to a believer's burial with Christ and thus our participation in His death by virtue of union. Sunthapto is in the aorist tense and pictures our identification as a completed event in the past as was the circumcision in the previous verse. 5

6 Baptism. To dip as one does a cloth into a dye, changing the color. Primarily in the spiritual sense signifying our identification with Christ. in which you were also raised with him through faith. To be raised means to be roused (from death) spiritually. We now walk in His resurrection power. The aorist tense indicates that this co-resurrection is a past, completed event. in the powerful working of God. Describes active and effective power of God. This is a favorite word of Paul's used to describe the supernatural power God. Who raised him from the dead. To be raised means to waken, rouse from sleep, from sitting or lying, from disease, from death, or from inactivity. It means to lift up, raise up, arise again, stand up. Metaphorically, egeiro is used in the NT to describe to awaken from sluggishness or lethargy. It also refers to being awakened from death and so to be raised from the dead. This is the great proof of the deity of Christ. 2:13 And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. When you were without Christ, walking around, living your life as if God did not exist, ignoring His plan of redemption, and living your own way you were spiritually dead. God made alive together with him. The tense indicates past completed action. The meaning is, that there is such a connection between Christ and those who believe that His resurrection from the grave also included their resurrection to spiritual life. It was like raising up the head and the members - the whole body together. 2:14 by canceling. Literally, exaleipho, means to remove by wiping off, as when a blackboard is erased. The word was applied to the process of obliterating writing on any material. Some of the uses in Scripture retain this literal meaning but most uses speak of a figurative blotting out or wiping off. Exaleipho was used by Thucydides for whitewashing a wall. that stood against us. In the sense that we could not keep these decrees, the record of debt signifies a claim of unpaid debt that was against us indicating that it signifies a debt warranting punishment. This handwriting was against us and contrary to us for it threatened our eternal ruin. with its legal demands. This refers to a formal statement concerning rules or regulations that are to be observed. Public decrees, binding rules, ordinances, legal demands, obligations, regulations. This Greek word can refer to a formalized rule (or set of rules) prescribing what people must observe. It refers to a binding law or edict which was placed on a public place for all to see. The decrees of the Law not only convicted us and condemned us but also demanded that we be punished. The Law stood against us and was hostile to us. This law is conceived here as a bond, a bill of debt, standing against those who have not received Christ. This he set aside, means to lift up, to bear, or to take away. nailing it to the cross. To affix with nails or spikes and describes the manner in which Christ removed the record of debt or, handwriting, against us. God nailed the Mosaic Law with all its decrees to the cross of Christ. The law with its decrees was abolished in Christ s death, as if crucified with Him. It was no longer the debtor s obligation. 2:15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities. Disarmed means to take off or strip off clothing; to undress or disrobe, strip off. and put them to open shame. Literally, to make a show of them openly and boldly. To exhibit. To expose. To make a public show or spectacle. by triumphing over them in him. Such as in a triumphal procession of a victorious general home from the wars, leading his captives and booty in a procession through the streets of Rome. the record of debt. Literally, handwriting or a handwritten document. Later, it referred to a written record of a debt such as a promissory note. A document is written in one's own hand as a proof of obligation; e.g., a note of indebtedness. The word means primarily a bond written by a person pledging himself to make certain payments. 6

7 STEP FIVE... SUMMARIZING the message I. Danger of being Taken Captive by False Teaching (2:8). There is great urgency behind these words. The Colossians were in danger of being taken captive by false teaching. Paul compares it to being taken as a prisoner of war. We can be taken captive by philosophies that are false. It s not philosophy in and of itself that is the danger. It s a particular kind of philosophy that Paul further describes as empty deception. It s a philosophy that is essentially deceitful. The power of deception is that no one knows when they re being deceived. Something seems rational. It appears helpful and practical and other people we respect have accepted it. It can be all those things, but still deceitful. It is also empty. If we looked closely at it, we might stay away because when it is examined closely, there s no real content and no basis in reality. False teaching is based on human tradition. It s based on the tradition of men. Now all tradition isn t bad. There are wonderful traditions that are passed down that are healthy and true. Earlier, in verse 6 Paul mentioned having received Christ Jesus the Lord. The word receive meant to have a tradition handed down. We should continue to walk in the truth of that tradition because it comes from God. But there are other traditions that are entirely man-made and useless. There are religions and philosophies which come off sounding so smooth and clever but, in fact, they re useless. False teaching is also demonic. In verse 8, Paul also refers to the the elemental spirits of the world. The false teachers actually propagated teachings about angels or spirits who controlled the stars and, in turn, the fates of people and the world. Paul picks up on this and says these same elementary spirits are also behind the false teaching. They are fallen angels. Therefore, their ideas are not just harmless theories, but have a demonic element behind them. You don t mess with something like that. It is our responsibility to avoid such teaching. Paul issues an actual command when he tells us, See to it that no one takes you captive. It s imperative that we steer clear of those who would take us captive. There are measures we can take to ensure our protection. II. The Direction for Overcoming Deception is the Fullness and Triumph of Christ How do we obey this command? Paul hints at the answer at the end of verse 8 where he states that false teachers focus on things that are not according to Christ. They may use the name of Christ. They may say they have accepted Christ. They may claim to worship Christ, but it s not the same Christ we read about in the Bible. That s why Jesus is the focus of the next few verses (9-10). First of all, remember who Jesus is. Jesus is the fullness of deity. Paul focuses on who Christ is. The whole fullness of deity dwells bodily in him (v. 9). The word dwells means, God took up permanent residence in Christ. God didn t take over Jesus for a little while and let Him do a few miracles and then leave. Jesus was, is, and will forever be the dwelling place of the fullness of God. He was not merely a divine spark. He is the fullness of God in a body. This is what the false teachers in Colossae were rejecting. They argued that God would never dirty Himself with a body of flesh. He could only have contact with flesh through angelic spirits. So, Paul goes on to say, He is the head of all rule and authority. These are the demonic spirits the false teachers considered angelic mediators. The false teachers were preoccupied with them rather than Christ. Why would anyone exchange Jesus for an angel, especially a fallen angel? When you can drink pure spring water why drink a glass of contaminated water? If you really know who Christ is, then you know that nothing gets any better than Him! Secondly, realize who you are in Christ. Someone might say, Even if I know who Christ is, how does that affect my life? Our protection from being taken captive is to also realize that we have been filled in him (verse 10). The word filled is the same word used for fullness in verse 9. God s fullness is in Christ and we have been filled in Him. We can t contain the fullness of God (only Jesus can do that) but we have been incorporated into Christ. We are filled with His fullness. When we come into relationship with Christ, our capacity stretches so that as we re filled with Christ we re filled with God. Since that s true, why pull up to any other filling station? When Christ comes to live in you, you have all that you could possibly want or need. In verse 11 Paul unpacks who we are in Christ. Because we are united to Him: 1. We have died, been buried, and been raised up in Him (11-12). Baptism is a picture of how we have been placed into Christ so that His death is our death, His burial is our burial, and His resurrection is our resurrection. Circumcision is used here as a metaphor for death. When he adds, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, he is talking about the stripping away of Christ's body on the cross. Through His death, we are circumcised; we too died. We ve also been buried with Him. The fact that we ve been buried with Him reminds us of the finality of our death. In him we have also become new creatures. Just as Christ was raised up, we are raised up through faith in His power. 7

8 2. We are forgiven through Him (13-14). Our sins were like a record of debt proving our failure to live up to our obligations. That record was against us because we couldn t pay it off. Our sins are a debt we owe to God and we couldn t begin to pay it off. God took that record, nailing it to the cross of Christ. When they crucified someone, they would nail the charges against him right onto the cross for all to see. But God nailed your record above His head! He paid the debt for all our sins. 3. We are triumphant because of Him (15). Because of Jesus, we are triumphant over evil powers. These rulers and authorities are demonic powers. Paul paints a picture here of Christ as a military general. In Paul s day, Roman generals would march into Rome after a great victory and bring out all the spoils, including conquered rulers, and put them on display for everyone to see. Through the cross God has made a public spectacle of all evil powers. These evil powers still exist, but they re defeated. They re part of the train of Christ s victory parade. On the cross, Jesus was stripped naked, held up in public contempt, while others celebrated their triumph over Him. But the paradox of the cross is that through it, God actually stripped them naked and made a public spectacle of them, leading them in His own triumphant procession! 8

9 STEP SIX... EXPLORING the passage through discussion Please try and read the entire letter before gathering with your Growth Group. In general, it will take minutes to read it at a regular pace. 1. Describe of an old way of thinking or an unhealthy human tradition that once had the potential of deceiving you or causing you to rely on something other than Christ? 2. Can you think of any philosophies today that seek to diminish the sufficiency of Christ in our lives? Where do we encounter these philosophies? How can we avoid them? 3. What does it look like to allow ourselves to be taken captive by the things listed in verse 8? 4. What steps can we take to ensure that we don t get captured? 5. What has Jesus accomplished for those who are in Him? (Hint: look for contrasts.) How does each of these accomplishments provide a different picture of the significance of Christ s work? 6. What was the circumcision that Paul referred to in 2:11? How were we circumcised in Christ? How is this similar and different from physical circumcision? 7. What did Paul mean by the record of debt in 2:14? What should we do if we still feel guilty for our sins and failures? 8. Which rulers and authorities did Christ disarm according to 2:15? What was the significance of His publicly shaming them? 9. What do you remember about your baptism? What difference did it make in your life? If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior and have not been baptized yet, what are you waiting for? 10. What is one takeaway in this study that is relevant for your own life? How will you apply this takeaway in your life this week? 9

10 STEP SEVEN... APPLYING the passage to my life Our desire is to not be merely hearers of the Word but doers ~ James 1:22 When you apply God s Word, you are thinking about what God might be saying to you through the Scriptures. Application involves action. Application makes your reading become a reality in your own life. Make your applications specific (state who, what & when). You are encouraged to use the S.P.E.C.K. method to apply God s Word to your life. Remember that each passage of Scripture may not lend itself to answering all five of these questions. S - SINS to confess and avoid (Are there sinful actions, attitudes, or thoughts that you need to confess to God based upon your study of these Scriptures?) P - PROMISES to claim (List God s promises for you from these Scriptures.) E - EXAMPLES to follow (What examples, for right thinking or right actions, can you take for you own life from these Scriptures?) C - COMMANDS to obey (List God s commands for you from these Scriptures and seek to be obedient to them.) K - KNOWLEDGE of God to apply (God s character is visible throughout the Scriptures as an example to us. What attributes and/or attitudes does God display that you can apply to your own life?) 10

11 This Week s Memory Verse For the sermon series on Colossians, each week we will be memorizing one verse from Colossians 1:15-20 & 2: The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. Colossians 1:

12 Sermon Notes: #asithappened (one-year chronological walk through the Bible) Sunday, February 5 thru Saturday, February 11 Exodus 19-21, 22-24, 25-27, 28-29, 30-32, 33-35, The Abide in Me Bible study series is written by the pastoral staff of Loudonville Community Church, 374 Loudon Road, Loudonville, NY (