Commentary on the Epistle of Paul to the Colossians Colossians Chapter 2 THIS entire chapter may be regarded as designed to guard the Colossians against the seductive influence of the false philosophy which tended to draw them away from the gospel. I. Paul desires the Church to Mature vv. 1-3 1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge The verse one confirms that Paul did not establish the church of Colosse, or had seen both the Colossians and Laodiceans. But he writes that, as an apostle and a man of God he has a great conflict (the same Greek word as in Col 1:29, "agony of a conflict" of fervent, anxious prayer) for them. Even though he had not seen them in the flesh, he expresses that God Himself is dealing with him about them, that their hearts might be comforted (encouraged/confirmed in the Gospel). And that they may be knitted together in love (the bond and element of perfect knitting together, which produces God's kind of love towards God and others) because they have embraced the truth (the message of Cross). This passage also shows the object for which they should be united. Our unity as a body of Christ should be in order that we might obtain this inestimable wealth in Christ. If we were divided in affections, and split up into factions, then we could not hope to secure this wealth in Christ Jesus. And that they may be fully assured in the understanding/knowledge, so that God's riches in glory will come. And to acknowledge (The Greek implies, "full and accurate knowledge." it is a distinct Greek word from "knowledge," Col 2:3.) the mystery which is Christ and Him crucified (it was not so plainly revealed before). It was the desire of the apostle that they might have the entire conviction of the truth of the Christian doctrines. So that they may be able to fully and openly acknowledge or confess this mystery. The doctrine respecting God, which had
before been concealed or hidden, but now revealed to us in the gospel. Paul wants them to have this knowledge in full understanding, so that they may be able to weed the false doctrines out. In whom hidden all the wisdom (knowing what to do with the insights give ; ie: general, experimental and practical truth; "understanding") and knowledge (experiential knowledge, the Greek implies, "full and accurate knowledge." It is a distinct Greek word from "knowledge," Col 2:3 ). Paul is referring to the knowledge which is the requisite to guide us in the way and to the true life. Christ is able to instruct us in all that it is desirable for us to know, so that it is not necessary for us to apply to philosophy, or to the teachings of men. Like a mine of unknown and inexhaustible wealth, the treasures of wisdom are all in Him hidden, but not in order to remain hidden but to be discovered. They only need to be explored /searched by you to attain "unto the riches" in them ( Col 2:2 ); but until we, press after attaining the full knowledge of God s ways, they remain "hidden" for us (it is : seek-thou shall find, knock-it shall be opened; and ask-it shall be given). II. Key to Christian growth and Maturity vv. 4-7 4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. The main key for one s growth and maturity is to watch over the false doctrine and to continue to be in Him. He wants the Colossians to watch over false teacher who come with enticing (persuasive words/speech with a persuasive spirit, Artful words, smooth and plausible arguments, such as were employed by the Greek sophists and rhetoricians in Paul s days) so that they may not beguile them (literature: to deceive by false reasoning, Application: they are diluting you, leading astray). Paul expresses his joy over their steadfastness (the firm (or 'solid') foundation) in faith which is in Christ and over their growth. Now Paul deals with the process of their growth, because he is concerned that the false teaching would slowly creep in and would corrupt them (Satan always finds the child of God and makes every attempt to remove them from the truth and faith in Christ and His precious blood).
The process is simple, "as you have received, walk in it." "To walk" is to order one s life (we walk by faith and through the victory in Christ Jesus and His finished work) and how do we approach our relationship with God (through our faith in His Sacrificial offering shed blood). Walk in them means continue in those views of Christ; live in the maintenance of the faith in Christ; let the ways of the Lord regulate your whole conduct. The word walk, in the Scriptures, is used to denote the manner of life. In order to grow one should remain/continue in the same (the Lord/Gospel, attitude, foundation, belief and working of the Holy Spirit; and all by faith in His finished work). And we are also to be rooted (firmly anchored, As a tree strikes its roots deep in the earth, so our faith should strike deep into the doctrine respecting the Saviour and His finished work), built on (constantly being built up) and established (to make firm) in the faith (in Christ and nothing else); then you will abound in thanksgiving (expressing overflowing thanks) to God that you have been made acquainted with the truth so precious and glorious. Our thanks should be direct towards the Goodness of God and His great Mercy that sustains us, in spite of all our failures and shortcomings. It s ALL about HIM. III. We are complete in HIM vv. 8-10 8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: One thing the child of God should know is that we are Complete in Him. That's the theme of this division. Paul will encourage the saints of Colosse to constantly be on the look out (beware) for the false teacher. So that they will not lead us captive or steal our salvation (spoil), through their philosophy (what man thinks about God; "love of wisdom but not God s wisdom" man s ways added into God s way ). The word spoil now commonly means, to corrupt, to cause to decay and perish, as fruit is spoiled by keeping too long, or paper by wetting, or hay by a long rain, or crops by mildew. But the Greek word here used means to spoil in the sense of plunder, rob, as when plunder is taken in war. The meaning is, "Take heed lest any one plunder or rob you of your faith and hope by philosophy / interpretations of man." These false teachers would strip them of their faith and hope, as an invading army would rob a country of all that was valuable. `
And by vain deceit (meaningless thinking/empty deception) which were made after the tradition of men (concept or commandments/percepts passed down) and rudiments of the world (elementary principles of the world, which also includes spirits of the world-which is evil). These rudimental spirits operates through force, greed, selfishness, ambition and pleasure. One must understand that these false teachings are authored by men, who are influenced /controlled by Satan; and thus has spiritual force behind it. Therefore these false teachings will never reveal the true ways of God to us. THE current world system / wisdom is not completely evil in-itself (at least some of it), but they (human psychology, 40 steps to success, ) are transient, temporary, and of little value to a child of God. They are unsatisfactory in their nature to lead one to God or to live in the ways of God. They have no solution to man s true problem (the sin), and are soon to pass away, and to give place to a better system--as the things of this world are soon to give place to heaven. We are complete in Christ because all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (The Greek (theotes) means the "essence" and "nature" of the Godhead, not merely the divine perfection and attributes of Divinity (Greek, "theiotes") is in Christ. We are complete (to make complete/ to cramp like a net/ leveled-up, fully furnished, satisfied and finished) in Christ, who is the head of all that was created both in heaven and earth. It is the perfect completion or a filling up in him, so as to leave nothing wanting. A child of God will need anything other than Christ and what is IN HIM through our faith in His finished work. I cannot help myself, but remember the Psalms 23 in this verse We are Complete in Him This verse eats up the entire psalms 23. A psalm of David. 1 The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want. 2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters. 3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake. 4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. 5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over. 6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.
IV. The Complete victory of the Cross vv. 11-15 11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. This passage mirrors and complements Romans chapter 6. The main concept of this passage is that we have complete victory in Christ through what He did at the Cross. When we accept God's plan of salvation, we are then by faith buried with Him. That is we are baptized into His death and raised with Christ (this is all done by placing our faith in Christ and His Finished work). In verse 11 & 12 Paul is using a parallelization. He is also bridging the Old to the New ( The baptism into His death / resurrection and the circumcision of our hearts ). Both the Old Testament saying of Circumcision and the New Testament saying of Baptism are one and the same. They speak of one thing Born Again Experience where our hearts are circumcised (changed by the putting away of sin / sin nature), not with the hands of men, but by the hand of God through His Spirit (operating and energizing power). There is a renewal of heart: God had taken away our stony heart and has given us a heart of flesh. By circumcising our hearts (by being baptized into His death and resurrection), God has now equipped us for the process of sanctification (becoming Christlike). He has not only forgiven my sins, but also has freed me from the power of sin (the sin nature, the sinful nature that is bent towards evil, nature that rebels against God and things of God). He blotted out the handwriting of ordinances (the Law of Moses) that was working against us (Operated as a hindrance, or obstruction) and nailed it to the cross (He kept God s Law on our behalf, and thus we are now able to keep them in HIM). Blotting: The ancient method by which a bond or obligation was cancelled, by driving a nail through it, and affixing it to a post. This was practiced, says Grotius, in Asia. Today in a somewhat similar manner, in our banks now, a sharp instrument, like the blade of a
knife, is driven through a check, making a hole through it, and furnishing to the teller of the bank a sign or evidence that it has been paid. The expression here denotes that the obligation of the Jewish institutions ceased on the death of Jesus, as if he had taken them and nailed them to his own cross, in the manner in which a bond was cancelled. Because at the Cross every power that worked against us, which is the power of Satan was spoiled (made powerless, disarmed, Plundered; as a victorious army does a conquered country). The Lord showed this victory over Satan at the cross and at His triumphing parade (victory parade, Roman's victory parade) in heavenly places after His resurrection. And now Christ has given us the power and authority over all that oppose us (Satan s power). The "principalities and powers" here referred to, are the formidable enemies (Satan and his spirit forces) that had held man in subjection, and prevented him from serving God. These are spiritual forces and are formidable enemies to us and not to God or the Spirit of God (that s why we are to fight the good fight of faith through the Spirit of God). Jesus made a show of them openly as a conqueror, returning from a victory displays in a triumphal procession the kings and princes whom he has taken, and the spoils of victory. This was commonly done when a "triumph" was decreed for a conqueror. Paul says that this was now done "openly"--that is, it was in the face of the whole universe (by dying on the face of the earth); a grand victory; a glorious triumph over all the powers of hell. It does not refer to any public procession or display on the earth; but to the grand victory display in spiritual realm, by which Christ, as a conqueror, dragged Satan and his legions at his triumphal car; declaring complete victory over Satan s power, rule and principalities on our behalf. Thus through Christ and by our faith in what He had done for us, we now have complete & guaranteed victory over everything. V. The shadows of things to come vv. 16-17 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. My relationship with the law is now changed because of the Cross. I now live not to keep the Law, but to live for God and the things of God. I no longer strive to observe the Law with my power, by keeping the Law because the Spirit of God is working in me; and empowering me to
keep / walk in the Ways / Law of God. The Law that condemned me (because I couldn t keep the Law of God because of the sin nature) was nailed to Cross, and I'm no longer under condemnation, but under the Grace of God. Because we are complete in Christ, and God in Christ has dispensed with all subordinate means essential for our salvation or sanctification. Therefore we now have no one good reason to go after those rules and regulations to sustain or obtain our salvation or sanctification. Therefore pay no regard to any one who sits in judgment on you as to legal observances in respect to foods (what to eat or not), holyday (what to observe or not), new moon or Sabbath (religious activities). These were only a type or shadows of things to come (given in the Old Testament), which was later completely fulfilled in Christ and His Crucifixion. Why then the body (we / church) are trying to live in shadows when the real is here or has already come. The word judge here is used in the sense of pronouncing a sentence. The meaning is, "since you have thus been delivered by Christ from the evils which surrounded you; since you have been freed from the observances of the law, let no one sit in judgment on you, or claim the right to decide for you in those matters (observing). You are not responsible to man for your conduct, but to Christ; and no man has a right to impose that (law, rules and regulations) on you as a burden from which Christ has made you free." Now we keep the law of God not to earn salvation or blessings, but because we love Him and because He has redeemed us from the sin. Because we are trees planted by the rivers of water and thus we bear fruit. We now have the Spirit of God residing in us, and thus empowering us through our faith, to do the things of God. VI. Hold fast to the Head of the Church vv. 18-23 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. 20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, 21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not; 22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men? 23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
Paul continues his argument towards the same subject, observance of methods, rules, steps, laws and regulations formulated by men. These were introduced by so called elders of the church, into the body of Christ, claiming to keep them in the ways of the Lord. But Paul argues that these are not the ways of the Lord. Ways of the Lord is spelled out in the Word of God (Bible) and thus no man has the right to change it, alter it, add in, and take away from it. It s the Spirit of God who helps us to keep the ways of the Lord through our faith in Christ and Him crucified; and not these observances of things. They will only bring you back into bondage and into the subjection of Law, from which Christ has redeemed you by dying on the Cross. Therefore, with all these false teaching and commandments, we are not to allow the evil one to beguile us ("Defraud you of your prize," literally, "to adjudge a prize out of hostility away from him who deserves it") in a voluntary humility (self-consciousness /elevation of self) and worshiping of angels. We have Liberty in Christ Jesus through His sacrifice and by His Spirit. We are not to allow Satan to rob that Liberty we have in Him. To Beguile means to deprive of a due reward; and the sense here is, that they were to be on their guard lest the "reward"--the crown of victory to which they looked forward--should be wrested from them by the arts of others. That would be done if they should be persuaded to turn back, or to falter in the race. The only way to secure the reward is to keep running the race as you are doing now, and not to let yourself taken away by these enticing / flattering words of the false teachers. That is to keep your faith in Christ and His finished work, and not to resort to any other means or observance to keep you in the ways and things of God. He will also ask them to beware of the spirit of these false teacher, they may come in humility and humbleness. let no man make you shoot at a wrong mark, which, after his own imagination, walketh in the humbleness of angels." The meaning is, that they would not announce their opinions with dogmatic certainty (look prideful or I know it all attitude, Characterized by an authoritative, arrogant assertion of unproved or unprovable principles), but they would put on the appearance of great modesty (we may refer them as angels ). In this way, they would become really more dangerous--for no false teachers are so dangerous as those who assume the aspect of great humility, and who manifest great reverence for Divine things. If anyone would preach other than Christ and Him crucified as the only means / answer to all
human problem (not just for salvation), then let him be accursed. One should not only test the spirit behind these preachers, but their words too. These teachers are claiming that they had received revelation from God and puffed up in their fleshly mind (mind of the flesh). They (false teachers) do not acknowledge Christ who is the Head of the Body (Church), because they have departed from His Word and His Ways. When we have the TRUTH and believe right, then we will be supernaturally unified by God to one another just like our body is knitted together (the Body of Christ). And when we have a supernatural union produced by God, then we will be empowered by God with the supernatural power. Assuming it's true that we know that we are dead in Christ and to the rudiments of the world (powers, elements or things of this world), why then we have to live the life like those who are not free from it (from the ways of the world). Because it's the unsaved who live their lives through law, rules, regulation, doing and not doing, which are after the commandments of men and will perish at the end. All these things (things of flesh) may seem to show wisdom (or feel right to me/flesh) to one s human reasoning, because if feeds one s pride, self-desire to do something (to earn rewards), or to feel having control and a hand in their blessings. But none of them will set us free. It s the ways of the world, religions and man s system. But we who are saved, we live by the grace of God (Faith) through Christ Jesus. Does that mean that we are free to do whatever we want, think again, God forbid, Paul will say in Galatians. We now have much greater commandments than our fathers did, or the world has ever established. We are to keep the ways of the Lord (God s law never changes, it s the same yesterday, today and for ever); and keep them not to earn any brownie points from God, or to earn grace, or blessing. But because we are a new creature in Christ Jesus, and it s not I but Christ Jesus who lives in me. An apple tree bears apple fruits and not thorns.