& & &
Teaching Notes COLOSSIANS 2
& & &
& & &
COLOSSIANS
Chapter 2. Christ All Sufficient
Paul’s Personal Interest in Them, 1-5. “As many as have not
seen my face in the flesh”, 1, is taken by some to mean that
Paul
had not been in Colossae. But there is no way of knowing
whether
it includes, or is in addition to, the “you" preceding.
The personal
greetings of 4:7-18 certainly indicate that Paul was well ac-
quainted in Colossae. ‚ He was hoping soon to come there, Philem
22,
(Philemon was one of
them). “Laodicea”, 1, was a nearby city,
about ten miles away. Paul had written them a Letter also,
along
with this one to the Colossians, 4:16. Some think it may
have been
a copy of the Ephesian Letter.
“The Mystery",
2. This may have been one of the pet words of
the “philosophers” of Colossae. It is used a number of
times,
12,26,27; 4:23, of certain
phases of God's purpose, hitherto un-
revealed. See note on Eph. 3:23-9.
The Philosophers of Colossae, 4:8. A philosopher is a man
who
spends his life trying to understand What he knows before he
starts that he cannot understand. Christ is the center of a
whole
system of truth, some of it very easy to understand, and
some
not so easy, stretching out to things “beyond the reaches of
our
souls”. A philosopher
sees in Christian teaching certain things
that fit in with his philosophy. He accepts Christ, and calls
him-
self a Christian. But in his thinking certain of his
philosophic.
abstractions are central, and Christ himself personally is
just a
sort of shadow in the background. We know people like that:
militant proponents of some pet theory or doctrine, but you
would never suspect them of having much love or admiration
for Christ personally.
Legalists, 16; 20-22. Unlike the philosopher, a man with a
more
practical turn of mind does not bother much about things he
cannot understand, but wants to know what to do to be 3
Chris-.
tian. He sees certain plain commandments, or what appear to
him to be plain commandments, and he obeys them. And to him
those commandments are central, and Christ himself
personally
is just a sort of shadow in the background. We know people
like
that too.
Who are Legalists? They are those who rest their salvation
on
themselves rather than on Christ. Of course, we want to believe
all the doctrines correctly, and to our utmost obey all the
com-
mandments. But, if,
in our thinking, we put too much stress on
what we believe or what we do, are we not perilously near to
resting our salvation on ourselves? Christ, not a doctrine,
not a
commandment is our Savior. He, not ourselves, is the basis
of
our hope. We must not minimize the necessity of believing
right
doctrines. But after
all, being a Christian is, essentially. Loving
Christ, a Person,
rather than believing this or that doctrine, or
obeying this or that
commandment. We believe doctrines or obey
commandments as unto
Christ. We must not love them more than
we love Him. If We love
a doctrine overmuch we are apt to grow
cross and sour toward
those who do not agree with-
our doctrine. If we
love a Person, Christ the Person. we grow like
Him. Paul, in this
Epistle, was aiming to correct the false doc-
trines of the
Judaizers on the one hand and the Greek philos-
ophers on the other,
and resultant compromise doctrines. But
even if our beliefs
are Scripturally sound there is such a thing as
exalting some truth
about Christ above Christ Himself. And when
we thus top the
balance of our partnership with Christ to our
own side we are
Legalists. It is possible to be a legalist over a
doctrine of Grace.
Worship of Angels, 18. Some were teaching that man is too
unworthy to approach
Christ directly: he needs the mediation of
angels. And they were
proud of their humility. We do not know
of any such teaching
today. But its counterpart remains in the
worship of the Virgin
Mary as an intermediary.
Asceticism. 20-23. The practices referred to are not
specified.
Self-imposed
austerities and self-chosen humiliations in certain
directions are of no
value in offsetting unrestrained sensual
indulgence in other
directions.
& & &
Overview Colossians Bible Project
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pXTXlDxQsvc
From:
https://www.readscripture.org/
& & &
& & &
Colossians 2 New International Version (NIV)
2 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally.
2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him,
7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces[a] of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh[b] was put off when you were circumcised by[c] Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Footnotes:
Colossians 2:8 Or the basic principles; also in verse 20
Colossians 2:11 In contexts like this, the Greek word for flesh (sarx) refers to the sinful state of human beings, often presented as a power in opposition to the Spirit; also in verse 13.
Colossians 2:11 Or put off in the circumcision of
Colossians 2:13 Some manuscripts us
Colossians 2:15 Or them in him
& & &
New International Version (NIV)
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Some content adapted from Halley, Henry H., Bible Handbook, Grayson Publishing, Minneapolis, MN. © 1927 - 1959, 1964
& & &
Hugh C. Wood, Atlanta, Georgia
END
