Colossians 2

Colossians 2:1-3

The apostle’s concern for the Colossians, ver. 1—4. Repeated again, 1. He cautions them against faith teachers among the Jews, 2—8. And against the Gentile philosophy, ver. 9—13. Repetitates the privileges of Christians, ver. 14—16. And concludes with a caution against the judicious teachers, and those who would introduce the worship of angels, ver. 17—22.

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 been 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 creatures of wisdom and knowledge.

Though the apostle had no personal knowledge of the Colossians, she report he had heard engaged his warmest

afflictions towards them. For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, how solicitous I am for your welfare, and wrestle earnestly with God in prayer on your behalf, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not been my face in the flesh: and this especially I ask of the Lord, that their hearts might be comforted under every trial, with those confessions which he bestows on his choice, being knit together in love to Christ, and one another, and some all riches of the full assurance of understanding, seeking to attain the most distinct and comprehensive knowledge of the gospel, with all its invaluable privileges, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ, satisfying the fullest approbation of that glorious scheme of salvation, which, though unknown before, is now revealed to the Gentiles, wherein God appears as their reconciled God and Father in Christ, the covenant-head of his redeemed. In whom are hid all the creatures of wisdom and knowledge, for the life of his people, that he might so order all the dispositions of his providence and grace, as most effectually so cordially then take amidst all their difficulties to his eternal kingdom. Note. (1.) It is God’s will that his people should be comforted, and for this his ministers should labour. (2.) Nothing tends more to cause our confessions to abound than the union of our hearts to Jesus, and to our brethren, in love unfeigned. (3.) Whatever remaining ignorance be in us, or darkness surround our steps, he who hath all the treasures of wisdom is our guide, and he will lead us by the right way.

4. And this I say, ’let 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 thessalines of your faith in Christ. 6. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7. ‘Roored and built up in him, and finished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8. ‘We were left any man (soul 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. 11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sin of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ: 12. ‘Roored with him in baptism, wherein also you 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 hand-washing 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 show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Colossians 2:4-15

The apostle felt the tenderest concern for them, and he testified it by his zealously over them.

1. He wrote them against the seducing, judaising teachers. And this I say, concerning my affection for you, and the all-fufficient wisdom of Jesus to direct you, but, as Satan beguiled Eve through his ministry, any man should beguile you with enticing words, perverting you from the simplicity of the gospel, under pretence of leading you to higher attainments. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the Spirit; not only united to them in affection, but probably having some extraordinary discernment of their state from the Lord’s giving and beholding your order and strict discipline, and the steadythings of your faith in Christ, notwithstanding all the thanks of persecution, or the wills of deceivers. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, and made protection of your nature dependence upon him as your Prophet, Priest, and King, it will be to him, depending on the teachings of his word and Spirit, trusting on his atonement and righteousness, and desirous to obey his holy will in all things: round us the tree, which no whales can blow down, and built up in him, and published in the faith, fixed immorality on the rock of ages, and by faith growing up into him in all things who is the head, even Christ, as ye have been taught in the gospel preached to you; abounding therein with thanksgiving, enriched with all the fulness of divine grace, and ceaseless in praise to the great author of all your hopes and happiness. Beware, therefore, since ye have received the truth as it is in Jesus, left any man (soul you of the inestimable treasure through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the corrupt fictions of brotherism), misleading you from the purest of the gospel, after the tradition of men, whether of judaising teachers or Gentile Sages, after the rudiments of the world, those first elements, (1870, 1871) contained in the Morisical ceremony, and failed only to the infant state of the church, and which are not after Christ, but tend to seduce the heart

heart from him, to direct the soul to rest on something else for salvation, besides his finished work, in whom dreadful all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, all the divine perfections being, in their utmost fulness, perpetually resident in the person of the incarnate Jesus. Note, (1.) The discourse set off, with the most enticing words, must be brought to the will of God’s revealed will, and if it correspond not therewith, whatever appearances of wisdom there may be, it is to be rejected with abhorrence. (2.) They who cleave to Christ, shall be preserved from delusion. (3.) He who is God as well as man in one Christ, must need be able to live to the uttermost, and be the worthy object of our entire faith and dependence.

2. He mentions the complete salvation, of which, in Christ, they had been made partakers. And ye are complete in him, in virtue of your union with him, who is made of God unto you wisdom and righteousness, and identification and redemption, and who is, in his mediatorial character, the head of all principally and power, all in heaven, earth, and hell, from the highest creature to the lowest, being made subject unto him. In whom ally ye are circumscribed with the circumcision, not that which is outward in the flesh, and now of no avail, but that made without hand, even the circumcision of the heart, evident in the putting of the body of the sin of the flesh, and mortifying the old man, which is corrupt, with the affections and lusts, by the circumcision of Christ, which he is the author of, and by his spirit effects in the hearts of his people. Darned with him by baptism, the ordinance which he hath instituted, superseding circumcision, and fighting to us our death unto her, and new birth unto righteousness, whereas ally ye are risen with him, quickened to newness of life, through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. The time divine power being needed to produce faith in the heart of the sinner, as to communicate life to the dead body of Jesus. And you being dead in your sins, under the fineness of God’s wrath, and separated from his favour, which is the true life of the soul, and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, serving divers lusts and pleasures, under the dominion of a conspired nature, hath he quickened together with him, to a life of grace here, as the earnest and beginning of a life of glory in eternity, having forgiven you all trespasses, in virtue of the redemption of Jesus. Blaming out the hand-writing of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, by his blood cancelling the debt, and obliterating the bond, discharging us from the condemnation of the moral law, and abolishing the ceremonial, which separated Jews and Gentiles, and was the cause of enmity between them, and took it out of the way, making it to his craft, and residing it in peace, and having spoiled principalities and powers, the apostate spirits of darkness, he made a shew of them openly, as their conqueror, on the tree, triumphing over them in it, and redeeming all his people thereby from their hateful dominion.

How invaluable are the Christian’s privileges! How precious should he be to us, who is the blessed author of them! (1.) We are quickened by him from the death of sin. (2.) We have the free and full remission of all our magistrates. (3.) The curse of the law is satisfied, and there is no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus. (4.) Our spiritual enemies are vanquished; we need fear nothing from them; our Jesus is triumphant, and he will shortly make us, with himself, more than conquerors.

16. Let no man therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new-moon, or of the Sabbath-days: 17. Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body of Christ. 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 manifested, 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, take 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 slave of wisdom in will-worthy and humility, and neglecting of the body, not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.

c. 16-23. The apostle, from the foregoing considerations of the complete redemption which in Christ Jesus they had obtained, warns them against the judaising zealots.

Let no man therefore judge or condemn you in meat or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new-moon, or of the Sabbath-days, inculpating the necessity of observing their Jewish ceremonies, in in order to salvation: which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ; since he who is the substance of them hath appeared, they are now abolished, and no longer obligatory. Let no man beguile you of your reward, or cheat you of the prize of your

high calling in Christ Jesus, in a voluntary humility, beating you to a kind of abatement which the gospel never prescribed, and worshipping of angels, to the great dishonour of the one Mediator between God and man; intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, falsely pretending to what he is ignorant of, and following the delusion of a heart eaten up with pride: and not holding the head, Christ Jesus, from whom alone the whole body of his church, by joints and bands having nourishment manifested, and knit together, spiritually, as the members of the natural body are united to their common head, in-crafts with the increase of God, in light, and love, and comfort, and holiness. Wherefore if, or seeing, ye be dead with Christ, as your baptism intimated, from the rudiments of the world, and discharged from all obligation to the Mosaic economy, who, as though living in the world, and still under the legal dispensation, are ye subject to ordinances, and obey the dogmatical decisions of judaising teachers, who cry, Touch not, take not, handle not, as if the Levitical law was still in force, and the disinclination of meats and drinks to be scrupulously observed by Christians; which meats all perish with the using, passing through the body, and cannot defile the soul; and are now no longer enjoined of divine authority, but merely after the commandments and doctrines of men, by these Jewish zealots! Which things have indeed a slave of wisdom, and pass under the specious exercise of paying to God service, even of supererogation, in will-worthy, and voluntary humility, which his word hath never enjoined, and neglecting of the body, by affected sufferings, not in any honour; those things are not of any value in the light of God, but are to the satisfying of the flesh, serving only to foster man’s pride, and to foster him in a vain conceit of his own superior goodness. Note, They who affect to be wise above what is written, will only in the issue expose their own absurd pride and egregious folly.