Colossians 2

II. TRUE : CHRIST THE OR EMPTY Danger - Defending Christ Pre-eminence

A) Persevere in Truth. 2:1-7

B) The True Doctrine of Christ. 2:8-15

C) The False Doctrine of Men. 2:16-23

As we understand that Christ is the Fullness, the Substance, the Head and that our old man died in Him, we will not be deceived and turn to other false religions. The person who masters this chapter will be hard to deceive and direct away from the Truth.

Colossians 2:1-7

A) IN TRUTH. 2:1-7

1. Know Him. 2:1-3

2. Walk in Him 2:4-7

3. Know Him. 2:1-3 V.1 a) Warfare - Adversary for you.

I. He experienced a spiritual Warfare for their spiritual Welfare.

He laboured in prayer, in counselling Epaphras and now in writing to them. V.2 reveals a part of the direction of labour.

II. Why did he have this conflict for them? False teachers v.4, 8, 16, 18

V.2 b) Wholeness - Attaining to all the riches.

V.2 deepens faith, hope and love, the 3 eternal virtues. I. Love - 2 manifestations of love: Encouragement and unity.

II. Full assurance - (Faith) 2 manifestations of understanding:

Riches (in Christ v.3) and full assurance. III. Knowledge - (Hope) 2 manifestations of knowledge: The Father and Christ. V.3 c) Wealth - Advance and Adventurous treasures in Christ.

I. The true treasures are in Christ, in a person, not in books or newspapers.

II. Christ can satisfy even the most intelligent person, for in Christ are the deep things of God. 1.Cor.2:10, 16; Prov.2:1-12. Man can’ t comprehend the creation and surely the comprehension of the wisdom and knowledge in Christ will also be beyond man’ s capacity of knowledge and wisdom.

III. The false teachers treasures of wisdom were hidden in their secret books (Gr. apokryphoi), for believers Christ is the treasury of wisdom, and their life is hidden (Gr. kekryptai) in Him. Col.3:4 Supply - All the riches of the full. Secret - The mystery of God. Source - In Christ.

2. Walk in Him 2:4-7 V.4 d) Warning - Acknowledgement of Paul words.

I. The saints should be warned and be watching lest any deceitful teaching settle in their minds and corrupt them. Eph.4:13-14; 1.John 4:1 II. Deceit is the use of false logic. Persuasive is here the continual use of false speech.

V.5 e) Watching - Absence of Paul and Advance of the Colossians. (Picture of an army)

Paul was watching them in prayer and saw their orderly faith.

V.6 f) Walk - Advise to walk in Christ.

I. The saints should not only believe in Him but also walk in Him.

II. Christ Jesus the Lord - Counteracts 3 ideas of Him.

1. Christ - His deity denied by Judaism.

2. Jesus - His humanity denied by Docetists.

3. Lord - His sovereignty denied by many teachers. V.7 g) Well-grounded - Anchored in Christ.

This verse explains how to walk in Him. The Grounded, Growing and Grateful saint.

I. Absorbing - (Picture of a tree)

Through salvation they were planted in Him now they must be rooted. Rooted deep down and absorbing Truth from Scripture.

II. Arising - (Picture of a building)

Build up until we stand maturely and strong on the feet.

III. Affirmation - (Picture of a contract)

Established and affirmed in faith and trust.

IV. According to teaching - (Picture of a school) 2.Tim.1:13; 4:3-4 Abiding According to sound doctrine.

V. Abounding - (Picture of a water fall)

When they reached the level should they continue to grow in it.

Colossians 2:8-15

B) THE TRUE OF CHRIST. 2:8-15

1. The Believer’ s Position in Christ Vs. Human Philosophy. 2:8-10

2. The Believer’ s spiritual Raising Vs. spiritual Death. 2:11-15

3. The Believer’ s Position in Christ Vs. Human Philosophy. 2:8-10 V.8 a) Breaking down, Beware - The Principles of the world.

I. Beware is to be aware and watchful. Acts 20:29-31; Phil.3:2; 2.Tim.4:3-4 II. Philosophy is man’ s reach for God and explanation of God and the universe.

1. It’ s an empty search and deceitful. (Study the 84 questions of God to Job) Job Ch.38-42
2. Evolution and much science today is a kind of philosophy. It’ s based upon theories and not facts of scientific proof. III. Philosophy is according to the tradition of man and not the doctrine of God.

IV. Philosophy is according to the basic principles of the world and has no revelation from God. It’ s like leaving the wisdom of God for kindergarten teaching, the fullness of God for emptiness.

V.9 b) Blueprint, Bodily fullness - The Principal One Filled.

I. Christ is the blueprint of the universe, it was created by Him, through Him, for Him and in Him. Col.1:16-17 II. The fullness of the Godhead (Omniscient, Omnipresent, Omnipotent, Omnificent “ Creator of all” , Omnicompetent “ Can deal with all matters” , Majesty, Glory, Eternity, Perfection) dwells in Jesus physical body.

1. He is God with capital letter. John 1:1 ; 20:28; 1.John 5:20; Rom.9:5; Is.9:6; 1.Tim.3:16; Heb.1:8-9; Phil.2:5-7
2. He is Eternal. Rom.9:5; 1.John 1:1-3,5:20
3. He is Omnificent. Col.1:15-18; Heb.1:2 4. He is Omnipresent. Eph.4:10; John 14:23; Mat.18:20 5. He is Omniscient. Eph.1:3-5; Col.2:3
4. He is Omnipotent. Heb.1:1-3; Col.2:9-10; Eph.1:20-23
5. He is Perfect. Heb.13:8
6. His Majesty. 2.Peter 1:16; Matt.17:2
7. His Glory. John 2:11; 17:5; Heb.1:3; 1.Cor.2:8, 11:7
8. He receives Divine worship. John 5:23; Rev.5:8-14; Mat.28:17; Luke 24:52 III. Some call Him man, some God, but Scripture calls Him the God-Man.

V.10 c) Build in, Boundary - The Principality and Power.

I. Christ’ s perfect holiness is ours, His life is ours, all saints are in Him and found by God only in Him. Phil.3:9; 1.Cor.1:30; Col.1:27 II. In the physical birth, the child is born with a Divinely graced personality, gifts, intelligence and a human appearance.

In the spiritual birth, the spiritual child is born with Christ holy nature, His mind, righteousness, holiness, with new gifts and hunger. III. Like a child the new life has to be developed by:

1. Worship - Wholehearted and Well-affected in Worship. (Devotion)

2. Will - To be Well-meaning and Well-chosen. (Delight)

3. Work - The Way of Welfare. (Development)

4. Walk - Worthy Watchful Walk. (Direction)

5. Wisdom - Well-read, Well-informed, Well-grounded, Well-balanced in the Word and Wholesome in Walk and in Work. (Doctrinal Doings)

6. Withdrawal - From Worthless Wickedness of Worldliness. (Desert)

7. Withstanding - The Wiles of the Wicked one. (Determination)

IV. Christ is not only head of the Church 1:18 but also over all authority. 1:16 Eph.1:20-22

2. The Believer’ s spiritual Raising Vs. spiritual Death. 2:11-15 Christ victory is seen through:

3. Spiritual circumcision, He cleansed us. v.11

4. Spiritual resurrection. He baptized and raised us. v.12

5. Sins Forgiveness. He forgave and accepted us. v.13-14

6. Spiritual disarming. He conquered and made a show. v.15

V.11 a) Delete - The Putting off the body of the sins.

Circumcision is the removing of the flesh, its God deleting the old man.

V.12 b) Descend to Ascend - The Power of God raised Jesus and the saints.

The old man was buried in Christ and raised in Christ to a new life. Rom.6:1-11 V.13 c) Degeneration to Regeneration - Pardoned and alive in Christ.

I. The old man Degenerated to Death because of sin and the new man was Raised by Regeneration.

II. It happened through the Forgiveness of our Faults, Foolishness, Futility, Forbidden Footloose (Trespassing), Failure, Falsehood, Filthy and Fleshly, Foul, Faithless, Fall. II. The cleansing effect of the blood of Jesus we see in that it causes all our trespasses to be forgiven and even can cleanse our conscience. Heb.9:14

V.14 d) Destruction - The Prescript of Penalty Pierced through Christ Palm.

It was Gods own hand that wrote the requirement that was against man and condemned man, the same hand also nailed them through His own hand to the cross and thereby destroyed it. Rom.7:1-6; 10:4; Gal. 2:19; 3:19, 23-25; 4:4-5; Heb.7:12; Luke 16:16

V.15 e) Disarmed - The Public spectacle.

I. Jesus disarmed the law (The condemnation that the law bring) but He also disarmed the condemning evil spirits through the cross. Heb.2:14-15 II. In the Roman world, a triumphant general leading a parade of victory after a victorious battle, had the prisoner chained behind him while the citizens applauded him. What the Devil and demons saw as Christ’s defeat (the cross), Paul represents here as Christ’s chariot of victory.

Colossians 2:16-23

C) THE FALSE OF MEN. 2:16-23

1. The Substance of Christ Vs. the Legalism of Men. 2:16-17

2. The Head of Christ Vs. Eastern Mysticism of men. 2:18-19

3. The Death in Christ Vs. Ascetic Ordinances of Men. 2:20-23

4. The Act of judging. v.16-17

5. The Attitude of pride. v.18-19

6. The Appearance of false religion. v.20-23

7. The Substance of Christ Vs. the Legalism of Men. 2:16-17 V.16 a) Shallow Regarding - Accusation against the freedom in Christ.

The saints have been freed from the law and no longer in bondage to the ordinances of clean and unclean food, drinks and days.

V.17 b) Substantial Reality - Antitypes of Christ.

I. All of the law, festivals and Sabbath were pointing to Christ. 1.Cor.8:8-9; Gal.4:9-11; Heb.9:10; Acts 10:9-16; Mark 7:18-19; 1.Tim.4:3 II. Christ is reality and substance of all Scripture. John 5:39; Luke 24:27; Heb.10:5-7 2. The Head of Christ Vs. Eastern Mysticism of men. 2:18-19 Mysticism is the pursuit of a deeper or higher religious experience and teaches that: Spiritual reality is perceived apart from the human intellect and natural senses.

The higher “ conscience” of god and the universe is experienced through self-denial and spiritual experience.

V.18 c) Stealing Reward - Angel worship instead of worshipping Christ.

I. Eastern Mysticism Promotes Self. The saints should not be moved away by proud people declaring what they had seen: False humility.

II. Their delight was in: Humility, angels and spiritual sight.

V.19 d) Stopped Retaining - Acquainted but not Attached to Christ.

Eastern Mysticism Demotes Christ. Right humility is to hold on to the head, this false teachers delighted more in their own mind than in the head of Christ.

3. The Death in Christ Vs. Ascetic Ordinances of Men. 2:20-23 V.20 e) Subjection to Regulations - Abased to regulations instead of Ascending in Christ.

In Christ the saints died to them selves and the world, so why should they again live in subjection to it.

V.21 f) Staged Rules - Asceticism instead of Christ.

I. False humility is a show for acceptance and honour. They abstained to gain acceptance with God. Matt.6:16 II. Asceticism feeds the flesh by starving it.

III. Spirituality is here measured by not doing while true measuring is through how we love and works.

V.22 g) Strayed Requirements - According to man and not Christ.

Man-made requirements serve only the flesh.

V.23 h) Self-imposed Religion - Appearance but not manifestation of Christ.

It has an Appearance but no Ability, it cannot overcome the flesh. Rom.7:5, 8-25 The answer to philosophy is the fullness of Christ, the answer to legalism is the realization of the grace of Christ, the answer to mysticism is our relation to Christ, the answer to asceticism is our death with Christ. The answer is where it all began: At the foot of the Cross.