Colossians 2

David Lipscomb Commentary On Colossians 2Col 2:1 For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you,—This conflict for those he had not seen was mental conflict, one of the heart. Possibly a striving in prayer (Colossians 4:12) to God for them, that they might know the full truth of God, and be faithful to it. This epistle to them to encourage them to be faithful was a result of that struggle and anxiety in their behalf.and for them at Laodicea,—All the Christians in the Lycus Valley, in which Laodicea was located, were exposed to the vicious influences of the false teachers.and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;—The disciples at Colossae and Laodicea knew of Paul and his work, but had never seen his “ face in the flesh.” He had never visited the churches in that locality. He only knew those individuals who had visited him.Colossians 2:2that their hearts may be comforted,—His anxiety in behalf of all who had not seen his face arose from the fear that they might not receive the full teaching of the word of God. The only teaching they had received was yet verbal. The scriptures had not been completed and collected.

Paul was the only apostle who had labored in that section of the country; and the other teachers, if inspired at all, were only partially gifted. So there was great danger that where the apostles did not go the teaching would be imperfect and partial. [He regards the danger to which they were exposed and the afflictions which they endured and by mention of these prepares them for his exhortation.]they being knit together in love,—This describes the manner in which the comforting should take place.

The light and service secured by the full knowledge of the gospel would bring additional comfort, would more favorably unite and cement them together in love. The increase in knowledge and the more complete con­formity of the life to the will of God is always laid down as the condition of fuller comfort and more perfect union in love.and unto all riches of the full assurance of understand­ing,—This refers to the spiritual riches, and it comes through practicing what is known. The knowledge is of Christ, and in him all the treasures of the knowledge and wisdom are hidden.that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ,—To learn Christ is to learn the mystery of God. [Christ in whom the inscrutable nature of God, rich in the hidden treasure of wisdom and knowledge, is revealed to us.]Colossians 2:3in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.—Christ as the Mediator is the great treasure house, so to speak, where is found all the wisdom and knowledge needful for the Christian. Christ is what abundant treasures are in reference to the supply of our wants.Colossians 2:4 This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasive­ness of speech.—He gives them this knowledge that they may not be turned away from Christ by enticing words. He gives the following warning concerning false teachers. “ For they that are such serve not our Lord Christ, but their own belly; and by their smooth and fair speech they beguile the hearts of the innocent.” (Romans 16:18). And again he warns: “ Be no longer children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, in craftiness, after the wiles of error.” (Ephesians 4:14).

The protection against this being carried away by error given in enticing words is a full knowledge of God’ s will as delivered in Christ. The Colossian church was steadfast in faith and true to the word of God, though not taught by an apostle.Colossians 2:5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit,—Paul’ s heart was really with the Colossian Chris­tians, from whom he was absent, and whom he had never seen.joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.—Through the reports of Epaphras he could see and enjoy their order and the steadfastness of their faith as though he was present with them and saw it. [They held their position as good soldiers of Christ, and their faith in him enabled them to present to every enemy an immovable line of battle.

The tone of this verse suggests that looseness of faith exposes Christians to disastrous results.]Colossians 2:6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord,—[They who welcomed the good news of salvation through Christ Jesus thereby receive Christ himself to be their Lord and their life. Where the message of his love is welcomed, he himself comes in spiritual and real presence, and dwells in the spirit.]so walk in him,—Live your life, regulate your whole con­duct in accordance with the way you learned Christ, and in union with him.Colossians 2:7rooted and builded up in him,—This suggests stability and nourishment and life derived from inward contact with Christ. It calls attention to the foundation on which the character is builded up in him. The root, the foundation, is faith in Christ.and established in your faith, even as ye were taught—The completing the life and forming the character must be by obedi­ence to him, by a continued walk in Christ, and this fixes or establishes the faith. [A progressive increase of faith is the. con­dition of all Christian progress. The faith which is already the firmest is still capable of and needs strengthening. Its range can be enlarged, its tenacity increased, and its power over heart and life reinforced.

The eye of faith is never so keen but that it may become more long-sighted; its grasp never so close that it may not be tightened; its realization never so solid but that it may be made more substantial; this continued strengthening of faith is the most essential form of a Christian’ s effort at self-improvement. Strengthen your faith and you strengthen all graces; for it measures our reception of divine help.]abounding in thanksgiving.—[They should abound in thanks­giving because they had received the knowledge of the great truths and blessings through the Lord Jesus Christ]Colossians 2:8 Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit,—He warns them that they must not let any one pervert them from the faith in Christ by their human reasonings and theories that are vain and deceptive.

The Spirit recognized that no salvation could come to man through human philosophies, or the deductions of human reason, through the vain deceit of man’ s experience as developed in society, in history, or in any worldly experiences or wisdom can teach. All efforts to find righteousness in any of these spoil men, deprive them of the only true righteousness that is found in Christ, and that comes from God through Christ Jesus. All the philoso­phies of men, all the deceits of human wisdom, and all the rudi­ments of the world discovered by human reason spoil men, ruin their souls, lead them to everlasting death by leading them away from God and his salvation.after the tradition of men,—[This so-called philosophy was a man-made scheme. God had nothing to do with it. It was originated entirely by men and is handed along from men to men. “ The stream rises no higher than its source.” ]after the rudiments of the world,—[As to their subject mat­ter, it concerns itself with what is of the world. This marks the chief point of contact with the earlier Judaism, in the stress still laid on matters of ritual law, ascetic observance, and the like.

The phrase suggests more than Jewish ritualistic observances, since “ world” includes the whole sphere of material things, and Paul is giving the category to which the false teaching belonged. To go back to rudiments was to show themselves children. (Galatians 4:3).]and not after Christ:—[This is in contrast with all that precedes— Christ is the source, substance, and the end of the plan of salvation.

What is not after Christ is rudimentary; all teaching that does not make him the center only serves to lead men captive. All culture apart from him is an illusion and deceit.]Colossians 2:9for in him dwelleth—Not a mere emanation of the Su­preme Being, but dwelleth and remains forever— not dwelling in him for a time and leaving him again.all the fulness—The whole is an extension and enforcement of “ for it was the good pleasure of the Father that in him should all the fulness dwell.” (Colossians 1:19).of the Godhead bodily,—[The false teachers claimed to be in horror of all that was material, as having in it the seed of evil, and for that reason they denied either the reality of our Lord’ s body or its inseparable connection with the Godhead in him. Hence Paul’ s emphasis here; as John also in the following: “ And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us (and we beheld his glory, glory as of the only begotten from the Father), full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). And he gave the following warning: “ Beloved, believe not every spirit, but prove the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets are gone out into the world. Hereby know ye the Spirit of God: every spirit that confesseth that Jesus Christ is come in the flesh is of God: and every spirit that confesseth not Jesus is not of God: and this is the spirit of the antichrist, whereof ye have heard that it cometh; and now it is in the world already.” (1 John 4:1-3).]All the wisdom, power, and goodness of the Godhead for up­lifting and saving men is embodied in the person of Jesus Christ. And in his provisions are found the only source and righteousness and life for man.

Whosoever looks away from him and his teachings turns his back upon God and upon all his provisions for the salvation of man. “ But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who was made unto us wisdom from God, and righteousness and sanctifica­tion, and redemption: that, according as it is written, He that glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 1:30-31). In the way of redemption provided by God, man must walk, that his righteousness and salvation may be of God and not stand in the wisdom of man.

In the bodily form of Jesus Christ dwells the full power and excellence of the Godhead. For after his resurrec­tion from the dead, Jesus said: “ All authority hath been given unto me in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18). Colossians 2:10and in him ye are made full,—By entering into Christ, and living up to his requirements, they were completed and per­fected in work and in character. [The divine gifts thus obtained are ample, hence they ought not to seek to supplement this suffi­cient supply by looking to other sources.]who is the head of all principality and power:—The repeti­tion of these terms indicates that the false teachers presented the angels as mediators, or in a manner which detracted from the sufficiency of Christ. This affirmation of the absolute supremacy of Christ to the angelic world meets this error. Nor is this superiority simply one of position, since the head is in vital con­nection with the members, who derive their life from it. [To partake of the divine fullness is not the special privilege of the initiated; it belongs to all who are united to the Lord Jesus Christ.]Colossians 2:11in whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands,—There was a literal circumcision of the flesh in the Jewish dispensation; there is a spiritual circumcision in the church of Christ.in the putting off—As we take off and put away clothes. The readers are said to “ have put off the old man with his doings’ ’ (Colossians 3:9), and to “ have put on the new man” (Colossians 3:10); and again, “ put on therefore, as God’ s elect, holy and beloved, a heart of compassion, kindness, lowliness, meekness, longsuffering.” (Colossians 3:12).of the body of the flesh,—[The human body looked upon in its material construction, in view of the truth ever to the mind of Paul (Romans 6:12) that through the needs and desires arising from the constitution of our body sin rules all those who have not become obedient to the Lord Jesus Christ. For in the man of the world the flesh, although in its self good, has come under the dominion of sin and has become the weapon with which sin enslaves its victims. Hence apart from Christ, man’ s flesh is “ sinful flesh” (Romans 8:3), and his body a “ body of sin” (Romans 6:6).

Circumcision is only the outward removal, by human hands, of a small part of that body which to so many is an instru­ment by which sin holds them captive. But the servants of Christ have stripped off from themselves and laid aside their entire body of flesh, inasmuch they have been completely rescued from its deadly dominion.

Henceforth they stand in a new relation to their own bodies— these are no longer the throne of sin but the temple of God. The apostle says: “ Or know ye not that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit which is in you, which ye have from God ? and ye are not your own; for ye were bought with a price: glorify God therefore in your body.” (1 Corinthians 6:19-20).]in the circumcision of Christ;—In entering into Christ, they received the true spiritual circumcision made without hands, of which the circumcision of the flesh was a type. That true cir­cumcision was the putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by that circumcision or cutting off of the sins which Christ does for us when we enter into him.Colossians 2:12having been buried with him in baptism,—The putting off the body of the flesh or the true spiritual circumcision was effected by being buried with him in baptism. This implies that they were dead to sin through faith in Christ.wherein ye were also raised with him—They were also raised with him in baptism. In this act the sins were removed, as by circumcision the flesh was cut off. [The language is taken from the coming up out of the water which is associated with the fact of Christ’ s resurrection, which is clearly referred to. Christ went down into the grave, but came up again.

So the believer disappears under the waters of baptism. This is a side not pre­sented in circumcision.

In baptism there is an impressive exhibi­tion of the fact that we are born anew, This new life we get in union with Christ. The working of God is signally displayed in raising Christ from the dead. It is to be taken in connection with the removal of sin which operated in Christ’ s death. Christ rose from the dead possessor of a new and endless life. If we take as the object of our faith the working which raised Christ from the dead, we shall become sharers with him in the same new and endless life.]through faith in the working of God,—They were both buried and raised with Christ in baptism, by the working of faith in God. Baptism avails nothing without faith.

It is only as faith recognizes a risen Savior that the act of baptism becomes of spiritual significance, and rising with Christ becomes an actual spiritual experience.who raised him from the dead.—God’ s working is here set forth as the object of the believing, not as the cause. In this connection it was natural to characterize God as the one “ who raised him from the dead.” Only through faith in such a God as able and willing to raise us up spiritually can we partake in this new life.Colossians 2:13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh,—They were Gentiles, as such uncircumcised; this external condition fitly indicates their de­praved and carnal condition.

Their uncircumcision was once the sign of their fleshly condition, but now they had received the circumcision of the heart.you, I say, did he make alive together with him,—Now he had made them alive, brought them together with himself, when they had been buried and raised with Christ.having forgiven us all our trespasses;—The Lord’ s resurrec­tion was the expression of the fact of his acceptance by the Father; our entrance on union with him as the Risen One was the ex­pression of our acceptance in him. [This is the most beautiful allusion to circumcision imaginable. There were those who had accepted the gospel, who through the influence of false teachers were led to think they needed to be circumcised in order to secure the remission of sin. To them the apostle said: You are complete in Christ; you need not be circumcised with a circumcision made with hands. The fleshly circumcision only took off a small por­tion of flesh; but spiritual circumcision, which we have in being crucified with Christ, in being buried with him in baptism, cuts off without a knife, and without a hand, the whole body of the sins of the flesh. This is Christ’ s way of circumcising. So we have a circumcision of all sins, the mighty mass is now cut off through our faith and baptism into Christ, with whom we have risen through the faith of the mighty operation of God, who raised him from the dead.]Colossians 2:14 Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us,—Not a soul was ever saved by the law of Moses, because none ever kept it, save Jesus Christ who fulfilled it completely; and he was not lost, to need salvation.

Persons under the law of Moses were saved, but it was by and through Christ. No man could be justified by the law, because all sinned and violated the law; and law condemns, and does not justify, or purge from sin.

All Jews and Gentiles have sinned, or broken the law, so cannot be saved by law. The law was given to train and prepare men for the reception of Jesus Christ, the promised seed, in whom all nations of the earth should be blessed.which was contrary to us:—The Mosaic law condemned, but could not save, so it “ was contrary to us.” and he hath taken it out of the way,— The whole of the Mosaic law, including the commandments written on stones (2 Corinthians 3:7), was taken out of the way, nailed to the cross, and is no longer in force as a law in any of its parts. In the new covenant many laws that were in the old covenant were re-enacted and are to be obeyed not because they were in the old, but because they are a part of the new.nailing it to the cross;—It was taken out of the way when Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross. [This is a very graphic way of saying that the obstacle to forgiveness which lay in the law— in the justice of God of which the law is an embodiment— was re­moved by the death of Christ. Practically the nails which fastened to the cross the hands and the feet of Jesus, and thus slew him, pierced and invalidated the law which pronounced the just condemnation of sinners. Hence Paul could say: “ There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus.” (Romans 8:1). By the cross of Christ Paul could truthfully affirm that “ the world hath been crucified unto me, and I unto the world.” (Galatians 6:14).] Colossians 2:15having despoiled the principalities and the powers,—This is a figure from the treatment of enemies when conquered. Jesus was condemned and put to death by the principalities and powers of earthly governments— Jewish and Roman.he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.—He struggled with death, overcame it and them, and in his res­urrection and ascension made a show openly of his triumph over them.Colossians 2:16 Let no man therefore judge you—Since the old covenant was nailed to the cross of Christ, and was thus made invalid, its written decrees, he tells them, are not binding on the saints, and they were not to be judged for neglecting them.in meat, or in drink,—This refers to ceremonial, and, doubt­less, extremely rigid requirements as to clean and unclean articles of food and drink. Whether a man eats or drinks or not his con­duct in this respect supplies no fit ground for a judgment of him.or in respect of a feast day or a new moon—Christians should not permit themselves to be bound to Jewish festivals in their worship of God; neither to the great annual feasts. The claims of these observances were, no doubt, greatly exaggerated, and, possibly made tests of fellowship,or a sabbath day:—[The sabbath means rest, and was a shadow of the rest which believers have in Christ. “ For we who have believed do enter into that rest. . . . There remaineth there­fore a sabbath rest for the people of God. . . . Let us therefore give diligence to enter into that rest, that no man fall after the same example of disobedience.” (Hebrews 4:3-11).

The seventh day was the Sabbath or rest of God in creation, and was afterwards given to the Israelites, and formed part of their economy of types. But since Christ has come, this typical rest cannot be kept without ignoring him as our rest.

The Sabbath of the Israelites is past, and the first day of the week has begun in life and liberty. It is not physical rest that is to be sought, but praise and adoration to him who has brought life and immortality to light. On the first day of the week the believer ceases his daily labor, but it is that he may honor Christ by his spiritual service. The first day of the week should never be called a Sabbath, because it is neither true nor appropriate to so name his resurrection day.]Colossians 2:17which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’ s.—The whole system and prohibitions of the Mosaic dispensation had a typical significance, pointing to the coming of Christ. They were only a shadow of the realities which came through him.Colossians 2:18 Let no man rob you of your prize—The reward they were to obtain through fidelity to Christ was eternal life. There was danger that the false teachers would so beguile them that they would turn aside from their faithfulness to Christ and lose their reward.by a voluntary humility—Self-imposed acts of mortification of the body, as service to God, was the outward evidence of false humility, and points to something blameworthy; a false and per­verted lowliness, which deemed that God was so inaccessible that he could only be approached through the mediation of inferior beings.and worshipping of the angels,—This was the outward evi­dence of false humility, and carries the idea that no man can invent methods of worship of his own, he cannot worship angels.

The Lord Jesus when tempted by Satan, said: “ It is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.” (Matthew 4:10).dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,—[This refers to the false teachers who had sprung up among the Colossians, claiming supernatural knowledge by which the mind is said to be “ puffed up.” The supernatural knowledge to which the pretensions were made was that favorite knowledge claimed by the mystics of the secrets of the heavenly places and especially of the grades and functions of the hierarchy of heaven. Paul brands it as belonging to the mind, not of the spirit, but to the flesh, for indeed it was really superstition, resting not on faith, but on supposed visions and supernatural manifes­tations.

He casts no reflection on the use of one’ s mind, but on the gullibility and foolish pride of the ignorant victims of the charlatans.]Colossians 2:19and not holding fast the Head,—Those thus puffed up with their own wisdom, and adopting their own ways of service, failed to hold Jesus as Head, and sought to act independently of him. [In this lay the fatal error. All these speculations and superstitions interfered with the direct hold of the soul on the mediation of Christ as Head, from whom alone, as being the image of the invisible God, come all spiritual life and growth.]from whom—This refers to Christ personally. In the par­allel passage (Ephesians 4:16), whom points to Christ as Head.all the body,—As every part of the whole body depends for life and efficiency on its being in connection with the head, just so absolutely does every member of the spiritual body depend on Christbeing supplied and knit together through the joints and bands,—Through the nourishment administered to every part by each member performing his proper part under the direction of the head. The welfare and development of the whole body is dependent upon the proper working of each and every member.increaseth with the increase of God.—By every member working effectually in his sphere, they all make the increase of the body unto the building up of itself. By this joint and har­monious working of all the parts, the body grows into the well proportioned body of Christ, all moved and governed by him. These bodies of men, controlled by the Spirit of God, are the only manifestations of the church visible to men in the flesh.

This shows the close relation that every individual member sustains to Christ the Head. This relation is spiritual and is regulated by the Spirit permeating all the members of the body.

The Spirit does this through the truths revealed through the apostles. (Luke 24:48-49; John 16:13-14). Spiritual influences are directed to the spirit of man that thinks, considers, wills, purposes, and acts in accord with that will.Colossians 2:20 If ye died with Christ—When they were buried with Christ in baptism their death with Christ was signified and sealed. (Colossians 2:12). They entered into that real and vital union with him which makes his death, as a complete renunciation of the old life of sin. (2 Corinthians 5:14-15; Galatians 2:19-20; Galatians 6:14).from the rudiments of the world,—From the ends, ways, and manners of the world.why, as though living in the world,—If you are no longer moved by worldly rewards, honors, and ends; if you are dead with Christ to earthly conditions; since you put off at your baptism your old ways of life.do ye subject yourselves to ordinances,—The ordinances here mean the law of Moses first, to which the Jews were disposed to cling, and teach that the Gentiles should observe; but they embraced all the observances and appointments which human philosophies and reasonings could command.Colossians 2:21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch—This is an admonition to wholly abstain from the inventions and devices of men in the worship and services of God. God has taught from the beginning that it is a fearful thing to change or in any way to modify his appointments. He has taught by precept and example, that that is the greatest sin. The expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden (Genesis 2:16-17; Genesis 3:6-24), and the death and the woes that came upon them and the whole world, is a fearful example, warning man for all time what a fearful sin it is to add to or take from the commandments of God.

He said to Moses: “ Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish from it, that ye may keep the commandments of Jehovah your God which I command you.” (Deuteronomy 4:2). Indeed, the whole history of God’ s dealing with the human family is a condemnation of adding to or taking from the word of God.

This is the presumptuous sin. The same is true of every word sealed by the blood of Christ. Every precept and every example of Jesus was given to impress the necessity of accepting the will of God, without taking from or adding to his commandments. He said: “ Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father who is in heaven.” (Matthew 7:21). This plainly teaches that all worship is vain that adds to or takes from the word of God. The great end of the Bible is to lead man to give up his own ways and follow God’ s commandments without any modification whatever.

That is the sum and substance of all true religion, as taught from the first chapter of Genesis to the last verse of Revelation.Colossians 2:22(all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?—The prohibitions are specific in form, and refer to certain kinds of food and drink. The Essenes taught the avoidance of oil, flesh, marriage, and of contact with strangers.

Jesus had made the same point against the Pharisees who contended that in order to be saved one must wash his hands before eating. (Mark 7:14-19,) Monks and nuns practice asceticism for the sake of supposed pietistic effect on themselves. The idea of poverty being essential to piety springs from the same contention.Colossians 2:23 Which things have indeed a show of wisdom—The in­ventions of men make a great show of wisdom, and worship after man’ s will much greater show than the commandments of God.in will-worship,—Will-worship is after our own will. It is self-chosen; and for this single reason is a departure from alle­giance to God. [However plausible and specious such worship may appear, however much of show of wisdom it may exhibit, the Holy Spirit has written its folly and emptiness so plainly that none but the willingly blind can fail to see it. Loyalty to the divine government requires hearty obedience to divine law. What­ever God commands, therefore, we must do. To hesitate is to falter, is to forsake our allegiance.

To set up any “ commandment of men,” and honor it as a command of God, is treason. God’s will is expressed in his commandments.

Every commandment, even the least, is an expression of his will, and an embodiment of his authority as the monarch of the universe. To obey his com­mandment, to do his will, is, therefore, the very essence of true piety. Everything else is mere will-worship.]and humility,—This is a studied and affected humility, not resting on a basis of faith and love, but consciously cultivated, and therefore not inconsistent with pride. In this way false teachers would become really more dangerous— for no false teachers are so dangerous as those who assume the aspect of great humility and claim great reverence for divine things.and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.—These things may have a show of humility and wisdom, so far as self-imposed worship and humility and severity of the body are concerned; but they are of no value or worth whatever as a safeguard against any real temp­tation to bodily indulgence. Ascetic observances do not make a man pure or shield him against fleshly temptations and indul­gences. Verse 1 Colossians 2This division of the Colossian letter is, of course, quite arbitrary; as someone said, Paul did not write four chapters, but wrote one letter! Nevertheless, the game plan in this series calls for going with the traditional divisions. After all, those divisions are already known to millions, and any new division would probably be just as inadequate and arbitrary as the old ones. This chapter deals with Paul’s refutation of false doctrine, in which the emphasis by the apostle lies squarely upon the eternal power and Godhead of the Lord Jesus Christ. Morgan said, “The central declaration of the epistle is found in this chapter (Colossians 2:9-10)."[1] This chapter also exposes to some degree the nature of the false teachings Paul was refuting. True, he does not explain the error, but the refutation may be taken, at least partially, as the opposite of the error; and from this, a fairly accurate idea of it is derived. It is perfectly clear that a strong Judaistic character marked the Colossian errors; but they were colored by pagan misconceptions also. That there may have been traces of incipient gnosticism at Colossae is likely; but the notion that Colossians is principally a response to gnosticism should be rejected. The peculiar characteristics of the Colossians’ error most visible in the epistle are Jewish, not Gnostic. ENDNOTE: [1] G. Campbell Morgan, An Exposition of the Holy Bible (Old Tappan, New Jersey: Fleming H. Revell Company, 1959), p. 497. For I would have you know how greatly I strive for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.(Colossians 2:1) This verse is usually cited as meaning that Paul had never seen any of the Christians at Laodicea and Colossae; but since Hierapolis is the only one of the tri-cities not mentioned here, it is more logical to assume that Hierapolis might have been the location of those addressed in the last clause. As Peake declared, “So far as the words themselves go, they may mean that the Colossians and Laodiceans did belong to the number of those who had not seen him or that they did not."[2] The ambiguity of this verse is insufficient foundation for the postulations about Paul’s never having seen the Christians addressed in this letter. As many as have not seen my face … Barry referred to this thus: “This description doubtless indicates Hierapolis”;[3] but despite this, he accepted on other grounds the thesis that Paul had not seen the Colossians. To this writer, however, there are certain circumstances in this reference that almost demand a differentiation between the status of Colossae and Laodicea on the one hand, and Hierapolis on the other. Those towns were all three sister cities, tri-cities as they would be called today. It is inconceivable that Paul would have named two of them, omitting the other, without some good reason for the distinction. Very well. What was that distinction? There existed churches at all three places (Colossians 4:13); Paul addressed letters to Colossae and Laodicea (Colossians 4:16) but apparently did not address a letter to Hierapolis. This can be logically explained only on the premise that Paul was well acquainted in two of these cities and unacquainted in Hierapolis. Added to this, there is the omission of the name of Hierapolis in Colossians 2:1. Nielson concurred in this explanation, as follows: The strife in which Paul finds himself involved concerns both those whom he knows at Colossae and Laodicea, the neighboring town, and those whom he does not know.[4]Macknight identified those who had not seen Paul’s face as “all the believing Gentiles everywhere to the end of the world."[5] If Paul did not know the Colossians, why would he have been writing them a letter? The impossibility of answering this while denying that Paul was acquainted at Colossae has led some of the commentators to add another theory, to the effect that although Paul had not been to the tri-cities, many from the tri-cities had visited Paul in Ephesus or other places![6] This is perfectly possible, of course; but the simple answer is usually the best; and the simple explanation is that like most people in all ages, Paul wrote to people whom he knew and loved. There is something sad about those tri-cities. The only mention of any of them in Scripture outside this letter is in Revelation 3:14-22, where Laodicea stands in perpetual infamy as the Church of the Lukewarm. Today there is no trace of Colossae, not even any ruins, with its very location unknown. The other two cities, according to Barry, “played an important part in the subsequent history of Christianity in Asia Minor … leaving behind magnificent ruins."[7][2] A. S. Peake, Expositor’s Greek Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1967), p. 518. [3] Alfred Barry, Ellicott’s Commentary on the Holy Bible, Vol. III, Philippians (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1959), p. 105. [4] John B. Nielson, Colossians in Beacon Bible Commentary, Vol. IX (Kansas City: Beacon Hill Press, 1965), p. 394. [5] James Macknight, Apostolical Epistles with Commentary, Vol. III (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1969), p. 521. [6] William Hendriksen, Colossians and Philemon (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1964), p. 102. [7] Alfred Barry, op. cit., p. 105. Verse 2 That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of under standing that they may know the mystery of God, even Christ, in whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden.An unusually incisive and penetrating analysis of the whole paragraph which began at Colossians 1:24 and ends with these verses was written by Morgan thus: We find reference to a threefold mystery: (1) the church which is the body of Christ; (2) the secret of life in the individual believer, “Christ in you, the hope of glory”; and (3) the deepest mystery of all, “the mystery of God even Christ.[8]As frequently pointed out, the “mystery” of the New Testament is exceedingly large and extensive, no less than three facets of it appearing in the single paragraph before us; and yet, strangely enough, all parts of this mystery are wrapped, entwined and fitted together in the most amazing unity. In whom are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge hidden …Nielson read the meaning of this to be: “In Jesus Christ are hid all the attributes of Deity."[9] The word “hidden” he construed as meaning “Contained, waiting to be revealed in their time."[10] George A. Buttrick wrote extensively on “Jesus Christ as the Truth” (John 14:6), declaring that “The ultimate wisdom for mankind is not another formula, another gadget or a new discovery … Every door man opens discloses not the answer, but another corridor with other doors opening into still other corridors, etc."[11] Buttrick illustrated this by pointing out the Copernican discovery. He concluded with a grand proposition that for mankind the ultimate answer is not a mathematical formula, an intricate scientific gadget, nor some startling new discovery - it is a Person; that Person is Christ! Paul discovered this long ago and thundered the message in this verse. [8] G. Campbell Morgan, op. cit., p. 496. [9] John B. Nielson, op. cit., p. 396. [10] Ibid. [11] George A. Buttrick, Christ and Man’s Dilemma (New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury, 1950), pp. 29ff. Verse 4 This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.Delude … persuasiveness … These are two of the 34 words peculiar to Colossians, as mentioned in the introduction; several others appear in this chapter. These new words are just as Pauline as all the rest of his writings, being required by the special circumstances addressed by Paul in this epistle. The scholars usually understand this as directed against the advocates of Gnostic speculations, as follows: To beguile (delude) here is “to reason into error”; enticing words are “words of persuasion” rather than reason or revelation. It would be difficult to describe more accurately the marvelous fabrics of Gnostic speculation, each step claiming to be based on some fancied probability or metaphysical propriety, but the whole as artificial as the cycles and epicycles of the old Ptolemaic astronomy.[12]While /such observations appear to be true enough, it cannot be denied that the same words are applicable to the insistent claims of aggressive Judaism. No one … This is the springboard from which some speculators identify the Colossian heresy as advocated by one man, called “the false teacher” by many writers; but as Guthrie said, “It is more likely that Paul is using the term generally in the sense of anyone."[13]It is of significance that in this verse it appears that the error at Colossae arose from false speech, rather than from immoral or false practice. [12] Alfred Barry, op. cit., p. 105. [13] Donald Guthrie, New Bible Commentary, Revised (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1970), p. 1146. Verse 5 For though I am 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.In the spirit … By not capitalizing spirit, the translators indicate that the “Holy Spirit” is not referred to here. Again, this verse is the language of a man who knows the people whom he is addressing. I am absent in the flesh … Is it necessary to write this to people one does not even know? Order … stedfastness … Here are two more of the unusual words of Paul used in Colossians; and most scholars declare them to be military words. Barclay, for example, said, “These two words present a vivid picture, for they are both military words."[14] If such is the truth, then it is easy to suppose that Paul’s close association with the military in Rome during his imprisonment might have led to his use of these terms here. “Order …” means soldier discipline; and a church should stand against all enemies with the solidity of a military phalanx. However, a word of caution is proper concerning the military background of the words Paul chose in this verse. “Meyer and Abbot deny the military reference altogether."[15] Abbot admitted that the words can be used in a military sense, provided that the context indicates it; but here, he said, “The context suggests nothing of the kind."[16]The ideas of order, or discipline and stedfastness, however, are vital to all spiritual development. Paul’s statement here that he was “beholding” such qualities among the Colossians appears to be a reference to the good report of them which Paul had received from Epaphras (Colossians 1:7). Your faith in Christ … Again, it is evident in context that Paul has no reference here to the merely subjective act of “believing,” in the manner of current usage of the term “faith.” It is the sphere in which that faith is working which lends importance to it, that being “in Christ,” as attested in the next verse, as well as being implicit in this one. [14] William Barclay, The Letters to the Philippians, Colossians and Thessalonians (Philadelphia: The Westminster Press, 1975), p. 131. [15] A. S. Peake, op. cit., p. 520. [16] Ibid. Verse 6 As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and builded up in him, and established in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.In h/im … in him … in your faith … These are all references to the Christian’s fidelity “in Christ Jesus,” that is, as bona fide members of his church, fully identified as followers of the Lord Jesus Christ. Rooted and builded up … Barry pointed out a significant change of tense: “Having been rooted in him once for all, and being built up continually on that foundation."[17] Guthrie’s significant analysis of these two verses is: To receive Christ is but the beginning. The following is to live in him, which is described as involving four aspects, the first three very similar: (1) rooted, (2) built up, and (3) established … from a building metaphor … The fourth aspect is abounding in thanksgiving, which echoes the apostle’s own enthusiasm to give thanks.[18]Abounding … This was one of Paul’s favorite words. As Hendriksen said: Paul does not pray that the Colossians may begin to be thankful, but rather that the ocean of their gratitude may constantly overflow its perimeter. Paul is never satisfied with anything short of perfection. Hence, he loves to use this word overflow or abound.[19][17] Alfred Barry, op. cit., p. 106. [18] Donald Guthrie, op. cit., p. 1146. [19] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 108. Verse 8 Take heed lest there be anyone that makes spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the traditions of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.Through his philosophy and vain deceit … It appears that the translators have softened Paul’s words in this verse by the insertion of the pronoun “his,” thus avoiding a blanket condemnation of philosophy and limiting the warning to the particular philosophy advocated at Colossae. Interlinear Greek Testaments have the following: Take care that no one make a prey of you through philosophy and empty deceit.[20]Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit.[21]In keeping with the evident intention of watering down Paul’s denunciation here, the following comments are typical of hundreds that are made in this context: The apostle does not condemn sound philosophy.[22]Paul is not condemning philosophy properly so-called.[23]Clearly the apostle condemns false philosophy.[24]Empty deceit stands in qualifying apposition with philosophy.[25]Such philosophies as the Jewish and Gentile teachers used.[26]Isn’t it too bad that the apostle just did not know how to make it clear? Despite the temptation to do so, however, this writer does not wish to get on that bandwagon. An incredibly lar/ge amount of destructive influences are operative in this very generation, influences which are grounded in human philosophy; and there is no way to deny the gentle words of the immortal Lipscomb, who said: All the philosophies of men, all the deceits of human wisdom, and all the rudiments of the world discovered by human reason spoil men, ruin their souls, and lead them to everlasting death by leading them away from God and his salvation.[27]If it be objected that Lipscomb’s analysis is harsh or unkind, such an allegation is refuted by the far different tone of what even the most noted philosophers say of each other. Only one of these will be quoted, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, referred to by Will Durant as the most influential of the 18th century philosophers, and one eminently qualified to give an objective and unbiased appraisal of philosophers and philosophy as it existed seventeen centuries after Paul’s appraisal. It reads as follows: I consulted the philosophers … I found them all alike proud, assertive, dogmatic; professing - even in their so-called skepticism - to know everything; proving nothing, scoffing at one another. This last trait … struck me as the only point in which they were right. Braggarts in attack, they are weaklings in defense. Weigh their arguments, they are all destructive; count their voices, each speaks for himself alone … There is not one of them who, if he chanced to discover the difference between falsehood and truth, would not prefer his own lie to the truth which another had discovered.

Where is the philosopher who would not deceive the whole world for his own glory?[28]With deep and poignant sorrow, this student of many modern critics and commentators on the New Testament finds some of them to be like the philosophers consulted by Rousseau. One false premise being exposed, they immediately take refuge in another, exposing themselves as enemies of truth and righteousness. Christianity Today some time ago had an editorial on this which is reproduced in this series of writings see my Commentary on Luke, Luke 21:20. After the tradition of men … In this, Paul is in perfect consonance with the repeated denunciations of the Lord Jesus Christ against the Pharisaical keepers of tradition during his ministry. A vast portion of present-day Christianity is not based upon the New Testament at all, but upon human tradition, supported, of course, by vain and empty speculations exactly like that Paul condemned here. See discussion of “Traditions” in my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 15:5 ff. After the rudiments of the world … The RSV translation of this as “elemental spirits of the universe” simply cannot be correct. As Foy E. Wallace, Jr., pointed out: The same terminology in Galatians 4:3 refers to the rudiments of Judaism, as the connection of Gal 3:24-29 very clearly shows … so here “after the rudiments of the world” refers to the rudiments of heathenism.[29]See Galatians 3:24-29; Galatians 4:3, this volume. And not after Christ … This is the summary of all Paul was saying against the evil teachings and evil teachers of that generation. Whatever human system of thought, religion, politics, or anything else that is not held in reference to the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ and in full conformity to his revealed will, must be classified as secondary in the affections of Christians. It is freely admitted that this is not the way it is among countless Christians of this generation; but it is still affirmed that this is the way it should be. [20] Emphatic Diaglott (Brooklyn, New York: Watchtower Bible and Tract Society), p. 677. [21] Alfred Marshall, The Interlinear Greek-English Testament, The Nestle Greek Text (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1958), p. 794. [22] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 526. [23] J. R. Dummelow, Commentary on the Holy Bible (New York: The Macmillan Company, 1937), p. 983. [24] Ernest G. Ashby, A New Testament Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1969), p. 486. [/25] G. G. Findlay, Colossians in Pulpit Commentary, Vol. 19 (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing House, 1950), p. 85. [26] Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Holy Bible (London: Carlton and Porter, 1929), Vol. VI, p. 522. [27] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., A Review of the New Versions (Fort Worth, Texas: Foy E. Wallace Jr. Publications, 1973), p. 448. [28] Will and Ariel Durant, Rousseau and Revolution (New York: Simon and Schuster, 1967), p. 183. [29] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., A Review of the New Versions (Fort Worth, Texas: Foy E. Wallace Jr. Publications, 1973), p. 448. Verse 9 For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the godhead bodily.This is an unequivocal declaration of the deity of the Son of God, a thesis repeated at least a dozen times in the Greek New Testament, and reinforced by literally hundreds of other intimations and mandatory deductions throughout the entire New Testament. See my Commentary on Hebrews 1:8. Godhead … Ellis noted that “The Greek word for Godhead or deity is the abstract noun for God and includes not only the divine attributes, but also the divine nature."[30] Barry declared that “almost every word of this verse is emphatic."[31] Thus the meaning is intense, thus: All the fullness of the Godhead … not a mere emanation from the Supreme Being … Dwells and remains forever … not descending on him for a time and then leaving again … Bodily … that is, as incarnate in his humanity.[32]Guthrie stated that “The word deity ([@theotetos]) occurs only here in the New Testament and denotes the divine essence."[33] However the Greek language had other words for God, and one of them is used of Jesus Christ in Titus 2:13, “Our great God and Saviour Jesus Christ.” Bodily … This is viewed as a reference to the incarnation of our Lord, his becoming a man and dwelling on earth as a human being. The Gospel of John (John 1:1 John 1:14) is parallel with what is said here; also see in my Commentary on Hebrews under Hebrews 10:5 and under Hebrews 2:16. Hendriksen objected to this interpretation on the grounds of the “present tense”;[34] but the ordinary significance of verb tenses disappears when applied to him who is the same “yesterday, today, yea and forever.” [30] E. Earle Ellis, Wycliffe New Testament Commentary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1971), p. 791. [31] Alfred Barry, op. cit., p. 106. [32] Ibid. [33] Donald Guthrie, op. cit., p. 1147. [34] William Hendriksen, op. cit., p. 111. / Verse 10 And in him ye are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.This is further elaboration of the power and Godhead of Jesus Christ. The Greek philosophers, or Gnostics, who might have been speculating on emanations from God, or beings operating independently of God, or as the Jewish errorists might have been advocating the worship of angels, or whatever - Paul unequivocally presented Christ as “the head of all principality and power,” with the words of Matthew’s Great Commission in the background of his thought, namely, “That all authority in heaven and upon earth” was in the hands of Jesus Christ. The angels are all servants of Christ, doing service for the followers of Christ (Hebrews 1:1-14); and angels, like Christians, worship him. In him ye are made full … Peake has a most interesting observation on this clause. Quoting Oltramare, he translated this verse, “In him ye are made perfect,"[35] which in the light of Col 1:28 is probably the correct rendition. As is well known, the Greek text in this part of Colossians is somewhat difficult. ENDNOTE: [35] A. S. Peake, op. cit., p. 524. Verse 11 In whom ye were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of flesh, in the circumcision of Christ.Circumcision not made with hands … The reference to baptism in the next verse has sent some of the commentators into orbit, alleging all kinds of wild speculations designed to eliminate Christian baptism as the gateway to all “spiritual blessings in Christ.” It is refreshing to find Ellis cutting the bud out of such notions with the following: There is no direct analogy between Christian baptism and the “old age” rite of circumcision. Circumcision here is the death of Christ (clearly a metaphorical reference - JBC), by which he wrought severance from the old age, cleansing from sin, and reconciliation to God.[36]If circumcision should be made a type of baptism, then only men could be baptized; it would have to take place on the eighth day of their lives; there could be no prior conditions such as faith, repentance or confession; and it could be received only by those already in covenant relationship with the Lord; and how could that be applied to an eight-day-old infant? The obvious reference to the death of Christ (which was the metaphorical circumcision referred to) in this verse naturally raised the question in Paul’s thought of just how men are enabled to participate in the death of Christ, share its benefits, and receive its blessings. That prompted the immediate reference to baptism. (Compare with Romans 6:3-5). THE IN CHRISTCol_2:11 is more easily understood if the intermediate phrases are omitted from the principal statement in the passage which is: “In whom (Christ) we were also circumcised … in the circumcision of Christ.” The Christian is dead “in Christ.” “If one died for all, then all died” (2 Corinthians 5:14). This means that the penalty of death (due to all sin) was paid by Christ who died for all. As members of his “spiritual body,” Christians are, in a genuine sense “in him,” identified with him, and as Christ they are dead, having been crucified with him, a status they received when they were baptized into his death.” Christians are also “perfect” in Christ (Colossians 1:28-29). This perfection, like his death, belongs to Christians, not through achievement by themselves, but through their status “in Christ.”/ Exactly the same is true of the circumcision mentioned here. “In Christ,” Christians were not merely “circumcised”; but they also kept perfectly the entire Law of Moses, not by actually observing all those regulations, but by being “in Christ,” totally identified with him, being actually his “spiritual body.” All of this is plainly said when Colossians 2:11 is read without the descriptive phrases. Our circumcision is “in the circumcision of Christ.” See my Commentary on Romans, Romans 4:11 for more on circumcision. ENDNOTE: [36] E. Earle Ellis, op. cit., p. 792. Verse 12 Having been buried with him in baptism, wherein ye were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.Buried with him in baptism … Note that nothing is said here of baptism being accomplished without human hands, the same being an obvious impossibility. Note too that there is here the plainest reference to immersion as the action recognized by the apostles as being required in the baptism commanded by Christ. One may read bales of sophistry on this subject, but the simple truth is easy to see. See the parallel Pauline reference in Romans 6:3-5, together with comments in my Commentary on Romans. Verse 13 And you, being dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, you, I say, did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.Trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh … The deadness indicated by this denotes the pre-conversion, or unregenerated state of Christians before they became followers of Christ. Such deadness was often spoken of by the apostles in reference to the unbaptized. Such deadness, however, upon their conversion, was followed by the new life in Christ. You did he make alive … When does the new life come to the Christian? Fortunately, we do not need to rely upon human opinion regarding so important a question as this. Note the following: We were buried therefore with him through baptism into death that like as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we also might walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4). Wherefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things are passed away (2 Corinthians 5:17). Even in the sequence of verses before us, baptism is mentioned in Colossians 2:12 and the being made alive in the next verse, where it logically belongs. Before leaving these three verses, it is proper to note certain widespread, persistent and stridently vocal errors regarding what the New Testament says concerning Christian baptism, or rather, what it does NOT say! Nowhere in the New Testament is it declared that: Baptism is a symbol Baptism is a token Baptism is a/ type Baptism is a figure Baptism is a sign Baptism is an outward sign Baptism is optional Baptism is unessential Baptism is unnecessary Baptism is a physical action alone. In these studies, the old cliche that “Baptism is the outward sign of an inward grace,” if encountered once, has been encountered a hundred times; but it is not, in any sense, true. In the New Testament, baptism is said to be the reality of which even the salvation of Noah and his family was only “the figure” (1 Peter 3:21). Furthermore, it is a gross error to suppose that baptism in any true sense whatever is accomplished without the existence of the prior conditions of faith, repentance and confession. One is surprised that even Lipscomb would declare that “Baptism avails nothing without faith."[37] Without faith, no one was ever baptized, although of course he might have been wet. Although it is correct to say that “Immersion avails nothing without faith,” which is presumably what Lipscomb meant, the distinction should be made clear to all. It is feared that many have misunderstood the true teaching on this question, which in no sense whatever would substitute immersion for faith as a prior condition of membership in Christ’s kingdom, but which requires of all who would be saved that they “believe, repent and be baptized” in order to be saved. This is what Christ commanded when he said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved.” This distinction between “immersed” and “baptized” may appear too finely drawn to some; and it is freely admitted that there is a sense in which the words mean exactly the same thing; but baptism as compliance with the prior conditions of redemption “in Christ” is never accomplished except with the prior conditions of faith and repentance having already appeared in the candidate’s heart before he is immersed, that is, before he can be baptized. Having forgiven us all our trespasses.. “This is, of course, a reference to the forgiveness of all the old sins of which the believer was guilty at the time of his conversion. The apostle Peter mentioned this “cleansing from his old sins” in 2 Peter 1:9. Sins committed after one has become a Christian are forgiven upon the conditions of repentance and prayer of the Christian. ENDNOTE: [37] David Lipscomb, op. cit., p. 280. Verse 14 Having blotted out the bond written in ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us: and he hath taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.Bond written in ordinances … This is a reference to the Decalogue and to the entire Law of Moses. Widespread denial of this is and inaccurate. Peake’s skilled exegesis on this question is pertinent: Distinction between moral and ceremonial Law has no meaning in Paul. The Law is a unity and is done away as a whole. For Paul, the hostile character of the Law is peculiarly associated /with the moral side of it. The Law which slew him is represented by the 10th Commandment, and the ministry of death was engraved on tables of stone?[38]Written in ordinances … as in this verse, signifies the tables of stone inscribed by the finger of God. As Wallace pointed out, it is deplorable that “By omission of `handwriting of ordinances’ the revisionists break this connection."[39] The words certainly belong as a sure testimony that the Decalogue is here indicated. Taken it out of the way … nailing it to the cross … These terms indicate the absolute cancellation and abrogation of the Law of Moses. Also, the fact should not be lost sight of that the heresy at Colossae was deeply involved with the Law of Moses, practically all of this chapter being particularly applicable to it. The special application of this verse, as inclusive of the moral part of the Law of Moses, was discussed thus by Macknight: The moral precepts of the Law of Moses are called the Chirograph, or handwriting of ordinances, because the most essential of these precepts were written by the hand of God on two tables of stone; and the rest Moses was directed to write in a book.[40]Sabbatarians make two profound mistakes: (1) in their understanding of the sabbath day commandment as in any sense a part of the moral law, and (2) in their insistence that the moral portion of the Law of Moses is still in effect; whereas nothing could be more emphatic than the New Testament declarations that the Law, not part of it, but all of it, has been changed, abrogated, taken away, nailed to the cross, etc. [38] A. S. Peake, op. cit., p. 527. [39] Foy E. Wallace, Jr., op. cit., p. 449. [40] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 534. Verse 15 Having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.The principalities and the powers … These are understood to be the ranking members of the Jewish hierarchy in Jerusalem, and also inclusive perhaps of the Roman procurator who in Paul’s time had already come to receive the eternal infamy of the lines, “Suffered under Pontius Pilate.” Of course, this view is disputed. Peake noted that “almost every word in this verse” is disputed by scholars.[41] On the identification of “principalities and powers,” Nielson thought they were “demonic forces”;[42]Dummelow was sure that “they were the angels who gave the Law”;[43] and Guthrie thought they “were spiritual enemies."[44]In it … is also disputed, some thinking it means “in him”; but we shall offer the exegesis on the basis of the translation before us. Here, too, if this is allowed, the antecedent of “it” becomes a factor in the interpretation. Since the overall subject of this whole section is the Law of Moses, we shall take the Law itself as the antecedent of “it,” making the passage read that Jesus triumphed “over them in it.” The them, of course, as already noted, is seen as reference to the religious and political rulers before whom the ministry and Passion of Jesus were enacted. This interpretation has the great advantage of being backed up by the entire Sermon on the Mount, and by all of those astounding events that frustrated and defeated the hierarchy of Israel. Jesus Christ took up the great moral commandments of the Decalogue, one at a time, quoted each one, opposed his own authority against it, showing that one could indeed keep every command in the Decalogue and yet remain a scoundrel and a rogue; if there were ever a case of Jesus triumphing over the Pharisees in the Law of Moses, that has to be the time. Furthermore, he triumphed over them in the Law on another salient front. They repeatedly accused him of sabbath-breaking; but Jesus destroyed their sabbath regulations by showing that they were of men and not of the Father; and by the time of the confrontation before Pilate, the Pharisees no longer even alleged that Jesus broke the sabbath. (It is still alle/ged by some, quite erroneously, that Jesus broke the sabbath “for sufficient cause.”) For a full discussion of “Jesus’ Triumphing over the Hierarchy in the Law of Moses,” see my Commentary on Matthew, under that title. It is the opinion of this writer that this interpretation removes all difficulties of understanding this admittedly difficult passage, and avoids the near-impossible task of showing how Jesus triumphed “openly” over either angels or devils. [41] A. S. Peake, op. cit., p. 528. [42] John B. Nielson, op. cit., p. 404. [43] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 983. [44] Donald Guthrie, op. cit., p. 1147. Verse 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day or a new moon or a sabbath day.So Paul continues to speak of Jewish things. Gnosticism is not in one hundred miles of this passage. We deplore a statement like this: The church at Colossae was no exception. Instead of its members being harassed by Judaizers, as were the Corinthians, they were in danger of being corrupted by the Gnostics. False teachers were seeking to deprive the Colossians of that simplicity which is in Christ.[45]While there evidently were traces of incipient gnosticism, it was the Judaizers who were refuted in these verses. As Dummelow said, “The Jewish character of the false teachers comes very plainly into view here."[46]Meat … drink … feast day … new moon … sabbath day … All of these refer to Jewish observances; as Macknight said, “Some of these were enjoined in the Law, and others by private authority."[47] Of particular importance is the appearance of the sabbath commandment in this list. “Although the article the is not in the Greek, it clarifies the meaning; Paul was resisting the Judaizers who insisted on legalistic sabbath observance."[48] As F. F.

Bruce expressed it, “It is as plain as may well be that Paul is warning his readers against those who were trying to impose the observance of the Jewish sabbath upon them."[49] The sabbath observance is here placed upon the same footing as the other things abolished, and “Thus Paul commits himself to the principle that a Christian is not to be censured for its non-observance."[50]THE SABBATH IS There is no sabbath commandment in Genesis; there is not even an indication that Adam knew anything about God resting on the sabbath day (Genesis 3:2). In Genesis, Moses was merely stating, generations and millenniums after the fact, what God had done in the remote ages long before Moses wrote Genesis. Historically, the very first revelation of any such thing as the sabbath came not to Adam, but to Moses. Note: Thou camest down also upon Mount Sinai, and spakest with them from heaven, and gavest them right judgments, true laws, good statutes and commandments: And madest known unto them thy holy sabbath … by the hand of Moses thy servant” (Nehemiah 9:13-14). Conclusion: The sabbath observance did not antedate the Law of Moses; the sabbath was unknown prior to Moses, else God could not have revealed it to him. Significantly, the reason God assigned for requiring Israel to keep the sabbath was not prior existence of the institution but their deliverance from bondage. Thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the Lord thy God brought thee thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore, the Lord thy God comman/deth thee to keep the sabbath day (Deuteronomy 5:15). The sabbath is said to be a sign, not between God and all men, but between God and the Jews. “It is a sign between me (God) and the children of Israel” (Exodus 31:17). Took it out of the way, nailing it to the cross … In what sense did God nail the sabbath to the cross of Christ? The words of course are highly figurative and symbolical. A day could not actually be nailed to anything. Still, there is a marvelous connection. Many centuries before Christ, some tradesmen who resented keeping the sabbath day came to Amos and demanded to know: When will the new moon be gone, that we may sell corn? and the sabbath that we may set forth wheat, making the ephah small and the shekel great, and falsifying the balances of deceit? (Amos 8:5). The prophet answered this question with words which to the prophet might have seemed to say that the sabbath would never be removed; but here is the word that God actually put into the mouth of Amos: And it shall come to pass in that day, saith the Lord God, that I will cause the sun to go down at noon, and I will darken the earth in a clear day (Amos 8:9). Very well; these Scriptures teach that the sabbath day was to be abolished when God darkened the earth in a clear day and the sun went down at noon. This of course happened when Jesus was crucified; thus the sabbath day was nailed to his cross. See more on this in Matthew, my Commentary on Matthew, Matthew 27:51 ff, where significant additional detail is provided. Also see my Commentary on the Ten Commandments, for the entire chapter on the Fourth Commandment. [45] Arthur W. Pink, Gleanings from Paul (Chicago: Moody Press, 1967), p. 222. [46] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 983. [47] James Macknight, op. cit., p. 538. [48] John B. Nielson, op. cit., p. 405. [49] F. F. Bruce, Answers to Questions (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), p. 109. [50] A. S. Peake, op. cit., p. 531. Verse 17 Which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is Christ’s.A shadow of things to come … Again we are confronted with an amazing coincidence of thought with that of the author of Hebrews who devoted two entire chapters (Hebrews 9 and Hebrews 10) to many things in the institution of Moses which were designed to foretell and illuminate the realities in the new covenant. The body is Christ’s … means that the substance, as contrasted with the shadows, pertains to the institution of Christ and the church. Verse 18 Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up in his fleshly mind, and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands, increaseth with the in/crease of God.This passage is another admittedly difficult one, the rendition of various words and clauses being variously advocated; but such technical disputations lie without the perimeter of this work; and we shall content ourselves by undertaking an exegesis of the text as it stands in this version. We rely in part upon the affirmation of F. F. Bruce to the effect that the most accurate of the versions is the ASV. Rob you of your prize … The prize is eternal life; and the promise of it is jeopardized for everyone who turns from the worship of the one and only Saviour to worship angels, or any other creatures. Voluntary humility and worshipping of angels … As Peake said: Their humility found expression in angel worship. It is therefore that lowliness that causes a man to think himself unworthy to come into fellowship with God, and therefore prompts the worship of angels. Such humility was perverted.[51]Dwelling in things which he hath seen … Paul made a sharp distinction between the things “that are seen” and things “that are unseen,” that is, between the visible and the invisible, the latter being permanent, the other transient, mortal and ephemeral. See full treatment of this in my Commentary on 2Corinthians under “Seeing the Invisible.” The error at Colossae was founded upon the visible, as contrasted with the invisible. This of course resulted in their being vainly puffed up in the fleshly mind. Not holding fast the Head … The Head is Christ; and any consideration, of any kind whatsoever, that results in the severance of the Christian from his perfect union with Christ, the same results immediately in his spiritual death. “Severance from the Head cuts off the supply of spiritual life."[52][51] Ibid., p. 532. [52] J. R. Dummelow, op. cit., p. 983. Verse 20 If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances?The rudiments of the world … has reference to the forms, shadows and ceremonial ordinances of Judaism. See comment on this under Colossians 2:14. As though living in the world … A Christian is committed to a different life-style, in which the value-judgments of the world are rejected; and for a Christian to undertake all the ceremonies of Judaism, such would be diametrically opposed to his new life in Christ. Why … subject … to ordinances … ? The ordinances here have no reference whatever to the great ordinances of the Christian religion, such as baptism and the Lord’s Supper, the obligation to keep which lies squarely upon all who ever hope to be saved. The ordinances which the Colossians were admonished to leave off were the Jewish ordinances like those mentioned in Colossians 2:16. The blindness, or perversity, or both which leads some commentators to read this verse as applicable to the Christian ordinances is most deplorable, and traceable, as to its cause, to the great Reformation heresy of salvation by faith alone. May God open the eyes of Bible students. An example of the kind of ordinances Paul meant was immediately given in the next verse. Verse 21 Handle not, nor taste, nor touch (all which things are to perish with the using), after the precepts and doctrines of men?Again/ reference is made to the great Magna Carta of the Christian religion in the Gospel of Matthew, where the Saviour equated human traditions with the precepts of men, saying, “In vain do they worship me, teaching as their doctrines the precepts of men” (Matthew 15:9). Paul was confronted at Colossae with some of the same punctilious attention to human traditions as that which marked the conduct of the Pharisees and drew from the Saviour himself the denunciation just quoted. See Matthew 15:9 with comments in this series. It is futile to inquire just what traditions Paul referred to. We do not know. His words apply to all “precepts and doctrines of men,” including those which are being received, preached and practiced in our times.

All alike are condemned. Worshipers indulging such things are worshipping “in vain,” according to the Lord himself. Verse 23 Which things have indeed a shadow of wisdom in will-worship, and humility, and severity to the body, but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.Some things are startlingly clear in this passage so often disputed. Note these conclusions: Whatever human precepts and ordinances may exhibit as to their “wisdom,” it is a delusion, for “they are not of any value.” Will-worship means the kind of actions engaged in because they please the worshiper, and not because they were commanded by the Lord. Humility is a fine thing, if it is true humility; but a false humility pretending to be too God-fearing to approach God as God has directed, and then seeking to approach through some angel, or human mediator, or through some deceased saint, such so-called humility is actually spiritual arrogance. THE OF ANGELSOf course this is condemned in the New Testament, not merely in this chapter, but throughout. Even the apostle John “fell down before the feet of an angel to worship him” (Revelation 19:10), but was forbidden to do so. Then, later, the apostle made a distinction between “falling down to worship the angel” and falling down in the presence of the angel to worship God, only to be ordered not to do either one! (Revelation 22:8-9). Thus is established the principle that a Christian may neither worship such a being as an angel, and certainly not any such thing as an image, and that it is also sinful to bow down before either on the pretext that we are not worshipping the angel (or the image) but are worshipping God! The angel worship Paul was combating in this chapter was the Jewish apostasy from the worship of God supported by the same specious reasoning by which the medieval church sought to justify the adoration of images in Christian worship. Barry has an illuminating paragraph on this: This (the worship of angels) is closely connected with the voluntary humility Paul mentioned. The link is supplied by the notice in the ancient interpreters, of the early growth of that unhappy idea, which has always lain at the root of saint-worship and angel worship in the church … “That we must be brought near by angels, and not by Christ, for that were too high a thing for us” (Chrysostom). Since the Law had been given through the ministration of angels, it was held that angels might be worshipped, probably with the same subtle distinction with which we are familiar in the ordinary pleas for the veneration of saints?[53]ENDNOTE: [53] Alfred Barry, op. cit., p. 111. “THE EPISTLE TO THE "

Chapter Two

IN THIS CHAPTER

1. To see the relation between understanding the “mystery of God” and having a strong assurance of our salvation

2. To appreciate how baptism serves as our spiritual circumcision, and that it is a work of God which is performed, not a work of man

3. To understand how Christ brought an end to the Old Law by His death on the cross

SUMMARY Paul reveals his great concern for those at Colosse and others he has not seen, expressing his desire that their hearts be knit together in love, and that they may have the assurance that comes from an understanding of the mystery of God as revealed through Christ. He rejoices in their good order and steadfastness, and encourages them to be firmly established in Christ, abounding in thanksgiving (Colossians 2:1-7).

The word “Beware” in verse eight summarizes the rest of the chapter, in which Paul warns them of the dangers of “The Colossian Heresy”. These dangers include being cheated through philosophy and vain deceit, and defrauded of their reward by those who appeal to false humility, the worship of angels, false visions, and strict regulations according to the commandments and doctrines of men which really have no value against the indulgence of the flesh. In Christ they are made complete, having undergone a circumcision not made with hands, in which God made them alive together with Christ. Since Christ has also nailed to the cross the “handwriting of requirements” that was against them and taken it out of the way, none can judge them regarding religious observances that were only a shadow pointing to the true substance of Christ (Colossians 2:8-23).

OUTLINE

I. PAUL’S (Colossians 2:1-7)

A. HIS GREAT CONCERN FOR THEM (Colossians 2:1-3)1. He has a great conflict for those… a. In Colosse and Laodicea (Colossians 2:1 a) b. Who have not seen his face in the flesh (Colossians 2:1 b) 2. His desire is that… a. Their hearts be encouraged, knit together in love (Colossians 2:2 a) b. They attain to all the riches of:

1. The full assurance of understanding (Colossians 2:2 b)
2. The knowledge of the mystery of God (Colossians 2:2 c) a) Both of the Father and of Christ (Colossians 2:2 d) b) In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3)

B. REASONS FOR THIS CONCERN (Colossians 2:4-5)1. Lest anyone deceive them with persuasive words (Colossians 2:4) 2. Though absent in the flesh, he is present with them in spirit (Colossians 2:5 a) 3. He rejoices to see… a. Their good order (Colossians 2:5 b) b. The steadfastness of their faith (Colossians 2:5 c)

C. TO BE FIRMLY IN CHRIST (Colossians 2:6-7)1. As they have received Christ, so they should walk in Him (Colossians 2:6) a. Rooted and built up in Him (Colossians 2:7 a) b. Established in the faith (Colossians 2:7 b) – As they were taught (Colossians 2:7 c) 2. Abounding with thanksgiving (Colossians 2:7 d)

II. AGAINST “THE HERESY” (Colossians 2:8-23)

A. WARNING AGAINST (Colossians 2:8-10)1. Beware of being cheated by philosophy and empty deceit (Colossians 2:8 a) a. According to the traditions of men (Colossians 2:8 b) b. According to the basic principles of the world (Colossians 2:8 c) – And not according to Christ (Colossians 2:8 d) 2. In Christ dwells the fullness of God, and you are complete in Him (Colossians 2:9-10) a. All the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily in Christ (Colossians 2:9) b. You are complete in Him, who is head over all principality and power (Colossians 2:10)

B. WARNING AGAINST (Colossians 2:11-17)1. In Christ you have a circumcision made without hands (Colossians 2:11-12) a. A putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh (Colossians 2:11) b. Having been buried with Christ in baptism (Colossians 2:12)

1. In which you were also raised with Him (Colossians 2:12 a)
2. Through faith in the working of God, who raised Jesus from the dead (Colossians 2:12 b)

2. You are made alive in Christ, and the handwriting of requirements that was against us has been taken away at the cross (Colossians 2:13-15) a. Dead in sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God has made you alive (Colossians 2:13 a) b. He has forgiven you all trespasses (Colossians 2:13 b) c. He has wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us (Colossians 2:14)

1. That which was contrary to us (Colossians 2:14 a)
2. He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross (Colossians 2:14 b) d. He has disarmed principalities and powers (Colossians 2:15)
3. Having made a public spectacle of them (Colossians 2:15 a)
4. Triumphing over them in it (Colossians 2:15 b)

3. Therefore don’t let anyone judge you in regards to food, festivals, or sabbath days (Colossians 2:16) a. They are only a shadow of things to come (Colossians 2:17 a) b. The substance is of Christ (Colossians 2:17 b)

C. WARNING AGAINST ANGEL WORSHIP (Colossians 2:18-19)1. Don’t let anyone defraud you of your reward (Colossians 2:18 a) a. By taking delight in false humility and worship of angels (Colossians 2:18 b) b. By intruding into things not seen, vainly puffed by fleshly minds (Colossians 2:18 c) 2. Such people do not hold fast to Christ as the Head (Colossians 2:19 a) a. From whom all the body grows (Colossians 2:19 b) b. Nourished and knit together by various elements, with increase from God (Colossians 2:19 c)

D. WARNING AGAINST (Colossians 2:20-23)1. There is no need to submit to human ordinances (Colossians 2:20-22) a. For you have died with Christ from basic principles of the world (Colossians 2:20 a) b. Therefore do not subject yourselves to ascetic regulations (Colossians 2:20 b)

1. Such as “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle” (Colossians 2:21)
2. They only concern things which perish with the using (Colossians 2:22 a)
3. Which are according to commandments and doctrines of men (Colossians 2:23)

2. Such practices are of no value (Colossians 2:23) a. They may have an appearance of wisdom in their…

1. Self-imposed religion (Colossians 2:23 a)
2. False humility (Colossians 2:23 b)
3. Neglect of the body (Colossians 2:23 c) b. But they are no value against the indulgence of the flesh (Colossians 2:23 d)

REVIEW FOR THE CHAPTER

1. What are the main points of this chapter?

• Paul’s solicitude (Colossians 2:1-7)
• Warnings against the “Colossian Heresy” (Colossians 2:8-23)

2. What was Paul’s strong desire for those he had not seen? (Colossians 2:1-2)

• That their hearts may be encouraged, knit together in love
• That they may be richly blessed by the assurance that comes from an understanding and knowledge of the mystery of God

3. What is “hidden” in Christ? (Colossians 2:3)

• All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge

4. What had Paul seen in the Colossians that caused him to rejoice? (Colossians 2:5)

• Their good order and steadfastness of faith in Christ

5. How were the Colossians to walk in Christ? (Colossians 2:6-7)

• Rooted and built up in Him
• Established in the faith
• Abounding with thanksgiving

6. What three things might be used to “cheat” us? (Colossians 2:8)

• Philosophy and empty deceit
• Tradition of men
• Basic principles of the world

7. What is said about Jesus in relation to the Godhead? (Colossians 2:9)

• In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily

8. What is our condition in Christ? (Colossians 2:10)

• We are complete in Him

9. What sort of “circumcision” have we had in Christ? (Colossians 2:11)

• One made without hands
• A putting off the body of the sins of the flesh

10. What takes place in baptism? Who is the one at work in baptism? (Colossians 2:12-13)

• We are buried with Christ, raised with Christ, made alive together with Christ
• God, who raised Jesus from the dead

11. What did Christ take out of the way, having nailed it to the cross? (Colossians 2:14)

• The “handwriting of requirements”

12. In what things should we not let others judge us? (Colossians 2:16-17)

• In food or drink
• Regarding religious festivals, a new moon or sabbaths

13. In what ways might people seek to defraud us? (Colossians 2:18)

• Through false humility, worship of angels, appeals to things not really seen

14. What sort of “basic principles of the world” might others try to regulate upon us? (Colossians 2:21)

• “Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle”

15. What is the truth about such traditions of men? (Colossians 2:22-23)

• They have an appearance of wisdom, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh

Questions by E.M. Zerr On Colossians 21. What would he have them know? 2. Was this a conflict of the body? 3. To whom else did he extend this care ? 4. Did he care for any whom he had not seen? 5. State what he was anxious about for them. 6. What should be acknowledged? 7. Tell what are his with Christ. 8. For what safeguard is this statement given? 9. In what sense is Paul present with these brethren ? 10. What does he rejoice in beholding? 11. State the quality of their faith. 12. How should they walk? 13. What is necessary to be stablished in the faith? 14. How might they be spoiled? 15. From what source are these elements? 16. What dwells in Christ? 17. How does this leave those out of Christ ? 18. What is said about completeness? 19. How extensive is his headship? 20. What sort of circumcision is now necessary? 21. What is to be put off? 22. In what ordinance does this take place? 23. What faith makes this ordinance valid to us? 24. Explain the death and life in 13th verse. 25. What was blotted out? 26. By what instrument was this done ? 27. How did this affect powers and authorities? 28. What restriction does this set aside? 29. When had these things been an obligation? 30. In what figure are they here presented? 31- Of what body did they form this figure? 32. How might one be beguiled of his reward ? 33. Define this voluntary humility. 34. Did these people actually worship angels? 35. State their frame of mind. 36. What important being have they left? 37. What is to be derived from this head? 38. State the manner of increase following. 39. With whom should we be dead? 40. From what are we dead? 41. Had these ever been rudiments from God? 42. Why call them rudiments of the world? 43. Explain such rudiments as found in verse 21. 44. What is the fate of such rudiments? 45. By whose commandment are they now practiced? 46. Do these things have any favorable appearance? 47. What kind of worship is will worship? 48. What word here refers to the system of self-torture? 49. What satisfaction was all this for? 50. Does Paul give any honor to this practice?

Colossians 2:1

Col/_2:1. Much of the thought in the last verse of the preceding chapter is continued in this verse. The Greek word for conflict means virtually the same as “striving” in the close of the preceding chapter. It refers to the great care and anxiety Paul felt for the Colossians, and he wishes that they knew about it; this feeling was extended to the brethren at Laodicea (a city near Colosse). As many as have not seen my face in the flesh. This clause indicates that Paul had not been personally in the presence of the Colossian brethren, hence he could not have been the one who started the church there nor at Laodicea. (See the comments under “general remarks.”)

Colossians 2:2

Colossians 2:2. Paul connects the comfort of the brethren with their being knit together in love. Such a state is a great source of satisfaction, for if the disciples of Christ are thus bound together, they will be of mutual help and can meet the trials of life as a unit. David expressed this thought in Psalms 133:1. This condition will result in the riches of full assurance that comes from understanding. Of course all of this blessed state will come only after their acknowledge- meat of the mystery. The last word refers to the mystery that is explained in chapter 1:26. God the Father and Christ are named together because they are both concerned in the subject. The relation between the names God and Father is explained at Ephe-sians 4:6.

Colossians 2:3

Colossians 2:3. In whom is supposed to refer to Christ, who is last named in the preceding verse. However, some confusion might come from the marginal rendering which gives “wherein,” making it apply to the mystery mentioned in the preceding verse. But the following verses all show that Christ is especially meant and hence the text as we have it is correct. That does not do any injustice to God, for everything He does for mankind is done through the Son. This verse is a direct denial of the theories of philosophy that were mentioned in “general remarks.” Whatever wisdom and knowledge there is in the world that is worthy of the attention of man, all is found in Christ.

Colossians 2:4

Colossians 2:4. Paul is saying the present things as a warning against false teachers. To beguile means to deceive, and enticing words are those that sound well and are of a persuasive nature. These false teachers used a mixture of philosophy and Judaism in such a way as to mislead unsuspecting disciples away from the simplicity of the Gospel of Christ. Most of this chapter is written to expose both philosophy (so called) and Judaism, especially the latter.

Colossians 2:5

Colossians 2:5. The Colossian church had not yet departed from the faith, but it was in danger and the apostle is warning them. For the present, he is pleased with their excellent devotion to Christ, and wishes to have them continue in the same status. He was not in their midst bodily but was there in spirit or mind, and took joy from what he could behold through the things he had “heard” (chapter 1:4). Order is from TAXIS, which Thayer defines at this place, “orderly condition.” It does not mean any set routine to be followed in a mechanical order, but denotes that the church at Colosse had some system in its procedure. It is the same thought expressed in 1 Corinthians 14:40, “Let all things be done decently and in order.”

Colossians 2:6

Colossians 2:6. As is used in the sense of “since” since ye have received, etc. Having received or accepted Christ as the Lord (which means Ruler), to be consistent, they should also walk or conduct their life in Him. That can be done only by doing His will.

Colossians 2:7

Colossians 2:7. Rooted and stablished have vritually the same meaning, namely, to be firmly fixed in something. In this passage it means to be established in the faith or in the Gospel. Of course if something has taken firm root in a fertile spot, it will be able to produce a stalk or body above the ground. Likewise, Paul says the brethren will be able to grow or be built up as a stalk of righteousness in the world. And as a plant thus rooted and developed will be able to produce fruit, so the brethren would be able to abound (grow and produce), being thankful for the opportunity of being of service to Christ.

Colossians 2:8

Colossians 2:8. The apostle again comes to the subject of the Judaistic philosophers, who claim to have something to offer the brethren that is better than their simple belief of the Gospel. They would make them think that something of value was being lost if they did not accept the ideas of philosophy as a part of their religious life. Paul is warning them to beware of these false teachers. To .spoil means to take from a man that which is his valuable possession. The simple faith of the Gospel is the most valuable thing one can possess, and if he permits the false teacher to cause him to give up that faith, he will be robbed of a costly treasure.

A thief accomplishes his work with instruments adapted to his evil work, and likewise this false teacher has his instruments which are named in this verse. Vain deceit. The ideas offered by these philosophers were not only deceitful, but they were empty (vain). They were traditions or things handed down from man and not from Christ. Rudiments denotes elements and world means the people of the earth. These deceitful philosophies were elements produced in the minds of men and not by Jesus Christ.

Colossians 2:9

Colossians 2:9. Godhead is from THEOTES, which Thayer defines, “deity; Godhead,” then explains it to mean, “the state of being God.” Bodily refers to the form in which Jesus appeared while on earth, so that the entire fulness or virtue of the Deity was represented in Him. That is why Jesus said to Philip, “he that hath seen me hath seen the Father” (John 14:9). Not that Jesus was the Father personally, but he was a full representation of God in human form.

Colossians 2:10

Colossians 2:10. Since the entire Godhead is represented by Christ, nothing of value will be lacking to those who are in Him. Principality is the same as seniority or priority, and power means authority. He is senior because he is the “firstborn of every creature” (chapter 1:15), and He is head of all power or authority because it was all given to Him after his resurrection (Matthew 28:18). If we believe the teaching of Paul in this verse, we will not clamor for things in our religious life that Christ has not authorized.

Colossians 2:11

Colossians 2:11. I have consulted several translations, and they put the word are in the past tense, showing it refers to a specific event of the past. The occasion when it was accomplished will be noted in the following verse. Circumcision means a cutting round or off, and when used figuratively it refers to the separation of a man’s sins from his life by his obedience to the Gospel. It was without hands because while its outward form was done by a human act (see next verse), the real performance was spiritual or inward. (See Romans 6:17.) Circumcision of Christ denotes that the whole transaction was accomplished by His authority.

Colossians 2:12

Colossians 2:12. The final act of the spiritual circumcision is by baptism, and men are said to be buried with Mm, that is with Christ. This phrase is used because in baptism the person is placed under the water and then raised again, thus going down and up in the form of a burial and resurrection. It is said to be with Him because he commands it, and also because he died and was buried in the tomb, from which he rose again. Such a like burial and resurrection is recognized as an act of faith in Christ .and God. Operation means the energy or divine activity by which God raised Christ from the dead.

Much has been said as to what constitutes “valid baptism,” and we have some direct information in this passage. If a man believes that God raised Christ from the dead, and he is baptized in view of his faith in that act, then Paul declares that such a man has been risen with him, which certainly would prove that his baptism was valid. This thought is given also in Romans 10:9.

Colossians 2:13

Colossians 2:13. All statements in this verse except the last one are figurative. Death means a separation, and as long as these people were living in their sins they were separated from God and hence were dead to Him. They likewise were uncircumcised during that time since their sins had not been cut off. To be quickened means to be made alive, or have the condition of death just described, reversed by obedience to the Gospel. With him means with Christ, which was done when they were “buried with Him” in baptism. When all this was done, God forgave them all trespasses.

Colossians 2:14

Colossians 2:14. Blotting out is from a word that denotes something has been erased or canceled. However, since this refers to the Old Testament, we know it means that the enforcement of it as a religious law only was canceled, for the document is still in print and its national customs were still permitted to the Jewish Christians in Paul’s day (Acts 21:21-24). It is called handwriting from the fact that God wrote it with his own fingers on the stone, then authorized Moses to write it all in a book with his hand. Against and contrary literally means to be an enemy, but it is not used in that sense here, for the law of Moses should not be thought of in that light. The idea is that no one could form his religious life by that law and be under the law of Christ at the same time. (See Galatians 5:1-4.) Nailing it to his cross.

As long as a note or bond is in force or unsatisfied, it stands as an obligation “against” those who are under it. But when its demands have been met, it is canceled and its debtors are no longer held. Then such a document is rendered void by having a punch make a perforation through it, as a ticket is punched. This was done to the law when Jesus suffered himself to be punctured or nailed to the cross.

Colossians 2:15

Colossians 2:15. To spoil anything means to take away its valuables. The most valuable possession of a power or government is its authority. Jesus took that away from the law, as far as religious obligations were concerned, when He died on the cross and gave to the world another law and government. Make a show of them openly by being crucified in the view of the world. In this great event, though Jesus died and apparently was overcome, yet he came forth again from the dead to die no more. In so doing, Jesus triumphed over them (all other powers) in it. The last two words are rendered “in himself,” which is correct since He was the one who triumphed.

Colossians 2:16

Colossians 2:16. The law of Moses had certain regulations concerning what they might eat and drink, and how (Leviticus 7:10-27). It had various days that had to be observed as holy days. Among these were the new moons (2 Chronicles 31:3; Numbers 28:11), and all the sabbath days (Exodus 31:13). Since that law has been replaced by the Gospel, no man should be a/llowed to judge the Christians concerning these regulations, by trying to force their observance on them.

Colossians 2:17

Colossians 2:17. The lexicon explains the original for shadow to mean, “an image cast by an object and representing the form of that object,” and body is from SOMA, which the same lexicon of Thayer defines as, “the thing itself which casts the shadow.” The ordinances of the Mosaic law were types or shadows of those to be given through Christ, and that is the reason He is said to be the body that casts the shadow. By insisting on the ordinances of the old law, the Ju-daizers were preferring the shadow of something to the thing itself.

Colossians 2:18

Colossians 2:18. Beguile you of your reward is from a Greek word that is used literally in reference to the athletic contests, where a judge or umpire would decide who is the winner. Thayer defines the word, “To decide as umpire against one, to declare him unworthy of the prize; to defraud of the prize of victory.” As Paul uses it the meaning is, not to let the Judaizers cheat the disciples out of their reward from Christ by means of the evil things mentioned in the rest of this verse and the next. Voluntary humility means a pretended or self-imposed show of humility that is outward only. Worshiping is from , which Thayer defines, “Primarily fear of the gods; religious worship, especially external, that which consists in ceremonies.” It is used here in reference to some formalities that were claimed to be pleasing to the angelic hosts or beings in the unseen world, which Paul describes as an intruding into those things which he hath not seen. These Judaistic philosophers did all this because their fleshly or carnal mind had puffed them up over their imaginary importance.

Colossians 2:19

Colossians 2:19. The head of a body is that which directs its movements, hence if the body should become disconnected from the head, its performances would become disorderly (such as a fowl when its head has been severed by an ax). These deceptive teachers are likened to a body thus disconnected from its head, because they have rejected Christ who is “the head of the body.” Joints and bands refers to the parts of the body, which must depend upon the head for proper control. When that is done, it will result in having nourishment ministered, and hence will be knit together into a well ordered body. The grand result will be a proper development and increase (growth), because it will be the increase of God. (See Ephesians 4:16.)

Colossians 2:20

Colossians 2:20. In his deunciation of false teachers, the apostle has reference to both Judaism and so-called philosophy in the rest of the chapter, but chiefly the former. Rudiments of the world means the elements or ordinances of the law that were types of the Gospel. Since Christ has released them from their obligation to the former rudiments, by (Paul asks) are they still subjecting themselves to them as if they were still under them.

Colossians 2:21

Colossians 2:21. Paul did not give this verse as his command, but quotes it as one of the human ordinances from which Christ has made men free. The restrictions of the law, such as touch not, taste not, handle not, referred to the eating and drinking of certain things. Those rer.ulations had been lifted by the Gospel, so that trying still to fasten them upon Christians was considered as forcing upon them a human regulation.

Colossians 2:22

Colossians 2:22. Perish with the using. The things the Judaizers insisted that Christians should “touch not; taste not; handle not,” were the articles of food and drink that were restricted by the law. Paul is reasoning that the restrictions were not made because of any bad effect such things would have on the body, for they perished with the using. That is, as articles of food, they were soon cast out of the body, leaving it unharmed. (See Mark 7:15-19) The ordinances against them, therefore, were purely ceremonial, and when the law was canceled, the said restrictions were canceled also. After that was done, any c-ntinuance of them would be regarded as being after the commandments and doctrines of men. Paul taught the some idea in Philippians 3:9, where he designates the righteousness of the law “mine own righteousness,” after the law had been replaced by that of Christ.

Colossians 2:23

Colossians 2:23. Show of wisdom denotes that these unauthorized theories and practices have an appearance of wisdom only. This verse has special reference to the items of so-called philosophers, and the practices of people called ascetics. Such extremists believed it was a virtue to torture the body in the name of religious philosophy. Will worship means that which is suggested by the human will instead of by the will of God. Humility is the same as “voluntary humility,” and it is explained at verse 18. Neglecting of the body is defined by Robinson as “harsh bodily discipline.” Not in any honor denotes that these things are of no real value, and to the satisfying of the flesh means they are prompted by the fleshly or human notions.

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