COLOSSIANS -- CHAPTER TWO
(vs 1) "For" -- continuation
"strive" -- agonizing, a struggle, anxious care.
Some did not know Paul personally. "See my face" (Hebraism,
meaning "become personally acquainted with.")
(vs 2) "heart" -- source of all service to God.
Heart is the fulcrum of faith, words and actions.
Prov. 4:23 -- "out of it are the issues of life."
1 Sam. 16:7 -- "Jehovah looks upon the heart."
"Comforted" How needful!! Very few are content in serving
Jehovah.
"knit" -- welded, fused, strong binding; Eph. 4:16.
Cf. welding two pieces of metal together; takes outside
source of power. Must be grounded to the machine.
"In love" -- cf. 3:14; 1 Jn. 4:8; 1 Pet. 4:8.
"riches" -- rich indeed is the child of God.
"full assurance" -- firm persuasion, settled conviction,
confidence.
"understanding" -- ability to distinguish the true from the
false.
"mystery" cf. 1:26,27. Christ revealed the Father, Jn. 14:9.
(vs 3) "in Christ"
"treasures" -- to be desired, found, dug up and enjoyed.
"hidden" -- It is only in Christ that "wisdom and knowledge"
can be found.
(vs 4) "delude" -- deceive, beguile, lead astray.
"Persuasiveness of speech" (K.J. "enticing words) -- smooth,
and plausible arguments, artful words; such as were
employed by Greek sophistry.
(vs 5) "in spirit" -- close fellowship with them.
"your order" -- suggest they were holding rank (as soldiers).
Discipline of each life -- immovable line of battle.
The religion of Christ is an "orderly" thing.
Phil. 3:16 --walking by the same "rule."
(vs 6) "received" -- Accepted, By faith.
"so walk" -- continue faithfully to obey Him.
(vs 7) "rooted and builded" -- firmly established, like a deep
rooted tree, able to stand the winds of trials; like
a house built upon a rock. Maturing, growing, etc.
"established" -- settled, sure of the ground on which they
stand.
"as ye were taught" -- Rom. 10:17. Faith is the product of
being taught.
"thanksgiving" -- overflowing thanks to God.
Rom. 15:13; 1 Cor. 15:58; Phil. 1:9, etc.
(vs 8) "spoil" -- plunder, rob, cause you to lose your soul.
"philosophy" -- "the love of wisdom..." (Webster) But, this
is a false philosophy, where human wisdom overrides
faith in God. cf. 1 Tim. 6:20.
"his philosophy" -- empty deceit, deception, futile, devoid
of facts, speculative.
"vain deceit" -- empty deception, Satan is the master of
deception.
"after" -- according to.
"traditions of men" -- not of God; man made schemes.
"rudiments of the world" -- that which is carnal, earthy,
outward show. 1 Jn. 2:15-17.
"not after Christ" -- what a contrast!!
(vs 9) "fulness" -- In the bodily form of Christ dwelt the full
power and excellence of the Godhead.
Cf. Jn. 1:1,14; 1 Jn. 4:1-3; 1 Cor. 30, 31; Col. 1:19.
Heresy begins with a denial of Christ's Deity.
"Godhead" -- the state or being of Divine nature.
"bodily" -- not mystical, secret, hidden, but whole human
nature. In opposition to figurative or symbolic.
Cf. 1 Pet. 2:24; Col. 1:22; Heb. 10:10.
(vs 10) "made full" -- (complete) no need for human philosophy and
traditions. Everything that man needs has been
provided through Christ. Chapter one dwelt on this.
"all principality..." -- See 1:16, 17.
(vs 11) This strikes at the Jew who was seeking to bind fleshly
circumcision upon the Gentile.
"not made with hands" -- not fleshly circumcision, rather a
circumcision "of the heart"; where the old man is cut
off; the "body of the flesh" (sin) is removed.
"of Christ" -- as Christ established, the denouncing of sin.
NOTE: Rom. 2:28-29.
(vs 12) "having been buried..." -- this is where the circumcision
took place, when the old man was buried.
Cf. Rom. 6:1-4.
"working of God" --As God raised Jesus from the dead, so are
we raised from the watery grave, coming forth a new
creature, having been forgiven of our sins.
"through faith" -- the results of our faith. We must believe
in the resurrection of Christ from the grave; by the
power of God.
(vs 13) How Beautiful!!!
Cf. Eph. 2:1-10.
"dead" -- the results of sin--"trespasses...."
"make alive" -- free from sin, 1:12-13.
"together with Him" -- there is a relationship we sustain
with Christ.
"all our trespasses" -- complete, entire, all of them.
NOTE: DEAD -- ALIVE. What a contrast!!! New Creatures!!
Rom. 6:4 -- "raised....to walk in newness of life...."
(vs 14) "having blotted out" -- to obliterate, erase, wipe out...
"bond written..." -- recorded, written by the hand of God.
(1) Ex. 34:28 -- "And he wrote upon the tables the words
of the covenant, the ten commandments."
(2) 2 Cor. 3:7 -- "But if the ministration of death,
written, and engraven on stones....." Can refer to
noting else except the Ten Commandments, the Law
given by Moses from the mount.
(3) Eph. 2:15 -- "having abolished in His flesh the
enmity, even the law of commandments contained in
ordinances; that he might create in himself of the
two one new man, so making peace; and might reconcile
them both in one body unto God through the cross
having slain the enmity thereby."
The Jewish Law is here represented as a contract,
binding those under it until it was blotted out. This
might be done either by blotting out the names or by
drawing lines through it, or as appears to have been
practiced in the East, BY DRIVING A NAIL THROUGH IT.
"ordinances" -- numerous rites and ceremonies of the Law.
"that was against us" -- The Law of Moses listed the many
acts of sin and pronounced the judgments of God upon the
sinner, yet, it offered no escape from sin. The "blood of
bulls and goats could not take away sin." (Heb 10:4). The
Law said, "You are a sinner," but gave no remedy.
Cf. Gal. 3:10-14.
"that was contrary to us" -- The Law condemned, but did not
justify.
Acts 15:10 -- "a yoke upon the neck of the disciples
which neither our fathers nor we were able to
bear."
Rom. 7:7-24 -- Paul shows how he could not live up to
the demands of the Law.
NOTE: The Law said you stand condemned because you have
broken it: but, the Law in itself could not justify.
"Nailed to the cross" -- The death of Christ removed the Law.
It is said that there is an allusion here to the ancient
method by which a bond or obligation was cancelled,
by driving a nail through it and affixing it to a
post. This was practiced, says Grotius, in Asia.
Cf. At the bank, we would stamp the note as
"cancelled," or "PAID."
Thus Jesus cancelled the Law when nailed to the cross.
THE LAW REMOVED:
Rom. 6:14; 2 Cor. 3:6-11; Gal. 3:19, 24; Heb. 8:6-7, 13;
Heb. 9:15; 10:1, 9.
The Law was holy, it was given by Jehovah, designed to do
exactly what He intended that it do. But, it was only
designed to be in force until Christ came, til the seed
should come to whom the promise was made. Gal. 3:19-24.
(vs 15) "despoiled" -- plundered, overcame.
"principalities...powers" -- that which had held man in
subjection and kept him from serving God; hindered
man.
"show of them..." -- as conqueror returning from victory over
the foe.
"....in it" -- in the cross. That which seemed to be Satan's
greatest victory, became his downfall.
(vs 16) "Therefore" -- because we are no longer under the Law; it
has been removed.
"judge" -- pronounce a sentence.
These were all relics of the Law of Moses. Since you are
delivered (freed) from that Law, let no one sit in
judgment in regard to these matters. No one has the right
to impose upon you that from which Christ has freed you.
"new moons" -- In addition the Jews offered 2 bullocks, a
ram, 7 sheep (Num. 10:10; 28:10-14)
"sabbath day" -- the keeping of the Sabbath was a part of
that old Law. The Christian has a new day to keep when we
worship. Acts 20:7.
(vs 17) "shadow" -- Heb. 8:5, 10. Not the substance. Only a dim
outline of that which we now have.
"body is Christ's" -- Christ's laws are now binding. He is
the central; in Him are all things.
(vs 18) "rob you" -- it is possible to lose the reward, the prize.
"voluntary humility" -- The false teacher would not announce
his theories with bold assertions, but would put on the
appearance of great modesty, humility. In 3:12, the
Christian is to be lowly, meek, but this humility is a
false one.
"worshipping of angels" -- only God is to be worshipped. This
would include Mary, saints, etc. (Mt. 4:10).
"vainly puffed up...." In spite of their seeming humility and
their claim of angelic worship, these false teachers were
guided by vanity and the flesh. They were "puffed up";
full of self-conceit; carnal wisdom.
(vs 19) "not holding..." -- failing to recognize the authority of
Christ, the head.
"from whom" -- all that we are is from Christ.
"all the body" -- each member is dependent upon the head.
Cf. Eph. 4:15, 16.
"knit together" -- close relationship of His Body, the church
Cf. 1 Cor. 12:12-27.
(vs 20) "Ye died with Christ" -- Gal. 2:20. When buried with Christ
(vs 12), it signified their death.
"from the rudiments..." -- If dead to them, why still in them
Why do you still live in that old world of sin?
"...ordinances" -- the previously mentioned relics of the Law
(vs 21) Total abstinence!! God's ways cannot be improved. Deut. 4:2
(vs 22) The end results of those who would seek to bind the Law upon
the Gentiles.
"precepts and doctrines...." -- of men. Man cannot devise a
plan or way to please God. Mt. 15:8-9.
(vs 23) The inventions and ideas of men may suggest great wisdom,
but they reflect "will-worship" which is not accepted
by Jehovah.
"will-worship" -- Worship devised by man. How much done today
is based upon man's inventions. "I think....." We
must do only what the Lord commands. Everything else
is "will-worship."
"severity of the body" -- cf. Sackcloth and ashes. Denying
the body. The appearance of piety.
Obviously, the body (flesh) must be crucified, but, doing
this only as an outward show will not please God.
Outward religion will not help against the "indulgence of
the flesh."
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