Colossians
2
New
American Standard Bible (NASB)
You
Are Built Up in Christ
2
For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those
who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2
that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and
attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of
understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this so that no one will delude
you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body,
nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and
the stability of your faith in Christ.
6
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having
been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith,
just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
8
See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of
the world, rather than according to Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of
Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He
is the head over all rule and authority; 11 and in Him you were also circumcised
with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh
by the circumcision of Christ; 12 having been buried with Him in baptism, in
which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who
raised Him from the dead. 13 When you were dead in your transgressions and the
uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions, 14 having cancelled out the certificate of
debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has
taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. 15 When He had disarmed
the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed
over them through Him.
16
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in
respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day— 17 things which are a
mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no
one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the
worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated
without cause by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from
whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and
ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.
20
If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as
if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21
“Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things
destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings
of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom
in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but
are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
IVP
New Testament Commentary.
Clearly,
verse 3 is parallel to verse 2 in thought. The idea contained in the phrase
full riches of complete understanding is virtually repeated in the following
phrase, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, so that the idea of mystery
finds a parallel in the word hidden. Significantly, sandwiched between these
two parallel phrases is their focal point: Christ, in whom all these mysterious
riches and hidden treasures of God's mystery are disclosed by the preaching of
Paul's gospel. Remember that for Paul the biblical Jew, the mysteries of God's
treasured salvation lie hidden within Scripture and are mined by exegesis; and
for Paul the Christian missionary, the proclaimed faith is a christological
monotheism, and so the wonderful riches of our faith are both deposited and
drawn through Christ.
Simply
put, spiritual maturity results from knowing Christ. The distinctive emphasis
in this letter on wisdom (1:9, 28; 2:3, 23; 3:16; 4:5), knowledge (1:9-10, 27;
2:2-3; 3:10; 4:7-9) and knowing (1:6; 2:1; 3:24; 4:1, 6, 8), especially linked
to Paul's proclamation of Christ, is no doubt made with Paul's Colossian
opponents in mind. They too are concerned with ideas, but their
"philosophy" is not centered by the teaching of and about Christ (2:8)
and therefore is "hollow and deceptive," incapable of forming the
spiritual life of the Christian congregation (2:6-7).
IVP
New Testament Commentaries are made available by the generosity of InterVarsity
Press.
Matthew
Henry’s Commentary
3.
It consists in the abundance of comfort in our souls: That their hearts might
be comforted. The soul prospers when it is filled with joy and peace (Rom.
15:13), and has a satisfaction within which all the troubles without cannot disturb,
and is able to joy in the Lord when all other comforts fail, Hab. 3:17, 18.
4.
The more intimate communion we have with
our fellow-christians the more the soul prospers: Being knit together in love.
Holy love knits the hearts of Christians one to another; and faith and love
both contribute to our comfort. The stronger our faith is, and the warmer our
love, the greater will our comfort be. Having occasion to mention Christ
(Col. 2:2), according to his usual way, he makes this remark to his honour (Col.
2:3): In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. He had said
(Col. 1:19) that all fullness dwells in him: here he mentions particularly the
treasures of wisdom and knowledge. There is a fullness of wisdom in him, as he
has perfectly revealed the will of God to mankind. Observe, The treasures of
wisdom are hidden not from us, but for us, in Christ. Those who would be wise
and knowing must make application to Christ. We must spend upon the stock which
is laid up for us in him, and draw from the treasures which are hidden in him.
He is the wisdom of God, and is of God made unto us wisdom, etc., 1 Cor. 1:24,
30.
II.
His concern for them is repeated (Col. 2:5): 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. Observe, 1. We may be present in spirit
with those churches and Christians from whom we are absent in body; for the
communion of saints is a spiritual thing. Paul had heard concerning the Colossians
that they were orderly and regular; and though he had never seen them, nor was
present with them, he tells them he could easily think himself among them, and
look with pleasure upon their good behaviour. 2. The order and stedfastness of
Christians are matter of joy to ministers; they joy when they behold their
order, their regular behaviour and stedfast adherence to the Christian
doctrine. 3. The more stedfast our faith in Christ is, the better order there
will be in our whole conversation; for we live and walk by faith, 2 Cor. 5:7;
Heb. 10:38.
Reformation
Study Bible
2:6,
7 A good example of Paul’s pastoral style, in which the “ought” of the
Christian life builds upon the “is” of having received the gift of life in
Christ. Although Paul sometimes describes the good news of Jesus Christ as a
tradition that can be received, his use of “tradition” does not refer to human
custom or historical opinion but to the handing over of a divine message from
God (1 Cor. 11:2; 2 Thess. 3:6). Because the Colossians will continue on the
basis of what they have already come to know of Christ, their further obedience
will be grounded in thankfulness (3:17) rather than in frustrated, anxious
guilt (3:1 note).
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