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 [a]personally seen my face,
2 that their hearts may be encouraged,
having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth [b]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 [c]to see [d]your good
discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
6 Therefore as you have
received Christ Jesus the Lord, so [e]walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted
and now being built up in Him and established [f]in your faith, just as you
were instructed, and overflowing [g]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, [h]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 [i]complete, and He is the head [j]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 [k]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 [l]disarmed the rulers and
authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them
through [m]Him.
16
Therefore no one is to [n]act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in
respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath [o]day— 17 things which are a
mere shadow of what is to come; but the [p]substance [q]belongs to Christ. 18
Let no one keep [r]defrauding you of your prize by delighting in
[s]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, [t]taking his stand on visions
he has seen, [u]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 [v]ligaments, grows with a growth [w]which is from God.
20
If you have died with Christ [x]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 [y]with use)—in accordance with the commandments and
teachings of men? 23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the
[z]appearance of wisdom in [aa]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe
treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
Colossians
2
V
1–5: ENCOURAGED Paul wants to encourage the hearts both of the Colossians and
the Laodiceans so that each fellowship of Christians will increase in love to
one another, with assurance and understanding of God’s message. That assurance
concerns what God has done in Christ, and is the basis of all our wisdom and
knowledge. His ‘great conflict’ is his concern that they should not be deceived
by anybody. He encourages them by rejoicing at their good order and their
steadfast faith in the Lord Jesus
.
V 6–7: ESTABLISHED His desire is to see them established like a well-rooted
tree or a building with good foundations. As they have received Christ, so they
must walk in Him with faith and thanksgiving.
V
8–10: EMPTINESS People seeking to persuade them through worldly philosophy and
deceit are empty and have nothing to offer from this world. It is only in Jesus
Christ that all the Godhead dwells bodily and therefore it is only in Him that
each Christian is complete. Jesus is over all and more powerful than all.
V
11–19: EMANCIPATED Christ has put off the sins of those who trust in Him, by
spiritual circumcision. Baptism reminds them of a new life through death to the
old sinful life and benefiting from the eternal life given by the resurrected
Christ. There is no power in claiming that they must now keep to man-made
ordinances. They have been emancipated from that by the risen Christ. Thus
man-made laws are not to enslave them, whether in the form of dietary laws,
man-made festivals, or additional sabbath days. Any man-made system of worship,
including angel worship, comes from false humility and a proud mind. Our
freedom depends upon being under the headship of Christ, over the body of the
church. Each Christian is part of that body and takes his directions from
Christ.
V 20–23: EXHORTED Paul now exhorts the
Colossians to avoid legalistic man-made rules which will perish along with
every other man-made commandment and teaching. They may have an attraction of
organised religion, false humility, and abstaining from things, but can do
nothing to forgive sins or combat the inward pull of the old nature. Only
Christ can do that.
Yours in His Christ
Because of His Mercy
Blair Humphreys
29th July 2014
