#4 ~Col.2:1-9 ~WARNINGS AGAINST THE PHILOSOPHIES OF MEN ~ 12-15-13
Paul wants the Colossian believers and us as well, to understand the great truths in this chapter, because in doing so, we'll not be led astray by the so called "up to date bible theories & teaching", fancy words and man made theories will never budge grounded bible believers.
~ There were five errors that endangered the Colossian church which Paul will deal with in this chapter. They were:
1. Enticing words--verses 4--7
2. Philosophy--verses 8--13
3. Legality--verses 14--17
4. Mysticism--verses 18--19
5. As-cet-i-cism --verses 20--23
As-cet-i-cism; ---means, that through rigorous self-denial of worldly pleasures, it is possible to achieve a high spiritual and intellectual state of mind.
~The Greek word for all that is "baloney".
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* Let's read verses 1-7, and then make a few comments on the verses.
1For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
2That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;
3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
5For though I be 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.
6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
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1For I would [wish] that ye knew what great conflict [contention] I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
~conflict -- Implies a battle against spiritual foes, as well as human adversaries.
~ Laodicea, was about 11 miles west of Colosse, and another town nearby was Hierapolis, evidently the false teachers were promoting their views in that entire region. Paul felt concern for all the Christians under this false teaching.
~This great conflict was inside Paul (I have for you) -- It wasn't that Paul fought with others about the Colossian Christians. -- Paul described his spiritual warfare and heartfelt care for the Colossians as a great conflict.
Paul had never visited Colosse himself; most of them had never seen his face in the flesh.
We notice here that Paul's authority extended to those he had never met - to those who had never seen his face -- and so it also extends to us.
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2That their hearts* might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; --
~The meaning of the "heart" here includes everything in the inner man including the mind.
> Prov. 23:7 For as he thinketh in his heart, so is he: --
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~Paul knew that their unity came from both being knit together in love and growing in the understanding and knowledge of God's truth.
~ The true wisdom Paul wanted them to know in Jesus would bring them together, knit them together in love, instead of dividing them the way that false wisdom did.
~When Paul describes the truth of God with words like riches and treasures, he reminds us that God's truth is precious and worthy of diligent seeking.
~ Christ is the Mystery of God, that is, in the wonder of His being.
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* Three mysteries are described in Colossians 1:24 to Col_2:3 :
1st. mystery-- The Church as the Body of Christ, for which Paul suffered and served.
@@@ Col.1:24-26 Who now rejoice in my sufferings for you, and fill up that which is behind of the afflictions of Christ in my flesh for his body's sake, which is the church: ---- 25Whereof I am made a minister, according to the dispensation of God which is given to me for you, to fulfil the word of God; ---- 26Even the mystery which hath been hid from ages and from generations, but now is made manifest [known] to his saints:
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2nd. mystery -- The Indwelling Christ, the hope of glory in each individual believer.
Col.1:27 To whom God would make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles; which is Christ in you, the hope of glory:
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3rd. mystery-- The Revealed Jesus, the treasury of all wisdom and knowledge. >Col. 2:2-3 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; 3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
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~ This is a very important subject in Paul's letter to the Colossians.
[in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge:]
--- With this, Paul refuted some of the bad teaching troubling the Colossian Christians. --- They were influenced by teachers who told them to seek the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, but not to seek them in Jesus.
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3In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
'Hid' don't mean that they are concealed, but that they are laid up or stored away as a treasure
~ The Christian's riches are our thorough understanding of God's truth.
Paul wanted them to have a thorough understanding of God's truth, because he was concerned about their enthusiasm, he knew that discouraged Christians are easy prey for the world, the flesh, and the devil.
~~~ The better a Christian understands God's true revelation concerning the person and work of Jesus Christ, the better off we'll be, because we'll be able to recognize and shun false doctrine.
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* The mystery of God's loving purpose is disclosed in Christ alone.
Paul uses the MYSTERY term regarding the character and person of God - something we could not know unless it was revealed by Him.
~ God has revealed in Christ all that a person needs to know to establish a relationship with God.
~Thinking that the source of true spiritual wisdom is somewhere other than in Christ can bring about disorder in the Christian life.
"Knowledge" is genuine understanding, and "wisdom" knows how to apply this knowledge.
~ It's not wrong to seek after wisdom and knowledge; but we must seek it all in Jesus.
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>1:9 --- to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; --
"Knowledge is the apprehension of truth; wisdom is its application to life.
* Both are found in Christ:
> Rom. 11:33 O the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God! how unsearchable are his judgments, and his ways past finding out!
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~ For Paul, real riches were found in the believer's full assurance. -- Many lack full assurance about the character of God and are unconvinced that He is really good and loving. -- John 3:16 ought to answer that. For God so loved--
Paul's concern was that they should come to know this all-surpassing mystery.
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4And this I say, lest any man should beguile [deceive] you with enticing words. [Persuasiveness of speech]
**Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words.
~Those who taught these dangerous things among the Colossian Christians were very persuasive. -- The lure of "hidden" and "deep" wisdom and knowledge can be both strong and deceptive. -- some thing new.**
~ NOTICE; Paul didn't say that they had already been deceived, but he clearly saw the danger and warned them about it.
~ The word "deceiver" means, someone who leads you to believe something that is not true. -- Some one that actually accomplishes his intent.
A deceiver won't announce their false doctrine as false doctrine, and it will often be similar enough to the truth to be dangerous.
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* verse-5 ~ reveals Paul's confidence in their present standing.
5For though I be 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.
"Beholding your order." "Order" is a military term, and it means "to stand shoulder to shoulder." -- "Stedfastness" means "to have a solid front, to be immovable." -- These Christians were good soldiers of Christ.
, joying and beholding your order,
~ The implication that Paul can actually see the state of affairs at Colossi ---
"joying and beholding your order" --- is intended more as an expression of what he would hope to see were it possible. -- Paul did not see the Colossian church given over to heresy. -- They were under serious danger, but they were still in good order and displayed the steadfastness of their faith.
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~ Paul's description of the Colossian church pictures a company of well disciplined soldiers standing at attention.
~So far the believers were holding their stedfastness {their position] against the false teachers, but Paul feared that this condition might change. -- He didn't want the false teachers to talk them into believing something false by deceptive arguments.
6As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
~We're not saved by keeping the 10 commandments or any other personal works. -- Salvation is to receive a person, and that person is Jesus Christ.
-- so walk ye in him:-- The way we get around in this life is to walk. -- We are to walk in Christ, let's be joined to Him in our daily walk.
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7Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, [doctrine of the faith] as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
" exceeding even more so in THE faith"
~Paul is speaking of the doctrines regarding the Person and Work of the Lord Jesus as they had been taught.
* LET'S REMEMBER THAT VERSES 4-7 ARE--WARNING ABOUT "Enticing words" by the so called wise men of the day.
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* Verses 8--13 are mostly warning about the Philosophy of the free thinkers.
8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
10And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: 11In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
13And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
14Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
15And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
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8Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
The Colossian heresy promoted itself as traditional.--- It could trace some or many of its ideas back to traditions among the Jews or the Greek philosophers or both.---- Paul here warned that the tradition of men has no equal authority to the word of God.
~ Paul warns against, and exposes the Colossian heresy; he say's don't be cheated by philosophies and traditions.
It also has the ideas of robbing and plundering. - "Their goods were the salvation they had received from Christ"
~Both the Gentile and Jewish teachers were trying to deprive the Colossian believers of these truths.
~ The false teaching among the Colossians was marked by an emphasis on philosophy and empty deceit. --- Most of all, it was according to the tradition of men. It had the workings of man on it, not God.
~ This philosophy that threatened the Colossian Christians was a strange mix of early Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, local mystery religions, and Jewish mysticism.
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Gnosticism includes a very wide range of beliefs and is better viewed as a collection of religions sharing some common themes, rather than as one specific religion. ~~ The thought and practice especially of various cults' of pre-Christian and early Christian centuries distinguished by the conviction that matter is evil. ~~ About 1664 it came about.
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* "Gnosis" is a Greek word for knowledge.
~ Gnosticism taught that God (as a Perfect Spirit) could not come into direct contact with the material world.
~Gnosticism taught that since God could not have direct contact with the material world that God Himself did not create the world, but He worked through lesser spirits or angels.
~ Paul took care to show that Jesus was the creator of the world (Colossians 1:15-16).
~Gnosticism (and some forms of Jewish mysticism) taught that God did not deal directly with man and the material world, but that He dealt with the world through a series of mediators.
~Paul took care to show that Jesus did the work of reconciliation Himself (Colossians 1:19-20).
~ Gnosticism (and some forms of Jewish mysticism) greatly esteemed these supposed mediators, and considered them angelic beings of a sort.
~ Paul was careful to warn the Colossians that angels should not be worshipped (Colossians 2:18).
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The connection to Jewish mysticism is seen from the way Paul brings forth a few more points.
* Jewish influence on Christianity emphasized dietary laws.
Paul took care to say that Christians were not under Jewish dietary laws (Colossians 2:16).
