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Here is the Word .doc for the following lesson. Colossians Study 10

Undead

Chapter 3 read apart from chapters one and two is incredibly dangerous.  I say dangerous because someone may hear Paul’s commands in this chapter and seek to boot-strap their way to becoming more like Christ.  Of course this is the American way isn’t it?  Rugged individualism, self made men and entrepreneurship?  This is how we live the American dream.  We see something we want and we work for it until it’s ours.  Those who go this route inevitably find the road blocked, sometimes after a week, sometimes a month or a year later.  The really determined ones will continue this work of self sanctification for their entire lives never coming to an understanding of true joy in Christ or worse, covering over the fact that they’ve never experienced the new birth at all and their self will has been their substitute.  Seeking righteousness apart from the empowering work of Christ is a dead end road.  Consider the commands coming up in the next several verses.

• Keep seeking the things above
• Set your mind on the things above, not on the things that are on earth.
• Put to death what is earthly in you (sexual sins)
• Put them away (sins of the tongue)
• Do not lie
• Put off the old self
• Put on compassionate hearts
• Bear with one another, forgive one another
• Put on love
• Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts
• Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly
• Do everything in the name of Jesus

It is no accident that each of the NT epistles follows the pattern of the indicative leading to the imperative.  Put another way, we are told a lot about Christ that serves as the foundation for us living for Christ.

Coming out of an oppressive legalist system can cause a pendulum swing that can be easy to ride over into antinomianism where one rejects all “law” or instruction in their life.  Both legalism and lawlessness are an affront to Christ.  Nor are we searching for a middle ground between two entirely man centered systems.  Living a life that in Paul’s words is “worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God” is entirely different and difficult and satisfying and agonizing.

The beauty and supremacy of Christ has been made plain to us by the awakening work of the Holy Spirit.  We have been released from the bondage and mastery of sin to love and serve God.  So why do we need to be told to flee fornication or to stop lying to one another?  Doesn’t our new love override our old ones and compel us to live it?  Boy if that were always true.  Augustine remarked about this dilemma in his own life.

“I was astonished that although I now loved you . . . I did not persist in enjoyment of my God. Your beauty drew me to you, but soon I was dragged away from you by my own weight and in dismay I plunged again into the things of this world . . . as though I had sensed the fragrance of the fare but was not yet able to eat it.”

Do you understand his frustration?  Do you identify with loving God yet living like you hate him?  Or feel the bitter sting of hypocrisy as you wax eloquently about your passions for God all the while knowing the wretched life you lead?  It’s not that you are content in this spot or wish to live a life of duplicity.  You struggle, seek, savor, sin, repent and repeat.  Always looking for the right book or regimen to unlock the mystery to not only rightly desiring God, but remaining there.  Not that identification with someone helps, but sometimes it makes me feel less alone.  John Piper wrote:

Manageable, duty-defined, decision-oriented, willpower Christianity now seemed easy, and real Christianity had become impossible.  The emotions—or affections, as former generations called them—which I was now free to enjoy, proved to be beyond my reach. The Christian life became impossible. That is, it became supernatural.

When I first read this quote from John Piper a few years ago it made me shout “YES, THAT IS IT!!!”, immediately followed by a somber “yes, that is it”.  There is an initial exhilaration in discovering the problem to be sure.  It’s the relief of knowing, “hey, I’m not crazy after all”.  But the ease is short lived because you know the solution is out of your grasp.  It’s the equivalent of living under the sentence of a deadly disease then to be told that there is a cure.  But the cure involves an operation that is beyond the capability of current medical abilities.  So what now?

“If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.  For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. ” (Colossians 3:1–4, ESV)

Has everybody seen a zombie movie at one time in your life?  What are some of the characteristics of a zombie?  Here is a definition.  A zombie is a dead body that has been brought back to life by a supernatural force to be controlled by someone else by use of magic.  Well you all know where I’m going with this by now don’t you.  Have no fear, I’m not gonna take it any further.  I mention it only because of the frequent use of death and resurrection language that Paul uses not only in this epistle, but throughout all his letters.

• “even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus, ” (Ephesians 2:5–6, NAS)
• “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. ” (Colossians 2:12, NAS)
• “Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ” (Romans 6:8, NAS)
• “But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. ” (Romans 7:6, NAS)
• “I was once alive apart from the Law; but when the commandment came, sin became alive and I died; ” (Romans 7:9, NAS)
• “For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ all will be made alive. ” (1 Corinthians 15:22, NAS)
• “I affirm, brethren, by the boasting in you which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily. ” (1 Corinthians 15:31, NAS)
• ““For through the Law I died to the Law, so that I might live to God. ” (Galatians 2:19, NAS)
• “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain. ” (Philippians 1:21, NAS)

So we’ve got all of this death talk that should serve as a real clue to the happy clappy, God has a wonderful plan for your life people that union with Christ is a death sentence to all we once knew.   We don’t just continue on as we were.  Everything changes, and I mean everything, from how we view work, relationships, money, hobbies, vacations, car tires, fishing poles and green bean casseroles.  Nothing should ever be the same.  We have been crucified with Christ to this whole stinking world of filth and corruption.  We don’t see it all that way immediately.  The corruption grows more vivid as Christ grows more vivid.  One of those light shining on darkness things.

So Paul begins the portion of his letter about the ethics of the believer by stating what should seem like an obvious instruction.  Since you were made partakers in Christ’s resurrection, KEEP GOING!  It’s really, that simple.  You came to Christ because you desired Him, why would you stop now?  I love the feeling of coming up for air after having been under water for sixty second.  In fact I love it so much I might just take another.  But the point is plain, you have been justified therefore search, since it’s in the perfect tense, would mean continue to search, for that which is heavenly.  And to seek after heaven is to seek after the One who reigns there.

Paul doesn’t just tell us to seek after those things, but also to fix our minds upon them.  What’s the difference?  The difference is between running a marathon and reveling in the finish.  The runner can chase the clock and envision the ecstasy of the finish line.  When Ashley and I ran our first ½ marathon, we focused a good deal of the time on our time.  I checked the watch every mile to see that we were keeping a good pace in our pursuit of the finish.  But as mile 4 & 5 turned into 9 & 10 we started to mumble and gurgle incoherent words to one another about what the finish line would feel like.  So in the midst of the seeking Paul tells the believers at Colossae to think about the eternity they are heading for.

Paul gives us the reason for his two previous statement by the use of the conjunction “γάρ” in vs.3.  We can translate it “for” or “because”.  Paul tells us to seek after and think upon things above because you died, aorist tense or easier understood as past tense.  But he doesn’t stop with them being dead, remember how I told you Paul used this dead but not really language all over the place.  Look here.  He says you’re dead, but your life is protected.  Sounds very similar to Galatians 2:20 “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me.”  But notice the big difference here in vs.3 between old death and new life.  Sure my first life ended, why couldn’t my second one end too?  It can’t!!!  This life is hidden!  It’s protected from death by He who conquered death.  I believe there is some imputational language here in “hidden with Christ in God’.  Christ has clothed us in His righteousness and hidden us in God from God.

But we will not remain hidden.  To grasp the meaning of this we must understand why we are being hidden in the first place.  Each of us has committed what RC Sproul calls, cosmic treason against deity and stand condemned to die.  Christ imparts unto us His righteousness that protects us from the justly deserved wrath of God.  But at Christ’s return we will be changed.  “Beloved, now we are children of God, and it has not appeared as yet what we will be. We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. ” (1 John 3:2, NAS).  And I presume from this text we will no longer be hidden but revealed alongside the rest of the elect as we take our place and are presented by the Father to the Son as the bride of Christ.

Questions:

• What does it mean to “seek things above” in our lives?
• What does it mean to “set your minds on things above” in our lives?
• What does death with Christ look like?

Here is the Word .doc for the following lesson. Colossians Study 9

Bullies

As we approach the half way point of this epistle it should not come as any surprise what Paul’s focus and preeminent point of instruction has been, Christ Is Supreme!  Far and above any other secondary topics, if we fail to more fully grasp the utter supremacy of Jesus Christ in this letter we have missed it.  And I mean missed it badly.  Thus far, Paul has presented Christ as:

• The beloved Son of the Father. – 1:13
• The redeemer.  – 1:14
• The visible image of the invisible God. – 1:15
• The Head over all creation. – 1:15
• The creator of all things. – 1:16
• The sustainer of all things. – 1:17
• The Head of the Church. – 1:18
• The preeminent one. –1:18
• The fulness of God. – 1:19
• The peacemaker. – 1:20
• The reconciler. – 1:22
• The one who presents us holy and blameless. – 1:22
• The Hope of Glory. – 1:27
• The mystery of God. – 2:2
• The possessor of all wisdom and knowledge. – 2:3
• The fulness of deity. – 2:9
• The head of all rule and authority. – 2:10
• The circumciser of the heart. – 2:11
• The resurrected one. – 2:12-13
• The sin canceller. – 2:14
• The triumphant one. – 2:15

It is upon these truths that Paul directs his readers to live lives worthy of The Lord Jesus Christ.  Their calling was a high one.  The God of all the seen and unseen universe had reached down and plucked them out of the deadness of their sin and given them life in His Beloved Son.  They had been set apart from the world around them to live distinct lives that would resound the glory of This King.

In our last session we came face to face with the trouble in town.  False teachers are abounding with various answers to the question of where ultimate knowledge is to be found.  From the days of Genesis a frantic race has ensued for more and more knowledge, all the while ignoring the source and giver of perfect knowledge.  Eve’s temptation in the garden was brought about by an insatiable demand for knowledge.  The serpent’s offer was such, “For God knows that when you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5, ESV)  At the heart of this temptation, to be sure, was ultimately a question of authority, but the thirst for knowledge brought it to fruition.  Today we are awash with all varieties of knowledge and information.  Just this past week Google estimated the total number of books written worldwide at 129,864,880.  We parade what we know on game shows, in class rooms, in meetings at work, on the cooking channel, on our bumper stickers, in our FB statuses.  We crave it, consume it and covet it.  Paul has made his case that all knowledge is found in Christ.  To be sure, that doesn’t mean that we will read of the third law of thermodynamics in the book of II Chronicles.  But it does mean that the sole reason we are able to state that “As a system approaches absolute zero, all processes cease and the entropy of the system approaches a minimum value.” is because that understanding first existed in the Godhead and then is permitted to be understood by the creature.  Information acquisition does not a wise man make.  For our purposes, we’ll define wisdom as Correctly Applying Truth.  This is what distinguishes the wise man from the fool.  “always learning and never able to arrive at a knowledge of the truth. ” (2 Timothy 3:7, ESV) is how Paul describes the fool.  The wise man understands that in Christ “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”.

Having already characterized the troublemakers as those who would enslave by virtue of “empty and deceitful philosophies”, Paul now identifies the specifics of their heresies.  All of which are designed to distract the believers minds away from the supremacy of Christ in favor of the foolish wanderings of men.  No poorer exchange can be made.  In the previous eight verses Paul made a rather convincing argument as to why Christ is to be preferred, let’s read it again before we continue.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. ” (Colossians 2:8–15, ESV)

Paul’s thesis, as presented in these verses, is that Christ is to be supremely desired as a master over and above the mastery of human tradition.  Not just preferred as a master because He is the lesser of the evils of the slave pictures.  NO!  Christ is not merely to be preferred as someone would choose celery over broccoli.  Or even a peanut butter sandwich over liver.  He is all satisfying, both then and now.  They, on the other hand, are like drinking sea water.  It is so prevalent, and holds out the hope of satisfaction, yet the results are fatal.   Let’s go to our passage.

“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. ” (Colossians 2:16–23, ESV)

Did you know that there are, at least, 234 isms, each representing a philosophical, political, moral doctrine or a belief system?  Try these on for size.

• adamitism           nakedness for religious reasons
• aspheterism       denial of the right to private property
• henotheism       belief in one tribal god, but not as the only god
• undulationism   theory that light consists of waves

We are going to cover three in our study.  Legalism, Mysticism and Asceticism.  Each served to set themselves up against the superiority of Christ.  And unless someone fails to see the seriousness of these attacks, consider the final words that we read about one of the recipients of this letter, Laodicea.

“‘I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot; I wish that you were cold or hot. ‘So because you are lukewarm, and neither hot nor cold, I will spit you out of My mouth. ‘Because you say, “I am rich, and have become wealthy, and have need of nothing,” and you do not know that you are wretched and miserable and poor and blind and naked, ” (Revelation 3:15–17, NAS)

Sadly, each of these belief systems is alive and well.  Some operate covertly, others under different names, but be sure they are thriving.

Legalism

First up, is my favorite and yours, please give a big round of applause to legalism. Let’s define our terms so we are all on the same page.  I’m going to stick with an easy definition.  Legalism is salvation by means of human achievement.  Simple enough, but let’s clarify the implications.  Here’s what I mean.  We all know that salvation is spoken of in scripture as a past, present and future act.

• Justified at a point in time in the past.
• Sanctification as an ongoing work presently.
• Glorification as the final perfecting work in the future.

There is the kind of legalism that arose in the early church having to do with the mingling of circumcision as a prerequisite for the justification of gentile converts.  This was an action that was plainly rebuked by Paul and others in the NT.  As equally as repugnant is the form of legalism that is in view here.  “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ” (Colossians 2:16, ESV)

Paul states that in light of all that I’ve just gotten done telling you, don’t let anyone set themselves up as your judge.  Let me ask us all a question, given all our study so far, who is the judge over all the earth and its inhabitants?  If you said Christ you just won your freedom.  The man or tradition that you permit to act as your judge will be your master.  It is him that you will answer to.  It is him that you will seek approval from.  We are to be held captive by Christ and Christ alone.  These particular men set themselves up as the arbiters over the spiritual well being of Colossian believers by passing judgment on two areas of their lives.

1. Diet
2. Days

The reference to what the Colossian believers were eating and drinking most likely had to do with OT dietary laws.  Those Levitical laws were never considered meritorious as they pertained to salvation, but were merely external signs given to mark God’s people as distinct from the nations surrounding them.  These OT symbols had been abrogated by virtue of the new covenant.  The fact that we know that these laws were no longer in force can be seen in vision Peter saw in Acts 10.

“On the next day, as they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the housetop about the sixth hour to pray. But he became hungry and was desiring to eat; but while they were making preparations, he fell into a trance; and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground, and there were in it all kinds of four-footed animals and crawling creatures of the earth and birds of the air. A voice came to him, “Get up, Peter, kill and eat!” But Peter said, “By no means, Lord, for I have never eaten anything unholy and unclean.” Again a voice came to him a second time, “What God has cleansed, no longer consider unholy.” This happened three times, and immediately the object was taken up into the sky. ”

These visions primary message was to confirm the opening of the door of salvation to the Gentiles, but the choice of metaphors to demonstrate it was illustrative as well.  The abolition of the dietary laws was formally affirmed later at the Jerusalem Council which is recorded in Acts 15.  “The kingdom of God is not eating and drinking”.  Nor does it consist in the observance of special days.  Whether they be the festivals of Passover, Tabernacles, Lights or the Sabbath.  Compliance with these dates on the calendar contributed not a single lick to their justification or sanctification.  Paul refers to all of these as “merely shadows”, not the real thing.  When you set off on a trip to Disney World, as soon as you get onto I95 you will see a sign for Orlando, FL 602 miles.  The sign serves to provide anticipation for your final destination, but you wouldn’t pull over and rejoice and cling to the sign.  It’s just a shadow of that which is to come.  “These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ” (Colossians 2:17, ESV)  Who cares about that stuff now?  It’s ancient history.  It’s serves to instruct us how God dealt with His people in times past, but the destination and fulfillment for which all of those signs pointed to is now here.  How foolish to cling to the sign.  Cling to Christ.

Mysticism

So what exactly is a mystic?  It may conjure up in your mind visions of swamis with bath towels wrapped around their heads chanting around a chanting around a crystal ball.  And yea that is pretty mystical sounding to me too, but often it manifests itself in far more subtle ways.  Try these on for size and see how they fit.

• God gave me this message especially for you tonight
• The Lord put it on my heart to start a cake baking ministry
• Another one here********

Each of these smack of a mystic feel because they necessarily contain revelation exclusive to the individual.  Mysticism at its core is a belief in subjective experiences that are self authenticating and independent from any objective truth, namely scripture.  Paul writes, “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God. ” (Colossians 2:18–19, ESV).  It’s quite a racket to be sure.  The shaman, witch doctor or in our case the pastor, tells us that he has been uniquely spoken to by God to be the deliverer of special revelation.  Let me give you an example.

Gail Riplinger is one of the leading proponents of a movement called King James Onlyism, which sole tenet is that the KJV of the Bible is the only uncorrupted and proper translation of the scriptures.  She has written several books on the topic.  One of the more fascinating and hard to understand proofs she presents to aid in this assertion is something she calls Acrostic Algebra.  This is a chart from her book New Age Bible Versions (p. 149).

What exactly is acrostic algebra you might ask?  Dr James White asked her the same question in a radio debate in 1993.

I began by asking about the “acrostic algebra”… I had never heard of “acrostic algebra,” so I asked Gail what it was, and why it was that while she consistently used the abbreviation NASB throughout the book, to make her “algebra” work she switched to the abbreviation NASV. Her response was tremendously revealing. She first indicated that “the Lord gave that to me one night.” Hence, “acrostic algebra” is a revelation given by God to Gail Riplinger.  Obviously, then, the validity of such an argument cannot possibly be evaluated. When asked about the switch from the NASB to the NASV, we were told that “the Lord calls it the NASV.”

How exactly do we as children of God evaluate a subjective revelation from someone?  If this was the OT when God was in the habit of giving particular revelation to individuals, we all knew whether what the guy said was correct because it actually came to pass.  “when a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the word does not come to pass or come true, that is a word that the LORD has not spoken; the prophet has spoken it presumptuously. You need not be afraid of him. ” (Deuteronomy 18:22, ESV)

The Colossian believers nor us are in any need of hidden knowledge or special revelation of any sort from any man.  There are no hidden mysteries for us to seek out.  Why do you think Paul wrote in 1:25-26 “the stewardship from God that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery hidden for ages and generations but now revealed to his saints. ” and in 2:2 “that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, ”.  It’s as if he’s saying, “come on people, are you serious?  All the fulness of deity dwells bodily in the person of Christ, who is the Sovereign Lord over all, even the head of the body, which is the Church.  Don’t you dare let these empty headed, power hungry, sensually driven charlatans take what God has given to you.”  Let’s hear from Peter on the issue.

“His divine power has granted to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of him who called us to his own glory and excellence, by which he has granted to us his precious and very great promises, so that through them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped from the corruption that is in the world because of sinful desire. ” (2 Peter 1:3–4, ESV)

So be careful, every mystic does not carry tarot cards, some might be carrying a King James Bible.

Asceticism

Now let’s look at asceticism.  It’s the least familiar ism to us.  According to Eerdman’s Bible Dictionary, asceticism is a philosophy that “denotes strict self-control as a means of spiritual discipline”.  Didn’t help, how bout this one?  No Pain, No Gain.  That’s essentially the meaning.  The more comforts you can withhold or in some cases pains you can inflict the better, towards heightening your spiritual awareness.

“If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? ” (Colossians 2:20–22, ESV)

In the 5^th century Simeon played this out.  Reportedly under the influence of his mother Martha, he developed a zeal for Christianity at the age of 13, following a lecture of the Beatitudes. He subjected himself to ever-increasing bodily austerities from an early age, especially fasting, and entered a monastery before the age of 16.  On one occasion, moving nearby, he commenced a severe regimen of fasting for Great Lent and was visited by the head of the monastery, who left him some water and loaves. A number of days later, Simeon was discovered unconscious, with the water and loaves untouched. When he was brought back to the monastery, it was discovered that he had bound his waist with a girdle made of palm fronds so tightly that days of soaking were required to remove the fibres from the wound formed. At this, Simeon was requested to leave the monastery.  In order to get away from the ever increasing number of people who frequently came to him for prayers and advice, leaving him little if any time for his private austerities, Simeon discovered a pillar which had survived amongst ruins, formed a small platform at the top, and upon this determined to live out his life. It has been stated that, as he seemed to be unable to avoid escaping the world horizontally, he may have thought it an attempt to try to escape it vertically. For sustenance small boys from the village would climb up the pillar and pass him small parcels of flat bread and goats milk.  This first pillar was little more than four meters high, but his well-wishers subsequently replaced it with others, the last in the series being apparently over 15 meters from the ground.  After spending 39 years on his pillar, Simeon died on 2 September 459. He inspired many imitators, and, for the next century, ascetics living on pillars were a common sight throughout the area.  He has the distinction of holding the Guinness record for the longest pole sit.

As you might be able to imagine, there is a bleed over from both the legalist and mystical worlds in the life of the ascetic.  Strict adherence to man-made observances that brought special knowledge.  I’m gonna throw another ism at you that was the foundation of asceticism, that is dualism.  The teachings of dualism go back to the teachings of Plato and Aristotle.  Its very premise had to do with the pursuit of freeing the mind or spirit from the prison of its body.  And as you might be able to guess, the ascetic’s pursuit of self depravation and punishment of the body was his key to enlightenment.  It is a useless pursuit in that it focuses all of its attention upon “things that are destined to perish”.  Paul points out the pointlessness of physical pursuits in vs.22 “These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

The nineteenth-century Scottish preacher Alexander McClaren wrote, “Any asceticism is a great deal more to men’s taste than abandoning self. They will rather stick hooks in their backs than give up their sins and yield up their wills. There is only one thing that will put the collar on the neck of the animal within us and that is the power of the indwelling Christ. Ascetic religion is godless, for its practitioners essentially worship themselves.

The children of God are complete in Christ and lack nothing.  Therefore we cling to and follow hard after Him.

-R.C. Sproul, Saved From What?, p.27

Here is the Word .doc for the following lesson. Colossians Study 8

Mastery

Thus far in the epistle, Paul has made only feigned references to the insidious nature of the heresies facing his readers.  Let’s consider a few of them.

“asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding. ” (Colossians 1:9, NIV)

“He is the image of the invisible God… all things were created by him and for him. ” (Colossians 1:15–16, NIV)

“For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, ” (Colossians 1:19, NIV)

“God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. ” (Colossians 1:25–26, NIV)

“My purpose … that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ” (Colossians 2:2–3, NIV)

Each of these verses, singularly and as a whole build a big and beautiful picture of an all powerful and sufficient Saviour and Lord.  And if the letter ended here, the Colossians would’ve been as blessed to receive it as we are to read it now.  All that has been written thus far can stand on its own as the greatest and fullest descriptions of the supremacy of Christ in all of scripture.  But there is more.  And the more we read, the more we are given to understand that Paul’s choice of words are quite intentional with respect to the troubles that are being faced by his first century readers.  The great truths that they have been instructed in are going to make an equally great difference as to how they react to their present difficulties.  That which he has said so far, about the person and work of Christ, are going to have very practical repercussions as they face their trouble.  Speaking of practical.

A real pet peeve of mine is when I hear of a Church that advertises the idea that they preach “practical or relevant messages”.  I always want to ask “what the heck other kind is there?”  Of course I know what they mean when they say that.  They mean they are going to take a contemporary topic that strikes their fancy, back their way into an unrelated piece of scripture and proof text it til they’re all quite certain that the Bible was written for the expressed purpose of addressing their particular situation.  In the end, most people want to be told to do something, and more importantly, told exactly what to do.  This is why we hear bandied about the phrase that “The Bible is an instruction manual for living”.  I believe this to be an incredibly vile characterization of God’s revelation of Himself.  As if we hold in our hands the equivalent of the setup directions for our new gas grill.  The Bible is the very breathe of God put into words for the purpose of revealing the resplendent person, nature and work of the Godhead.  Having already condescended Himself to be understood in written form, we do a great disservice to Him in our efforts to further condescend Him to the disinterested and unbelieving.  For the child of God, the greatest desire that we should approach the Word of God with is that we might know Him.  And having known Him, loving what we know and desiring more and more and more.

As we have said many times through this series in Colossians, knowing God more intimately is our desire.  And we recognize that none of us live in a vacuum, Oreck, Hoover or otherwise.  We all live, breathe, eat, love and hurt in a real flesh and blood dying world.  Existentialism is not what we are after.  We do not strive after God to think upon Him only.  We follow after Him as a means to an end.  And that end is Him.   A true understanding of our Holy God, far from being “puffed up knowledge”, is the most practical and relevant thoughts that we can think.

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.” (Colossians 2:8–15, NIV)

I want us to focus upon a single word here in our text tonite.  And that is the word captive.  In vs.8 it appears as a verb that carries with it the traditional definition of “carrying off as booty or as a prisoner in wartime” or “to control completely, to take control of, to make a captive of”.  I would argue that captivity is not the question for us, but our captor.  For all men serve someone.

“knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ” (Romans 6:6, NAS)

“For they themselves report about us what kind of a reception we had with you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve a living and true God, ” (1 Thessalonians 1:9, NAS)

“But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again? ” (Galatians 4:9, NAS)

“But now we have been released from the Law, having died to that by which we were bound, so that we serve in newness of the Spirit and not in oldness of the letter. ” (Romans 7:6, NAS)

Freedom is really an allusion.  The vilest reprobate will declare his freedom from within his chains of sin, but he is totally and completely unable to see and savor that which is most to be desired, namely God.  And for all of our talk of being “free in Christ”, we understand, or at least we should, that we are his slaves.  How’s that for a paradox for you?  We are free to see, savor and yes, serve Him.  We were unable to do this until God enabled us to.  So you see, slavery is not the problem, at issue is the master.  Put another way, whose slave are you?

Slavery is a distasteful and repugnant word to us.  In our own country’s experience it brings to mind images of auction blocks, shackles, whipped backs and the like.  Families bred, split up and sold off to the highest bidder all for the sake economic stability.  The avoidance of the term slave extends throughout most all of our English translations of the Bible.  In our effort to avoid the discomfort associated with the word, we have lost the impact of understanding our status before God is that of property.  He owns us.

“Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you have been bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body. ” (1 Corinthians 6:19–20, NAS)

“And they sang a new song, saying, “Worthy are You to take the book and to break its seals; for You were slain, and purchased for God with Your blood men from every tribe and tongue and people and nation. ” (Revelation 5:9, NAS)

And no passage of scripture makes this point any plainer than that spoken by Christ in His Sermon on the Mount.

““No one can be a slave to two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to one and despise the other. You cannot be a slave to both God and wealth. ” (Matthew 6:24, literal translation)

Whose slave are you?

Warning vs.8

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. ” (Colossians 2:8, NIV)

This is the beginning of the warnings against the false teachings that have been making their way through the Colossian and surrounding churches.  Verse 8 serves as a general “shot over the bow” for all the specific manifestations of this teaching that will be discussed in more detail to come.  At issue here is wisdom, and more specifically what kind of wisdom, which is to say, its source.  The word philosophy, as it appears it our text, comes from two Greek words, phileō, “to love,” and sophia, “wisdom.”  There is nothing wrong with wisdom.  In fact, far from it, wisdom is spoken of repeatedly in scripture as something to be greatly desired.

“How blessed is the man who finds wisdom And the man who gains understanding. ” (Proverbs 3:13, NAS)

“Wisdom strengthens a wise man more than ten rulers who are in a city. ” (Ecclesiastes 7:19, NAS)

It is upon Paul’s lips each time he reveals the contents of his prayers.

“For this reason also, since the day we heard of it, we have not ceased to pray for you and to ask that you may be filled with the knowledge of His will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ” (Colossians 1:9, NAS)

“that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you a spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of Him. ” (Ephesians 1:17, NAS)

But just as much as true Godly wisdom is to be sought after, false wisdom is to be rejected.

“For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel, not in cleverness of speech, so that the cross of Christ would not be made void. ” (1 Corinthians 1:17, NAS)

“But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth. This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. ” (James 3:14–15, NAS)

You see, the door swings both ways.  And the wisdom you submit to will be your captor.  Paul characterizes the wisdom of the false teachers as vain, empty deceptions.  He goes on to further define their wisdom in the following ways.

• It is according “to the traditions of men” So much of human’s religiosity is cultural, not biblical (cf. Isa. 29:13; Col. 2:23). Often we pass on what we have received without checking the Bible for ourselves!  Just because people have believed something and handed it down through the years does not make it true. Tradition usually serves merely to perpetuate error.
• It is according “to the basic principles of this world”, ceremonialism, meats, drinks, washings, asceticism and pagan symbolic mysteries each typify very crude carnal activities which will be brought out in the verses to follow.

Those that pursue this brand of wisdom will be in the words of Paul to Timothy:

“holding to a form of godliness, although they have denied its power; Avoid such men as these…led on by various impulses, always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth. ” (2 Timothy 3:5,7, NAS)

The warning is plain. Do not be held captive by worldly wisdom.

The instructions are equally plain. Be held captive by Christ’s wisdom.

The next seven verses are set as an explanation as to why.  Why is Christ better?  Is it just Paul’s opinion?  Does that brand of wisdom just happen to work better for Paul?

The Reasons

Now that it’s time to explain why Christ is better than the wisdom and philosophies of the world, I want you to understand that Paul returns to his Christology of 1:15-20.  Who said theology isn’t practical.  Far from being impractical, it is indispensable.  Now that Paul turns the Colossians attentions towards the problems they are facing at home, he presents that which he has already taught them as the solution.  Each of the answers the Paul presents in these seven verses are responses to questions posed by the heretics in their midst.  The fact that Paul restates 1:15 “He is the image of the invisible God”, by saying “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ” means that this fact has been questioned by the false teachers.  Possibly a reference to vs.18 where a “worship of angels” is mentioned.  Do not however get the impression that Paul is in a debate class with the heretics.  That somehow each of them is offering their equally valid positions for consideration.  The presentation of Christ in these seven verses is meant to utterly decimate the arguments of this and every other false wisdom, 1^st century or 21^st.

1. Christ Is God vs.9 — “For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, ”
   There is no divinity that exists outside of Christ.  This is why not only salvation cannot be found outside of Him, but true wisdom does not exist outside of Him.
2. Christ Fills Us vs.10 — “and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ”
   The verbal form of the noun fullness from the previous verse is used to describe our union with Christ.  He who is the absolute, sovereign Lord over all people, powers and property, remember 1:16 “For by him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things were created by him and for him. ”, has fully completed us.  John MacArthur says it this way.
   At salvation, believers become “partakers of the divine nature” (2 Pet. 1:4) and are made complete.  Believers are spiritually complete because they have fellowship with God. They are morally complete in that they recognize the authority of God’s will.  They are mentally complete because they know the truth about ultimate reality.  To maintain that those who were made complete in Christ still lacked anything is absurd.  Those who are “partakers of the divine nature” have, through “His divine power,” been “granted… everything pertaining to life and godliness” (2 Pet. 1:3).  All true believers are complete in Christ and do not need the teachings of any cult or false teacher.
3. Christ Releases Us vs.11 — “In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, ”
   Proper interpretation of this verse is rooted in the OT understanding of the rite of circumcision.  A biblical view recognizes the physical act of circumcision as an outward demonstration of an acknowledgment of a need for cleansing from sin.  All that man produces is sinful and his greatest and most visible perpetuation of that is by means of reproducing the sinful species.  Thus the part of the anatomy God choose to demonstrate the sign.  The fact that this act was not saving but only symbolic is made abundantly clear in the OT itself.  “Moreover the LORD your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your descendants, to love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul, so that you may live. ” (Deuteronomy 30:6, NAS)  The outward act was meant to show forth an inward heart.

   In stark contrast to the powerless act of outward circumcision, Christ has cleansed us of our sinful nature and loosed us from the bondage and chains of sin that we had so long dwelt in.  We have been made free from sin to serve the Living God.  But if Christ has truly “put off our sinful nature”, then why do I continue to do what I do?  Paul laments with us in Romans 7.

   “For I do not understand my own actions. For I do not do what I want, but I do the very thing I hate. Now if I do what I do not want, I agree with the law, that it is good. So now it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. For I know that nothing good dwells in me, that is, in my flesh. For I have the desire to do what is right, but not the ability to carry it out. For I do not do the good I want, but the evil I do not want is what I keep on doing. Now if I do what I do not want, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells within me. So I find it to be a law that when I want to do right, evil lies close at hand. For I delight in the law of God, in my inner being, but I see in my members another law waging war against the law of my mind and making me captive to the law of sin that dwells in my members. ” (Romans 7:15–23, ESV)

   The “new creature” as Paul calls us in II Corinthians is still robed in unredeemed flesh.  So we wage our war against the flesh, but we do not war with our flesh.  The battle we fight is done through the empowerment of Christ

4. Christ Empowers Us vs.12 — “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the power of God, who raised Him from the dead. “
   Paul steps out of the OT symbol of circumcision to the NT symbol of baptism.  In a similar manner, baptism serves as the outward manifestation of the inward union with the sufferings, death, burial and resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ.  For the believer it is how we assert death to the old man and newness of life to the awakened man that God has empowered to serve Him.
5. Christ Cleanses Us vs.13-14 — “When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. “
   While we were yet dead.  Not hurt, nor sick, nor diseased, nor merely impaired, but dead.  It was in this condition that God came upon us.  It was in this condition of deadness that God looked at us.  Wallowing in the vileness of our rebellious acts and the uncleanness of our sinful passions. It was there that God, owing nothing to the dead rebellious sinner, made us alive.  He took all the violations of the many citations, laws, statutes, edicts and commands that we had broken and all the many debts we had accrued because of our transgressions against him and cancelled them.  All this that stood against us Paul says was nailed to the cross.  John Piper asks “How was this damning record nailed to the cross? Parchment was not nailed to the cross. Christ was. So Christ became my damning record of bad (and good) deeds. He endured my damnation”
6. Christ Triumphs vs.15 — “And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.”
   In a use of very vivid language Paul tells us of Jesus Christ’s humiliation of his enemies by explaining that he has disarmed, or more literally, disrobed them publicly.  The illustration of the Roman victory parade is used as imagery.  This is when a triumphant general would march through the city streets towing the defeating and bedraggled foes of his conquest behind him.

Paul’s presentation is complete.  The question of who is your rightful master is plain and unambiguous.  Let’s read it one last time so as to not miss the overwhelming flood of exultation for Christ and his work.

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him. ” (Colossians 2:8–15, ESV)

To worship such defeated and humiliated beings would be the height of folly.  Christ is the Master and Lord.  In light of this we are to, in the words of Paul from 1:10, “walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.”

Here is the Word .doc for the following lesson. Colossians Study 7

Walk

As we begin to step into the second chapter of this epistle to the Colossian believers, it would be a good idea to look back at where we’ve come.  Sometimes in our diligence to thoroughly study a book of scripture, we end up losing the theme of it at the expense of its parts.  It’s easy to find meaning in a verse or two that place it in conflict with the book in which it is found.  This is why it’s important, when it’s possible, to read through the book you are studying in its entirety, repeatedly.  It helps keep us from compartmentalizing the pieces and missing the forest for the trees.  What has taken us 6 hours to cover in study would take us 3 minutes to read.   And it is in those broad sweeps that we are able to return our eyes to the whole of a book.  Which in the case of Colossians is the Supremacy of Christ.

To be sure, the entirety of scripture can be said to be all about Christ.  But we do understand that themematically, different portions of the Bible have varying focuses.  And Paul’s letter to Colossae would have to be considered one of the most, if not the most, Christ-centered book in the Bible.  Consider what he has said thus far.

He opens his letter by greeting the “saints in Christ at Colossae”.  Then proceeds to gush forth thanksgiving to God upon hearing that they have come to “faith in Christ Jesus”.  And that the message of the good news of Christ that they heard and believed is also going out to the rest of the world.  Paul then turns from thanksgiving to prayer as he asks that God would fill them with wisdom in order that they live worthily of the Lord Jesus Christ.  Praising God that He has transferred them from a life of darkness to the Kingdom of His beloved Son.  What follows next is one of the most comprehensive, superlative laden, all encompassing descriptions of the power and majesty of Jesus Christ found anywhere in the text of scripture.  In fact it is vv.15-20 that makes up what I would consider to be the theme of Paul’s letter.

“He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation, for all things in heaven and on earth were created by him – all things, whether visible or invisible, whether thrones or dominions, whether principalities or powers – all things were created through him and for him. He himself is before all things and all things are held together in him. He is the head of the body, the church, as well as the beginning, the firstborn from among the dead, so that he himself may become first in all things. For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in the Son and through him to reconcile all things to himself by making peace through the blood of his cross – through him, whether things on earth or things in heaven.” (Colossians 1:15–20, NET)

Standing upon this platform, Paul lays out the all-sufficient reconciling work of Christ in vv.21-23, the sanctifying work of suffering in vv.24-25 and the revealed mystery of Christ and the Church in the remainder of chapter one.  This serves as the foundation and authority for everything else to come in this epistle.  Having been blown away by the awesome scope of Christ’s dominion and power over ALL things, how could this church not sit enraptured at the reading of this letter written to them?  A letter that is about to get very specific about issues, troubles and concerns that they are facing right then.

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. ” (Colossians 2:1–7, ESV)

Agony (vs.1)

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ” (Colossians 2:1, ESV)

Paul’s words in these verses continue his thoughts from vv.28-29 in the preceding chapter.  The proclamation of the Gospel and associated labor he is expending on behalf of his readers is done so that they might hear, understand and be made perfect by the gospel.  He expresses the sheer agony that he has endured on behalf of not only the Colossians, but the nearby church at Laodicea and others whom he has never visited.  The love of the apostle was not limited to those he personally knew; it extended to all who had not met him personally.  The mention of Laodicea (also in 4:16) indicates that the heresy had spread there too, though it was probably centered in Colosse.

As we learned last week when discussing why Paul found joy in his suffering, he states again that pain that has purpose is of great worth to him.  He is aware of the great dangers that they face.  This is why he has labored so diligently in proclaiming the Gospel.  This same Gospel that will present them perfect in Christ one day will also bring them encouragement, unity and understanding

Encouragement, Unity & Understanding (vs.2)

“I want them to be encouraged and knit together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself.” (Colossians 2:2, NLT)

Paul uses the word parakaleo to express the consolation that he wishes for these believers.  This is the same root word used in John’s Gospel to give name, by way of His role, to the Holy Spirit (helper).

““I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Helper, that He may be with you forever; ” (John 14:16, NAS)

““But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you. ” (John 14:26, NAS)

““When the Helper comes, whom I will send to you from the Father, that is the Spirit of truth who proceeds from the Father, He will testify about Me, ” (John 15:26, NAS)

Its basic meaning is to “call alongside for help and encouragement.” It was a metaphor from the Roman legal system; the concept of a defense lawyer comes from this word.  This shared comfort would inevitably bring them together to be of like mind.  The unity he desires for them harkens back to his metaphor for the Church as a physical body.  Dependence and care amongst the several parts of the body is actually the contributor towards the encouragement Paul seeks.  Listen to how the .NET translates it, “My goal is that their hearts, having been knit together in love, may be encouraged”.

Paul wants them to be encouraged and unified, but above all he desires them to have understanding.  This isn’t the first time we’ve heard this and it certainly will not be the last.

“understood the truth about God’s wonderful grace” vs.6

“asking God to fill you with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, ” (Colossians 1:9, NET)

“growing in the knowledge of God” vs.10

Paul’s longing for them to understand the truths of the Gospel are reflected in his commitment in proclaiming it to them in vs.28

“ We proclaim him by instructing and teaching all people with all wisdom so that we may present every person mature in Christ. ” (Colossians 1:28, NET)

Paul does not view knowledge of the Holy as a hindrance to Godly living but the secret to it.  We error greatly when we divorce serious study and meditation upon the person of God from the Christian life.  Our understanding of God is to fuel our behaviour.  Paul states that there are great riches that lie at the door of the person who understands the mystery of God.  Of course the same Paul who speaks of suffering as joy doesn’t imply money when he says riches.  The wealth that lies in store is an understanding of the person of Christ.  Would you take any amount of money as substitute for a fuller understanding of Christ?  Is there a desire within you that is greater than that of knowing Christ?  Paul didn’t think so.

“In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace ” (Ephesians 1:7, NAS)

“I pray that the eyes of your heart may be enlightened, so that you will know what is the hope of His calling, what are the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, ” (Ephesians 1:18, NAS)

“so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus. ” (Ephesians 2:7, NAS)

“To me, the very least of all saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ, ” (Ephesians 3:8, NAS)

These are not pie in the sky riches that are of no real worth.  For the believer who truly counts Christ as their treasure, a greater knowledge of Him surpasses all other things.  God’s mystery from eternity past revealed, known and understood.  Christ Jesus in us, Our hope of glory.

Hidden Treasure (vs.3)

“ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ” (Colossians 2:3, NET)

Paul is about to launch into his arguments against the false teachings that are attempting to gain a foothold in the Colossian, Laodicean and other nearby churches.  As if he was driving a nail into the wall, Paul will use this verse as the springboard upon which he will defeat every false argument thrown against him.  The focus of all the heresies making their way through the Church had to do with a group of people who were peddling some secret knowledge that was acquirable only by those who participated in their mystical programs.  His statement here is deliberate and to the point.  ALL WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE is found ONLY IN CHRIST.  And I don’t mean that all spiritual wisdom and knowledge is found in Christ.  Or all good advise about religious matters are found only is Christ.  I mean that Christ, the Creator, Ruler, Sovereign and Lord over all things is the source from which all understanding flows.  In making this grand all encompassing statement, Paul has not only placed a shot across the bow of their battleship, he has sunk it.  Referring to their secret forms of spirituality, Paul takes a swipe at them by stating what was God’s mystery for ages is now fully revealed.  God’s mystery is a person, God’s plan is a person, and God’s salvation is a person, not human knowledge or effort.

Warning (vs.4)

So sure and complete are the treasure of knowing Christ that Paul readily identifies them as the bulwark against the deceitful arguments that are attempting to ensnare them.

“I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.” (Colossians 2:4, NLT)

This deception was perpetrated by means of eloquent reasoning, plausible arguments and/or persuasive speech. False teachers are usually logical, attractive, persuasive individuals (so different from Paul).

“And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God. ” (1 Corinthians 2:1–5, NAS)

Within this first century warning is a reminder to us as well.  While heresy is sometimes glaring and easy to identify, it is oftentimes subtle.  Let me give you a couple of things that almost always appear within the frameworks of false teachers.  They’ll deny two things, they’ll deny the deity of Christ, and they’ll deny His sufficiency to save.  They might agree that Christ saves, but mark it down, there will be a “but” in there.  A big “but” or little “but” makes no difference.  The mere presence of a “but” or an “and” for that matter changes everything.  And sometimes that altering of Christ’s power to save pertains to the saving work in sanctification, not justification.  Those additions that are thrown in along your Christian walk are just as hideous.

But the point is not that these errors are powerful and convincing.  The point is that a humble, unyielding confidence in the treasures of Christ are superior in every way to the potions and spells of these charlatans.

Present (vs.5)

“ For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ. ” (Colossians 2:5, NET)

Quite often we hear the words “I’m thinking about you” or the Christian equivalent “I’m praying for you” when someone is trying to express identification with you about a place or situation of difficulty that you find yourself in.  Paul finds himself unable to come to them because of his imprisonment, but that doesn’t mean that he has resorted to sentimental quips of comfort.  He readily admits that he can’t be there in person, but that doesn’t hinder his ability to help them.  The fervency of prayer in which he has already written of in the previous chapter has proven effectual in accomplishing what God had ordained for them.  Namely, that their faith in Christ proves firm to weather the storm.  John MacArthur comments on this verse:

Taxis (good discipline) and stereōma (stability) are both military terms, perhaps suggested by Paul’s close contact with Roman soldiers during his imprisonment (cf. Acts 28:16; Phil. 1:13). Taxis refers to a line of soldiers drawn up for battle, whereas stereōma refers to the solidity of a formation of soldiers. Taken together, they express Paul’s joy that individually and collectively the Colossians were standing firm against the attacks of false teaching. His goal for them is that they remain settled in their present true understanding, and not yield to doubt from those attacks.

Walk (vv.6-7)

Well the time has come.  The referee has read the boxers the instructions in the center of the ring.  Each has returned to his corner awaiting the opening bell.  This is where the trainer leans over to his fighter to whisper one last piece of advice.  The one thing that if held onto, will bring him back victorious.  As soon as the bell rings there is no time for strategy or training.  That time is over.  Paul has prepared the believers in Colossae well.  Now all is left is to live in what they have learned.

“Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. ” (Colossians 2:6–7, ESV)

You remember how you came to Christ?  The only way anyone comes to faith in Christ is as a blind, deaf, beggarly cripple.  Thankful for any morsel of mercy that the Master has to offer.  We come absolutely dependent upon His provision that we are unable to live and breathe without Him.  We sadly become all too independent as the days go by.

Paul’s words to them are to remember the utter dependence that brought them to Christ, and to continue to live the same way.  Our life depends upon nearness to Christ.  How is it that one moment we were dead in our trespasses and sin and clinging to Christ that he might grant us repentance and faith, and the next find ourselves living utterly independent lives away from reliance upon Him.  That which gave us life, continues to give us life.  Paul says we are to live now in the same manner we began to live in.  The way the scuba diver clings to his oxygen tank.  The way the sky diver treasures his parachute.  It is life, He is life.

Here is the Word .doc for the following lesson. Colossians Study 6

Mystery

There is something about a mystery that intrigues us.  It has fueled worldwide exploration, sold millions of tickets at the box office and sadly driven many into bottomless pits of despair looking for spiritual rest.  Such is the backdrop in the Colossian Church.  A group of unregenerate snake-oil salesman are attempting to pawn off a system of spiritualism that is attained by mystical experiences.  And as luck would have it, they were the only ones who knew the ceremonies that needed to be observed in order to reach the next level of enlightenment.  A convenient system for the powerful elite that keeps its subjects continually under thumb looking for their next ecstatic experience.  It is upon this stage that the Apostle Paul presents one of the great unsolved dramas “that has been kept hidden from ages and generations”, Col 1:26.  Let’s read our text.

“Now I rejoice in what was suffered for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church. I have become its servant by the commission God gave me to present to you the word of God in its fullness— the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. ” (Colossians 1:24–29, NIV)

Paul will continue his focus upon the Church, first spoken of in vs.18.  The word Church has become synonymous with many things today.  Some good, some bad.  But for the purposes of this study, let’s use Paul’s metaphor of a body to derive our purpose as a church.  Christ is our head and we as his body carry out His wishes.

It’s hard to diminish how important this letter would’ve been to the besieged believers at Colossae.  We really have no perspective on what it meant to be a member of a church body in the first century.  In a culture that thrived upon its caste system, a NT Church was literally a three ringed circus.  Men and women, rich and poor, priest and prostitute all gathered together in this strange new collection of people committed to following the teachings of a dead rabbi from Galilee.  As you would imagine, this group of people quickly became the social pariahs of their day.  Contrast that with the relative ease in which we live as a church today.  In fact I’m not entirely sure what the believers in Colossae even understood about their gathering.  What I mean to say is, just how much did they understand about what a church was?  We live this side of a completed canon and a multitude of books on the topic.  They had to be overjoyed to learn that this crowd of people that had assembled was not merely an accidental get-together based on common interests, but a sovereignly ordained and called out people collected to manifest one of the great unrevealed mysteries of the Old Testament.  There’s was not a congregation of chance.  To that end, let’s look at Paul’s news to them and try to imagine what it must’ve meant to them.  And in so doing, more fully grasp what it should mean to us.

1. Suffering for The Church – vs.24
2. Stewardship of The Church – vs.25
3. Mystery of The Church –vv.26-27
4. Preaching to The Church – vs.28a
5. Perfecting of The Church – vv.28b
6. Empowerment of The Church – vs.29

Suffering for The Church – vs.24

Before us lies what many consider to be one of the more difficult verses in our NT to properly interpret.  While the language on its face may cause us to furrow our brow, when you consider its context and Paul’s other epistles, the meaning becomes plain.

“Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions. ” (Colossians 1:24, NAS)

I’ll call this the part of the Good News that we don’t like.  I initially went the direction of contrasting our distaste for suffering as opposed to the early Church’s, but then I read this verse.

“Beloved, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; ” (1 Peter 4:12, NAS)

So these dispersed believers were apparently no more excited about the prospect than most of us are today.  So what’s with being happy for getting beaten up?  I’ve known people, who it seems, made it their mission to behave in such a way that conflict followed them wherever they went.  And I mean conflict for conflict’s sake.  Not “contending for the Gospel” as Jude said, but being contentious for the Gospel.  We ought not to be known for being hard to get along with.  Light will reprove darkness sure enough, without us trying to find extra ways to tick people off.  This is not the kind of suffering Paul is writing about.  The sufferings Paul writes about came upon him as a by-product of being God’s spokesmen to the Gentiles.  Forgive me for quoting Vance Havner, but its been said that a new Christian once asked him if he ought to get rid of all his old friends now, to which Mr Havner replied, “don’t worry about that, if you live like a Christian they’ll get rid of you soon enough”.  In fact, Paul wrote as much to Timothy, “everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, ” (2 Timothy 3:12, NIV).

That being said, why does Paul seem to enjoy suffering?  Suffering is not enjoyable.  Paul was not a masochist.  The rejoicing is all about the purpose that if fulfills.  If I were to say to you that I’ve planned a weekend of fun where I have arranged for you to go to WakeMed and

1. Complete a medical history form and receive a full physical
2. Have a series of laboratory and X-ray tests, as well as an EKG
3. A CT scan will also be completed
4. You will also meet with a surgeon and complete a psychosocial evaluation with a clinical social worker
5. After having completed these tests over the course of weeks you will then be wheeled into an operating room and put asleep while a surgeon slices you open and removes one of your organs.
6. Three weeks later you might be ready to return to work

Doesn’t sound like a lot of fun does it?  But what if that suffering gives life to your dying child?  Pure joy!  The pain has purpose that is indescribably more worthy than that of the suffering.  So Paul says my pain has brought me great pleasure.  I sit in a Roman prison because of my preaching of the Gospel of Christ.  That same Gospel that was heard by Epaphras and others in Ephesus and has given birth to the Church that I now have the pleasure of writing to.  Does my pain have a worthy purpose?  You bet it does.  And while that worth is indeed found in the individual members of that Colossian church, it is most supremely found in whom those people are a representation of, Christ’s body.  “for the sake of his body, which is the church”.  Paul’s secret to not only suffering well but suffering joyously is Christ.  He expressed it this way in Philipians 1:29, “For it has been granted to you on behalf of Christ not only to believe on him, but also to suffer for him”.  If Christ likeness is the object of our sanctification and coming glorification, which it is.  Then what greater means may we be fashioned into His image than by that which so typified His earthly life.

Missionaries in training with Gospel for Asia have spoken of the “privilege” they felt in suffering for Christ after being attacked on their Bible college campus in Mumbai, India, earlier in the month.  Seven students were seriously injured in the attack by suspected anti-Christian extremists on May 9.  They were preparing the evening meal when attackers armed with wooden sticks, iron rods and fluorescent light tubes stormed onto the campus, beating them and vandalizing the buildings.  The students tried to speak to the assailants and find out why they were attacking them but got no answer.  Hemanti Kashyap was injured when the attackers hit him in the stomach with an iron rod. He said the incident had given him the chance to live out the difficult lessons he had learned in Bible college.  “Through this situation I learned what the Bible means when it says, “Blessed are those who suffer for Christ,” he said. “This opposition was the test of my faith to march forward and to share the Gospel. They hit my stomach with an iron rod and I was injured, but I am grateful to the Lord Jesus who kept me safe to be a witness for Him.”  Sunil Pattanayap recalls the moment the attack began: “For a moment I was shocked about why this was happening to me. Then I understood that the time had come for me to glorify His name,” he said.  “It was my privilege to suffer for Christ and I am happy today because I can testify that God protected me and brought me safe from death to proclaim His Word and stand as a living testimony for Christ with a strong faith.

So as we approach the “difficult” part of this verse, I hope you’ve already begun to figure it out.  “what is lacking in the sufferings of Christ” has absolutely nothing to do with His atoning work.  The letter to the Hebrews makes that abundantly clear.

“For Christ did not enter a sanctuary made with hands – the representation of the true sanctuary – but into heaven itself, and he appears now in God’s presence for us. And he did not enter to offer himself again and again, the way the high priest enters the sanctuary year after year with blood that is not his own, for then he would have had to suffer again and again since the foundation of the world. But now he has appeared once for all at the consummation of the ages to put away sin by his sacrifice. ” (Hebrews 9:24–26, NET)

No more sacrifices are necessary or more importantly, accepted on behalf of sin.  What is lacking in Christ’s sufferings is not payment but presentation.  God in His great wisdom has seen fit that we as the bride of Christ serve as an ever-present reminder of the

• hideous nature of sin
• God’s impending wrath against it
• And His glorious victory over it by the death of His Son

Paul’s sufferings are designed to demonstrate the suffering saviour and the all sufficient nature of His salvation.

Stewardship of The Church – vs.25

Not only did God sovereignly ordain the Church, but He also placed the care of its creation and early growth into the hands of men of His own choosing.  Thus Paul identifies himself as such a man

“I became a servant of the church according to the stewardship from God – given to me for you – in order to complete the word of God”

Paul calls himself a servant or diakonos of the church, which is were we derive our word for deacon from.  And this service derives from the fact that God has given him a great responsibility.  The English word stewardship is actually a compound word in Greek made up of oikos (“house”) and nemō (“manage”).  It means to manage a household as a caretaker of someone else’s property.  It should be understood that while there is an implicit function of authority in overseeing the Church, the steward’s primary purpose is to serve.  And unlike many who have sought this position through Church history, Paul understood his role correctly.  “For if I preach the gospel, I have nothing to boast of, for I am under compulsion; for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel.” (1 Corinthians 9:16, NAS)

So again the Colossian church is reminded that God cares for them not only to sovereignly ordain their existence but to also place men in positions to care for and watch over them.  Paul says as much, “given to me for you”.  His service to Christ’s body is for their benefit.  Such are all the gifts of the spirit.  Our spiritual gifts are not intended for our own edification. They are given to help us minister to others in the body.  Paul’s gift in this regard was that of preaching the Word of God and seeing to it that the Church was guided rightly.

Mystery of The Church –vv.26-27

So now as the lights darken and organ music begins to eerily play in the background we come to the mystery theater portion of our text.   What surprises does Paul have up his sleeve for us?  Are we in store for a first century Hitchcock thriller?  It’s hardly that kind of mystery but the truth that will be revealed in this portion of text is more shocking than that of any Hitchcock thriller.  We need to remember that one of the backdrops that this revelation appears before is the heresy being taught by some in the Colossian church that a “fullness” of knowledge was possible only through their mystical experiences.

Although I was making a little fun with the Hitchcock thing, there had been a very real unknown aspect to just how God’s redemptive act was to play out.  Consider these portions of scripture for a moment.

“Concerning this salvation, the prophets, who spoke of the grace that was to come to you, searched intently and with the greatest care, trying to find out the time and circumstances to which the Spirit of Christ in them was pointing when he predicted the sufferings of Christ and the glories that would follow. It was revealed to them that they were not serving themselves but you, when they spoke of the things that have now been told you by those who have preached the gospel to you by the Holy Spirit sent from heaven. Even angels long to look into these things. ” (1 Peter 1:10–12, NIV)

After telling the parable of the soils Jesus said to His disciples,
“Jesus answered them, “To you it has been granted to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been granted. ” (Matthew 13:11, NAS)

““But blessed are your eyes, because they see; and your ears, because they hear. “For truly I say to you that many prophets and righteous men desired to see what you see, and did not see it, and to hear what you hear, and did not hear it. ” (Matthew 13:16–17, NAS)

So what we have here, according to the previous verse, is “the word of God in its fullness”.  Let’s look at it.

“the mystery that has been kept hidden for ages and generations, but is now disclosed to the saints. To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory. ” (Colossians 1:26–27, NIV)

If there has ever been anything written that should completely destroy my false notions of the Church and to stand in wonder of God’s wisdom, this is it.  From the days of Babel, when the differing nations were born out of abject sin and rebellion, God has had in His mind to call out people from every tongue to make up a new, eternal and holy nation called the Church.  All of the barriers of language and cultural animosities that we have spent so many years constructing would be destroyed by God.  As it is often said, there is no better commentary on scripture than scripture, Paul explains it in Ephesians.  And in fact, it is so plain that it hardly requires explanation.

“Therefore, remember that formerly you who are Gentiles by birth and called “uncircumcised” by those who call themselves “the circumcision” (that done in the body by the hands of men)— remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, excluded from citizenship in Israel and foreigners to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by abolishing in his flesh the law with its commandments and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new man out of the two, thus making peace, and in this one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which he put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through him we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God’s people and members of God’s household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In him the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in him you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit. For this reason I, Paul, the prisoner of Christ Jesus for the sake of you Gentiles— Surely you have heard about the administration of God’s grace that was given to me for you, that is, the mystery made known to me by revelation, as I have already written briefly. In reading this, then, you will be able to understand my insight into the mystery of Christ, which was not made known to men in other generations as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to God’s holy apostles and prophets. This mystery is that through the gospel the Gentiles are heirs together with Israel, members together of one body, and sharers together in the promise in Christ Jesus. I became a servant of this gospel by the gift of God’s grace given me through the working of his power. Although I am less than the least of all God’s people, this grace was given me: to preach to the Gentiles the unsearchable riches of Christ, and to make plain to everyone the administration of this mystery, which for ages past was kept hidden in God, who created all things. His intent was that now, through the church, the manifold wisdom of God should be made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly realms, according to his eternal purpose which he accomplished in Christ Jesus our Lord. In him and through faith in him we may approach God with freedom and confidence. ” (Ephesians 2:11–3:12, NIV)

Preaching to The Church – vs.28a

In the light of this glorious hope Paul busts out in response.

“We proclaim him, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom” (Colossians 1:28a, NIV)

This is God’s eternally chosen Church.  He would not allow them to be led astray by the Colossian charlatans.  To that end, God set Paul as a steward over this body to both warn and correct error (admonish) and also give forth correctly instruct (teaching) to all His church.  And this done with the totality of wisdom.  This will become evident later in the epistle when Paul writes,

“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. ” (Colossians 2:8–10, NIV)

Perfecting of The Church – vv.28b

The results of this work are both stunning and sure.

“so that we may present everyone perfect in Christ. ” (Colossians 1:28b, NIV)

I say stunning because look at where the Colossians, and us for that matter, have come from.

• “rescued from the dominion of darkness” 1:13
• “alienated from God and were enemies in your minds because of your evil behavior.” 1:21
• “dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature” 2:13

How is that they and we are able to overcome our vileness and wickedness to presented as perfect and mature in Christ?

It is in its sureness that we find our answer.  Paul wrote the Ephesians, “For he chose us in him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in his sight. ” (Ephesians 1:4, NIV).  Our current sanctification and future glorification are assured by an eternal and sovereign decree of God.  Genuine children of God will know both change in their life now and in the future.  This was also the desire of, “Epaphras, who is one of your number, a bondslave of Jesus Christ, sends you his greetings, always laboring earnestly for you in his prayers, that you may stand perfect and fully assured in all the will of God.” (Colossians 4:12, NAS)  The Colossian heretics believed perfection was only for the elite, and only attainable by secret societies.

But don’t miss that the means that He chose to employ to accomplish that decree was the admonishing and teaching of the Word of God by imperfect human vessels.  And it was not easy work.

Empowerment of The Church – vs.29

“To this end I labor, struggling with all his energy, which so powerfully works in me. ” (Colossians 1:29, NIV)

The work that was involved in Paul’s proclamation of the Gospel was intense.  The word he chose to describe it was ἀγωνίζομαι, which you can probably hear a recognizable English word in there.  Agonize.  Paul has not chosen the easy life, nor has Epaphras or anyone else who has committed himself to authentic Gospel ministry.  Though he feels the agony of the labor, it is borrowed ability that accomplishes the work.

“But by the grace of God I am what I am, and His grace toward me did not prove vain; but I labored even more than all of them, yet not I, but the grace of God with me. ” (1 Corinthians 15:10, NAS)

“and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us who believe. These are in accordance with the working of the strength of His might ” (Ephesians 1:19, NAS)

“of which I was made a minister, according to the gift of God’s grace which was given to me according to the working of His power. ” (Ephesians 3:7, NAS)

I immediately thought of a race car as I was trying to place this spiritual empowering into an analogy.  The driver who steps out of the race car after a 600 mile race is exhausted.  Whenever I have to drive for a few hours at a time I am tired when I’m done, it’s worse the longer the distance and more congested the highway.  Imagine driving from here to Orlando in the middle of July with not only no a/c, but with the heat on full blast.  Add to that, cars on both bumpers and doors all the way down there.  You’d be worn out when you got there.  But it was really the car that was the agency that accomplished the work.  I know it’s a poor analogy, as any are when we attempt to relate to the Divine.  The fact of the matter is that God has seen fit in His wisdom to use unworthy men to act as his means to carry out his foreordained will of perfecting his Church body.