Bible Version: New International Version (NIV)
Application Notes: Life Application Study Bible (NIV)
COLOSSIANS 2
1 I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. 2 My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. 5 For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Spiritual Fullness in Christ
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, 7 rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.
8 See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.
9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and in Christ you have been brought to fullness. He is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not performed by human hands. Your whole self ruled by the flesh was put off when you were circumcised by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through your faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.
13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
Application Notes
2:1 Laodicea was located a few miles northwest of Colossae. Like the church in Colossae, the Laodicean church was probably founded by one of Paul's converts while Paul was staying in Ephesus (Acts 19:10). The city was a wealthy centre of trade and commerce, but later Christ would criticise the believers at Laodicea for their lukewarm commitment (Revelation 3:14-22). The fact that Paul wanted this letter to be passed on to the Laodicean church (Colossians 4:16) indicates that false teaching may have spread there as well. Paul was counting on ties of love to bring the churches. together to stand against this heresy and to encourage each other to remain true to God's plan of salvation in Christ. Our churches must be encouraging, unified communities, committed to carrying out Christ's work.
2:3-4 What deceitful arguments do we face today? Many people around us confidently assert that they have the answers to life within themselves. They contend that their insights, experiences, discoveries on the Internet, and gut reactions will tell them everything they need to know. They cast aside the lessons of Scripture and even of history. Whatever they pick and choose is what carries the most weight to them. They seek out other people who agree with them. They think God and the church are irrelevant, making this the last place they would look to determine the course of their lives.
This dangerous mindset isn't new. It began when Adam and Eve chose to go their own way rather than God's. But God has the wisdom we need; we don't need to look elsewhere.
2:4-23 The problem that Paul was combating in the Colossian church was similar to the heresy known as Gnosticism (from the Greek word for knowledge). This heresy (teaching contrary to biblical doctrine) undermined Christianity in several basic ways: (1) It insisted that important, secret knowledge was hidden from most believers. Paul said that Christ provides all the knowledge we need. (2) It taught that spiritual reality was good but physical reality was evil, including our physical bodies. Paul countered that God himself walked on earth in a body--that is, he became embodied in Jesus Christ. (3) It contended that Christ only seemed to be human but was not. Paul insisted that Jesus is fully human and fully God.
Gnosticism became fashionable in the second century AD. Even in Paul's day, these ideas sounded attractive to many, and exposure to such teachings could easily seduce a church that didn't know Christian doctrine well. Similar teachings still pose significant problems for many in the church today. We combat heresy by becoming thoroughly acquainted with God's Word through personal study and sound Bible teaching.
2:4 To overcome the arguments of false teachers, centre on Christ and ground yourself in his Word. Learn daily about the Saviour. Study the Bible. Develop your theological knowledge. Stay humble and curious about the amazing complexity of the world God has made. Ask trusted leaders lots of questions about the assumptions behind ideas new to you. Press toward wisdom. Pray for understanding. God has given us minds for learning-never quit using yours.
2:6-7 New life in Christ starts and continues when we acknowledge him as leader over all we are and do. Then we must accept his leadership daily by being rooted, built up, and strengthened in the faith. Christ wants to guide us and help us with all our decisions and challenges. You can live for Christ by (1) committing your life and submitting your will to him (Romans 12:1-2); (2) seeking to learn from him and more about him, his life, and his teachings (Colossians 3:16); and (3) recognizing and utilizing the Holy Spirit's power within you (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22).
2:7 Paul uses the illustration of our being rooted in Christ. Just as plants draw nourishment from the soil through their roots, we draw our life-giving strength from Christ. The more we draw our strength from him, the less we will be fooled or entangled by those who falsely claim to have life's answers apart from Christ.
2:8 Paul warns against any philosophy of life that is based only on human ideas and experiences. Paul himself was a gifted philosopher, so he does not condemn education or philosophy. But he does condemn teaching that credits human wisdom, not Christ, with being the answer to life's problems. That approach becomes a false religion. There are many human approaches to life's problems that totally disregard God. To resist them, you must keep your eyes on Christ and study God's Word.
2:9 Again, Paul asserts Christ's deity. "In Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form" means that all of God was in Christ's human body. He was neither another deity nor less than God. When we have Christ, we have everything we need for salvation and godly living. (For more on the divine nature of Christ, see the note on 1:15-16.)
2:10 Look around you. People are searching for something to give their lives meaning, purpose, and direction. Few people seem content within themselves. A strange and vague inner vacuum leaves most people with an uneasy sense of incompleteness. Only Christ can fill that vacuum. You can find personal fulfilment in him by letting his presence fill you.
When you know Jesus Christ, you don't need to try to connect with God through other religions, cults, or unbiblical philosophies as the Colossians were doing. Christ alone holds the answers to the true meaning of life because he is life. Christ is the unique source of knowledge and power for the Christian life. No Christian needs anything to find salvation in addition to what Christ has provided. All of us have some days of struggle, but only Jesus is truly able to fill the vacuum with his full power and presence. In Christ, you are a new person, equipped for life and satisfied in God. Take some risks-God will guide you. Give more generously--God will supply what you need. Love more freely--God will energise you. Say "can do" more often--God will amaze you.
2:11-12 In this passage, Paul relates the Old Testament sign of circumcision to baptism; therefore, some see baptism as the New Testament sign of the covenant that identifies the believer with the covenant community. Baptism parallels the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. and it also portrays the death and burial of our sinful old way of life followed by resurrection to new life in Christ. Remembering that our old, sinful life is dead and was buried with Christ gives us a powerful motive to resist sin. Not wanting the wrong desires of our pasts to come back to power again, we can treat those desires as if they were dead and gone. Then we can continue to enjoy our wonderful new life with Christ (see Galatians 3:27; Colossians 3:1-4).
2:11 Jewish males were circumcised as a sign of the Jews· covenant with God (Genesis 17:9-14). With the death of Christ, the rite of circumcision was no longer necessary. Now our commitment to God is written on our hearts. not our bodies. Christ sets us free from our evil desires by performing a spiritual operation, removing the old nature and giving us a new nature.
2:13-15 Before we believed in Christ, we disobeyed, rebelled, and ignored God (even at our best, we did not love him with all our hearts, souls, and minds). Every Christian, however, has a new nature. God has crucified the old. rebellious nature (Romans 6:6) and replaced it with a new, loving nature (Colossians 3:9-10). The mortal penalty for sin was removed when Christ died on the cross. God has declared us not guilty if we believe in Christ's work on the cross, and we need no longer live under sin's power and give in to sin's compulsions. God does not take us out of the world or make us like robots--we will still feel like sinning, and often we will sin. The difference is that before we were saved, we were slaves to our sinful nature, but now we are free to follow Christ, and we can resist sin in his power (see Galatians 2:20).
2:14 The written code that was cancelled was the legal requirements of the Old Testament law. The law demanded payment for our sin. Although no one can be saved by merely keeping that old law, the moral truths and principles in the Old Testament still teach and guide us today. !For more on the difference between our new life in Christ and our old, sinful nature, see Ephesians 4:23-24 and Colossians 3:3-15.)
2:15 Who are these spiritual powers and authorities? Several suggestions have been made. including (1) demonic powers. (2) the gods worshipped by powerful nations. (3) angels (highly regarded by the heretical teachers of Paul's day), and (4) the government of Rome. Since Paul did not identify who these powers and authorities were, it could be any one of them, or all four. What Christ "disarmed" on the cross was any embodiment of rebellion in the world. whether that be Satan and his demons, false idols of pagan religions. evil world governments. or even God's good angels when they become objects of worship (as in the Colossian heresy). This disarming occurred when Jesus died on the cross. like stripping a defeated enemy of armour on the battlefield. Evil no longer has any power over believers because Christ has disarmed it. Paul had already told the Colossians, "He has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves" (1:13).
2:16-17 Paul told the Colossian Christians not to let others criticise their diet or their religious ceremonies. We are not to pay attention to or take to heart the restrictions or criticisms of legalistic people who insist on rules that go beyond what the Bible teaches. Instead of outward observance, believers should focus on faith in Christ alone. Our worship, traditions, and ceremonies can help bring us close to God, but we should never criticise fellow Christians whose traditions and ceremonies differ from ours. Don't let anyone condemn you. You are accountable to Christ alone for your salvation.
2:16 "What you eat or drink" probably refers to the Jewish dietary laws. The festivals mentioned are Jewish holy days celebrated annually, monthly (New Moon celebrations). and weekly (the Sabbath). These rituals distinguished the Jews from their pagan neighbours. Failure to observe them could be easily noticed by those who were keeping track of what others did. Some of the Jews held these practices over the heads of others. Don't allow yourself to be judged by the opinions of others. because Christ has set you free to follow him. You don't have to follow human-made rules that try to tell you how to follow him. Christ himself has made it clear in his Word.
2:17 Old Testament laws, holidays. and festivals pointed toward Christ. Paul calls them "a shadow" of the reality that was to come-Christ himself. When Christ came, he dispelled the shadow. If we are connected to Christ though faith, we have what we need to please God.
2:18 The false teachers were claiming that God was far away and could be approached only through various levels of angels. They taught that people had to worship angels in order, eventually. to reach God. This is unscriptural; the Bible teaches that angels are God's servants. and it forbids worshipping them (Exodus 20:3-4; Revelation 22:8-9). As you grow in your Christian faith, let God's Word be your guide. not the opinions of other people.
2:19 The fundamental problem with the false teachers was that they were not connected to Christ, the head of the body of believers. If they rules and taboos rather than God's grace? (2) Does it foster a critical spirit toward others instead of exercising discipline discreetly and lovingly? (3) Does it stress formulas, secret knowledge, or special visions more than the Word of God? (4) Does it elevate self-righteousness, honouring those who keep the rules, rather than elevating Christ? (5) Does it neglect Christ's universal church, claiming to be an elite group? (6) Does it teach humiliation of the body as a means to spiritual growth rather than focusing on the growth of the whole person? (7) Does it disregard the family rather than holding it in high regard as the Bible does?
2:23 To the Colossians, the discipline demanded by the false teachers seemed good because humans often tend to think we have to earn something that we are given. Today, in the struggle against non-Christian culture and values, some people seek churches or communities that focus on strict adherence to dos and don'ts. Following a long list of religious rules requires strong self-discipline and can make a person appear wise and moral, but religious rules cannot change someone's heart. Only the Holy Spirit can do that.
Taken from Life Application Study Bible - Third Edition - (NIV)