1) The document provides a summary and commentary on Colossians 2:6-23. It discusses how believers are to walk firmly rooted in Christ, be built up in their faith, and be filled with gratitude.
2) It warns against being taken captive by empty philosophy and human tradition, rather than holding to Christ as the fullness of God. Believers have been made complete in Christ and forgiven of all their sins.
3) Christ triumphed over spiritual rulers and authorities through his death on the cross. The law's decrees have been nailed to the cross. Believers should not submit to human religious rules but hold to Christ as the head.
2. Big Idea
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
Colossians 2:2
4. Now Down To Business!
Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted
and now being built up in Him and established
in your faith, just as you were instructed, and
overflowing with gratitude.
9. Walking in Jesus
Maturing
1. firmly rooted-produced by God
2. built up-ongoing construction
3. established-being found in Jesus
4. gratitude-produced by God
10. One Long Sentence!
Colossians 2:8–15-See to it that no one takes you
captive through philosophy and empty deception,
according to the tradition of men, according to
the elementary principles of the world, rather
than according to Christ. For in Him all the
fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him
you have been made complete, and He is the
11. One Long Sentence!
head over all rule and authority; and in Him you
were also circumcised with a circumcision made
without hands, in the removal of the body of the
flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 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.
12. One Long Sentence!
When you were dead in your transgressions and
the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you
alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our
transgressions, having canceled out the certificate
of debt consisting of decrees against us, which
was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the
way, having nailed it to the cross.
13. One Long Sentence!
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities,
He made a public display of them, having
triumphed over them through Him.
15. Who Jesus is!
Colossians 2:9–10…For in Him all the
fullness of Deity dwells in bodily
form, and in Him you have been
made complete, and He is the head
over all rule and authority;
16. Worship the right Jesus
Found in the word
Grounded by faith
Experienced
Holy
17. Done for us by Him
Circumcised our heart
Buried with Him
Raised with Him
Alive in Him
Totally forgiven by Him
18. Here are your sins
He made you alive together with Him, having
forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled
out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees
against us, which was hostile to us; and He has
taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the
cross.
19. Certificate of debt “certificate” was used of (1) a
signed IOU, (2) a signed confession and (3) a legal
indictment. The OT was a curse! This Greek term
comes into English as “autograph,” (self written).
Do and live
Sin and die
IOU
20. Total Authority
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities,
He made a public display of them, having
triumphed over them through Him.
21. Refuting bad teaching
Rulers and Authorities gnostic eons
The historical background to this was a triumphal
parade into Rome for a victorious general (cf. 2
Cor. 2:14). The captives were marched behind him
in chains. By His death on the cross and His
resurrection Jesus overcame (1) the curse of the
Law and (2) the hostile angelic powers
22. Jesus sets you free
Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard
to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new
moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere
shadow of what is to come; but the substance
belongs to Christ.
25. The False
Teacher Teaches self-
abasement
Promotes worship
of the angels
Teaches his visions
Educated ego
26. Disregarding Christ
and not holding fast to the head,
from whom the entire body, being
supplied and held together by the
joints and ligaments, grows with a
growth which is from God
27. If you have died with Christ to the elementary
principles of the world, why, as if you were living
in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees,
such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not
touch!” (which all refer to things destined to
perish with use)—in accordance with the
commandments and teachings of men?
28. No Value
These are matters which have, to be sure, the
appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and
self-abasement and severe treatment of the body,
but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
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 Colossians 2:2
story
Col 2.6-7 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
Welcomed
Learned
John 1:12…But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name,
1 Corinthians 15:1…Now I make known to you, brethren, the gospel which I preached to you, which also you received, in which also you stand,
The person of Jesus Christ
The body of knowledge
Maturing
firmly rooted-produced by God
built up-ongoing construction
established-being found in Jesus
gratitude-produced by God
Colossians 2:8–15-See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ. For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the
head over all rule and authority; and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; 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.
When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
See to it no one takes you captive Captive to kidnap, to seduce, taken as a slave,
Christians must continue to guard their freedom in Christ from false teachers while yielding it to weaker brothers (cf. Rom. 14:1–15:13; 1 Cor. 8; 10:23–33). It is often difficult to tell the difference between these two groups. False teachers pervert truth, while weak brothers advocate personal preferences.
Philosophy
Deception
Traditions of men
Worldly principles None of these are according to Christ
Colossians 2:9–10…For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule and authority;
Found in the word
Grounded by faith
Experienced
Holy
You need to be a bit uncomfortable with Him
Circumcised our heart
Buried with Him Greek-Co buried
Raised with Him Greek-Co raised
Alive in Him
Totally forgiven by Him
He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions, having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.
“certificate” was used of (1) a signed IOU, (2) a signed confession and (3) a legal indictment. The OT was a curse! This Greek term comes into English as “autograph,” (self written).
Do and live It refers to the Mosaic Covenant (cf. Eph. 2:15, which could be characterized as “do and live”—“sin and die
When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him.
Rulers and Authorities gnostic eons
The historical background to this was a triumphal parade into Rome for a victorious general (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14). The captives were marched behind him in chains. By His death on the cross and His resurrection Jesus overcame (1) the curse of the Law and (2) the hostile angelic powers
Against legalism
2.16-17 Therefore no one is to act as your judge in regard to food or drink or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—things which are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.
Duties under the Law
Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize
Colossians 2:18 (NASB95)
18 Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God
20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” 22 (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of men?
23 These are matters which have, to be sure, the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
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