Bible Study Notes On Colossians Chapter 2

Chapter 2

Bible Text

Notes and Thoughts

1 ¶ For I would that ye knew how great is my conflict for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh,
2 that their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may acknowledge the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ,
3 in whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 ¶ And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words;
5 for though I am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, rejoicing and beholding your order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him,
7 rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, following the tradition of men according to the rudiments of the world, and not in accordance with Christ.
9 For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.
10 And ye are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power,
11 and in whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ.
12 Ye are buried with Him in baptism, wherein ye also are risen with Him through the faith wrought by the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead.
13 ¶ And you, being dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath He quickened together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses,
14 blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us. He took it out of the way, nailing it to His cross;
15 and having despoiled principalities and powers, He made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
16 ¶ Let no man therefore judge you in regard to meat or drink, or in respect to a holy day or the new moon or the sabbath days,
17 which are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ.
18 Let no man beguile you of your reward by feigned humility and worshiping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
19 and not holding to the Head, from whom all the body, having nourishment ministered and knit together by joints and bands, increaseth with the increase from God.
20 Therefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to its ordinances
21 ("Touch not, taste not, handle not,"
22 which all are to perish with the using), according to the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 These things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship and humility and neglecting of the body, but are not in any honor against the satisfying of the flesh.

v1-3 Christ is the source of all wisdom.
v1 conflict with error.
v2 That they might get comfort from the truth, making them join together in love. This will then allow them to know that by God’s grace they have full salvation. Wrong teaching never gives full understanding of the grace of Christ’s salvation.
v3 Everything comes from Christ.
v4-7 Growing spiritually.
Walk in Christ only by faith.
2:6 - 3:4 Wrong teaching and our attitude - Danger.
A Christian should always be growing, if not he is slipping backwards. Heb 6:1 Walking with Christ always.Col 1: 10 In faith.
v7 we must grow like a tree, the roots should be strong, not moved about. A tree will die if not rooted properly, so we must stay rooted by our original faith in Christ, not adding to it. "Abounding" thanksgiving - like a large river flowing from our hearts.
v8 Satan will use lies John 8:44 to turn you from Christ, who has all the things of God. Often wrong teaching is aimed at weak Christians, do not know the truths of the Word of God, they are easily led off with lies.
"Traditions," actions handed down from the past, are they from God or from man? Compare Matt 15 :1-20; Gal 1:14.
v9-10 We are complete in Him, why should we need anything more? Eph 3:19.
v11 It appears the false teachers insisted that they had to be circumcised to be saved, obeying the Law, to become more ‘spiritual’. see Acts 15 for details.
"Physical circumcision" was God’s way of identifying His people, Paul says you do not need this as you have been spiritually identified through God’s grace and Christ. see Rom 2:25-29.
"body of the sins of the flesh"We still have a sinful body but by the power has been broken by Christ.
v12-13 we are identified (baptized) 1 Cor 12:12-13 with Christ, what ever happened to Him also happened to us. see Col 3 :1-14. If we have all these things, what more do we need?
The sin debt had to be paid, Jesus nailed it to the cross.
v14 Christ also took the Law (ordinances) to the cross. see 1 Peter 2:24; Rom 2:12-16; delivered from the law Rom 7:6; Under grace Rom 6:14.
v15 Jesus also destroyed the power of any other spiritual powers - Satan. Satan only has power over us when we turn away from God. Eph 6:10-18 Or God allows him, see story of Job.
v16-17 No one be Judged.
Man is very weak at doing spiritual things but responds strongly to religious practices, makes us feel good, "Look at me I’m so religious." see Matt 26:41.
God’s instructions given to Moses to the Jews had physical as well as spiritual reasons. Matt 15:1-20 If a man feels he should not eat a food, that is for him(her) to decide but do not judge others for not doing it. see Rom ch 14 and 15.
Equally special days. Ask yourself ‘why do I think this day special?’ Does it glorify me or God? The Sabbath was for the Jews, Sunday is the "Lord’s Day" not a ‘Christian Sabbath.’ Reference to the ‘moon’ suggests astrology (also v18).
v18-19 Not misled from reward.
God has promised a reward to those who serve Him. Paul is saying that the false teachers were having visions and were open to demonic activity. Satan can copy 2 Cor 11:11-15. They were saying that you needed an ‘experience’ to get to God. We have no restrictions, see Heb 10:19; Heb 4:16. Angels are there to minister to us Heb 1:13,14. Many of the church appear to have been full of pride and worshipping angels and saints, Jesus is the only way to God. John 14:6;1 Tim 2:5. We should be full of awe, reverence for who we are worshiping. Follow the Word guided by the Holy Spirit.
v20-23 Why go back in world?
The false teachers were encouraging special behaviour, foods, physical punishment, etc. they were saying "You must do this to worship and be more holy." Paul tells us that ‘Our bodies are the temple of God’ we should not mistreat them. 1 Cor 6:19-20; 2 Peter 1:4.
There may be times to avoid eating or doing something to help the church Rom 14:1ff.
Paul ends his warnings, we must remember we are in Christ, we have union with Christ, He is the head of the church, we died, were buried and resurrected through Christ, we need no other.

Easy English Translation

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The Letter to the Colossians