Verse 1. "For I want
you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for
those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally
seen my face,"
The cities of Colossae, "Laodicea" and Hierapolis were all in the valley of the
Lycus River, about 100 miles east of where the Aegean Sea met
the city of Ephesus. Colossae was 11 miles from Laodicea
and 13 miles from Hierapolis. The latter city was not
mentioned here, but we know the place was in Paul's thoughts
and prayers because he did address the Christians at Hierapolis
in Colossians 4:13. Those of the Valley of the Lycus MATTERED
to Paul, who probably intended this to be a "circular letter"
that would be distributed throughout the region.
Note that Paul had not met any of them
in person, except Epaphras, who, Paul said, "is one of you" (a Colossian - Chapter 4:12). Note
this "great...
struggle" Paul had been enduring
for them. To truly say "yes" to Christ is to suddenly
acquire, not only the kingdom of God, along with faith, hope,
love, joy, and many brethren; but also enemies, both human and
demonic. Paul and others at Rome struggled against the
enemies of the Colossians through prayer. He did not know
many Colossians personally, but he prayed for them every day.
Verse 2. "that their
hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love,
and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance
of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery,
that is, Christ Himself,"
This is a hard world, full of dangers
and difficult decisions for us all. Some suffer more than
others, but we have differing tolerances and the one with apparently
a lighter affliction may be suffering greatly because of it.
ALL suffer, and therefore ALL need our prayers. Sometimes
the ones who don't seem to need prayer, actually need it most.
Paul understood this, and the Colossians, who lived in a rich,
affluent city, benefited from his prayers.
In this verse, we find a prayer that
is needed by all of us - that our "hearts
may be encouraged." It's easy for anyone to become
discouraged and here's a "rule of thumb" that may help you to
pray: When someone comes to your mind, breathe a prayer for
them, especially that they "may be encouraged,"
that they may continue in love for one another, and that they
find true "wealth" in understanding
"Christ Himself." He IS the
"mystery" the world does not comprehend,
and we ALL need to understand Him.
Verse 3. "in whom are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."
Let's assume that you want to become
materially wealthy, which has been a goal of most of the people
who have ever lived. And also, we will make the assumption
that you manage to find and/or buy a gold mine. You've
hired assayers who have entered the mine and they gave you their
written testimony that indeed there is a lot of GOLD in the
mine, waiting to be taken by you. But there is still one
more step - you must actually ENTER the mine and dig out the
gold.
It's similar for us in relation to Jesus
Christ. Eternity is ours when we receive Him. And
His "treasures" are infinitely
better than gold - we are offered the "wisdom" (Greek "sophia") and "knowledge"
("gnosis") that the world has needed since the beginning of
time. Yes, TRUST in the Lord - forever! And in addition,
dig into (STUDY) His Word, the Bible, as often as possible,
and pray for "understanding" (Verse 2), so that Who and what
is "hidden" will be yours.
Verse 4. "I say this
so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument."
God BLESSED the Roman Empire, through
men and women like Paul the Apostle, who were sent to teach,
comfort, bless and pray for those who NEED the Lord. (Note
that we ALL need Him). God has sent His multitudes of
prophets and teachers to every generation, so that all may hear
of the Lord and understand their need, and some may turn to
Him. But men and women of the Lord are not the only ones
who are busy in this manner.
There is an enemy who also sends a multitude,
in continuing attempts to "delude"
people like you and me, and they are equipped with "persuasive argument" in their efforts. Part of
our problem is that natural humanity depends so utterly on logic
in making up their minds. We depend on logic, too, for
God invented our physical brains, and He wants to fill us with
"wisdom and knowledge" (Verse 3).
And yet, logic can mislead us, for it can be built on a false
idea and yet still be impressive.
Verse 5. "For even though
I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing
to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith
in Christ."
Wouldn't you like to get a letter like
this epistle to the Colossians? A PERSONAL one, from Paul
the Apostle, or possibly in our day, from the Rev. Billy Graham
- some notable Christian person. This would be someone
you RESPECT and admire! Let's assume you don't know him
or her personally, but somehow they hear about you, just as
Paul heard about the Colossians, though he had never met them
in person.
It would be an ENCOURAGING letter, full
of "atta-boys," like, "You're doing a great job! Keep
it up!" Paul the Apostle had become a hero to a generation
of Christians, and this letter you're reading is what happened
to them. Paul heard about them, he wrote to them, and
ENCOURAGED the far-off believers at Colossae. This letter
is also written personally to YOU, by the Holy Spirit of God,
who is "with you in spirit," and
in addition to helping you grow in "discipline,"
"stability" and "faith," He is "rejoicing"
for you.
Lord, thank You for writing this
letter personally to us. We are encouraged that You are
with us and are giving us everything we need. Protect
us from the evil one and give us love for one another, along
with true wisdom, knowledge, stability and faith. In Jesus
Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Colossians 2:6-10
Verse 6. "Therefore
as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,"
If you have truly received Christ; it
was a revolutionary event, changing your life even more than
you know. You were rescued from a fate worse than death
and given EVERYTHING in Christ Jesus. In response to our
willingness to believe, we are given the FAITH to continue to
trust in Him. As it says in Hebrews 12:2, Jesus is the
"Author and finisher of our faith."
He makes our little faith into saving faith, now and forever.
Then comes the next step; a process
that theologians call "sanctification," which is the time between
salvation and death (or the "rapture"), when the Lord takes
people like you and me, and turns us into those who are able
to "walk in Him." And just
as we have "received Christ Jesus the
Lord" through HIS efforts and not our own; we "walk IN HIM" due to HIS abilities, and not because of
any strength we may think we have.
Verse 7. "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."
To be "rooted...
in Him" is to receive Jesus Christ
as your personal Savior. To be "built
up in Him" is the process known as "sanctification,"
mentioned in the commentary on Verse 6. To be "rooted" in Christ Jesus is to accept the basis of a
revolutionary change in your life; the "born again" experience Jesus mentioned to Nicodemus
in John 3:3 and 7. You are still part of this world, however,
and now experience a process in which you are "established in your faith."
Those who trust in the Lord experience
a life of being "built up in Him,"
including becoming "knit together in love"
with other Christians (Verse 2). He has designed your
life so you will find "wisdom"
and "knowledge" as we saw in Verse
3. We are to find "discipline"
and "stability" of faith (Verse
5). It's unfortunately "human" to resist His work in our
lives, but if you accept His work, you'll end up "overflowing with gratitude." That is to say, you'll
so grateful to Him that you'll be full of joy.
Verse 8. "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."
"Philosophy"
is common throughout this world. Most think "philosophy" is only found in books or colleges, but
everyone has a belief system of some kind or another, even if
it's as simple as, "I believe my team will win this year."
We are ALL philosophers because we all believe some idea or
another. There are actually only TWO philosophies, though
we think there are many. Either you believe in the "Christ," the Son of God, or you have a belief system
that centers around "the elementary principles
of the world."
"Philosophy and
empty deception" fill this planet we call the "earth."
Such ideas are "according to the tradition
of men," and there are many who want you to believe in
a false system of thought. God the Father has given us
His Son, Jesus Christ, and when we trust in Him, we are given
the Holy Spirit of God. Jesus is called "The Word" (John 1:1), for He is God's Word to this world.
The Bible is also God's Word, for it points to Jesus Christ,
and we are given the Holy Spirit of God, who helps us understand.
Verse 9. "For in Him
all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form,"
Do you want to see God? Jesus
told the truth - always. In fact, He IS "the truth," as reported in John 14:6. He is so
utterly true that, by comparison, humanity is a race of liars.
Jesus, who is the truth, said, "He who
has seen Me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). When
we say we want to "see" God; what
we are really saying is that we want to KNOW Him. We want
Him to be our Friend, our confidant, our guide throughout life.
That's the way Jesus was with His disciples,
and that is the way He intends to be with you and me.
Everything of God that we need to know is revealed in Jesus
Christ. That's what it means in this verse when it says,
"In Him all the fullness of Deity dwells
in bodily form." By receiving and believing the
eyewitness testimony of those who saw Him "in bodily form," you KNOW God. Through the Son,
you know the Father.
Verse 10. "and in Him
you have been made complete, and He is the head over all rule
and authority;"
Do you ever feel that something is not
quite "complete" in you?
Actually, something is missing in us all. It's like we're
jigsaw puzzles, partially put together, but critical pieces
are missing. You can look in the box that contained the
puzzle, but the missing pieces are not there. Even the
most confident among us are incomplete in that manner, and down
deep inside, we all know it.
Your problem is a lack of appropriate
leadership. Your attempts to be the leader of your life
have failed, or they will fail at some point in the future.
You may have tried to look to the leadership of others in this
world, but they let you down, as well. To become complete
you must look to the Top, for you will never be "complete" until you recognize that Jesus Christ is "the Head over all rule and authority." You will
be "COMPLETE" in Him.
Father, we receive the Son.
Make us COMPLETE in Him. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Colossians 2:11-15
Verse 11. "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;"
"Circumcision"
is a religious act performed upon Jewish males at the age of
eight days. It is something like "baptism," for both actions
mark us for God and indicate we are set apart from this world.
Circumcision leaves a mark on the human body that can be seen,
but the actions are quite similar. Actually, what happens
to us when we receive Christ is more profound than either of
these symbolic acts, representing a deep truth.
The sacrifices in the Book of Leviticus,
the promise given at the fall of mankind, the assurances given
to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, along with the Word of God through
the Old Testament Prophets, and the guarantees given to the
nation Israel - it ALL points to Jesus Christ and what He would
do for us. Circumcision marks the Jew in a manner that
could lead to his death. Baptism (Romans 6:4) is also
a sign of death - we are dead to the "flesh"
and are made alive in Christ. We need what the Lord did
"without hands," in removing our
sins by His death.
Verse 12. "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 Christ died, we died. He
went through death for us all, and then He was resurrected,
brought back to life, as seen by hundreds of His followers (1
Corinthians 15:6 & context). His "hand" of rescue reaches
from eternity, so that all who are willing to have "faith in the working of God" might be saved from death.
Note that His crucifixion was a death sentence for mankind because
it was our sins that caused Him to die.
When He was "buried,"
we were buried with Him, and that burial includes our sins,
which were on the cross with Him. He died for our sins,
and when He died, our sins died, too. It's at that point
you must choose. If you choose "faith
in the working of God," your sins remain in that tomb,
and you are "raised up with Him."
In the sight of God, when you are in Christ, your sins are dead,
but you are alive - forever.
Verse 13. "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,"
When you visit a mortuary or graveyard,
you'll notice that the people who reside there are dead.
It's strange, when you think about it because all of them were
vital and alive just a short time ago. God views everyone
in humanity as "dead" and there's
no way any of us can change our condition. In Christ,
"He made you (and me)
alive together with Him," and He
has "forgiven us all our transgressions."
We are made alive and we are forgiven because the Lord has provided
the Way for you and me.
As you carefully and prayerfully read
these verses, you are discovering God's intention for your life.
Mankind was never intended to die; we were meant to LIVE in
fellowship with God. But we ALL became "dead in (our) transgressions,"
and there is nothing, humanly speaking that we can do nothing
about it, no matter how "good" or "religious" we might try to
be. But though you "were dead," the Lord has "made you
alive" - now and forever.
Verse 14. "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."
While Jesus was being crucified, there
was an argument about the words written and nailed to the top
of His cross. The Roman Governor, Pilate, had written,
"Jesus of Nazareth, King of the Jews"
(John 19:19). The Jewish leaders objected, for they wanted
CRIMINAL charges to be written on the paper, but Pilate let
the words stay the same. Jesus was innocent of everything,
but we are not, and it was OUR sins that actually were on that
cross.
We are "dead"
transgressors of God's Holy Law; but He makes us "ALIVE" in Christ and has "forgiven
us" (Verse 13). Everyone in humanity is literally
in "debt" to God. He gave
us life and therefore we belong to Him, but we rebelled, intending
to live life on OUR terms, not His. When Jesus died, God's
"decrees against us" were "nailed... to the cross"
but they were "canceled" by His
death, effective for those who receive the Son of God.
Verse 15. "When He had
disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display
of them, having triumphed over them through Him."
From a human perspective, Jesus was
"disarmed," silenced and murdered
on the cross, but that's not the way it happened. Jesus
was SENT to die for our sins. He was sent to be sacrificed
as the Lamb of God who would die in our place. God views
it correctly: it was JESUS who "disarmed"
the Roman and Jewish leaders. Though they killed Him,
it was actually the Father who "triumphed"
over all human "authorities" through
the Son.
"He made a public
display of them." No one wants to appear ridiculous,
but those who reject Christ will be considered to be foolish
for all eternity. The sinner gets his or her way for now,
just as the "rulers and authorities"
got their way for a time with Jesus Christ. Those who
reject what Jesus has done are indeed FOOLS and a "public display" of them will be made - forever.
Father, thank You that Jesus Christ
died for my sins. I accept the forgiveness offered to
me and I trust in Him now. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Colossians
2:16-20
Verse 16. "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-"
From a religious perspective, what foods
and drinks are acceptable to you? What religious customs
do you practice? Do you especially feel worshipful on
a certain day? Is Saturday, which is a portion of the
traditional Sabbath, the right day for you? Or is Sunday
better from your perspective? Are there certain seasons
and holidays that cause you to feel worshipful towards the Lord?
Let "NO ONE...
act as your judge" in relation
to these practices.
Paul said, "Let
not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him
who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him"
(Romans 14:3). He also said, "One
person esteems one day above another; another esteems every
day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind"
(Romans 14:5). Isn't it wonderful that we can actually
serve Him in differing ways, and yet He enables us to love one
another. "Let us not judge one another
anymore" (Romans 14:13), for God receives ALL who trust
in Him.
Verse 17. "things which
are a mere shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs
to Christ."
Eating, certain drinks, special days,
religious seasons, methods of worship, customs and the like,
"are a mere shadow of what is to come."
Shadows can be interesting, but they merely hint at the reality
behind them. We need the "SUBSTANCE"
that is only found in "Christ."
If our methods of communion and baptism differ and yet we both
worship the Risen Christ, we are ONE and should reasonably love
one another.
Do you love the Lord Jesus Christ?
If you do, His love should be in you, to the extent that mere
religious practices are not as important as your love for others.
This is to the degree that you will even disregard your own
outward religious actions out of love for your brother.
Paul said, "It is good neither to eat
meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles
or is offended or is made weak" (Romans 14:21 & context).
The "substance" in our lives is
"Christ."
Verse 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,"
Jesus Christ came into the world to
set us free from sin and death. He died so that we might
become acceptable to the Father, no longer thinking we can be
saved by something WE have done. We are especially warned
against "self-abasement," a Greek
word which actually means in this context, a "false humility." Something done in our own strength,
not God's.
The universe, your very life situation
is filled with angels, and yet we are to worship God, not them.
We are not to place our trust in people, either, for only God
can save you and me. Many have had "visions," but we look first to the Word of God.
We are indeed "NOT (to)
quench the Spirit" (2 Thessalonians
5:19), but we ARE to "examine everything
carefully" (2 Thessalonians 5:21).
Verse 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."
We need infinitely more than the mere
opinions offered by those in this world. We of the "body" (which is the church) need the "Head" of that body, who is Jesus Christ. In our
own strength, we would fall away from one another even more
than we already do, but He is the One who holds us together.
Everything we have, everything we are, is from the Lord, who
offers us "growth which is from God"
and love for one another.
When I was young, I sought a philosophy
of life and read books on as many subjects as possible in search
of that goal. It became apparent as life went on, that
mere ideas cannot sustain us. They may sometimes help,
but we must "hold...
fast to the Head," to the Lord,
if we are to survive and find "growth"
in the day of trouble that comes to us all. He not only saves
us, but He also supplies us with all we will ever need - now
and forever.
Verse 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,"
There are many who have created religions
centered around things of this world, and some of those things
are named in the following verse, where it says, "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch." Such ideas can be helpful, which is why God gave us
commandments in the Old Testament (to protect us from our own
childishness), but He has more for you and me.
There is more to life than merely NOT
doing certain things. As Paul points out in this and in
other contexts, to receive Christ as Savior and Lord, is to
"have died with Christ."
No longer are we bound by mere "do's and don'ts," but instead
we are set free to follow the Holy Spirit of God, who reveals
the Word of God, and leads us, moment-by-moment, in the way
we should go.
Lord, lessen our reliance on the
"elementary principles of this world"
and give us LIFE in Christ. Forgive us for preferring
rituals to love. Fill us with Your Spirit. Help
us to love one another. In Jesus Name. Amen.
Audio Bible Study - Colossians 2:21-23
Verse 21. "Do not handle, do not
taste, do not touch!"
This verse is a continuation of Verse 20, in which we
began to see something of infinite importance to us all: To receive Christ
personally is far different than any philosophy, theology, or doctrine of this
world. We are no longer merely under a Law of "Do not handle, do not
taste, do not touch!" but instead we are DEAD through Christ to the things of
this world, and alive to God! When He was on the Cross, the sins of all
humanity were upon Him. When He was in the tomb, we were, too. And
we are raised to life with Him, IF we simply - believe.
Christ gave us one commandment: to "love one another"
(John 13:34). And to ensure that would happen, He prayed to the Father that we may be "one" in His love
(John 17:22). And His prayers are ANSWERED! Through the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, we are
changed from the inside out: wrought by God into people who can keep the Law,
the commands of
God; not because of external rules, but because of His love in us.
Verse 22. "(which all refer to things
destined to perish with use)--in accordance with the commandments and teachings
of men?"
There have been many in this world who have created
religions and philosophies based upon "Do nots" - Do not do this; do not do
that, and so on. God Himself introduced such a religious system to the
world through the nation Israel, and part of the reason was so that we would
see that all negative religious systems do is show us that we have a problem. Saul the
Pharisee, who was later to be Paul the Apostle, came to see the commandments for
what they really are.
He said, "The commandment, which
was to bring life, I found to bring death" (Romans 7:10). Paul
continued that idea through Romans Chapter 7, into Chapter 8, concluding, "The
law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin
and death. For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh,
God did by sending His own Son..." (Romans 8:2-3). The commandments
of men are "destined to perish." We need more
- We need the Son of God. He is the One who rescues you and me.
Verse 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."
This verse in Colossians is perhaps one of the most
powerful in the Bible, for it helps us to understand that a religious system
composed merely of "Don'ts!" will lead us in a wrong direction. The world
is full of "self (man)-made religion" containing ideas of "severe
treatment...
of
the body," and there may be be more of them before history is finally over. What we
instead need is to be changed by God INSIDE, and once that happens, HE will deal
with "fleshly indulgence."
False religious systems can sound good - as Paul put it,
they have "the appearance of wisdom." But the problem is, they just don't work!
I do not view the Living Bible as a "translation" of Scripture, but instead find
it to be an excellent teaching tool that helps us understand. The Living
Bible presents this verse in a very interesting way. It says, religious
"rules... have no effect...
in conquering a person's evil thoughts and desires,"
concluding: "They only make him proud."
Lord, we want to be saved, to be changed inside by
Your Son. We confess that we have sinned (forgive us, Lord) and we trust
in Jesus Christ right now. In His Name. Amen.
Ron Beckham,
Pastor
Friday Study Ministries
The First Church On The Net www.FridayStudy.org www.FirstChurchOnTheNet.org "While we were yet sinners, Christ died for us" (Romans
5:8)
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