Have you ever wanted something for someone?
Colossians 2:1-5 (New Living Translation)
2 I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me personally. 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. 3 In him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
This is about more than an intellectual debate; this is about the church knowing and experiencing the of life with Christ.
What I want for you…
I want you to understand that what our world wants to give you, doesn’t even compare to what you already have received through Christ Jesus from the Spirit.
You received…
Colossians 2:6-7 (MSG)
“My counsel for you is simple and straightforward: Just go ahead with what you’ve been given. You received Christ Jesus, the Master; now live him. You’re deeply rooted in him. You’re well constructed upon him. You know your way around the faith. Now do what you’ve been taught. School’s out; quit studying the subject and start living it! And let your living spill over into thanksgiving.
Colossians 2:8-10 (New Living Translation)
8 Don’t let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.
“The phrase is actually “lead you away as prey.” It also had the ideas of robbing and plundering. “Their goods were the salvation they had received from Christ; and both the Gentile and Jewish teachers endeavored to deprive them of these, by perverting their minds, and leading them off from the truths of Christianity.” (Clarke)
BEWARE!!!
Pauls warns the church against any philosophy of life based solely on human ideas. No matter how or harmless it sounds, it will eventually leave us empty.
Why is it we think we need something more?
Colossians 2:9 (New Living Translation)
9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body. 10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
You are FULL!!!!
In emphasizing Jesus’ divine nature and complete work on the cross, Paul is combatting two common philosophies of the day — Gnosticism and Jewish mysticism.
(From Enduringword.com commentary)
The connection to early Gnosticism is clear from the way Paul brings forth his points.
· Gnosticism taught that God (as a Perfect Spirit) could not come into direct contact with the material world. Paul took care to point out that Jesus is God, and He came in the body of His flesh (Colossians 1:19-22).
· Gnosticism taught that since God could not have direct contact with the material world, that God Himself did not create the world, but He worked through lesser spirits or angels. Paul took care to show that Jesus was the creator of the world (Colossians 1:15-16).
· Gnosticism (and some forms of Jewish mysticism) taught that God did not deal directly with man and the material world, but that He dealt with the world through a series of mediators. Paul took care to show that Jesus did the work of reconciliation Himself (Colossians 1:19-20).
· Gnosticism (and some forms of Jewish mysticism) greatly esteemed these supposed mediators, and considered them angelic beings of a sort. Paul was careful to warn the Colossians that angels should not be worshipped (Colossians 2:18).
vi. The connection to Jewish mysticism is clear from the way Paul brings forth a few more points.
Jewish influence on Christianity emphasized dietary laws. Paul took care to say that Christians were not under Jewish dietary laws (Colossians 2:16).
· Jewish influence on Christianity emphasized the observance of particular days as an obligation. Paul took care to say that Christians were not under these obligations (Colossians 2:16).
Can I sum up the two ways for you?
The philosophy threatening the Colossian Christians was dangerous because it was not obviously sinful and impure. It was high-sounding and seemed highly intelligent. Much of it was rooted in traditional things and, at one time, probably good. But now it is confusing and controlling people.
You are in your union with Christ.
Colossians 2:11-15
11 When you came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.[c] 12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
They also didn’t need to follow specific dietary laws or observances to be saved (Colossians 2:16).
Belief in Jesus was enough.
16 So don’t let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that reality. 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it.
The church did not need to worship angels or seek out a mediator (Colossians 2:18).
They had direct access to God through Jesus who holds it all together!
20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.
Jesus set believers free from man-made rules and regulations, and Paul reminds them that’s who they used to be (Colossians 2:20-23).
You are in Jesus
Is Jesus enough for you?
How you see him matters.
I want each of you to see that everything you need is in Jesus!