Rooted and Confident in Christ
Colossians 2:6-12
6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live 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 basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. 9 For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10 and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11 In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. Colossians 2:6-12 (NIV)
Verses 6 - 7
What do you think of when you hear the word “received”? To take possession of, to take as your own. When we became believers we received as our own Jesus as Lord (owner, master, might, power, and head) – the greatest Gift freely given to us from the Father:
8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith--and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God-- 9 not by works, so that no one can boast. 10 For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2:8-10 (NIV)
All Christians by profession have received Christ Jesus as Lord – consented to Him, taken Him for their very own in every capacity. The great concern of those who have received Christ Jesus as Lord is to continue to live in Him and continue to grow up in Him Who is our Head. Paul tells us in Philippians:
12 Therefore, my dear friends, as you have always obeyed--not only in my presence, but now much more in my absence--continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling, 13 for it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose. Philippians 2:12-13 (NIV)
We are not to quit growing until we go home to be with Him – there is always further still. We must live in Him in our daily-ness constantly maintaining our communion with Him – leaning on Him – depending on Him – strengthened with His power. The more intimately we live with Christ the more we are rooted and strengthened in the faith.
We are to live in Him as Divine exaltation belongs to Christ in Whom are found:
The Christian life continues as it commenced – Jesus is to be Lord of our lives. We are not to forsake His Divine Authority for any other human doctrine (which may appear clever but in reality is false). These Divine roots that began in the past are to be continually built up (meaning build upon, edified, erect a superstructure) and strengthened (fixed, sure, certain, firm reliable so as to warrant security and inspire confidence) in the faith (a faith which is identified by obedience – we only truly know what we act upon). What are we building up in our lives? Remember we are never standing still in our Christian walks – we are either going forward or backward. We, of course, want to go forward, so that we will no longer be as infants in the faith - as Paul tells the Ephesians:
14 Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming. 15 Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ. Ephesians 4:14-15 (NIV)
As believers are “built up” in Christ, they become more grateful and are overflowing with thankfulness. A good education has a good influence on our strengthened faith. The more we know Him, the more we will love Him. The more we love Him, the more we will trust Him. The more we trust Him the more willingly obedient we will be to Him. The more willingly obedient we are to Him, the more peace, joy and thankfulness will permeate our beings.
How do we know Him better? We must know His Word and be able to properly handle it. Paul tells us - we are to be zealous in this pursuit:
15 Do your best to present yourself to God as one approved, a workman who does not need to be ashamed and who correctly handles the word of truth. 2 Timothy 2:15 (NIV)
Always remember to pray for wisdom before reading Scripture and asking God – as the psalmist declares to:
18 Open my eyes that I may see wonderful things in your law. Psalms 119:18 (NIV)
Pray – ask God to help you grow up in Him. He is faithful to answer that prayer!
Apply what He says to your life. Application of truth learned is paramount otherwise it remains simply head knowledge which puffs up and never edifies.
Read Spurgeon 626, 628.
Verse 8
After exhorting believers to continue in Christ - in whom is all the fullness of God and through whom came complete redemption – Paul then condemned the Colossian heresy which was diverting them from Christ. Do we have wrong beliefs which divert us from Christ rather than building us up in Him? Beliefs which perhaps appear plausible yet nevertheless are false. Beliefs dependent upon worldly wisdom rather than Godly wisdom. Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians:
18 Do not deceive yourselves. If any one of you thinks he is wise by the standards of this age, he should become a "fool" so that he may become wise. 19 For the wisdom of this world is foolishness in God's sight. As it is written: “He catches the wise in their craftiness”; 20 and again, “The Lord knows that the thoughts of the wise are futile.” 1 Corinthians 3:18-20 (NIV)
There is a philosophy which is a noble exercise of our reasonable faculties. But there is also a philosophy which is hollow and deceptive. The Jews governed themselves by the traditions of their elders. The Gentiles mixed their maxims of philosophy with their Christian principles and both alienated their minds from Christ. Those who pin their faith on other men’s sleeves will discover they have turned away from following after Christ Who is the Truth as well as the Way and the Life. Christ is the Substance and all else merely shadows.
Paul was concerned that no false teacher take the Colossian believers captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy. He wrote here not against all philosophy but against false philosophy. James tells us we are to keep ourselves from being polluted by the false teachings of this world:
27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world. James 1:27 (NIV)
Yet truly we must know His Word in order to know what is false – be able to correctly handle it. The particular false philosophy at Colossae was “hollow” (empty), “deceptive”, and based on human traditions rather than on Christ. True Christian philosophy “takes captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ.” Paul states:
5 We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we take captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ. 2 Corinthians 10:5 (NIV)
We must have a “mind of Christ” filter to put our thoughts through – praying to be red flagged before placing anything in our belief system that is opposed to God’s ways. Philosophy is the love of knowledge but if one loves worldly knowledge that is not of Christ (the sum of all True wisdom), he loves an empty idol. Such a one will always be learning but never able to acknowledge the truth (2 Timothy 3:7). This kind of philosophy is based on the world’s basic principles – elementary principles. These deceptive philosophies mentioned in V8 may also refer to the evil spirits who inspire such heresy and over whom Christ triumphed. Such a philosophy is demonic and worldly, not godly or Christ like. Unless believers are careful, such philosophy may ensnare them – taking them captive. Trust me, as Scripture states: Wisdom is proved right by her actions.
20 Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to your care. Turn away from godless chatter and the opposing ideas of what is falsely called knowledge, 21 which some have professed and in so doing have wandered from the faith. 1 Timothy 6:20-21 (NIV)
Verse 9
Paul states in verse 9 that in Christ all the fullness of the Godhead lives in bodily form. The fullness of the deity dwells in Christ - really and not figuratively and we have been given fullness in Christ. The Jews thought themselves complete in the ceremonial law but we have been given fullness in Christ. Theirs was but a shadow ours the Substance. There is also no fullness in philosophy based on vain human reasoning. Only Christ has fullness everything apart from Him is emptiness. As extremely famous atheist philosopher John Paul Sartre put it: “Life is an empty bubble on the sea of nothingness.” King Solomon stated:
14 I have seen all the things that are done under the sun; all of them are meaningless, a chasing after the wind…. 16 I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” 17 Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. Ecclesiastes 1:14, 16-17 (NIV)
Life makes no sense apart from Christ. The Word used in V 9 for Deity is a strong word (theotetos) used only here in the NT for Christ’s essence as God. The full Deity of Christ is nonetheless in bodily form – a full humanity. Both Christ’s deity and humanity were challenged by this early Gnostic – like heresy. Those heretics diminished Christ to an angel whose “body” was only apparent, not real. Paul affirmed here that Christ is both fully God and fully man. John writes:
2 This is how you can recognize the Spirit of God: Every spirit that acknowledges that Jesus Christ has come in the flesh is from God, 3 but every spirit that does not acknowledge Jesus is not from God. This is the spirit of the antichrist, which you have heard is coming and even now is already in the world. 1 John 4:2-3 (NIV)
Gnostics believed that all the secrets of God were in the mind or appeared in an immaterial identity, and that the possession of knowledge was the only requirement for salvation. They separated matter from thought, and did not attribute humanity to Jesus Christ because they considered material things to be evil. They taught that the body of Christ only appeared to be material, but in reality was spiritual. They ignored or diminished the significance of the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus as not being real but simply apparent (seemingly real but not necessarily so). Many who held to these gnostic beliefs virtually denied all physical appetites in a form of asceticism (choosing to live without pleasure or luxuries).
Verse 10
Not only is all the “fullness” of God in Christ but also believers have been given fullness in Christ. Their fullness of life comes from Christ’s fullness. They partake of the divine nature through Christ. Peter tells us:
4 Through these he has given us his very great and precious promises, so that through them you may participate in the divine nature and escape the corruption in the world caused by evil desires. 2 Peter 1:4 (NIV)
John also tells us:
16 From the fullness of his grace we have all received one blessing after another. John 1:16 (NIV)
This, of course, does not mean believers become God but simply share in Him. They have or share in the goodness of the nature which He is. They share in the body of Him who is the Head over every power and authority including those who would talk the Colossians into living to the world instead of according to Christ.
Verses 11-12
Paul turned from the theological errors of the false teachers to their practical errors – from Gnosticism to legalism. The Gentile Christians in Colossae had no need to conform to Jewish rules and regulations, such as circumcision. For in Christ they had been circumcised. This spiritual circumcision was done by Christ, not by man. It was, in fact, a crucifixion or putting off of the body, a circumcision of the heart:
28 A man is not a Jew if he is only one outwardly, nor is circumcision merely outward and physical. 29 No, a man is a Jew if he is one inwardly; and circumcision is circumcision of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the written code. Such a man's praise is not from men, but from God. Romans 2:28-29 (NIV)
Their sinful nature (the body of the flesh, the mind of the flesh) was decisively put off by Christ’s death and resurrection. What people were in Adam – sinful, fallen, corrupt – was destroyed by Christ. Now, “in Christ” a believer is a new creation. And having a new Head, a believer has a new authority for his life – not the Law of Moses but the life of Christ.
The words “putting off” are from the noun “apekdysei” (a total breaking away from), which occurs only here in the NT. This putting off of the old life occurs at the moment of salvation, when a believer is buried with Christ in baptism by the Spirit and is raised with Him to new life. This co-burial and co-resurrection is pictured in baptism. In water baptism, immersion portrays burial with Christ and coming out of the water depicts the resurrection by the power of God to “live a new life”.
1 What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 If we have been united with him like this in his death, we will certainly also be united with him in his resurrection. 6 For we know that our old self was crucified with him so that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves to sin-- 7 because anyone who has died has been freed from sin. Romans 6:1-7 (NIV)
These are Beth’s personal notes, due to this fact sources are not often stated.
