Thursday, August 27 –
We are continuing our reading thru
the New Testament with today’s reading from Colossians 2:6 – 3:17. This is a
section where Paul begins to lay out the heresy that threatens them, so take
your time, and please do come back so we can walk through it together. And thanks.
Having declared the supremacy and
sufficiency of Christ Jesus, Paul begins with a great summary of the life of a
faithful Christian – “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so
walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith,
just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (2:6-7).
The “therefore” is our hint that, based on all he had just said, this is what
naturally follows. Paul reminds us that
“receiving Christ” is not the end but merely the beginning of life. What we have received is now what we built
upon, and the growth and progress that follow will lead to a life of faith and
thanksgiving. There are three guiding principles for the development of our
faith:
·
As you have received… so walk in
Him.
·
As you are rooted… be built up in
Him.
·
As you are taught… let the truth
lead to the thanksgiving of Him.
The three are connected. We walk in Christ-like ways, spiritually
growing in our knowledge and understanding of Jesus, and gaining a deeper
understanding of knowledge that leads us to worship – a thanksgiving of praise
to Christ, the Lord. None of this is
instantaneous, but rather a process much like a tree growing – extending our
roots out over time and having greater stability because our roots are deeper
and farther.
The Colossian Christians were
young, as all these early churches were young.
It was in their immaturity that they were threatened by false
teachings. One such heresy that arose in
the first century came from Greek philosophy and sought to establish a base in
the Christian church – Gnosticism.
Gnosticism grew into the church out of a number of different
sources. Christians coming from
Greek/Roman lifestyles probably had grown up with some Gnostic interpretations
of how to live. Gnosticism merged three
different streams – pagan mysticism, Greek Platonic philosophy, and Christian
teachings about the Son of God – Jesus.
This is where the danger of Gnosticism had to be confronted and exposed. Paul begins by pointing out what it really
was –
“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit,
according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world,
and not according to Christ” (2:8).
It was dangerous because it was seductive – captivated them. It was a philosophy that was empty and
deceitful. It was based on human
tradition – philosophical traditions – that was not based on the truth of
Christ.
Paul makes it clear – it is not
the Christ Jesus we have learned and taught, and thus, in a long sentence he
reminds them of the truth of who Jesus is, and what he has done –
“For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have
been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. In him
also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting
off the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, having been
buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through
faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead. And you,
who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made
alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by
canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This
he set aside, nailing it to the cross. He disarmed the rulers and
authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him” (2:9-15).
Jesus is fully God, and at the same time, became fully flesh – i.e., human. He
died that our sins might be completely canceled, and we were made alive in
Christ by his death, burial, and resurrection.
We fully share the benefits of all that Christ’s death has accomplished
for us. Christ is “over all” (2:10),
whether visible or invisible, and his triumphal work has made him exalted to
God’s right hand over all Spiritual forces in the heavenlies.
All of this is anti-Gnostic
teaching. Paul had told them, “let no
one take you captive with this empty philosophy of deceit” (my paraphrase of
2:8), and now he adds another similar phrase –
“Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink,
or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. These are a
shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. Let no
one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in
detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, and
not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit
together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God”
(2:16-19).
Gnostic mysticism, combined with pagan philosophy, and a false version of Jesus,
created this amalgam of spiritual junk.
Gnosticism took two major streams. One taught that Jesus was not really
a human person but only seemed to be human (Docetism). They stressed, as Plato had taught, that materiality
was inferior to the soul that rose above it.
They insisted on strict dietary laws, and the exaltation of Spirit-beings,
with asceticism (severe self-disciplines of the body) to attain higher
knowledge. This stream did not believe
in the human Jesus or that his sufferings were physically possible.
The second stream said that Jesus
was a human being who God put his Spirit upon – and within – so that he might
demonstrate God’s presence within a human body (adoptionism); but, when the
human Jesus went to the cross, God abandoned the human Jesus to suffer and die as
a human being, not as God. This stream
denied that Jesus was truly God.
“ If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why,
as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—
“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things
that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?
These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion
and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping
the indulgence of the flesh” (2:20-23).
Gnosticism didn’t go away quickly. Like
this virus now spreading, Gnosticism appealed to people’s religious nature –
the idea that we have to do something to be free of our human nature, and be
worthy of being acceptable to God. Paul reminded them, “it looks good on the
outside, but it doesn’t have any ability to change the inside” (my
paraphrase).
As we turn the page to chapter 3,
Paul continues to make the case for Christ’s supremacy and sufficiency in our
lives of faith. First, in 3:1-4, he
reminds them of their heavenly calling and the ultimate salvation that will
come in Christ’s return – “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek
the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God.
Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.
For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When
Christ, who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory”
(3:1-4).
If we hope to grow up in Christ, with a faith that is stable and strong, we must
choose what we focus our thoughts, emotions, and will upon. It is the mind that serves as the beginning
point in our discipleship in Christ. It
is Christ Jesus, and the truth about Him that is our goal. There are no short-cuts to life in
Christ. The way of Christ is both simple
and difficult, but not unattainable.
Having laid out the rule of “seek”
what is above, and “set your mind” on Christ above; he now adds “put
to death” that which is unworthy of being a Christian, and “put away”
the things that once described our slavery to sin –
“Put to death, therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality,
impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. On
account of these, the wrath of God is coming. In these, you too once
walked, when you were living in them. But now you must put them all away:
anger, wrath, malice, slander, and obscene talk from your mouth” (3:5-8).
All of these as individual actions have to be chosen; yet, we have the
Spirit of God, and the mind of Christ to be able to choose wisely. Now, in 3:9-17, he speaks to them as a whole
community of believers – the Church.
“Put on then, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, compassionate hearts,
kindness, humility, meekness, and patience” (3:12).
He adds, “bear with one another” and “forgive one another” (3:13). “Put on love” (3:14), and “let the peace of
Christ rule in your hearts” (3:15), and “be thankful.” He describes their gatherings for worship as
“let the word of Christ,” “teaching to admonish, give wisdom,” “singing of
Psalms, and other spiritual songs of Praise” (3:16) – all will be “worth-ful,”
which is the original meaning of the word “worship.”
Christian worship is the outflow
of a life lived for Christ. Worship is
not entertainment, and neither is it boring.
It is the heart of a believer passionately in love with Jesus as both
Savior and Lord – the one who laid down His life for us. We worship to confess and declare Christ as
the all-Supreme God, who is all-Sufficient for our lives. When we realize Paul’s words echoing at the
end, we know we never stop worshiping our Lord Jesus –
“And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord
Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him” (3:17).
Worship is not an hour of time on Sunday morning; worship is happening every
moment of every day when everything we do is for Jesus!
Peace
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