Colossians 2
Big idea: The heart of the letter's argument. Paul reveals his pastoral concern (vv. 1-5), states the thesis positively — you received Christ, so live rooted in him, in whom all fullness dwells and in whom you are made complete (vv. 6-10) — grounds it in your union with Christ's death and resurrection, where the record against you was nailed to the cross and the powers disarmed (vv. 11-15), and only then draws the negative conclusion: therefore let no one disqualify you with food rules, festivals, angel-worship, or ascetic regulations (vv. 16-23).
Chapter 1 built the vision of Christ; chapter 2 wields it. Having shown that you died and were raised with Christ and are complete in him, chapter 3 asks the obvious next question: then what does a raised life actually look like? 'If you were raised with Christ, seek the things above' (3:1) picks up 2:12 directly.
2:1-5 — Paul's struggle for their assurance
Paul lets the Colossians see the intensity of his concern for them and the Laodiceans — churches he has never met face to face. His goal for them: hearts encouraged, knit together in love, reaching the full riches of assured understanding, so they truly know God's mystery, Christ — 'in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.' He names the danger for the first time plainly: someone may delude them 'with persuasiveness of speech.' Though absent in body, he is with them in spirit and glad to see their order and firm faith.
1 For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; 2 that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, 3 in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden. 4 Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. 5 For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.
2:6-10 — Rooted in Christ, complete in him
The letter's thesis in positive form. As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him — rooted, built up, established in the faith, overflowing with thanksgiving. Then the sharp warning: see to it that no one takes you captive through 'philosophy and empty deceit,' which follows human tradition and 'the elemental spirits of the world' rather than Christ. The reason it is empty: in Christ the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and in him — who is head over every ruler and authority — you have been filled to the full.
6 As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving. 8 Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ. 9 For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily, 10 and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.
2:11-15 — Buried and raised with Christ
Paul grounds the believer's completeness in a union with Christ's death and resurrection. There was a 'circumcision not made with hands' — the stripping off of the old fleshly self — enacted in Christ's own circumcision. In baptism they were buried with him and raised with him through faith in God's power. Once dead in trespasses, they were made alive with him, all trespasses forgiven. The 'handwriting' of debt against them — the ordinances they failed — was wiped out and nailed to the cross. And there, on the cross, Christ stripped and publicly disgraced the rulers and authorities, leading them in triumph.
11 In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ, 12 having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead. 13 You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, 14 wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross. 15 Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
2:16-23 — So let no one disqualify you
Now the negative conclusion of the whole argument. Because you are complete in Christ and the powers are defeated, let no one pass judgment on you over food, drink, festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths — these were only 'a shadow of the things to come; the substance belongs to Christ.' Let no one disqualify you by insisting on self-abasement and angel-worship, puffed up and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body grows. If you died with Christ to the elemental spirits, why submit to regulations — 'Don't handle, don't taste, don't touch' — mere human commands that have an appearance of wisdom but no power to restrain the flesh.
16 Let no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day, 17 which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s. 18 Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth. 20 If you died with Christ from the elemental spirits of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances, 21 “Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch” 22 (all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men? 23 These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.
Scripture text: World English Bible (public domain).