Colossians - December 7

 

Paul’s Epistle to the Colossians

December 7, 2025

Opening Prayer

Colossians 2:1-5 – On Knowledge

For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, ² that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God's mystery, which is Christ, ³ in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ⁴ I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments. ⁵ For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.

 

v. 1

Notice Paul’s desire regarding these Christians he has never seen.

 

This is one of the ways he is an excellent example for pastors, and also for all believers.

 

v. 2

-        Encouraged in their hearts

o   Holy Spirit language

o   Passive participle

-        Knit together in love

o   Passive participle

-        Into all riches of full assurance of understanding the knowledge of the mystery of God

o   The verb “reach” is not in the text, but there is a sense of movement toward or into these things

o   The mystery of God is ___________.

§  Incarnation, Death, Resurrection

§  Reconciliation

§  Gentiles as recipients

§  Etc.

v. 3

In whom …

 

… are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Paul is addressing the Colossian heresy here. Notice how he attacks the issue by pointing to the excellence of what the Colossians have in Christ.

 

How do bankers learn to recognize counterfeit money?

 

v. 4

Deceived by persuasive speech …

-        Does this still happen?

 

v. 5

Order and Steadfastness

 

Order – what are its benefits?

1 Corinthians 14:33 – For God is not a God of confusion but of peace.

 

Steadfastness – interesting word – only use in the N.T. – something solid, hard, unbreakable

 

Despite the fact that the Colossians are facing the temptation of this heresy, Paul is focused on what is good in their midst. He doesn’t just harp on the problem; he praises their faith and faithfulness.

 

-        This is an important part of leadership!

Colossians 2:6-15 – On the Fullness of Christ

⁶ Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, ⁷ rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.

 

v. 6

Therefore – On account of Jesus’ sufficiency and greatness

 

Remember that whatever this heresy was in Colosse, it seems to have promoted a way of life, behaviors, and ideas that were contrary to what the Christian evangelists taught them.

 

Walk in Him

-        Live

-        How does/should our lives change when we walk in Christ?

 

v. 7

Rooted, built up, and established

-        In him (Jesus) and the faith

-        These are passive participles

-        Where does the ability to “walk in him” come from?

 

Just as you were taught

-        Who are our teachers? To what standard are they held?

-        Solid teaching – good doctrine – matters.

 

Abounding in thanksgiving

-        An important characteristic of the Christian walk

 

⁸ 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. ⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. ¹¹ 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, ¹² 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. ¹³ 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, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

 

v. 8

See to it – Watch out!

 

That you might not be taken captive

-        “No one” is not actually in the text.

-        The danger is not necessarily in another person, but in the false teaching and bad ideas

 

Philosophy

-        Ways of understanding the world through human observation and thoughts.

-        Where are we presented with different philosophies? (Are you reading modern philosophers?)

 

Empty deceit

-        Sometimes people promote ideas designed to corrupt people

o   “Did God really say …?”

 

According to human tradition

-        Power and ideas (esp. regarding how thing “ought” to be)

 

In both of these areas, philosophy and empty deceit, who or what is the authority/power that backs or legitimizes them?

-        Consider the phrase, “I’ve never heard that!”

 

According to the elemental spirits of the world

-        Paul presents a spiritual dimension to the false teachings of the world

-        “There is a global conspiracy, but it’s probably not what you think.”

 

Not according to Christ

-        Rooted and built up in Him, and established in the faith

-        WWJD? – a valid question for our behavior, but there is more going on here.

-        As this is dealing with the faith of the Colossians, this is also about how one receives salvation.

o   Is it through secret knowledge? Having the right code words? Etc?

o   No, it is through Christ and that is the focus of the following verses.

 

⁹ For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, ¹⁰ and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. 

 

v. 9

Dwells bodily

-        We are not souls trapped in bodies, looking to shuck the mortal coil to attain enlightenment.

-        We are body and soul, and Jesus redeems both

 

v. 10

You have been filled

-        Notice the language of giftedness

 

Head of all rule and authority

-        This is directed toward those holding the false teaching.

-        “If there are these spiritual beings that lead people into enlightenment, they are beneath Christ, so why are you so focused on them when Jesus is so vastly superior?”

 

¹¹ 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, ¹² 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. ¹³ 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, ¹⁴ by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross. ¹⁵ He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

 

Paul connects baptism and circumcision here.

-        Again, the false teachers want to reject the flesh, but there is more to it than getting rid of some skin.

-        This passage echoes Romans 6 – connected to Jesus’ death, burial, resurrection, and new life in baptism.

 

What does this passage teach us about Baptism?

-        Who is doing the work?

-        What is being done?

-        Who is baptism for?

-        What is the ultimate significance of baptism?

Wrapping Up

What is one insight/word of comfort/challenging idea that you hope to hold onto from these verses?

How will the lessons learned from these verses impact your faith life?