Colossians 2

 Paul starts with an interesting statement; he sounds like he wants to stress the work that he is doing and sounds like he is trying to make himself sound great. However, the idea is that he has internal struggle with himself about the Colossians, the Laodiceans, and others. He is really struggling with their conflicts and decisions to stray away from Christianity. He also mentions (and this relates back to a comment from someone yesterday)  that even though he hasn't met them face to face, Paul really cares...so by extension, even though Paul has never met us, his care is illustrated in these letters and we can learn form them just as the churches they were addressed to an learn from them. Can you feel that these letters may be partially directed and addressed to you?

The specific concern Paul has for the Colossians (vv 2-3)  is their enthusiasm for unity and God. Once they become unified again, they can then begin developing a stronger relationship with God. Paul knows that the Colossians are being pulled in many different directions by many different polytheistic religions that all look good. They are becoming separated and division is forming. Paul urges them to correct that separation and then they will be able to better focused on God. Is that relatable to us in these times? Is our separation making it tougher to focus on God? Paul continues that thought (vv 4-5); when we are disorganized and in difficult times, we may begin to listen to unwise teachings, we may fall away from God, we may start to believe untruths.It might sound simple, but deceivers are deceivers. They won’t announce their false doctrine as false doctrine, and it will often be similar enough to the truth to be dangerous.  How does that relate to our current culture?

The Colossians were given a gift (v 6)- Christ! Keep that gift and keep it alive. It isn't something they earned, it was given, by tradition, from their ancestor and neighbors. Have strong roots (v 7)- a great metaphor for Christian life...we need to be grounded deeply so that when storms come, we will not be blown away or moved. How string are your roots? The deeper our roots are, the stronger we will be...as a tree grows, it sends down roots deeply so that it can reach tall heights. 

Paul begins to address the Colossian heresy (v 8). The Colossians have been listening to false teachings from Gnostics and mystics and other religions about their gods. They have listened intently and some have begun to leave the Christian faith. Paul's caution is that these teachings are false and not from God, they are from humans. Can we be pulled away from God by human words? Paul composes an airtight declaration of the deity of Jesus in vv 9: Jesus is fully God, not a partial god, not a junior god, FULLY GOD! And to top it off (v 1)...our life becomes complete when we build a relationship with Jesus. If the fullness of God dwells in Jesus and we have an intimate relationship with Jesus than we also can have the fullness of God in us! Can you understand why people may believe in other gods though?

We come back to the topic of circumcision again. Most of the Colossian Christians were Gentiles, so were never circumcised. Paul says that doesn't need to happen, that Christ has spiritually circumcised our hearts. Remember- circumcision was a sign of one of the covenants God made with the Jews. That spiritual circumcision they gained was even more important than physical circumcision. For Paul, and Christians, the sacrament of baptism is more important than circumcision. Most of the Colossian Christians had been baptized, and Paul reminds them of the "vows" that they took; the fact that we are dead to sin, and reborn as complete and whole people in the body of Christ. For Christians, baptism is the symbol for the covenant- being raised up through the water as new and clean people in Christ's family. Look back at the baptismal covenant of your church (denomination). How does that illustrate the death to sin and rebirth as new creations? Before we have new life in Jesus, we are dead in our trespasses (v 13). A trespass is a specific kind of sin: overstepping a boundary. We are dead because we overstep God’s boundaries in our sin and rebellion.God brought us back and made us alive again in and through Christ. 

Paul begins this last section  with "so...(v 16) meaning that it is connected to the last passage...the idea that Christ gives us life and freedom from death through sin. The idea Paul brings out here is that the laws and legalism are moot points when it comes to Christianity, as ling as we are living and working in Christ. A life that is centered on Jesus and what He did on the cross has no place for legalism. Theologian and New Testament scholar Frederick Bruce said,  “It would be preposterous indeed for those who had reaped the benefit of Christ’s victory to put themselves voluntarily under the control of the powers which he had conquered.” As we have read in a few other epistles, the original Jews of the area were chastising the new Christians for not following the Levitical and Mosaic laws. Paul says, as we know, these laws doe't mean anything when we are living in Christ. Christians are free to keep a kosher diet or to observe the sabbath if they please. There is nothing wrong with those things. However, they cannot think that eating kosher or sabbath observance makes them any closer to God and they shouldn't judge others because they don't keep the laws. Hmm...judging others! Comments?

Another part of the Colossian Heresy comes out in v 18- the worship of angels. Christ is above the angels, and Paul has stated this a few times! Angels may be the messengers of God, but they are not God and they don't "deserve" worship. Similar with god worship- God worship yes, god worship- no.

Paul ends this chapter (vv 20- 23) rebuking legalism- again! This must be a huge point that Paul was trying to make!

Enjoy the beautiful day that we are going to have...and even better the next few days.

Peace+
Pastor Paul