Setting – The relationship between Christ and our faith
Content – Our faith comes from (v. 2 NASB) “the full assurance of understanding, {resulting} in a true knowledge of God's mystery, {that is,} Christ {Himself,}”. In Christ (v. 3 NASB) “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Paul establishes these truths (v. NASB) “so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.” Paul wants the Colossians to stick to original foundation of their faith (v. 8 NASB) “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Christ is fully God in bodily form (v. 9 NASB) “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” and because of Christ we are complete (v. 10a NASB) “and in Him you have been made complete” We align to Christ death and resurrection (v. 12 NASB) “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Because of Christ death we have forgiveness (v. 13b NASB) “having forgiven us all our transgressions”, and our sentence from sin has been canceled (v. 14a NASB) “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us” and these things have been (v. 14b NASB) “He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross”
Application – Paul was concerned that the Colossian’s were straying from the original foundation of their faith. Such as Christ not being fully God, and some higher knowledge, beyond scripture, was necessary for enlightenment and salvation. Additionally, they clung to Old Testament Jewish dietary traditions, festivals and circumcision for salvation.
Our tendency is to add, or mix in, human effort into the salvation equation. I think it stems from wanting to play God still and redefine salvation having added what we think is needed. The Colossian society was a melting-pot of cultures and beliefs. This could have caused the tendency to had additive requirements to salvation.
The foundation of the gospel is that God wants His creation to return to Him. The payment for this was a perfect sacrifice, that being Christ. Christ was born in the flesh, but of a virgin birth, so that Christ was of the flesh and Spirit. Sin entered the world through the decision and action to go against God’s will (to not eat from the tree of knowledge) so salvation occurs through the decision and action to believe that Christ’s death alone is enough for our salvation. When we add to this plan, we are saying to God that what He provided as a complete sacrifice wasn’t complete, in other words, God you almost got it right.
We need to accept that what God did through Christ was sufficient.
Content – Our faith comes from (v. 2 NASB) “the full assurance of understanding, {resulting} in a true knowledge of God's mystery, {that is,} Christ {Himself,}”. In Christ (v. 3 NASB) “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Paul establishes these truths (v. NASB) “so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.” Paul wants the Colossians to stick to original foundation of their faith (v. 8 NASB) “See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.” Christ is fully God in bodily form (v. 9 NASB) “For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” and because of Christ we are complete (v. 10a NASB) “and in Him you have been made complete” We align to Christ death and resurrection (v. 12 NASB) “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”
Because of Christ death we have forgiveness (v. 13b NASB) “having forgiven us all our transgressions”, and our sentence from sin has been canceled (v. 14a NASB) “having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us” and these things have been (v. 14b NASB) “He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross”
Application – Paul was concerned that the Colossian’s were straying from the original foundation of their faith. Such as Christ not being fully God, and some higher knowledge, beyond scripture, was necessary for enlightenment and salvation. Additionally, they clung to Old Testament Jewish dietary traditions, festivals and circumcision for salvation.
Our tendency is to add, or mix in, human effort into the salvation equation. I think it stems from wanting to play God still and redefine salvation having added what we think is needed. The Colossian society was a melting-pot of cultures and beliefs. This could have caused the tendency to had additive requirements to salvation.
The foundation of the gospel is that God wants His creation to return to Him. The payment for this was a perfect sacrifice, that being Christ. Christ was born in the flesh, but of a virgin birth, so that Christ was of the flesh and Spirit. Sin entered the world through the decision and action to go against God’s will (to not eat from the tree of knowledge) so salvation occurs through the decision and action to believe that Christ’s death alone is enough for our salvation. When we add to this plan, we are saying to God that what He provided as a complete sacrifice wasn’t complete, in other words, God you almost got it right.
We need to accept that what God did through Christ was sufficient.
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