COLOSSIANS CHAPTER 2

OBSERVATION STAGE

The purpose of the observation stage is to maintain focus on the text at hand within the normative rules of language, context and by the book of Colossians. This will serve to avoid going on unnecessary tangents elsewhere; and more importantly, it will provide the framework for a proper and objective comparison with passages located elsewhere in Scripture.

Note that similar or the same subject matter describing an historic event which matter is essentially the same as the subject matter in another passage in Scripture does not necessarily prove that the passages in view portray the same event.

On the other hand, passages in Scripture which not only have similar or the same subject matter describing an event but which also have different subject matter from one another, may or may not have the same event in view depending upon a full examination of the context of each of the passages. Given the brevity of the bible - the limited time, space and resources such as paper, ink, etc. - not everything was capable of being included in each of the writings or even in all of the writings together. There are going to be similarities and differences. But a careful examination of Scripture will reveal that there is nevertheless a miraculous harmony and complete absence of contradiction.

Remember that something elsewhere may be true, but in the text at hand it may not be in view.

Note: references to Manuscript Evidence are largely quotations from New Testament Text and Translation Commentary, by Phillip W. Comfort, Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, IL, 2008.

****** EXCERPT FROM COLOSSIANS CHAPTER ONE ******

OR

MOVE TO CHAPTER TWO

[Col 1:24-29]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

(Col 1:28 NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

(Col 1:29 NASB) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

[(Col 1:24-28) Manuscript Evidence]:

[(Col 1:27a) Manuscript Evidence For Col 1:27a]:

The Greek words "ploutos tEs doxEs tou mustEriou toutou" rendered "the wealth of the glory of this mystery" have been shortened in P46 to "To ploutos tou musteriou toutou" rendered "the wealth of this mystery" - probably due to an arbitrary decision to simplify a complex expression.

[(Col 1:27b) Manuscript Evidence For Col 1:27b]:

WH, NU, P46, a, b, f, g, p, 33, 1739, 1881 have "which is Christ in you."

TR, sinaiticus, C, D, H, I, Psi, 0278, Maj have "Who is Christ in you"

The manuscript evidence favors the WH, NU reading, which is followed by all versions. The change in the variant is due to respect for Christ's Person - namely, that He should not be designated with a neuter pronoun. Hence, the neuter pronoun was replaced with a masculine pronoun. But the neuter is necessary to show that Christ is the wealth ("Greek "To ploutos" - neuter) of this glorious mystery. He Himself, as the fullness of God, provides all spiritual riches to His people.

[(Col 1:28a) Manuscript Evidence For Col 1:28a]:

The second occurrence of Greek: panta anthrOpon" rendered "every man" is omitted in D*, F, G, 33, it, syr(p) due to homoeoteleuton.

[(Col 1:28b) Manuscript Evidence For Col 1:28b]:

WH, NU, P46, sinaiticus*, A, B, C, D*, F, G, 33, 1739, COP(bo) have "complete in Christ"

TR, sinaiticus(2), D(2), H, Psi, 075, 0278, Maj, cop(sa) have "complete in Christ Jesus" The variant is a typical scribal expansion of Jesus' name. Early and diverse witneesses support the shorter form.

[(Col 1:24-29) Commentary On Col 1:24-29]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

(Col 1:28 NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

(Col 1:29 NASB) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

[Commentary On Col 1:24]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions."

PAUL NOW STATES THAT HE REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS. FOR IN HIS [PAUL'S] FLESH HE DOES HIS SHARE ON BEHALF OF HIS [CHRIST'S] BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, IN FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST'S AFFLICATIONS IN THE SENSE OF PAUL'S PERSONAL SUFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF FELLOW BELIEVERS BY PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AS THE WORLD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH CHRIST'S BODY THROUGHOUT THIS AGE

Paul in Col 1:24 wrote, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions," addresses his particular ministry - of which he became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to him for the Colossian believers (and all believers), to fulfill the word of God - His Plan of the ages - which has in view Paul's personal sufferings on behalf of Christ's body which is the Church, in filling up what is "lacking in Christ's afflictions" for the sake of fellow believers - in the sense of participating with the resurrected Christ, i.e., in His sufferings when the world is persecuting His body, the Church; which frequently happened to Paul.

As a matter of fact, Jesus Christ does indeed continue to suffer when Christians suffer for Him. For example, He asked Saul (later called Paul) on the Damascus Road, "Why do you persecute Me?" (Acts 9:4). Since the church is Christ's body, He is affected when it is affected. For the sake of Christ's body, Paul willingly suffered.

[Expositor's Commentary On Col 1:24]:

"The sufferings His [Christ's] people endure are a continuation of what He endured, and in that sense they complete his afflictions. "It is a simple matter of fact," writes Lightfoot, "that the afflictions of every saint and martyr do supplement the afflictions of Christ. The Church is built up by repeated acts of self-denial in successive individuals and successive generations. They continue the work which Christ began."

The underlying principle is the believer's union with Christ. That union is so intimate—Christ the Head, his people the body—that he suffers when they suffer (cf. Isa 63:9). His personal sufferings are over, but his sufferings in his people continue (cf. 2Cor 1:5; Philippians 3:10)....

"What is still lacking" is not an intimation of deficiency in Christ's own sufferings but a reference to what is yet lacking in Christ's suffering in Paul. In his experience as a prisoner the apostle was filling up the sum or quota of suffering yet remaining for him to endure.

Third, they are the sphere of Paul's joy. The sufferings Paul endured for the gospel seem never to have been to him a source of perplexity or of sadness. ... He saw them as a necessary part of his ministry and knew that they were incurred in the line of duty."

This statement is an example for all believers to follow. The key is for the believer as he grows in the faith to have a viewpoint of his eternal destination and how much more glorious eternity will be for him if he stays in the faith via a careful study and obedience to God's Word regardless of the suffering. Although his faithfulness will cause himself suffering for the sake of Christ in a number of ways, not the least of which is the persecution that the apostle Paul wrote about - even the isolation from society, including religious organizations that call themselves Christian but distance themselves from the fellowship of believers who are not acceptable / not part of their 'social' group, the eternal outcome will be all the more glorious. This as opposed to the believer who is totally focused upon the temporal life, to the exclusion of his paying any attention to his eternal destiny because of his lack of spiritual growth because he has not been studying and endeavoring to obey the Scriptures. Nevertheless the suffering in this temporal life, if for the sake of Jesus Christ, albeit is going to be difficult, but persevering in the faith will result in much greater rewards in eternity, even sharing in the glory of God. What is remarkable through all of his suffering is Paul's statement at the beginning of verse 24, "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions."

This is not to say that Christ's suffering was not sufficient to pay for the sins of all mankind. This has in view the service of individuals once they become believers for the cause of Christ - the gospel and the spiritual growth of fellow believers. But it is a believer's privilege to suffer for Christ:

[Compare 2 Tim 3:10-12]:

(2 Tim 3:10 NASB) "Now you followed my teaching, conduct, purpose, faith, patience, love, perseverance,

(2 Tim 3:11 NASB) persecutions, and sufferings, such as happened to me at Antioch, at Iconium and at Lystra; what persecutions I endured, and out of them all the Lord rescued me!

(2 Tim 3:12 NASB) Indeed, all who desire to live godly in Christ Jesus will be persecuted."

[Compare Heb 10:32-33]:

(Heb 10:32 NASB) "But remember [Brethren in Christ, (ref. Heb 10:19)] the former days, when, after being enlightened, you endured a great conflict of sufferings,

(Heb 10:33 NASB) partly by being made a public spectacle through reproaches and tribulations, and partly by becoming sharers with those who were so treated."

Note that the Greek word, "thlisesin" rendered "tribulations" in Heb 10:33 is never used of Christ's death. The word means "tribulations," "distress," "pressure," or "trouble," i.e., trials in life, not the pains of death.

[Compare Ro 8:16-18]:

(Ro 8:16 NASB) "The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God,

(Ro 8:17 NASB)  and if children, heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

(Ro 8:18 NASB) For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us."

The Spirit of God testifies with our human, redeemed, (Ro 3:24), made alive spirits, (Ro 8:10), that believers are God's children. Note that Paul's readers are called sons (Ro 8:15) and children (Ro 8:16), without any appreciable distinction.

Note that the child of God, i.e., every believer, is stipulated as an heir of God. This means that God has made a provision for all believers of an inheritance - an eternal one considering the glory and eternality of God Himself, beginning with eternal redemption unto eternal life, (cf. Ro 3:21-24) and the reception of the glory of God, (Ro 5:1-2). The rest of verse 8:17 indicates that the believer will be a joint heir with Christ and be glorified together with Him if indeed he suffers together with Him. This additional inheritance and glorification is further described as a joint inheritance literally, "of Christ," or better rendered "with Christ" since the word "sugklEronomoi" rendered "joint heirs" requires someone to be a joint heir with Someone, namely Christ. And that joint inheritance will be received "if we [believers and Christ] suffer together for what Christ suffered: for righteousness sake, (cf. 3:21-26) - implying walking according to the Spirit. Note that previous contexts have established that not all believers / children of God will live faithful lives. Some will suffer together with Christ - as He did for the sake of righteousness but others will not. Hence the First Class "if-then" conditional statement in 8:17b, "and heirs together of Christ - if, indeed, we suffer together, that we may also be glorified together" is not a statement of fact but a conditional one - "If - for the sake of argument" statement. It is used in order to establish which children of God will be joint heirs with Christ that they may also be glorified together with Him and which will not. The stipulation that the faithful believer and Christ will be glorified together with Him alludes to the future and eternal glorification of Jesus Christ which will be when He comes again and which faithful believers will share in His glory with with Him.

Verse 8:18 compares the sufferings that believers suffer in the present time, some even with Christ for the sake of His Righteousness and concludes that these sufferings cannot be compared with the future glory of God which will be revealed in all believers and especially the glory of Christ in believers who suffer with Him. This is an exhortation to stay focused on the grand purpose for which believers are to remain faithful to our Lord. The future of the believer is so grand that present day sufferings pale in comparison.

[Compare 2 Cor 1:5-7]:

(2 Cor 1:5 NASB) "For just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.

(2 Cor 1:6 NASB) But if we are afflicted, it is for your comfort and salvation; or if we are comforted, it is for your comfort, which is effective in the patient enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer; 

(2 Cor 1:7 NASB) and our hope for you is firmly grounded, knowing that as you are sharers of our sufferings, so also you are sharers of our comfort."

1:5-7. The sufferings Paul experienced were a consequence of his relationship to Christ (cf. Matt. 5:11; Col. 1:24). As Paul continued to preach the gospel, he suffered at the hands of men (e.g., 2 Cor. 11:23-26) and from privations which were a part of his task (11:27). But Paul's sufferings for Christ were accompanied by a comfort that overflowed.

In referring to the sufferings of Christ (1:5), sufferings we suffer (v. 6), and our sufferings (v. 7), the apostle probably had in mind either the suffering he experienced in Asia which he referred to next (v. 8) or the pain brought to him by the problems of the Corinthian church (cf. 11:28-29). Both kinds may be in mind, but if it was primarily the latter to which he referred (cf. 7:5) then the Corinthians' own suffering was similar. Paul's severe letter (7:8) produced in them a profound sorrow as they understood how their reprehensible behavior had grieved Paul (7:9). It had certainly distressed him to write it (2:4) but he did it out of love for them, for their comfort and salvation (cf. 7:10). The aspect of salvation suggested here is their advance in sanctification, which in fact this letter produced (cf. 7:11). The Corinthians' response brought comfort to both themselves and Paul (7:13) and reaffirmed Paul's hope (1:7) that God indeed had His hand on their lives (cf. Heb. 12:7-8). In addition, the Corinthians' comfort produced in them patient endurance ("hypomonē"; steadfastness in the face of unpleasant circumstances; cf. 2 Cor. 6:4; Rom. 5:3; Col. 1:11; James 1:3).

[Compare Phil 1:29; 2:17]:

(Phil 1:29 NASB) "For to you it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake,"

(Phil 2:17 NASB) "But even if I am being poured out as a drink offering upon the sacrifice and service of your faith, I rejoice and share my joy with you all."

Note that to believers it has been granted for Christ's sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.

And in Phil 2:17, Paul expounds upon his sufferings for the sake of the Philippean believers, and he actually rejoices and shares his joy in his sufferings with them all, knowing the eternal rewards to which he is destined to as well as the Philippean believers as a result in his eternal relationship with Almighty God.

[Bible Knowledge Commentary on Phil 2:17]:

"Paul viewed himself as being poured out like a drink offering on behalf of the Philippians (v. 17). But instead of sorrowing he rejoiced. "Poured out" is from the Greek word "spendomai," used of a drink offering given as a sacrifice to God. The possibility of release from prison was not uppermost in Paul's mind as it had been before (cf. 1:24-26). He now viewed his death as imminent. Later, near the actual time of his death, he used this same language (2 Tim. 4:6).
The sacrifice and service (perhaps this could be understood as "sacrificial service") stemmed from their faith. Paul used the same word for sacrifice ("thysia") in Romans 12:1. There the sacrifice the believer-priest offers is his body. "Service" ("leitourgia") is the same word translated "ceremonies" in Hebrews 9:21 (cf. Phil. 2:25, 30). This means that the work the Philippians did for God was considered an act of worship. All of this brought rejoicing to the apostle's heart even though it resulted in his facing imminent death.

Paul wanted his friends at Philippi to experience the same joy he had (2:18) and to be glad and rejoice with him.

[Expositor's Bible Commentary on Phil 2:17]:

"The prospect of standing before Christ reminded Paul that it might be soon. By the vivid metaphor of a drink offering, he explained that even though he was presently in a dangerous situation that could lead to a martyr's death, it was the climax of his ministry and a cause for rejoicing. Both Jewish and Greek religious practice included the use of wine poured out ceremonially in connection with certain sacrifices (Num 15:1-10; Homer, Illiad, 11:775), and it is fruitless and unnecessary to determine which was most influential in Paul's figure. What is important is to see that Paul regarded his own life as a sacrifice in the interests of the spiritual advancement of such persons as the Philippian believers. He used the same metaphor in 2 Timothy 4:6. "The sacrifice and service" employs only one article with the two nouns, and probably is a hendiadys meaning "sacrificial service." The apostle is thinking of their various Christian ministries performed as a spiritual sacrifice to God (4:18; Heb 13:15) and springing from their faith. Paul was not embittered but was rejoicing in his present labors and sufferings. He was willing not only to endure his present sufferings but also to lay down his life, and the prospect of being with Christ and of having his ministry among the Philippians seen as successful filled him with joy. Enduring his present danger would be a demonstration that he had learned something of the "mind of Christ" (2:5). (As it turned out, he was probably not executed until some years later during a second Roman imprisonment.) Furthermore, he rejoiced not only for his own sake, but jointly with the Philippians as he contemplated his relation to their faith. He was its planter and nourisher, and thus their victories were his also. He conveys this idea not only by the words "rejoice with all of you," but also by the figure depicting his life as being poured out as a sacrifice along with the Philippians' own sacrifice. They were priests together, making spiritual sacrifices to God as a result of their faith in Christ. Their sacrifices consisted of themselves, presented by faithful service during life, and if need be, by a martyr's death."

[Compare 2 Tim 1:8-9; 2:8-10]:

(2 Tim 1:8 NASB) "Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God,

(2 Tim 1:9 NASB) Who has saved us and called us with a holy calling, not according to our works, but according to His own purpose and grace which was granted us in Christ Jesus from all eternity."

(2 Tim 2:8 NASB) "Remember Jesus Christ, risen from the dead, descendant of David, according to my gospel,

(2 Tim 2:9 NASB) for which I suffer hardship even to imprisonment as a criminal; but the word of God is not imprisoned.

(2 Tim 2:10 NASB)  For this reason I endure all things for the sake of those who are chosen, so that they also may obtain the salvation which is in Christ Jesus and with it eternal glory."

[Bible Knowledge Commentary on 2 Tim 2:8-10]:

Paul exhorted Timothy to join courageously with him in suffering for the gospel (cf. 2 Tim. 2:3), for it is just in such circumstances that the power of God is made manifest (cf. 2 Cor. 12:9-10). It is only "by the power of God" that Timothy will be able to suffer for the gospel.

[Expositor's Bible Commentary on 2 Tim 2:8-9]:

"In 2 Tim 2:8, Paul urges Timothy to keep on remembering (present tense) Jesus Christ. "Raised from the dead" emphasizes his deity; "descended from David," his humanity (cf. Rom 1:3, 4). It is not the dead Christ that Timothy is to contemplate, but the risen living Lord. This is Paul's gospel ("good news").

And in 2 Tim 2:9 For preaching this gospel, Paul is suffering. The Greek literally says, "I am suffering evil... as an evil-doer" (kakopatho... hos kakourgos). He was "chained like a criminal." But he rejoices that "God's word is not chained." The preacher is in prison, but the Word of God is still moving on and transforming lives.

10 Because of this, the apostle patiently endures (hypomeno) everything for the sake of the 'elect.' "

[Commentary On Col 1:24-25]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,"

PAUL STATED IN COL 1:24 THAT HE REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS. FOR IN HIS [PAUL'S] FLESH HE DOES HIS SHARE ON BEHALF OF HIS [CHRIST'S] BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, IN FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST'S AFFLICATIONS IN THE SENSE OF PAUL'S PERSONAL SUFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF FELLOW BELIEVERS BY PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AS THE WORLD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGHOUT THIS AGE. FOR IT IS EXPLAINED IN COL 1:25, IT IS THE CHURCH OF WHICH HE BECAME A MINISTER ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP / THE RESPONSIBILITY / THE COMMISSION ASSIGNED TO HIM FROM AND BY GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM FOR THE SAKE OF THE BELIEVERS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD

The Colossian heresy boasted of a "fullness" of knowledge possible only through their particular mystical experience which they demand of their followers. But Paul declared in Col 1:19 NASB: "For it was the Father's [ref. Col 1:12] good pleasure for all the fullness [of God, of Deity] to dwell in Him [Jesus Christ in His Perfect Humanity]. And in Col 1:25, Paul continued the context of Col 1:24 into verse 25 as follows:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,"

[Expositor's Bible Commentary on Col 1:25]:

"25 Elsewhere Paul speaks of himself as a minister of the gospel (v. 23; Eph 3:7), of God (2 Cor 6:4), of Christ (2 Cor 11:23), of a new covenant (2 Cor 3:6). Here he is the church's minister, and as such is bound to toil and suffer in whatever way the church's welfare requires. Suffering is not, then, simply a matter of joy (v. 24) but of duty as well. "I" (ego), expressed in Greek for emphasis, suggests that Paul was thinking of a ministry peculiar to himself. The word for "minister" (diakonos), the same as that used earlier of Epaphras (1:7) and of Paul (1:23), simply means "one who serves."

Paul's appointment to his office was "by the commission God gave" him - literally, "according to the dispensation [arrangement] of God." "Commission" is a free rendering of the word oikonomian, which has a rather wide range of meanings. "Plan," "arrangement," "stewardship," "management," "administration,"—these are all possible meanings. The KJV and ASV here translate it "dispensation"; Am. Trans. has "divine appointment"; RSV, "divine office." "Dispensation" ("arrangement") suggests that Paul looked upon his call to the ministry as part of the divine plan for the evangelization of the world; oikonomia is in fact sometimes used in Scripture for the plan by which God has ordered the course of history (cf. Eph 1:10, RSV). But oikonomia, related to our words "economy" and "economics," is perhaps best rendered here by "stewardship" (cf. Luke 16:2-4). This rendering suggests that Paul conceived of the work to which God appointed him as both a high privilege and a sacred trust (cf. Williams, TCNT, JB). He was a servant of the church, but in the deepest sense he was a steward of God.

The purpose of the apostle's stewardship was "to present the word of God in all its fullness." Some understand this to refer to the geographical extension of the gospel (cf. Rom 15:19). But Paul probably means that his special ministry was to make clear the true nature of the gospel as a divine provision intended for all people"- in the sense of providing a detailed exposition of the doctrines of the faith as he so adequately did in his epistles for all of mankind to study to show themselves approved before God.

[Commentary On Col 1:24-29 cont.]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

(Col 1:28 NASB) "We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

(Col 1:29 NASB) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me.

[Commentary On Col 1:26]:

PAUL STATED IN COL 1:24 THAT HE REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS. FOR IN HIS [PAUL'S] FLESH HE DOES HIS SHARE ON BEHALF OF HIS [CHRIST'S] BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, IN FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST'S AFFLICTIONS IN THE SENSE OF PAUL'S PERSONAL SUFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF FELLOW BELIEVERS BY PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AS THE WORLD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGHOUT THIS AGE. FOR IT IS EXPLAINED IN COL 1:25, IT IS THE CHURCH OF WHICH HE BECAME A MINISTER ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP / THE RESPONSIBILITY / THE COMMISSION ASSIGNED TO HIM FROM AND BY GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM FOR THE SAKE OF THE BELIEVERS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD

THEN IN COL 1:26, PAUL DECLARED THAT THE FULFILLMENT OF THE WORD OF GOD WAS THE MYSTERY THAT HAS BEEN HIDDEN FROM THE PAST AGES AND GENERATIONS, BUT HAS NOW BEEN MANIFESTED TO HIS [GOD'S] SAINTS IN THIS AGE - THE CHURCH. THE CHURCH WAS HERETOFORE A MYSTERY UNTIL THE FIRST CENTURY WHEN JEWS AND GENTILES WERE JOINED TOGETHER WHEN THEY BECAME BELIEVERS IN CHRIST AND AS ONE BODY IN CHRIST

In Col 1:26, Paul wrote,

(Col 1:26 NASB) "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints." 

So the church was heretofore a mystery until the First Century when Jews and Gentiles were joined together when they became believers in Christ as one body in Christ.  So in Col 1:26, Paul declared that the fulfillment of the word of God was in this age - the church.

[Expositor's Commentary On Col 1:26]:

"The Colossian heresy boasted of a "fullness" of knowledge possible only through their mystical experience. But Paul declared that the fullness of the mystery is found only in Christ. By "mystery" he meant something once concealed but then revealed. This contrasted with the Colossian heretics' notion that a mystery was a secret teaching known only to an exclusive group and unknown to the masses. The church was unknown in the Old Testament [times] because it had been kept hidden for ages and generations. In fact, said Paul, it is only now [since the first century] disclosed to the saints. Since the church is Christ's body, resulting from His death on the cross, it could not possibly have been in existence in the Old Testament. Indeed, Jesus, when on earth, said it was yet future (Matt. 16:16-18). Since the church is Christ's body, welded together by the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13), the church's birthday occurred when this baptism took place (Acts 1:5; 2). Soon Saul recognized that this mysterious body of Christ, the church, was in existence and that he was persecuting it (Acts 9:4; cf. Gal. 1:13).

The "mystery" of the church, however, does not mean that Gentile salvation and blessing was unforeseen before Christ (cf. Luke 2:29-32; Amos 9:11-12). The mystery was not that Gentiles would be saved but how they could be "fellow-heirs" (Eph. 3:6, KJV), on the same level with Jews, with no middle wall of partition between them (Eph. 2:12-14). In the Old Testament Gentiles who believed and became a part of Judaism were still considered lower than Jews. This special union in which there "is neither Jew nor Greek" (i.e., Gentile, Gal. 3:28) was nonexistent before Christ died and the Spirit descended to baptize all believers into this new body. (For a list of other NT "mysteries" see the chart near Matt. 13:10-16)."

[Compare Excerpts From Ephesians Chapter 3 on the mystery of the Church ]:

Eph 3:1: Since Paul had previously discussed the union of Jewish and Gentile believers in the church in Eph 2:11-22 ; then after writing the first phrase of Eph 3:1 with the intention of offering a prayer to the Father on behalf of the believers, he stopped right in the middle of the sentence. Hence the "-" rendered at the end of 3:1 in the NASB.

Whereupon in Eph 3:2-3 Paul wrote "since indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you, [Gentiles] that by revelation there was made known to me the mystery, as I wrote before in brief." Paul here was beginning to review what he had just previously written about in Eph 2:11-22: He began to review the subject of the mystery of Christ and his responsibility to administrate it. Twelve verses later, at verse 14, Paul would finish this review and then recommence his prayer before the Father on the Gentiles' behalf.

So in Eph 3:2 Paul reminded the Gentile believers that they had heard of the dispensation / economy / administration of a new order of things involving them: the means by which God will convey the gospel of salvation to humanity; albeit it has always been and will always be by His grace through His one and only Son, Jesus Christ. And it is by God's special commission to Paul to focus on that conveyance directly to the Gentiles. The next 12 verses, Eph 3:2-13 will then serve to provide a review of the mystery of Christ which Paul had already expounded upon in Eph 2:11-22 .

In Eph 3:4, the words rendered "by referring to this," refer to what Paul just previously wrote about in Eph 2:11-22 about God's revealing to him the dispensation of the grace of God relative to Gentile believers no longer being strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and beings of God's household, having been built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets with Christ Jesus Himself being the corner stone, in Whom the whole building is being joined together and growing into a holy sanctuary in the Lord, built together for a dwelling place of God in the Spirit. This is the insight into the mystery of Christ which has to do with the inclusion of the Gentiles as those who now inherit the eternal promises as heirs of the same body and partakers of His eternal promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus through faith in the gospel - alongside fellow Jewish believers. Albeit Gentiles and all peoples from the time of Adam & Eve after the Fall may receive eternal life through a moment of faith alone in God's promise alone of the Seed of the woman / the Seed of Abraham / the Son of God, Jesus Christ .

Then in Eph 3:5 it is established that this mystery of Christ of the dispensation of the grace of God for the sake of Gentile believers being joined together with Jewish believers ("sons of men" cf. multiple passages in the Hebrew Bible) was not made known to previous generations neither in heaven nor on earth as it has now been revealed to God's holy apostles and prophets in the Spirit in and for this age - in the sense of communicated to them via revelation by the Spirit of God to them.

Note that this is not a joining of Jew and Gentile to be joint heirs of the Kingdom of God on earth - the Eternal Kingdom God promised to Israel alone - the new covenant between God and the houses of Judah and Israel alone . But this heirship of the mystery of Christ not revealed will be of a number of generations of Jews and Gentiles in this age of the Body of Christ who are believers in Jesus Christ brought together into one new body in Christ Jesus to corule with Christ over the Eternal Kingdom of God which the latter is promised to Israel to be the ruling nation .

Then in Eph 3:6 the content of the mystery in view is summarized namely that the Gentiles are ["einai" Greek infinitive = to be, not "should be" as in KJV, NKJV] fellow heirs [together with Israel - who are believers], of the same body, and partakers of His eternal promise of eternal life in Christ Jesus through faith in the gospel. The mystery is not that the Gentiles would be saved, For the Old Testament gives evidence of that . The mystery was summarized in the previous chapter in more detail .

Finally, in Eph 3:7, Paul declares that he was

PAUL STATED IN COL 1:24 THAT HE REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS. FOR IN HIS [PAUL'S] FLESH HE DOES HIS SHARE ON BEHALF OF HIS [CHRIST'S] BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, IN FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST'S AFFLICTIONS IN THE SENSE OF PAUL'S PERSONAL SUFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF FELLOW BELIEVERS BY PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AS THE WORLD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGHOUT THIS AGE. FOR IT IS EXPLAINED IN COL 1:25, IT IS THE CHURCH OF WHICH HE BECAME A MINISTER ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP / THE RESPONSIBILITY / THE COMMISSION ASSIGNED TO HIM FROM AND BY GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM FOR THE SAKE OF THE BELIEVERS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD

PAUL STATED IN COL 1:24 THAT HE REJOICES IN HIS SUFFERINGS FOR THE SAKE OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND FOR ALL BELIEVERS. FOR IN HIS [PAUL'S] FLESH HE DOES HIS SHARE ON BEHALF OF HIS [CHRIST'S] BODY, WHICH IS THE CHURCH, IN FILLING UP WHAT IS LACKING IN CHRIST'S AFFLICTIONS IN THE SENSE OF PAUL'S PERSONAL SUFFERINGS ON BEHALF OF FELLOW BELIEVERS BY PARTICIPATING IN CHRIST'S SUFFERINGS AS THE WORLD PERSECUTES THE CHURCH - THE BODY OF CHRIST THROUGHOUT THIS AGE. FOR IT IS EXPLAINED IN COL 1:25, IT IS THE CHURCH OF WHICH HE BECAME A MINISTER ACCORDING TO THE STEWARDSHIP / THE RESPONSIBILITY / THE COMMISSION ASSIGNED TO HIM FROM AND BY GOD WHICH WAS GIVEN TO HIM FOR THE SAKE OF THE BELIEVERS IN ORDER TO FULFILL THE WORD OF GOD

made a minister of the dispensation of the grace of God relative to Gentile believers no longer being strangers and aliens, but fellow citizens with the saints and beings of God's household according to the gift of God's grace which was given to him according to the working of His power.

And Eph 3:9 further stipulates that Paul was to [enlighten everyone - Jew and Gentile - about] what is the administration / dispensation / economy of the mystery which for ages has been unrevealed to the universe / hidden in God Who created all things; "to be specific" as it is written in Eph 3:6, "that the Gentiles are fellow heirs and fellow members of the body, and fellow partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the gospel."

Note that this is not a joining of Jew and Gentile to be joint heirs of the Kingdom of God on earth - the Eternal Kingdom which God promised to Israel alone: God's yet future promise of the making and fulfilling of the New Covenant with Israel - the house of Judah and the house of Israel alone to be the ruling nation when Christ returns to earth in His Second Coming, when all of that generation of Israel believes in Him as their Messiah .

On the other hand, the heirship in view in Ephesians chapter 3 is one comprised of a number of generations of Jews and Gentiles over the period of the current Church Age which began with Christ's ascension - those who become believers in Jesus Christ to be brought together into one new body in Christ Jesus to corule with Him over the Eternal Kingdom of God.

In Eph 3:8-10, Paul wrote, "To me, the very least of all the saints, this grace was given, to preach to the Gentiles the unfathomable riches of Christ and to [enlighten everyone about] what is the administration of the mystery which for ages has been hidden in God Who created all things; so that the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known through the church to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places." 

Above all else, it is Who God is that matters - that His manifold wisdom in all things might be made known in according to His plan in His time. In the case of Eph 3:10, the wisdom in view is the administration / dispensation / economy of the church - the body of Christ. This wisdom has to do with the unfathomable riches of Christ, which was hidden by God Who created all things for ages from in heaven and on earth until it was His time to reveal it at first revealed to God's Holy Apostles and Prophets in the Spirit. And it was Paul who received from God the commission to proclaim this mystery to the Gentiles. Furthermore, it was also the church who was to reveal this manifold wisdom of God even to the rulers and the authorities in the heavenly places. What had been screened from the angelic hierarchy and the world for ages is now to be declared through the body of Christ on earth (cf Eph 2:6, 7), .

[Commentary On Col 1:27]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

AND THEN IN COL 1:27, THIS HERETOFORE UNKNOWN BODY OF BELIEVERS IN JESUS CHRIST - GENTILE BELIEVERS, GOD NOW WILLED TO BE KNOWN WHAT IS THE GLORY OF THIS MYSTERY AMONG THE GENTILE BELIEVERS, IN THE SENSE THAT THE GENTILES WILL SHARE IN THE GLORY OF GOD WITH THE JEWS WHO ARE FELLOW BELIEVERS IN CHRIST. AND THAT GLORY IS CHRIST IN THEM. SO THE MYSTERY - LONG HIDDEN THROUGHOUT THE AGES BUT NOW REVEALED IS NOT THE PROCLAMATION OF THE GOSPEL TO THE GENTILES AND ALL THE PEOPLES OF THE WORLD; FOR THE MESSAGE OF THE GOSPEL HAS BEEN PROCLAIMED TO ALL MANKIND SINCE THE BEGINNING; BUT THE MYSTERY IS THE INDWELLING OF JESUS CHRIST IN HIS PEOPLE: THOSE WHO HAVE CHOSEN TO BELIEVE IN HIM, WHETHER JEW OR GENTILE. FOR IT IS THE CHRIST IN YOU [THE BELIEVER] WHO IS THE HOPE OF GLORY!

And then Paul continued to write in Col 1:27: (Col 1:27 NASB) "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory."

So Paul has established in Col 1:24-26 that there exists a body comprised of believers in Christ for salvation unto eternal life which he named "the church" which consisted of both Jews and Gentiles together. Paul further characterizes this body as the Body of Christ and stipulates that he became a minister according to the stewardship he received from God, (Col 1:25), writing in Col 1:26, "that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints," i.e., those Jews and Gentiles who have believed in His Son for eternal life. And then in Col 1:27, this heretofore unknown body of believers in Jesus Christ - Gentile believers, God now willed to be known what is the glory of this mystery among the Gentile believers in the sense that the Gentiles will share in the glory of God with the Jews who are believers in Christ. And that glory is Christ in them. It is Jesus Christ Who is their sure hope of experiencing the eternal glory of God. So the mystery - long hidden throughout the ages but now revealed is not the proclamation of the gospel to the Gentiles and all the peoples of the world; for the message of the gospel has been proclaimed to all mankind since the beginning of creation, (ref. Lk 2:29-32; Amos 9:11-12); but the mystery is the indwelling of Jesus Christ in His people: those who have chosen to believe in Him, whether Jew or Gentile. For it is the Christ in you [the believer] Who is the hope of glory!

[Commentary On Col 1:28-29]:

(Col 1:24 NASB) "Now I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I do my share on behalf of His body, which is the church, in filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among  hrist in you, the hope of glory.

(Col 1:28 NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

(Col 1:29 NASB) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

IN COL 1:28-29, PAUL WROTE, "WE PROCLAIM CHRIST, ADMONISHING EVERY MAN AND TEACHING EVERY MAN WITH ALL WISDOM, SO THAT WE MAY PRESENT EVERY MAN COMPLETE IN CHRIST. FOR THIS PURPOSE ALSO [PAUL LABORS], STRIVING ACCORDING TO HIS [CHRIST'S] POWER, WHICH MIGHTLY WORKS WITHIN [HIM].

So throughout all of his sufferings, Paul maintained his focus on His mission according to the stewardship he received from God which was given to him for the benefit of the church, to fulfill the word of God relative to his mission to reveal the mystery of the church to Gentiles and Jews alike throughout the world which had been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has not been manifested to His saints, (Col 1:26). And His mission from God was to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in them - those that have trusted alone in Christ alone for eternal life Who indwells in them and is their sure Hope of eternal glory. For since Christ is indwelling every believer of this age, Jew and Gentile, He is their sure Hope of eternal glory, (Compare Eph 1:13-14 ).

Hence in Col 1:28-29, Paul wrote, "We proclaim Christ, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ. For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His [God's] power, which mightily works with me." So completion in Christ begins with the proclamation of the gospel to an individual - to present him before God evidently at the return of Christ bringing him into God's presence at the return of Christ, (cf. 1 Thess 2:19-20; 5:23) at which time will God's word in the believer be made complete. This begins with the information that through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone one receives eternal life, and Jesus Christ will indwell him unto the sure hope of everlasting life, the believer's Peternal hope of glory, (cf. Eph 2:13-14). The Greek words rendered "admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom" has to do with careful instruction of the doctrines of the faith in the Word of God which includes exhorting every man to follow through on what the words of God's Word say. Note that Paul's gospel was not contaminated with the exclusiveness that characterized the false teachers, the errorists who considered themselves a sort of spiritual aristocracy who were selective with their message. They believed the way of salvation to be so involved that it could be understood by only by a select few who made up a sort of spiritual aristocracy. on the other hand, Paul slighted no one. Every person was the object of Paul's direct concern.The aim of Paul's proclaiming, admonishing and teaching was to "present everyone complete in Christ."

And "For this purpose," Paul writes at the end of the chapter, "also I labor, striving according to His [God's] power, which mightily works with me." Notice that it is the power of God which works mightily through Paul to produce the end results of the will of God for the saints being presented complete in Christ above and beyond the capacity of Paul.

I) [Col 2:1-23]:

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,

(Col 2:2 NASB) that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

(Col 2:3 NASB) in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

(Col 2:4 NASB) I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

(Col 2:5 NKJV) For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order [discipline] and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

(Col 2:6 NASB) Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

(Col 2:7 NASB) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,

(Col 2:8 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.

(Col 2:9 NKJV) For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [Deity] bodily;

(Col 2:10 NASB) and in Him you have been made complete, [Which] is the head over all rule and authority:

(Col 2:11 NKJV) In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, [by the removal of, lit.]: by [the] putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:11 NASB) and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.

(Col 2:13 NASB) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross.

(Col 2:15 NKJV) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

(Col 2:16 NKJV) So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

(Col 2:17 NKJV) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

(Col 2:18 NKJV) Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

(Col 2:19 NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

(Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!'

(Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men?

(Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

A) [(Col 2:1)]:

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,"

1) [(Col 2:1) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:1]:

A few late Greek manuscripts (104, 424), one Vulgate manuscript, and syr(h**) add the words rendered "and the ones in Hierapolis) after "the ones in Laodicea"). This interpolation was influenced by 4:13, where Paul mentions the believers in Laodicea together with those in Hierapolis, inasmuch as they were neighboring towns and sister churches.

2) [(Col 2:1) Commentary On Col 2:1]:

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,"

AUTHOR AND APOSTLE PAUL ASKED, "FOR I WANT TO KNOW HOW GREAT A STRUGGLE I HAVE ON YOUR [COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS'] BEHALF AND FOR THOSE WHO ARE AT LAODICEA AND FOR ALL THOSE WHO HAVE NOT PERSONALLY SEEN MY FACE, IMPLYING THAT HE HAD NOT VISITED THESE CHURCHES. NEVERTHELESS, HIS STRUGGLE WAS A GREAT ONE ON THEIR BEHALVES, LARGELY THROUGH PRAYER BATTLING THE ERRORISTS WHO OPPOSED THE DOCTRINES OF THE FAITH

In Col 2:1, Paul's labor on behalf of the believers in Colosse and Laodicea is described as a great struggle which included those who had not personally seen Paul's face, implying that he himself had neither started nor even visited the church in Colosse, Ladoicea or the other churches in that area: the Lycus Valley. That task was accomplished by others. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity to inform the believers of how great a struggle he had on their behalf endeavoring to fight against those who tried to destroy the work that he was doing in that area and everywhere. Nevertheless, Paul's concerns included the Colossian errorists, a heresy similar and prior to Gnosticism which had spread throughout Colosse and Laodicea and which he was struggling to combat . The particular means used in his struggle with the errorists appears to have been that of prayer. For at the time he wrote these words he could not move beyond the walls of his "rented house" (Acts 28:30), being continuously held by the chain linking him to a Roman soldier. But even under these circumstances he could engage in the combat of prayer and so exert himself strenuously on behalf of his readers.

B) [(Col 2:1-3)]:

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,

(Col 2:2 NASB) that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

(Col 2:3 NASB) in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

1) [(Col 2:2) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:2]:

(Col 2:2 NASB) "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,"

WH NU P46, B have "the mystery of God, Christ"

D* has "the mysery of God, which is Christ"

D(1), H, P, 1881 have "the mystery of God"

81, (1739), it(b) have "the mystery of Christ"

Sinaiticus*, A, C, 048(vid) have "the mystery of God, Father of Christ

Sinaiticus(2), Psi, 0208 have "the mystery of God, even the Father of Christ"

TR, D(2), Maj, syr(h)** have "the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ"

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,           

(Col 2:2 NASB) that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

(Col 2:3 NASB) in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

PAUL'S INTENDED RESULT WAS THAT THE BELIEVERS' HEARTS MAY BE ENCOURAGED, HAVING BEEN UNITED TOGETHER IN AGAPE LOVE, AND ATTAINING TO ALL THE SPIRITUAL WEALTH THAT COMES FROM THE FULL ASSURANCE OF UNDERSTANDING, RESULTING IN A TRUE KNOWLEDGE OF GOD'S MYSTERY, THAT IS CHRIST HIMSELF IN WHOM ARE HIDDEN ALL THE TREASURES OF WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE - AND ACCESSIBLE TO ALL BELIEVERS

In Col 2:1, Paul's labor on behalf of the believers in Colosse and Laodicea is described as a great struggle which included those who had not personally seen Paul's face, implying that he himself had not started the church in Colosse, Ladoicea or the other churches in that area: the Lycus Valley. That task was accomplished by others. Nevertheless, he took the opportunity to inform the believers of how great a struggle he had on their behalf endeavoring to fight against those who tried to destroy the work that he was doing in that area and everywhere. Nevertheless, Paul's concerns included the Colossian errorists, a heresy similar and prior to Gnosticism which had spread throughout Colosse and Laodicea and which he was struggling to combat . The particular means used in his struggle with the errorists appears to have been that of prayer. For at the time he wrote these words he could not move beyond the walls of his "rented house" (Acts 28:30), being continuously held by the chain linking him to a Roman soldier. But even under these circumstances he could engage in the combat of prayer and so exert himself strenuously on behalf of his readers.

And Paul's intended result was as stated in Col 2:2, "that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself." So Paul's intended result of his writing to the believers in Colosse and the neighboring cities [and to all believers] is that they [we all] may be encouraged as a result of [our]  having been knit / united together in agape / godly love for one another as a result of [our] attaining together and of one accord to all the wealth - the spiritual wealth and wisdom - that comes from the full assurance of understanding of the things of Christ, having learned of these mysteries through the teaching of Paul having achieved a true knowledge of God's mystery - that is, the true knowledge of Christ Himself - and no one else! This implies that Christ reveals within Himself the true mystery of God by revealing to mankind, (cf Jn 1:18; Heb 1:2-3), that mystery of God.

Finally, in Col 2:3, Paul finishes Col 2:1-3 as follows,

(Col 2:1 NASB) "For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally  [lit. "in the flesh"] seen my face,

(Col 2:2 NASB) that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit [lit., united] together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,

and (Col 2:3 NASB): in Whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge."

In this last phrase, Paul reinforces the fact that it is in Jesus Christ alone in Whom are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God, (cf. Col 1:26 ). They are uniquely found and originated in Christ alone, (cf. Ro 11:33 ; 1 Cor 12:8 ) - and in no One else. On the other hand, the errorists maintain that there are other beings that have unique revelations which they have received and may impart to others as they so choose. But Paul maintains that it is God's wisdom which the world finds foolish, (1 Cor 1:21-25); and it is Christ Who is the power of God by which a believer is credited with and will actually receive God's "righteousness, holiness and redemption," (1 Cor 1:30), contrary to the claims of the errorists. These false teachers claimed to have, through their relation with a supposed hierarchy of supernatural beings known only to them, a higher knowledge than that possessed by ordinary believers. But against this, Paul argues that all wisdom and knowledge are in Christ and that the treasures of Christ are accessible to every believer. These treasures of wisdom are in Christ in a hidden way, but the word rendered "Hidden" does not, however, mean that they are concealed but rather that they are laid up or stored away as a treasure available for all believers to access.

C) [(Col 2:4-5)]:

1) [(Col 2:4-5) Commentary On Col 2:4-5]:

(Col 2:4 NASB) "I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

(Col 2:5 NKJV) For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order [discipline] and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ."

CONTRARY TO THE ERRORISTS, IN COL 2:4-5, PAUL REINFORCES WHAT HE WROTE IN COL 2:1-3 IN ORDER TO REFUTE THE ERRORISTS, THAT CHRIST IS THE SOURCE OF THE WISDOM AND KNOWLEDGE OF GOD, APART FROM THE WISDOM OF THE ERRORISTS. ALTHOUGH PAUL WAS ABSENT FROM THE COLOSSIANS, NEVERTHELESS, HE DELIGHTED IN KNOWING HOW ORDERLY AND HOW FIRM THEIR FAITH WAS

In Col 2:4, Paul reinforces what he wrote in Col 2:1-3: since it is in Jesus Christ alone which are hidden all the treasures of the wisdom and knowledge of God. For he was concerned that the believers in Colosse, Laodicea and all believers would not be deluded by others who have persuasive arguments to refute what the believers have so diligently learned about Jesus Christ being the Source of the wisdom and knowledge of God, apart from the wisdom of the errorists.

It is only with and in depth understanding of the full knowledge and wisdom of Christ can a believer be kept from being deceived by such fine-sounding but ill-conceived arguments as the errorists make. The Greek word "pithanologia," which describes their persuasive arguments means persuasive speech, i.e., the use of plausible but not necessarily true arguments. This Greek word occurs only here in Col 2:4. Note that persuasive speech may not always be accurate. Error can persuade, and truth can be compelling at times. It all depends on whether or not one has the full truth and made a complete commitment to its value.

In Col 2:5 (NKJV) "For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order [discipline] and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ," it indicates that though Paul was physically absent from the Colossians; nevertheless, he delighted in knowing how orderly and how firm (steadfast, solid) their faith in Christ was, (cf. 1 Cor. 14:40: "But all things must be done properly and in an orderly manner"). So Paul was no indifferent spectator of his readers' problems. He had a sincere interest in them. Though not physically with them, he felt his spiritual oneness with them and rejoiced in their orderliness and in the firmness of their faith: "How orderly ... their faith in Christ was" (lit., "your good order") contains a military term ("taxin") connoting the orderly array of a band of disciplined soldiers. "Steadfastness" translates the Greek word "stereoma," a word meaning solidity and compactness. In applying it to the faith of the Colossians, Paul emphasizes the unyielding nature of their faith: "the steadfastness of your faith in Christ." Like the word for "orderly," "steadfastness" belonged to military parlance. It may therefore mean something like "solid front." The imagery Paul intended has in view the Colossians as being like that of an army under attack and affirms that their lines were unbroken, their discipline intact, and their "faith in [reliance on] Christ" unshaken.

D) [(Col 2:6-7)]:

1) [(Col 2:7a) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:7a]:

(Col 2:7a NASB) "having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,"

According to WH NU, the wording can be rendered "being established in the faith" or "being established by the faith." This has good support: B, D*, H, 0208, 33, 1881. This reading, whether original or not, indicates that believers are established in the tenets of the Christian faith via the apostolic teaching. In other manuscripts (Sinaiticus, D(2), 1739, Maj - so TR), the locative is made explicit by the insertion of "in". The manuscripst A ,C, I, Psi, also have the Greek preposition transliterated "en" rendered "in." The manuscripts A, C, I, Psi also have the preoposition "en" but lack the article before the word rendered "faith." These manuscripts indicate that the believers are established because they have an active faith. This reading may be original because its documentary support is as good and because scribes would be tempted, in this context (which deals with the truths of the Christian faith) to add an article rather than delete it. ... Finally, it should be noted that two other manuscripts (P, 048(VID)) read "being established in Him in the faith"). This variant makes the believers established (or firmly founded) in Christ and in the Christian faith.

2) [(Col 2:7b) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:7b]:

(Col 2:7b NASB) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,"

NU, Sinaiticus*, A, C, H*, I(vid), 33, 1739 have "abounding in thanksgiving" i.e., "overflowing with gratitude"

TR, WH, B, D(2), H(c), Maj, syr, cop(bo) have "abounding in it with thanksgiving" i.e., "overflowing in it with gratitude"

P, Psi, 048(vid) have "abounding in it" i.e., "overflowing in it"

Sinaiticus(2), D*, it(b), syr(hmg) have "abounding in Him in thanksgiving" i.e., "overflowing in Him with gratitude"

3) [(Col 2:6-7) Commentary On Col 2:6-7 to conclude The Argument Begun In Col 1:15, Especially Col 1:15-29]:

(Col 2:6 NASB) "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

(Col 2:7 NASB) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,"

IN COL 2:6-7, PAUL CONCLUDES, SO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO CONTINUE AS IT COMMENCED: JUST AS YOU RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE, YOU ARE TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN HIM; AND MORE: YOU ARE TO STUDY GOD'S WORD ESPECIALLY THE WRITINGS OF PAUL AND ALL THE WRITERS OF SCRIPTURE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY - AS COMMANDED

Paul's point may be summarized thus: Divine exaltation belongs to Christ (1:15-20); in Him are found (a) reconciliation to God (1:21-23), (b) the revelation of the mystery of Christ (1:24-27), (c) believers' perfection (1:28-29), and (d) education (wisdom) (2:1-5). Therefore believers should continue to live in Him (vv. 6-7).

a) [Compare Col 1:15-29]:

(Col 1:15 NASB) He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.

(Col 1:16 NASB) For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities - all things have been created through Him and for Him.

(Col 1:17 NASB) He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. 

(Col 1:19 NASB) For it was the Father's [ref. Col 1:12] good pleasure for all the fullness [of God, of Deity] to dwell in Him.

(Col 1:20 NASB) and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself [God], having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven.

(Col 1:21 NASB) And although you were formerly alienated [being having been alienated] and hostile in mind, engaged in evil deeds,

(Col 1:22 NASB) yet He has now reconciled you in His fleshly body through death, in order to present you before Him holy and blameless and beyond reproach -

(Col 1:23 NASB) if indeed [= especially since] you [Colossion believers] continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, was made a minister.

(Col 1:25 NKJV) of which I became a minister according to the stewardship from God which was given to me for you, to fulfill the word of God,

(Col 1:26 NASB) that is, the mystery which has been hidden from the past ages and generations, but has now been manifested to His saints,

(Col 1:27 NASB) to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.

(Col 1:28 NASB) We proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom, so that we may present every man complete in Christ.

(Col 1:29 NASB) For this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power, which mightily works within me."

So the Christian life is to continue as it commenced: just as you received Christ Jesus by a moment of faith alone in Christ alone, you are to continue to believe in Him; and more: you are to study God's Word especially the writings of Paul and all the writers of Scripture and act accordingly - as commanded:

b) [Compare 2 Cor 11:4]:

(2 Cor 11:4 NASB) "For if one comes and preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted, you bear this beautifully."

c) [Compare Gal 1:6]:

(Gal. 1:6 NASB) "I am amazed that you are so quickly deserting Him who called you by the grace of Christ, for a different gospel;"

3 cont) [(Col 2:6-7) Commentary On Col 2:6-7 to conclude The Argument Begun In Col 1:15, Especially Col 1:15-29 (cont.)]:

IN COL 2:6-7, PAUL CONCLUDES, SO THE CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO CONTINUE AS IT COMMENCED: JUST AS YOU RECEIVED CHRIST JESUS BY A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE, YOU ARE TO CONTINUE TO BELIEVE IN HIM; AND MORE: YOU ARE TO STUDY GOD'S WORD ESPECIALLY THE WRITINGS OF PAUL AND ALL THE WRITERS OF SCRIPTURE AND ACT ACCORDINGLY - AS COMMANDED, (cont.)

(Col 2:6 NASB) "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

(Col 2:7 NASB) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,"

Since one became a believer by expressing a moment of faith alone in Christ alone unto eternal life - and that alone, Paul then exhorted all the believers at Colosse and Laodicea and elsewhere not to forsake their faith - its divine authority for any human viewpoint sophistry. For with these divine roots (rooted... in Him, (Col 2:6-7)) that began at that moment of faith alone in Christ alone, they can be continually built up (edified) and strengthened in the faith. If they did so through the study and absorbtion and compliance with the doctrines of Scripture, they would not be blown to and fro with every wind of doctrine:

d) [Compare Eph 4:14]:

(Eph. 4:14 NASB) "As a result, we are no longer to be children, tossed here and there by waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, by craftiness in deceitful scheming;"

As believers are "built up" in Christ, they become more grateful and are overflowing with thankfulness

e) [Compare Col 1:12]:

(Col 1:12 NASB) "giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified us to share in the inheritance of the saints in Light."

E) [(Col 2:8-12)]:

1) [(Col 2:8) Commentary On Col 2:8]:

(Col 2:8 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."

IN VIEW OF THE FAITHFULNESS OF THE COLOSSIAN BELIEVERS AND THE EFFORTS OF THE ERRORISTS TO DISRUPT THE BELIEVERS' STEADFASTNESS IN THE FAITH; PAUL WARNS THEM TO SEE TO IT THAT NO ONE TAKES THEM CAPTIVE THROUGH UNGODLY PHILOSOPHY AND EMPTY / UNWARRANTED DECEPTION WHICH ARE ACCORDING TO THE TRADITION OF MEN IN THE SENSE OF NOT GODLY AND ACCORDING TO THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD  I.E., AS OPPOSED TO ACCORDING TO JESUS CHRIST AND HIM ALONE.

After exhorting believers to continue in Christ:

a) [Ref. Col 2:6-7]:

(Col 2:6 NASB) "Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

(Col 2:7 NASB) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude,"

Paul writes in Col 2:8, "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."

By this statement Paul corroborates that the fullness of God dwells in Jesus Christ - in His Perfect Humanity; and thereby through the fullness of the Godhead dwelling in His Humanity - and through His eternal essence as God, (Jn 1:3), it is He and He alone Who accomplished the complete redemption of all mankind so that all who choose to believe in Him will immediately and forever receive eternal life. Therefore, because of this, Paul condemned the Colossian heresy because it was attempting to divert believers from expressing and continuing to express a moment of faith alone in Christ alone for redemption - leaving their salvation in doubt for wont of doing something more - attaining further enlightenment outside of the Person of Jesus Christ and faith in Him crucified. These errorists were contaminating the truth about the Source of Deity being in Christ and maintaining that that Source of eternal life / enlightenment is elsewhere. They maintained that it is associated with a supernatural enlightenment through transcendental supernatural beings .

So Paul was concerned that no false teacher take the Colossian believers (and all believers), captive through empty deception, i.e., deceptive philosophy.

"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."

Paul did not write against all philosophy but against false philosophy that was characterized as empty, i.e., unsustantiated deceptive statements, as the Bible also speaks against false religion:

b) [Compare James 1:26]:

(Jas 1:26 NASB) "If anyone thinks himself to be religious, and yet does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this man's religion is worthless."

The particular false philosophy at Colosse was characterized as "empty" (Gr "kenēs,"), "deception," (lit., "deceptiveness"). And it was according to the tradition of men, not on godly wisdom, i.e., rather than on Christ. On the other hand, true Christian philosophy "take[s] captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ" (2 Cor. 10:5). Philosophy is the love of wisdom, but if one loves wisdom that is not Christ (the Sum of all wisdom, Col. 2:3), he loves an empty idol. Such a one will be "always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth" (2 Tim. 3:7).

This kind of philosophy is based on the world's basic principles (stoicheia, "elementary principles" or "elemental spirits" [rsv]; cf. Col. 2:20; Gal. 4:3, 9). of the world, rather than according to Christ - the One in Whom dwells the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This may refer to the evil spirits who inspire such heresy and over whom Christ triumphed (cf. 2 Cor. 4:3-4; Eph. 6:11-12).

Furthermore, such a philosophy is demonic and worldly, not godly or Christlike. Unless believers are careful, such philosophy may ensnare them, taking them "captive," in the sense of being spiritually enslaved to another's thinking.

Paul uses three descriptive phrases to characterize this "hollow and deceptive" system, and each constitutes a reason for its rejection. First, it is "after [according to] the tradition of men." By "tradition" (paradosirz) Paul may mean the mass of oral tradition the Jews had engrafted on the written law. It is more likely, however, that the term refers to various pagan theories current in that day. The apostle asserts that these, not divine revelation, were the bases of the "philosophy" of the Colossian errorists. Second, it was a philosophy that "depends on... the basic principles of this world." "Basic principles" translates (stoicheia), a word of multiple meanings. Originally it denoted the letters of the alphabet, its root meaning being "things in a row." The term then came to be used of the elements ("ABC's") of learning (cf. Gal 4:3, ASV, NASB, NIV; Heb 5:12, ASV, TCNT, NASB, NIV), of the physical elements of the world (cf. 2 Peter 3:10), of the stars and other heavenly bodies (cf. 2 Peter 3:10, Moff., Am. Trans.), and of the elemental spirits, that is, the supernatural powers believed by many ancients to preside over and direct the heavenly bodies (cf. Gal 4:3, RSV, NEB). The sense in the present passage may be either the elements of learning (NIV, "basic principles") or the elemental spirits (RSV).

2) [(Col 2:9) Commentary On Col 2:9]:

(Col 2:9 NKJV) "For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead [Deity] bodily;"

FOR IN CHRIST DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD / DEITY BODILY - WITHIN HIS PERFECT HUMANITY. THIS STATEMENT CANNOT BE LIMITED TO JESUS CHRIST HAVING A FINITE IMAGE OF GOD WITHIN HIM, OR HIS BEING AN ANGELIC BEING OR HIS BEING A GOD AS SOME CONTEND. FOR TO HAVE ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD IS TO HAVE ALL OF HIS ESSENCE - TO BE GOD AND NOTHING LESS!

For in Jesus Christ all the fullness of the Deity dwells. Note that Greek words "tes theotetos" are correctly rendered "of the Deity," and not of the divine quality, as some contend in order to diminsh the extent of Who Christ is - that He is God. Instead, some contend that these words convey His only having a godlike quality, not being wholly / fully God. The word for "Deity" is "theotētos," a strong word (used only here in the NT) for Christ's essence as God. The full deity of Christ is nonetheless in bodily form existing within His humanity (cf. Col. 1:22). Both Christ's deity and His humanity were challenged by this early Gnostic-like heresy. They diminished Christ to an angel whose "body" was only apparent, not real. Paul affirmed here that Christ is both fully God and truly man (cf. 1 John 4:1-6).

Nearly every word in Col 2:9 is critically significant. The word rendered, "For," links the context of the previous verses to v. 9. It explains the meaning of verse 8 by what is said here about Christ and his fullness. The phrase "in Christ," by its position within the sentence, is emphatic, the thought being that in Christ alone the fullness of deity dwells. "Lives" (lit., "dwells") translates "katoikei," a verb that suggests taking up permanent residence. The tense is present, stating a general truth and denoting continuous action. The full thought, then, is that in Christ the fullness of deity permanently resides.

"Fullness" translates "pleroma," a word used earlier in 1:19. Here it is defined by the addition of "tes theotetos" which is correctly rendered "of the Deity." A similar but weaker Greek word "theiotes" which denotes a divine nature in the sense of demonstrating godly behavior as opposed to being God is found in Romans 1:20. But it is not the Greek word in Col 2:9. "Theotetos" is an abstract term, meaning not just divine qualities and attributes but the very essence of God - the whole glorious total of what God is, the Absolute and Supreme Being in His Infinite entirety.

3) [(Col 2:10) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:10]:

(Col 2:10 NASB) "and in Him you have been made complete, [Which] is the head over all rule and authority:

TR, WH, NU, Sinaiticus, A, C, Psi, 075, 0208, 0278, 33, 1739, Maj. have "Who is the Head"

P46, B, F, F, G have "Which is the Head"

The neuter pronoun rendered "Which" was evidently replaced with the masculine pronoun rendered "Who," in order to reflect Christ's Person as masculine. Most of the English versions have the masculine pronoun. But the neuter Greek word rendered "the Head" is the reason for the neuter Greek word rendered "Which" to reflect that word and keep the gender consistent in the original text with "the Head."

Note that the manuscript evidence in Col 1:27 which reads in the NASB: "to whom God willed to make known what is the riches of the glory of this mystery among the Gentiles, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory," is similar in the case of a neuter noun referring to Christ which is as follows:

WH, NU, P46, a, b, f, g, p, 33, 1739, 1881 have  "which is Christ in you."

TR, sinaiticus, C, D, H, I, Psi, 0278, Maj have "Who is Christ in you"

The evidence for Col 1:27 indicates that the WH, NU reading, which is followed by all versions is due to respect for Christ's Person - namely, that He should not be designated with a neuter pronoun. Hence, the neuter pronoun was replaced with a masculine pronoun. But the neuter is necessary to show that Christ is the wealth ("Greek "To ploutos" - neuter) of this glorious mystery. He Himself, as the fullness of God, provides all spiritual riches to His people.

4) [(Col 2:10) Commentary On Col 2:10]:

(Col 2:10 NASB) "and in Him you have been made complete, [Which] is the head over all rule and authority:"

AFTER DECLARING IN COL 2:9, FOR IN CHRIST DWELLS ALL THE FULLNESS OF THE GODHEAD / DEITY BODILY - WITHIN HIS PERFECT HUMANITY. THIS STATEMENT CANNOT BE LIMITED TO JESUS CHRIST HAVING A FINITE IMAGE OF GOD WITHIN HIM, OR HIS BEING AN ANGELIC BEING OR HIS BEING A GOD AS SOME CONTEND. FOR TO HAVE ALL THE FULLNESS OF GOD IS TO HAVE ALL OF HIS ESSENCE - TO BE GOD AND NOTHING LESS! IN COL 2:10, PAUL WRITES THAT BELIEVERS HAVE BEEN MADE COMPLETE IN CHRIST WHO IS THE HEAD OVER ALL RULE AND AUTHORITY - AND ONLY GOD CAN BE THAT!

Not only is all the "fullness" (plērōma) of God in Christ (v. 9), but also believers have been made complete in Christ - not in the sense of sharing in His fullness as God, as some contend; but in the sense of being transformed into the complete being that God intended each one to be "in Him," albeit not God or part of God, but sharing in godly / divine finite qualities that have been imparted to each one to serve His complete purpose for each one. So their completeness, albeit finite, comes from the fullness of God within Jesus Christ.

a) [Compare 2 Pet 1:4]:  

(2 Pet 1:4 NASB) "For by these He has granted to us His precious and magnificent promises, so that by them you may become partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world by lust.".

Believers partake of the divine nature - the Diety of Jesus Christ, i.e. through Who He is Who as Creator, creates within each believer finite godly attributes.

]:

(Jn 1:16 NASB) "For of His fullness we have all received, and grace upon grace."

This does not mean believers become God, or receive infinite qualities that only God possesses. It does mean that the Son of God, Jesus Christ in Whom the fullness of God dwells creates within each believer finite, godly attributes. Hence all believers do partake of His divine nature whereby they are made complete "in Him," in the sense of being a part of His body, albeit a finite part. Thus, in union with Christ believers every spiritual need is fully met. Hence they share in His absolute fullness in finite ways. In a finite manner, they share in the body of Him Who is the Head (cf. Col. 1:18) over every power ("archēs," "ruler") and authority ("exousias," "ruling power") (cf. 1:16; 2:15), including those who would attempt to talk the Colossians into living according to the world instead of according to Christ. There was no need, therefore, for the Colossians to turn to the "philosophy" of the errorists, the ritual of the Mosaic law, or to the spirit-beings worshiped by the pagan world. All they needed was in Jesus Christ to be made complete. Paul goes on to affirm the all-sufficiency of Christ by stating that he is "the head over every power and authority." He is "the head" in the sense that he is the source of life for all that exists and sovereign Lord over it all. Whatever powers there are in the universe, whatever ranks and orders of authority and government, they all owe their being to Christ and are under his lordship. It is important to observe that though Christ is here described as Head, the powers and authorities are not called his body. That distinction is reserved for Christ's people

5) [(Col 2:11) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:11]:

(Col 2:11 NKJV) "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, [by the removal of, lit.]: by [the] putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,"

(Col 2:11 NASB) "and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,"

WH, NU, p46, Sinaiticus*, A, C, D*, F, G 33, 1739 have "the  body of the flesh"

TR, Sinaiticus(2), D(1), Psi, Maj have "the body of the sins of the flesh"

The reading found in WH, NU has the support of all of the earliest manuscripts. A number of scribes evidently felt it necessary to clarify the text by adding "of sins." But according to Paul the word rendered "flesh" refers to the entire fallen human nature, which has the proclivity to sin. The flesh of humans, which is linked with their body but is not their body is prone to commit sins.

6) [(Col 2:12) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:12]:

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.'

NU, p46, Sinaiticus(2), B, D*, F, G, 1739 have the Greek word "BaptismO" rendered baptism

WH, Maj, Sinaiticus*, A, D, D(2), Psi, 33 have the Greek word "Baptismati" rendered baptism.

7) [(Col 2:11-12) Commentary On Col 2:11-12]:

(Col 2:11 NKJV) "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, [by the removal of, lit.]: by [the] putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,"

(Col 2:11 NASB) and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.' "

IN COL 2:11, PAUL CONTINUES REFUTING THE ERRORS THE FALSE TEACHERS THAT WERE CHALLENGING HIS TEACHING. GENTILE BELIEVERS - ALL BELIEVERS - DID NOT NEED TO CONFORM TO JEWISH RULES OF CIRCUMCISION UNDER THE MOSAIC LAW COVENANT OR ANY RULES IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ETERNAL LIFE. FOR IT WAS BY THE PUTTING OFF OF THE BODY OF SINS OF THE FLESH BY THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST - A SPIRITUAL CIRCUMCISION - THAT THEY RECEIVED ETERNAL LIFE WHEN THEY BELIEVED IN HIM - IN HIS ATONEMENT FOR THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND - AND THUS WERE CREDITED WITH HIS PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS. WHEREUPON IN COL 2:12, PAUL ADDS,
HAVING BEEN BURIED WITH CHRIST IN BAPTISM - HOLY SPIRIT BAPTISM - WHICH IDENTIFIES IN REALITY THE BELIEVER BEING CREDITED WITH THE EFFECT OF CHRIST'S BURIAL AND RESURRECTION WITH HIM THROUGH FAITH IN THE WORKING OF GOD, WHO RAISED JESUS FROM THE DEAD SO THAT THE BELIEVER CAN INDEED LIVE A NEW LIFE IN CHRIST BY THE GRACE OF GOD. NOTE THAT THIS ACTUAL CREDITING IS SYMBOLIZED BY WATER BAPTISM

In Col 2:11, Paul turned from the theological errors of the false teachers to their practical errors - from "Gnosticism" to legalism - to the subject of being circumcised by the spiritual circumcision of Christ instead of the legalism of circumcision under the Mosaic Law Covenant. The Gentile Christians in Colosse had no need to conform to Jewish rules and regulations, such as circumcision in order to receive eternal life in the Eternal Kingdom of God. For eternal life was received by the putting off of the body of sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ that they received: in view is a spiritual "circumcision," accomplished by Jesus Christ, not by man in the sense that by the grace of God through the justification of what Jesus Christ did on the cross for those that believed in Him for salvation unto eternal life, the believer is declared to have the Righteousness of Jesus Christ and thereby qualifies as having been spiritually circumcised, i.e., declared to have Christ's Righteousness. It was in fact a crucifixion or a putting off (Greek "apekdusei" which denotes both stripping off and a casting away) of the body of the flesh, i.e., the sinful body. The imagery is that of discarding—or being divested of—a piece of filthy clothing. "The body of the flesh" is a phrase referring to the fallen nature - the sinful nature of all men. So by being spiritually circumcised by Christ means that one is "freed from the power of this sinful body over one to commit sins."  Elsewhere in Scripture it is further described as a circumcision of the heart (cf. Ro 2:29 ; Eph 2:11 ) - one that actually sets apart the believer from his sin nature. So far as God's point of view is concerned, the believer has been credited with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ, and thereby sins committed are no longer an issue. Although in the temporal life the believer retains his sin nature and thereby continues to commit acts of sin; nevertheless the believer's sins are not counted against him relative to the reception of eternal life so far as God is concerned because His One and only Son, Jesus Christ, has paid the price for all sins for all of mankind forgiving those who believe in that unto eternal life. Although only believers receive forgiveness of sins unto eternal life, hence for them the sinful nature (lit., "the body of the flesh;" cf., lit., "the mind of the flesh," Col. 2:18) was decisively put off by Christ's death and resurrection in the sense that the believer will no longer be held accountable for sins committed relative to the reception of eternal life; nevertheless, unbelievers likewise will not be held accountable either. Albeit their destiny will not be eternal life because of not believing in Jesus Christ's atonement for their sins, hence not having their sins forgiven until they decide to believe in Him if they ever do . So believers have a new Head in Jesus Christ. The believer has a new authority for his life -  not the Law of Moses or any other legalistic system. They have but the perfect life of Jesus Christ credited to their account.

(Col 2:11 NASB) and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.' "

"The phrase rendered "putting off" in Col 2:11 NKJV are from the Greek noun "apekdysei" which conveys the meaning of a "total breaking away from," in the sense of putting off of the old life which occurs at the moment of salvation when a believer is described as having been buried with Christ in Holy Spirit baptism, (cf. 1 Cor. 12:13) and is raised with Him to a new life. This co-burial and co-resurrection is pictured symbolically by Christian water baptism of the actual event: Holy Spirit baptism wherein God the Holy Spirit indwells the human spirit of the believer. In Christian water baptism, immersion portrays burial with Christ, and coming out of the water depicts the resurrection by the power of God to "live a new life" under the direction of the Holy Spirit (Rom. 6:4 ) - as provided by the Spirit at the moment of Holy Spirit baptism which occurs in this age at the point of a moment of faith alone in Christ alone.

(Col 2:13 NASB) "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross."

1) [(Col 2:13) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:13]:

(Col 2:13 NASB) "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,"

WH, NU, Sinaiticus*, A, C, K, L, 1739 have "He made you alive"

P46, B, 33, Origen (according to 1739mg) have "He made us alive"

TR, Sinaiticus(2), D, F, G, Psi, 075, 0208, 0278, Maj have "He made alive"

Often the shortest reading is taken to be the original reading; but in this case it is evident that the pronoun was dropped so as not to repeat the Greek word "humas" rendered "you" at the beginning of the verse: "and you (humas), who were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he made alive." It is difficult, however, to decide between the other two readings because either one of them could have been harmonized to the two other pronouns in this verse "humas" ("you") and "hemin" ("us"). However, since "hemin" was changed to "humin" in some of the same manuscripts that support WH, NU, (k, l), it is likely that "hemas" was also changed to "humas." Thus, the first variant supported by the two earliest manuscripts (p46, B) is probably original. In any event, both readings affirm that God gave spiritual life to all the believers by virtue of their union with the risen Christ.

2) [(Col 2:13-14) Commentary On Col 2:13-14]:

(Col 2:13 NASB) "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross."

IN COL 2:13, PAUL MOVES BACK IN TIME TO JUST BEFORE THE COLOSSIANS BECAME BELIEVERS: WHEN THEY WERE DEAD IN THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS AND THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF THEIR FLESH - WHEN THEIR SIN NATURES HAD CONTROL OVER THEIR LIVES. WHEREUPON HE DECLARED THAT AT THAT MOMENT CHRIST MADE THEM ALIVE TOGETHER WITH HIM AS A RESULT OF HAVING FORGIVEN THEM OF ALL OF THEIR TRANSGRESSIONS. AND COL 2:14 GOES ON TO EXPLAIN HOW JESUS CHRIST ACCOMPLISHED THIS: HE WIPED OUT THE HANDWRITING OF REQUIREMENS THAT WAS AGAINST US - ALL MANKIND BECAUSE MAN CANNOT BE RIGHTEOUS AND KEEP THEM, HENCE THE LAW WAS CONTRARY TO US - OUR INTRINSIC SIN NATURES - AND HE HAS TAKEN IT OUT OF THE WAY HAVING NAILED IT TO THE CROSS IN THE SENSE OF SATISIFYING THE PUNISHMENT DUE FOR THE SINS OF ALL MANKIND, UNLIMITED ATONEMENT FOR ALL MANKIND SO THAT GOD IS THUS FREE TO ACCOUNT ALL WHO TRUST IN CHRIST FOR FORGIVENESS OF SINS.

The phrase rendered, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [Jesus Christ] made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions [those who have believed in Christ's sacrifice for all of mankind's sins unto eternal life among many other things first and foremost have received forgiveness of sins unto the present tense sure possession of eternal life, (ref Col 1:4-5, 23)] " in Col 2:13 has in view the point in time just before those in Colosse who became believers believed in Christ for salvation: They are described at that time as dead in their transgressions and the uncircumcision of their flesh, i.e., when they were under the control of their sin natures which both are not acceptable in any way by God. Hence they were dead to God relative to fellowship with Him and to receiving His promise of spending eternity with Him in the eternal kingdom of God, heaven. But when they became believers in Christ, they are described as "having been made alive together with Him [Christ] - that is to say, spiritually alive and in total fellowship with God, having forgiven us all of our transgressions. They of course were all physically alive, but they were spiritually dead to God in this temporal life and forecast for the future life: dead to God for all of eternity - until they believed.

And Col 2:14 goes on to explain how Jesus Christ accomplished this: (Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross:"

He wiped out the handwriting of requirements that were against the Colossian believers and all believers. He personally fulfilled the Law of God toward man for all mankind and thus wiped out the requirement for all men to keep the Righteous requirements of the Law, especially the Law of Moses, which stipulated mankind's requirement to keep the rule of life of absolute righteousness required in order to be acceptable to God for dwelling with Him in eternity - having nailed it to the cross referring to His sacrificial payment for the sins of all mankind - He thereby took all sins out of the way between God and man.

The phrase rendered, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh" in Col 2:13 is parallel in meaning to the following passage in Ephesians chapter 2:

a) [Compare Eph 2:1-3]:

(Eph 2:1 YLT) "[And] you - being dead in ... trespasses and the sins,

(Eph 2:2 YLT) in which once [you] did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, [to the ruler] of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience,

(Eph 2:3 NASB) Among [whom] we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh, [doing] the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest;"

Eph 2:1 establishes that before those Gentiles to whom this letter is addressed became believers in Christ Jesus, they were dead in their trespasses and sins - dead in the sense of spiritually dead to God - having no communication with God, being separated from God in the spiritual and temporal life. They were obviously not physically dead, but their trespasses and sins had the effect upon them of being separated from God in the sense of not being spiritually or temporally connected to God - the state of all who have not yet become believers in Christ Jesus - Jews included.

The word "paraptOmasin" rendered "trespasses" - literally, "false steps" or "lapses" in the context of Eph 2:1 denotes obstinate and intentional sin that has no excuse. As such it is an intended violation of that which is righteous. Whereas the word "harmartiais" rendered "sins" - literally, "acts of missing the mark" or "shortcomings" in the context of Eph 2:1 is an umbrella term for sin since it is one of the least precise available words in this matter. Any action deserving punishment or which must be atoned for is called hamartia. As such, it carries moral overtones.

Both words, "paraptOmasin" and "hamartia," are basically synonymous - yet convey slightly different aspects of the same deliberate acts against God and His righteousness. The fact that both words are plural signifies repetitious acts and a state of being outside of the righteousness of God. Eph 2:2 continues the context with: "in which once [you] did walk according to the age of this world, according to the ruler of the authority of the air, who is thus ruler of the spirit that is now working in the sons of disobedience," which continues to describe the lives of Gentile believers before they became believers: they formerly were dead in trespasses and sins in which once they did walk in the sense of conducting their lives "according to the age of this world" - in accordance with how people in the world acted during the age / the time in human history when men continuously act sinfully. This age began when Adam and Eve first sinned and were excluded from the garden of Eden. And it continues now and it will continue until sin no longer prevails in the conduct of men ). Verse 2 further indicates that Gentile believers formerly did walk according to the ruler of the authority of the air in the sense of an ungodly ruler who has been ruling over for that age beginning when men acted sinfully. This ruler is evidently the instigator of sinful conduct. Note that the word rendered "air" refers to the atmosphere around the earth implying all living beings within that atmosphere - especially all mankind.

i) [Compare Eph 6:12]:

(Eph 6:12 NASB) "For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the powers, against the world.forces of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places."

The conduct of the sons of disobedience, i.e., of unsaved mankind is characterized as being governed by the ruler of the air. It is he who is the one who is the ruler "of the spirit "that is now working in the sons of disobedience" - working not in the spiritual sense, but in the sense of ruling over of the dispositions - the attitudes - of unsaved mankind and out of fellowship believers that is now working in them through their inherent sin natures. The phrase rendered "sons of disobedience" characterizes individuals whose conduct is so distinctly sinful that it is clearly the result of the rule of their father whom they evidently constantly act like - who is the epitome of disobedience against God - namely Satan, the Devil, ..

Whereupon in Eph 2:3, author and apostle Paul included himself and fellow Jewish believers in Christ Jesus with the Gentile believers in Christ with respect to all of their former lives. Paul wrote, "Among whom" - the Gentile believers - "we" - Jewish believers "whom we too all formerly lived in the lusts of our flesh" - in the sense of walking / living according to their sin natures, "doing the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, even as the rest [of unsaved mankind]." Note that the second half of verse 3 provides the definition of "flesh" in the context of Ephesians chapter 2 as that kind of behavior that deserves the "wrath" of God, behavior produced by the sin nature which includes that which comes from within the mind.

b) [Expositor's On Col 2:13-14]:

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.'

(Col l 2:13 NASB) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross."

"In the closing words of v. 12 Paul has mentioned God's raising Christ from the dead. Now he assures his readers that in Christ they share the resurrection experience. In Christ's case it was a literal bodily resurrection from the dead. In their case, the death was spiritual ("dead in your sins," "uncircumcision," etc.), and the being made alive is also spiritual. (Eventually, of course, believers will experience a bodily resurrection. The resurrection of Christ, who is "the firstfruits" of those who sleep in death, is God's pledge of that).

The NIV translation "dead in your sins and... and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature" suggests that "sins" and "uncircumcision" are the sphere in which death was manifested. It is perhaps better to follow ASV and understand the Greek to mean dead through or by reason of trespasses and an uncircumcised (unregenerate or pagan) nature. (The figurative use of the term uncircumcision in this passage is quite legitimate and readily understood. Compare Acts 7:51,  where it is said of Jews that they were "uncircumcised in heart and ears.")

The first part of v. 13 affirms the readers' deadness through trespasses and their being made alive in union with Christ. The last part of the verse (which NIV translates as the beginning of a new sentence) indicates that their being made alive involved the forgiveness of everything that had once alienated them from God. Forgiveness and making alive are in fact "the same act of divine grace viewed under a different but complementary aspect" (Beare, p. 198). The Greek participle translated "forgave" (charisamenos), built on the root of the word for "grace," means literally "to grant as a favor." It was sometimes used for the cancellation of a debt (Luke 7:42, 43). Its use here simply points to divine grace as the root principle in forgiveness.

c) [Bible Knowledge Commentary On Col 2:13-14]:

(Col l 2:13 NASB) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross."

"2:13-14. Before a person is liberated to this new life in Christ, he is dead in his sins and in his sinful nature (cf. comments on the "earthly nature" in 3:5 and the "old self" in 3:9). Death means separation, not annihilation. Even the unsaved still bear the image of God (Gen. 9:6; James 3:9), but they are separated from God. Cut off from spiritual life, they still have human life. But now God made you alive with Christ (cf. Eph. 2:1-6). The same "power" (energeias; cf. "energy" in Col. 1:29) that raised Christ from the dead (2:12) resurrects believing sinners to spiritual life (v. 13).

This new life came when God forgave us all our sins for He canceled the written code. Before God's written Law, His "written code," people stood condemned (cf. Rom. 3:19), so it worked against them and opposed them. But in Christ the Law is fulfilled (Rom. 8:2) and done away with (Gal. 3:25; Heb. 7:12). Legalism is wrong because believers are dead to the Law in Christ. He fulfilled its demands in His life and by His death, and Christians are in Him.

This written code, the Law, was like a handwritten "certificate of debt" (nasb). Since people cannot keep the Law, it is like a bill of indebtedness. So people, unable to pay the debt, are criminals. But Jesus took... away this criminal charge, this certificate of indebtedness, by His death. It is as if He were nailing it to the cross with Him, showing He paid the debt. He wiped the slate clean. As Krishna Ral put it: "Jesus for thee a body takes, thy guilt assumes, thy fetter breaks, discharging all thy dreadful debt; and canst thou then such love forget?"

G) [(Col 2:15-17)]:

(Col 2:11 NKJV) "In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, [by the removal of, lit.]: by [the] putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:11 NASB) and in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ,

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.'

(Col 2:12 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 [lit., having raised] Him from the dead.'

(Col l 2:13 NASB) When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions,

(Col 2:14 NKJV) having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He [Christ] has taken it out of the way, [lit., out of the midst of us] having nailed it to the cross.

(Col 2:15 NKJV) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

(Col 2:16 NKJV) So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

(Col 2:17 NKJV) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

1) [(Col 2:15-17) Commentary on Col 2:15-17]:

(Col 2:15 NKJV) Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.

(Col 2:16 NKJV) So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths,

(Col 2:17 NKJV) which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ."

WITH THE CONTEXT OF COL 2:11-14 IN MIND COL 2:15 GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS WHICH USURPED THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD WERE DISARMED AS A RESULT OF CHRIST'S SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF MANKIND'S SINS IN THE SENSE THAT GOD WOULD NO LONGER HOLD MEN WHO TRUSTED IN CHRIST ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR SINS, FREEING MAN FROM THE ABSOLUTE CONTROL OF THEIR SIN NATURES SO THAT THEY COULD CHOOSE TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY INSTEAD OF SINFULLY. HE MADE A PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THEM, HAVING TRIUMPHED OVER THEM THROUGH THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS. PAUL THEN CONCLUDED IN COL 2:16-17 TO BELIEVERS, "SO LET NO ONE JUDGE YOU IN  FOOD OR IN DRINK, OR REGARDING A FESTIVAL OR A NEW MOON OR SABBATHS, WHICH ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME - WHICH OBSERVANCE WAS NOT EFFECTUAL FOR SALVATION, BUT THE REAL SUBSTANCE OF THEM IS OF CHRIST RELATIVE TO THE RECEPTION OF ETERNAL LIFE AND ETERNAL REWARDS

The phrase in Col 2:13 rendered, "When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He [Jesus Christ] made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions [those who have believed in Christ's sacrifice for all of mankind's sins unto eternal life among many other things first and foremost have received forgiveness of sins unto the present tense sure possession of eternal life, (ref. Col 1:4-5, 23)] has in view the point in time before those in Colosse became believers - and all individuals before they become believers, i.e., all individuals who have throughout the ages believed in Jesus Christ for salvation: They are described at that time as dead in their transgressions and the uncircumcision of their flesh, i.e., in their sin natures which both are not acceptable in any way by God. Note that the removal of a part of the male organ was done to symbolize the removal of the sinful part thus dedicating the individual to a life of faithfulness to the Law, i.e., godly righteousness. This of course did not guarantee a faithful life at all, but was symbolic of the individual being set apart to God and to being faithful to Him. Thereafter it depends upon the individual how he walks with God according to His commandments. On the other hand, if ones flesh is uncircumcised, then he has not been so set apart to faithfulness, hence he is sinful and unacceptable to God. And at that particular time in their lives, they were being held responsible as all men are to perfectly keep "the handwriting of requirements" - commands of God which we all are required to meet His standard of perfect righteousness in order to have fellowship with Him and dwell in eternity with Him forever as He had originally created us. Hence at that particular time, they were dead to God relative to fellowship with Him and to spending eternity with Him in His Eternal kingdom - heaven. But when an individual becomes a believer in Christ, he is described as "having been made alive together with Him [Christ] - that is to say, spiritually alive and in total fellowship with God, having been forgiven of all of transgressions. Note that all men at this particular time are of course all physically alive; but not having believed, they are all spiritually dead to God in their temporal lives, dead to God - until they do express a moment of faith alone in Christ alone for eternal life. 

Then in Col 2:15, which reads, "Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a  public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it," Paul further explains that the principalities and powers of this world - the governing powers - having usurped the sovereignty of God - who nevertheless rule over men's lives in so many evil ways, have been disarmed by God relative to those who believe in Christ so that they no longer possess such a power over believers' lives relative to any individual being held responsible to God for his personal conduct before Him relative to the matter of having eternal life. Hence with the result that Paul made a statement, a command in Col 2:16-17 to believers, "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ." So believers cannot legitimately be judged by others relative to their personal conduct - for example about what they eat, drink, choose to or not to celebrate festivals or a new moon or a sabbath day relative to the reception of eternal life. These things, as a matter of fact can only be issues that at best merely point to the Savior when properly celebrated in a godly manner according to the free will choice of the believer in his freedom in Christ. On the other hand, they accomplished nothing more such as providing for eternal life or blessings / rewards in this temporal life, nor eternal rewards in the Eternal Kingdom. Only the substance, Who is Christ via a moment of faith alone in Him alone will accomplish any of that! For no one but Christ can tell one that he does not have eternal life because he has not kept particular celebrations, or ceremonies, or rituals, or days of proposed worship, or rules of eating and drinking, etc. They can only point to the Substance of the matter: Who is Christ and Him alone - His sacrifice for sins and His grace forgiveness when anyone believes in Him alone for eternal life and thereby is credited with the Righteousness of Jesus Christ unto eternal life.

2) [Col 2:15-17) Bible Knowledge Commentary]:

"2:15-17. By fulfilling the demands of the Law, Christ disarmed the demonic powers and authorities (cf. 1:16; 2:10), triumphing over them (cf. 2 Cor. 2:14). As a result believers are delivered from these evil powers which inspire legalistic rules about foods and festivals. No one should judge you by what you eat or drink because Christians are free from the Law's legalistic requirements (such as those in Lev. 11; 17; Deut. 14). God does not condemn those who eat everything (Rom. 14:1-4). In fact, God says that all foods may be eaten since they were "created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and who know the truth" (1 Tim. 4:3). The teaching that forbids this, Paul wrote, is "taught by demons" (1 Tim. 4:1) whom Christ has disarmed (Col. 2:15). This liberation of believers pertains also to festivals such as a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath Day (cf. Gal. 4:10). Those who would bring Christians under the bondage of the Law make artificial distinctions between the "ceremonial" and "moral" law, and so they say the Sabbath has not passed away. That this is false can be seen from the following: (1) The Sabbath command is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. (2) The early believers, following Christ's resurrection and appearance on Sunday (Mark 16:1; John 20:1), met on Sundays (Acts 20:7; 1 Cor. 16:2). (3) The Bible nowhere distinguishes between the so-called "moral" and "ceremonial" laws (this distinction was not made before the 13th century a.d.) (4) This Colossian passage explicitly condemns those who command Sabbath obedience. (5) As Paul put it, the Old Testament Law (including the Sabbath) was only a shadow of the things that were to come. The reality or "substance" (sōma, lit., "body"), however, is to be found in Christ (cf. Heb. 8:5; 10:1). What the Old Testament foreshadowed, Christ fulfilled (cf. Matt. 5:17; Rom. 8:3-4). A "shadow" (skia) is only an image cast by an object which represents its form. Once one finds Christ, he no longer needs to follow the old shadow."

3) [(Col 2:15-17) Expositor's Commentary]:

"15 The meaning of nearly every word of this verse is disputed. One of the key issues concerns the interpretation of "powers and authorities." The interpretation preferred here is that which sees these as hostile supernatural powers, the hierarchy of evil. The words include all the spiritual forces of this world that are in rebellion against God, designated elsewhere as "the world-rulers of this darkness" (Eph 6:12, ASV; cf. Col 1:16; 2:8, 19, RSV).

Paul affirms that Christ has "disarmed" these forces of evil. The Greek verb (apekdusamenos), which is in the middle voice, is interpreted by some in the sense of stripping off from himself, as though the powers and authorities had attached themselves to the Son of God in determination to bring about his destruction. Christ strips them from himself like a wrestler casting from himself a disabled antagonist. Perhaps it is better to construe the middle as intensive. The meaning then is simply "having stripped," and the object of the action is not "himself" but the powers and authorities. In this interpretation the imagery is that of a conquered antagonist being stripped of his weapons and armor and put to public shame. (A Greek word built on the same root as the word employed here is used in LXX of the "stripping" of enemies in war.) NIV expresses this meaning.

Paul goes on to say that Christ, having thus disarmed the powers and authorities, "made a public spectacle of them." That is to say, he exposed them to public disgrace by exhibiting them to the universe as his captives. The added words, "triumphing over them by the cross," expand this idea. The picture, quite familiar in the Roman world, is that of a triumphant general leading a parade of victory. The conqueror, riding at the front in his chariot, leads his troops through the streets of the city. Behind them trails a wretched company of vanquished kings, officers, and soldiers—the spoils of battle. Christ, in this picture, is the conquering general; the powers and authorities are the vanquished enemy displayed as the spoils of battle before the entire universe. To the casual observer the cross appears to be only an instrument of death, the symbol of Christ's defeat; Paul represents it as Christ's chariot of victory."

H) [(Col 2:18-23)]:

(Col 2:18 NKJV) Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

(Col 2:19 NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.

(Col  2:20 NASB) If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,

(Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!'

(Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men?

(Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

1) [(Col 2:18) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:18]:

(Col 2:18 NKJV) "Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"

WH, NU, p46, Siniaticus*, A, B, D,*, I, 33, 1739, IT(b), cop, Origen MSS according to Jerome have "delving into things which he has not seen"

TR, Sinaiticus(2), C D(1), Psi, 075, 0278, Maj MSS according to Jerome (F, G "ouk" instead of "me")

The WH, NU reading has exceedingly superior documentary support and suits the context exactly, for Paul was arguing against the proto-gnostics who based their religion on visions they had seen. These visions of the supernatural - even of angels - puffed up their spiritual pride. Most likely, it was changed to "things which they have not seen" to make these spiritualists look ridiculous: "they delved into things they couldn't even see!" Though the sarcase is effective for the reader, it misses Paul's point, which is equally sarcatic but more subtle: "they, who claim to be spiritual, base their claims on what they say they have seen - not on what cannot be seen, the true spiritual realities!"

2) [(Col 2:19) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:19]:

3) [(Col 2:20) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:20]:

(Col  2:20 NASB) "If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as,"

WH, NU, A, B, C, D, 0278 have "since you died with Christ."

TR, Siniaticus(*), 2, 0278(c), syr(h) have "since, therefore, you died with Christ"

The manuscript evidence favors the WH NU reading. The addition of "Ei" rendered "since" presupposes that Paul already spoke of the believers' union with Christ in His death. Although this is implied in 2:11-13, it was not said so explicitly Thus, Paul was justified in not using "oun" here; he saves it for 3:1, where he affirms union with Christ in resurrection - a point he explicitly made before in 2:11-13.

4) [(Col 2:23) Manuscript Evidence For Col 2:23]:

TR, WH, NU, Sinaiticus, A, C, D, H, Psi, 075, Maj, syr have "humility and sever treatment of the body"

F, G, it have "humility of the mind and severe treatment of the body"

p46, B, 1739 have "humility, sever treatment of the body

It is quite likely that the original reading is found in the second variant (supported by the Alexandrian trio, p46, B, 1739), wherein the expression "sever treatment of the body" (as an instrumental dative) describes the prepositional phrase, "in self-imposed worship and false humility." This indicates that the self-iosed worship and resultant humility were carried out by means of the worshiper treatig his body harshly (so the rendering in NJB: "a humility which takes of account of the body"). The TR WH, NU reading has a additional Kai ("ad") because some scribe(s) considered that there were three objects of the preposition rendered "in." The first variant is a carryover from 2:18 in that it specifies that this was an "imagined" humility and therefore false.

5) [(Col 2:18-23) Commentary On Col 2:18-23]:

(Col 2:18 NKJV) "Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Col 2:19 NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. (Col  2:20 NASB) If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, (Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men? (Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

WITH THE CONTEXT OF COL 2:11-14 IN MIND COL 2:15 GOES ON TO EXPLAIN THAT THE PRINCIPALITIES AND POWERS WHICH USURPED THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD WERE DISARMED AS A RESULT OF CHRIST'S  SACRIFICE FOR ALL OF MANKIND'S SINS IN THE SENSE THAT GOD WOULD NO LONGER HOLD MEN WHO TRUSTED IN CHRIST ACCOUNTABLE FOR THEIR SINS, FREEING MAN FROM THE ABSOLUTE CONTROL OF THEIR SIN NATURES SO THAT THEY COULD CHOOSE TO LIVE RIGHTEOUSLY INSTEAD OF SINFULLY. HE MADE A PUBLIC SPECTACLE OF THEM, HAVING TRIUMPHED OVER THEM THROUGH THE WORK OF JESUS CHRIST ON THE CROSS. PAUL THEN CONCLUDED IN COL 2:16-17 TO BELIEVERS, "SO LET NO ONE JUDGE YOU IN  FOOD OR IN DRINK, OR REGARDING A FESTIVAL OR A NEW MOON OR SABBATHS, WHICH ARE A SHADOW OF THINGS TO COME - WHICH OBSERVANCE WAS NOT EFFECTUAL FOR SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE. BUT THE REAL SUBSTANCE OF THEM IS OF CHRIST RELATIVE TO THE RECEPTION OF ETERNAL LIFE AND ETERNAL REWARDS.

WHEREUPON IN COL 2:18 PAUL CONCLUDED THAT THOSE WHO ATTEMPT TO JUDGE BELIEVERS ON LEGALISTIC TEMPORAL MATTERS WOULD HAVE THEM CHEATED OF THEIR REWARD NOT IN THE SENSE OF LOSING OUT ON SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE WHICH IS AN ETERNALLY SECURE GIFT THROUGH A MOMENT OF FAITH ALONE IN CHRIST ALONE AND NOT A REWARD; BUT IN THE SENSE OF LOSING OUT ON ETERNAL AND TEMPORAL REWARDS FOR PERSEVERING IN THE FAITH IN SALVATION BY GRACE THROUGH FAITH ALONE AND NOT BEING PERSUADED TO OBSERVE LEGALISMS AND PERFORM WORKS IN ORDER TO GAIN / MAINTAIN SALVATION UNTO ETERNAL LIFE

In Col 2:16-17, author Paul commanded believers, "So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come," meaning Jesus Christ to reign and rule and in the sense that they are not actual godly means by which believers are to be judged relative to whether or not they have salvation or whether or not they are being faithful as disciples. But they do represent the reality of Jesus Christ as the end of the verse states: "but the substance [of these shadows of things] is of Christ [the reality to which they - properly experienced - point toward]." Whereupon, in Col 2:18 Paul concluded that those who attempt to judge believers on legalistic temporal matters would have you "cheated of your reward," in the sense of losing out on temporal and eternal rewards for faithful service because you allowed legalism to re-enter your Christian life by taking seriously the legalistic judgments of others of your life.

FOR IN COL 2:19 PAUL STIPULATED / COMMANDED BELIEVERS TO HOLD FAST TO THEIR HEAD WHO IS CHRIST, FROM WHOM ALL THE BODY OF BELIEVERS IS NOURISHED AND KNIT TOGETHER BY JOINTS AND LIGAMENTS IN THE SENSE THAT BELIEVERS ARE ALL CONNECTED TO THEIR LORD AS PARTS OF THE HUMAN BODY ARE CONNECTED TO THE HEAD THROUGH JOINTS AND LIGAMENTS. PAUL THEN WROTE THAT THE BELIEVERS WHO ARE PART OF THE BODY OF CHRIST GROW WITH THE INCREASE THAT IS FROM GOD AND NOT VIA THE UNBIBLICAL NOTIONS OF MEN SUCH AS THE GNOSTICS.

For Paul stipulated / commanded in Col 2:19: "holding fast to the Head [Who is Christ], from Whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God." So believers who are part of the body of Christ are nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments as part of His body, and grow with the increase that is from God,"by the grace / unmerited favor of God and not from obeying the legalistic judgment of those who are not even part of the body of Christ who would cheat you of your reward by pretending to offer more than Who and what Jesus Christ is and has done. So Paul concluded that those who attempt to judge believers on legalistic temporal matters would have them cheated of their reward not in the sense of losing out on salvation unto eternal life which is an eternally secure gift through a moment of faith alone in Christ alone and not a reward; but in the sense of losing out on eternal and temporal rewards for presevering in the faith in salvation by grace through faith alone and not being persuaded to observe legalisms and perform works in order to gain / maintain salvation unto eternal life.

(Col  2:20 NASB) If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, (Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men? (Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

THEN IN COL 2:20-23, PAUL CONTINUES TO EXPLAIN  THAT THE BELIEVER HAS DIED WITH CHRIST IN THE SENSE OF NO  LONGER NEEDING TO FOLLOW THE ELEMENTARY PRINCIPLES OF THE TEMPORAL WORLD OF SINFUL MAN AS IF THESE TEMPORAL SINFUL THINGS ARE ALL THERE IS - IGNORING THE ETERNAL AND SPIRITUAL WORLD, AS IF LIVING IN THE WORLD IS ALL THERE IS - SUBMITTING ONESELF TO SUCH RULES AS DO NOT HANDLE, DO NOT TASTE, DO NOT TOUCH! THESE ALL CONCERN TEMPORAL AND SINFUL THINGS WHICH PERISH WITH THE USING AND ARE UNRIGHTEOUS BECAUSE THEY ARE ACCORDING TO THE COMMANDMENTS AND DOCTRINES OF MEN WHO IS TEMPORAL - NOT OF GOD, NOT OF CHRIST. PAUL CLOSES WITH A STATEMENT THAT THESE SINFUL THINGS HAVE AN APPEARANCE OF WISDOM CONNECTED TO A SELF-MADE / MAN-MADE RELIGION, FALSE HUMILITY, AND A NEGLECT OF THE BODY AND SELF-ABASEMENT / SELF-DEPRECATING WHICH ARE OF NO VALUE AGAINST THE INDULGENCE OF THE FLESH.

Furthermore, Paul goes on in Col 2:20-23 to explain that the believer has died with Christ in the sense of no longer needing to follow the elementary principles of the temporal world of sinful man as if these temporal sinful things are all there is - ignoring the eternal and spiritual world, as if living in the world is all there is submitting oneself to such decress as "Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch" which all concern temporal things which perish with the using and are unrighteous because they are are according to the commandments and doctrines of men - not of God, not of Christ. So Paul closes with a statement that these sinful things have an appearance but not the reality of wisdom because it is conntect to a self-made / man-made religion, false humility, and a neglect of the body / self-abasement / deprecation which are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh / the utter evil of the  instrinsic / sin nature of all men.

a) [Col 2:18-23) Expositor's Commentary On Col 2:18-23]:

(Col 2:18 NKJV) "Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Col 2:19 NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head, [Who is Christ] from Whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. (Col  2:20 NASB) If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, (Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men? (Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh."

"C. The Error of Angel Worship (2:18, 19)

18 Paul's third warning brings before us two of the most puzzling verses in the NT. The Greek expression for "disqualify you" (hymas katabrabeueto) has been rendered in many different ways: KJV, "beguile you of your reward"; Knox, "cheat you"; ASV, "rob you of your prize"; BV, "defraud you of salvation's prize," etc. The literal meaning of the clause is "let no one act as umpire against you," that is, give an adverse decision against you. Perhaps it is only a stronger and more picturesque way of saying, "Let no one judge you" (cf. v. 16). The essential meaning is, "Let no one deny your claim to be Christians."

The person attempting to make such judgment is described as one "who delights in false humility and the worship of angels." The context suggests that he seeks to impose these things on the Colossians and that this is the means by which he attempts to disqualify them for their prize. "Delights in" translates a Hebraism not uncommon in LXX, but found nowhere else in the NT. "False humility," translated "self-abasement" in RSV, is thought by some to be a technical term for fasting, since in the OT this was the usual way for one to humble himself before God. Whether this be so or not, the word in this context appears to denote a mock humility. The same word is used in 3:12 in a list of virtues. "Worship of angels" is an allusion to the deference the heretical teachers paid to the hierarchy of spirit-beings who, in their system, filled the whole universe. Perhaps the "humility" and the "worship of angels" were closely related. (In Greek the word for "false humility" and the expression for "worship of angels" are governed by the same preposition.) That is to say, the heretics probably insisted that their worship of angels rather than the supreme God was an expression of humility on their part. Lightfoot writes that "there was an officious parade of humility in selecting these lower beings as intercessors, rather than appealing directly to the throne of grace" (p. 196).

We see a further indication of the method of the false teachers in the words "goes into great detail about what he has seen." The meaning, according to some, is that the heretical teacher takes his stand on his (imaginary or alleged) visions (cf. RSV). He "harps" on his visions, claiming more than he can prove. NIV reflects this interpretation. Others think there is an allusion to the initiatory rites of the mystery cults and that Paul is scornfully quoting some of the jargon ("entering in," "what he has seen") used by the heretical teachers. The meaning of the Greek construction is so obscure that many interpreters have resorted to conjectural emendation.

Paul depicts the heretical teacher as inflated with conceit. "His unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions." The "unspiritual" (tes sarkos; lit., "of the flesh") mind is a mind dominated by the unrenewed nature, a mind lacking spiritual enlightenment.

19 The false teacher lacks vital contact with Jesus Christ. This is profoundly serious because it is from Christ as Head that "the whole body [the church], supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows." Each believer is thought of as forming a vital connection with Christ the Head. Thus joined to him, they all become the joints and ligaments by which the church is supplied with energy and life. The heretical teacher, without this contact with Christ, cuts himself off from the source of spiritual vitality for God's people and cannot possibly contribute to their growth.
 
Notes
18 Θέλων ἐν ταπεινοφροσύνῃ (thelon en tapeinophrosyne, "who delights in false humility") is a particularly difficult expression. The noun (tapeinophrosyne) must here mean something like "mock humility" (cf. NIV, "false humility"). Θέλων (thelon), a participle, may mean something like "self-imposed" (cf. KJV and ASV, "voluntary"). Its literal meaning is "willing" (cf. NIV, "delighting in"; RSV, "insisting on"). NEB takes the whole phrase to mean "people who go in for self-mortification." NIV is perhaps to be preferred. KJV translates a text that employs a negative and thus changes the meaning entirely: "intruding into those things which he hath not seen." The thought expressed by this reading is that the false teacher deals with mysteries he has no immediate knowledge of Lightfoot suspects that the Greek text may be corrupted here and proposes that the reading might originally have been a construction that he translates as "treading the void" (p. 197).

D. The Error of Asceticism (2:20-23)

Paul's fourth and final warning is against asceticism—the imposition of man-made rules as a means of gaining favor with God. For ascetics the body is a thing to be buffeted and punished, a thing to be treated like an enemy. They see the body as evil and conclude that the way to holiness is to deny all the body's desires, refuse its appetites, and cut its needs down to an irreducible minimum. Asceticism was apparently a prominent feature of the Colossian heresy, and in various periods of history it has appealed strongly to misguided people. It was the ascetic spirit that led to the deprecation of marriage, the exaltation of virginity and monasticism, and the devising of endless means of self-torture. Paul condemns asceticism and urges the Colossians to reject it as a way of life.

1. The Christian's death to the world (2:20-22a)

20 When one becomes a Christian, his connection with the world of legal and ascetic ordinances is severed. Asceticism, then, is not in keeping with the nature and circumstances of the new life in Christ. For the Christian, all the rules and requirements of asceticism are a kind of anachronism.

The "if" clause is not intended to express doubt or uncertainty. Its force is argumentative, and the meaning is: "Since [because] you died...." The use of this type of conditional clause is Paul's emphatic way of stating something that is unquestionable (cf. 3:1; Philippians 2:1, et al.).

"Died" translates an aorist, pointing to the time of the believer's conversion. In the mention of dying and rising (3:1) with Christ, there may be an allusion to Christian baptism (see comments on 2:12); however, baptism only pictures the believer's death to an old way of life and his rising to a new life. The actual change is effected when he is joined to Christ by faith. So he enters into fellowship with Christ, and in dying with him is delivered from "the basic principles of this world."

"Basic principles" (stoicheion) has the same ambiguity that marks it elsewhere (cf. discussion at 2:8). Perhaps it should be understood as a reference to the supernatural powers of evil (cf. RSV), but the passage also yields an acceptable meaning if stoicheion is interpreted as in the NIV. At any rate, to order life by ascetic rules is to revert to an inferior state supposedly abandoned at the time of conversion. To die to "the basic principles of this world" (or "the elemental spirits of the universe," RSV) is to have all connections with them severed, to be done with them, to be liberated from their authority once for all. (The Greek preposition apo ("to") ordinarily means "from," and here perhaps expresses something like "out of the control of.")

"Submit to its rules," which translates a single Greek word (dogmatizesthe), recalls v. 14, where reference was made to the canceling out of the bond of ordinances (dogmata) against us. To permit oneself to be "dogmatized" is to permit life to become a round of rules again.

21 The "rules" Paul had in mind are such decrees as "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" The reference is to the dietary restrictions the errorists imposed as a means of attaining salvation. (Caird thinks it more probable that "Paul is ridiculing his opponents by attributing to them a total withdrawal from all worldly contacts: `Don't handle that, don't taste this, don't touch anything!' If you pursue to its logical conclusion the notion that holiness consists in avoiding contamination, you can only end in avoiding everything.") Some may have been reenactments of the Mosaic law; others were doubtless prohibitions stemming from pagan asceticism. There is a descending order in the terms, the climax being reached in the last word—i.e., "Don't even touch."

22a Parenthetically (cf. RSV) Paul adds that all such things are "destined to perish with use." Dietary restrictions have to do with things made to be used; and with their use they perish, for food ceases to be food once it is eaten. The underlying thought, then, is that the restrictive regulations of the Colossian heresy deal with matters that are temporary and unimportant. Christ, in fact, has made all food clean (Mark 7:19). (NIV seems to represent a different interpretation, the things destined to perish being the rules themselves, not the things forbidden by the rules. But the words "with use" militate against this view.)

2. The human origin of ascetic restrictions (2:22b)

22b Such regulative prohibitions as "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" are "based on human commands and teachings." The thought is that the rules of the ascetic are, both in origin and in medium of communication, strictly human.

3. The ineffectiveness of ascetic restrictions (2:23)

23 Ascetic rules masquerade as wisdom. They seem, on the surface, to be reasonable and wise. But what seems to be wisdom is only an appearance of, or pretension to, wisdom. In reality these rules are expressions of "self-imposed worship" and spurious "humility." The RSV renders the first expression "rigor of devotion," but the stress is not on rigor but on the voluntary nature of the act. Calvin defines it as "voluntary service, which men choose for themselves at their own option, without authority from God" (p. 202). The NIV rendering is in line with this thought. The context suggests that the errorists engaged in such "worship" in the hope that they would thereby acquire superior merit before God. The Greek word (ethelothreskia), a rare compound that has not been found in extrabiblical writings and is used in the NT only here, calls to mind the reference to "worship of angels" in v. 18.

"Humility" (tapeinophrosyne) must in this context refer to a mock humility (cf. v. 18). The idea is that asceticism, while parading under the guise of humility, actually panders to human pride. "Harsh treatment of the body" (lit., "unsparingness") is a reference to ascetic torturings of the body. "Lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence" translates a very difficult Greek construction—ouk en time tini pros plesmonen tes sarkos — which has given rise to many different interpretations. The two that have the most to commend them are those expressed in NIV and in Moff.; the latter reads: "but they are of no value, they only pamper the flesh!" (cf. RSV margin). The Greek behind "sensual indulgence" may be more literally translated "indulgence of the flesh," and by "flesh" Paul probably means more than sensuality. See Galatians 5:19-21, where such sins of disposition as arrogance and pride are listed as works of the flesh.
To sum up, v. 23 teaches that ascetic rules have the appearance of wisdom for many people in that they seem to be expressions of devotion to God, of humility, and of a commendable discipline of the body. Paul, however, declares that these regulations have nothing to do with real wisdom, and the worship and humility they seem to express are both spurious. His final appraisal is that asceticism is a dismal failure. On the surface it may appear to be the way to spiritual victory, but it actually is not. Christianity is not a religion of prescriptions but of a living relationship with Jesus Christ. This, of course, does not mean that once we are in Christ everything is permissible. That would amount to moral and spiritual anarchy, a thing contrary to the very nature of the new life in Christ. It does mean that the controls of the Christian life spring from within, that genuine piety grows out of inward conviction generated by a consciousness of union with Christ. Indwelt by the Spirit, we walk by the Spirit and thus avoid carrying out the desires of the lower nature (Gal 5:16). Maclaren says it with characteristic force: "There is only one thing that will put the collar on the neck of the animal within us, and that is the power of the indwelling Christ" (p. 255).

b) [Col 2:18-23) BKC Commentary On Col 2:18-23]:

(Col 2:18 NKJV) "Let no one cheat [lit. deprive, defraud] you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, (Col 2:19 NKJV) and not holding fast to the Head [Who is Christ], from Whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God. (Col  2:20 NASB) If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, (Col 2:21 NASB) 'Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!' (Col 2:22 NKJV) which all concern things which perish with the using - according to the commandments and doctrines of men? (Col 2:23 NKJV) These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed [lit., self-made or would be] religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, [lit., self-abasement] but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.' "

"Mysticism is wrong: headship is in Christ (2:18-19)

2:18. Those who turn believers from the reality in Christ to the shadow of the Law disqualify them for the prize. That is, they rob (katabrabeuetō, "to decide against"; cf. brabeueto4 in 3:15) believers of their spiritual rewards. As a judge disqualifies those who turn the wrong way in a race, so believers who turn from faithfully following Christ will be "robbed" of their rewards from Him (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15). Some heretics who turn believers away from faithful service have a false humility, which is only "a form of godliness but denying its power" (2 Tim. 3:5) that is in Christ (Rom. 8:3-4). This artificial godliness of legalists was connected with the worship of angels which Scripture forbids (Ex. 20:3-4; cf. Rev. 22:8-9). In fact, legalism is a teaching inspired by fallen angels (1 Tim. 4:1) who as "elemental spirits" (Gal. 4:3, rsv) would bring men into slavery by their mystical meditations. These legalistic mystics dwell on what they have seen (in visions), which Paul called idle notions (eikē, "vain, to no avail"; cf. Gal. 3:4). This phrase may have occasioned the variant (but less preferable) translation "which he hath not seen" (kjv). Far from being humble, such a person's unspiritual mind (lit., "the mind of the flesh"; cf., lit., "the body of the flesh," v. 19) is puffed with pride in his visions.

2:19. While believing that his mysticism brings him in touch with some "higher" reality, a legal mystic has actually lost connection with the Head (Who is Christ) Who alone supplies life for it to grow as God causes it to grow (cf. John 15:1-5). True spirituality does not come by compliance with laws (which are only a shadow) but by connection with the Life (who is the reality). Without a vital connection to its Head, the body of Christ cannot grow. Using a parallel image, Jesus said, "I am the Vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in Me and I in Him, he will bear much fruit; apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15:5).

Asceticism is wrong: immunity is in Christ (2:20-23)

2:20-21. A concomitant of legalism and mysticism is asceticism. It is the pseudo-spiritual position that revels in rules of physical self-denial. Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch! These prohibitions increase from not handling to not even touching. This same legalism was manifest in Eve's carnal exaggeration, "You must not touch it, or you will die" (Gen. 3:3; cf. Gen. 2:16-17). Asceticism arises out of guilt. But Christ has taken away all human guilt by His death (Col. 2:13-14). So since believers died with Christ to the basic principles (stoicheia; cf. comments on v. 8) of this world, they are no longer obligated (by fleshly inclinations) to obey them. Only those alive to sin (Rom. 6:2-7) need obey it as master. Worldliness is living by the world's rules, including those that have a show of humility and some alleged "angelic" source. Spirituality is living by the power of the Spirit in union with Christ by whom the believer has died to sin. "For we know that our old self was crucified with Him so that the body of sin might be rendered powerless" (Rom. 6:6).

2:22-23. Asceticism is a man-made system of rules (often taken out of context from God's Law) based on human commands and teachings. The persistent example of legalism in the New Testament was the Old Testament command of circumcision which God intended for the Jews as a sign of faith (Rom. 4:11) but which the legalists wanted to make a condition of grace (Gal. 2:21). Living by such regulations or self-made religion has a certain appearance of wisdom (sophias; cf. Col. 1:9; 2:3, 4:5), but it has absolutely no value in restraining sensual indulgence. "Sensual indulgence" is literally "the flesh" (sarkos; cf. 2:11, 18). For denying the body its desires merely arouses them, as is well known by many who have tried to lose weight by sticking to rigid diets. Neglecting the body, Paul argued, does not nourish the spirit."

- Colossians chapter three