Colossians chapter 2

vs 1



That's a fair whack of people he is contending for.



vs 2



So knowledge of Christ (in his capacity as mystery of God) comes from having a complete understanding, which comes from encouragement and unity. Some very similar themes to Ephesians here - namely, understanding and unity - but with the added theme of this mystery, which Paul names fairly openly as Christ.



vs 3



Wisdom, thy name is Christ. Just be careful not to take the "Christ is wisdom personofied" thing too far, because then you get into trouble in Proverbs. Instead, I think of Christ as the key that unlocks wisdom and understanding. Think about it - Jesus answers so many questions, not with his lips, but with his life.



vs 4



Ahhh, now this is worth knowing. This gives us some context, because obviously the Colossians were under threat of fine-sounding arguments.



vs 5



Listening to that compliment, it makes you think that the threat is more of a potential threat than an actual one. Or perhaps the threat is only a spark at the moment.



vs 6



This verse, along with vs 7, are the hinges of the entire book. We are now transitioning from the past into the future. There must be continuity in the life of faith. Very similar to Ephesians - the idea of pressing on.



vs 7



So just as you are rooted (or have a foundation), so build on it. Just as you received faith, grow stronger in that faith. And just as you were thankful, let thankfulness overflow. Everything is a picture of building up and increasing.



vs 8



Interesting new translation here in the TNIV. Regardless of how you read it, we have two things that need definition - "human tradition" and "basic principles of forces of this world".



Human tradition is fairly straightforward, I think - it is the body of socio-cultural teaching which grows up in any human environment, which seeks to influence how you live. Back then, the obvious one is the very organised and stylised traditions of the Jewish religious teachers. There are just as many rules and influences on us now which are nothing more than made up by people. They might have certain elements which are laudable, but insofar as they do not rely on Christ for their foundation, they aren't worth basing your life on.


But what are the "basic principles" or "elemental spiritual forces" of this world? World is always such a difficult word in the NT, because it means so many different things. But I think from the context, it is fairly clear that Paul is talking about the world in a negative and universal sense, but not so much a human social sense. Which is why I like the idea of "elementary spiritual forces", because it nails this down a lot more - one comment about human tradition, one comment about basic, crude spirituality. Both of which would have been a pressure on the Colossians, and both of which are not founded on Christ. And we are just as susceptible to this kind of crude spirituality when we get sucked into superstitions.




Whatever they both are, of course, they are not to be relied on. Christ is meant to be your foundation.

vs 9

This is the second time Paul has confirmed the deity of Christ, and in a single half sentence has even managed to stress his bodily form too.

vs 10

Which is just reiterating what he talked about regarding supremacy in the last chapter.

vs 11

Now we start getting into some human tradition. Circumcision was a covenant started by God in the OT - it's even older than Moses. But by this time in history, it had become a shambles, becoming the meaning instead of being a symbol for a greater meaning.

vs 12

Paul instead talks about a second symbol which they used in his time and, in some churches, has become just as much a shambles as circumcision was. We can't read verse 11 and say "oh, those poor duped Israelites for taking a symbolic ritual too far" and then read verse 12 and say "Ahh, because we've got the right ritual now!" That would be very poor hermenutics.