THE LETTER TO THE COLOSSIANS
Lesson 2
Chapter 2: The Pre-eminence of Christ and Freedom in Christ
Almighty God,
We humbly and gratefully give thanks to You, Lord, for sustaining us on
our journey to salvation. We know that when we continue to keep our focus on
Christ that You will protect us from evil influences that can cause us to
stumble on our journey. Send Your Holy Spirit, Lord, to increase our knowledge
of Christ in our study of St. Paul's letter to the Christians of Colossae. And
instill in us, Lord, an understanding of the mystery of God in Christ that St. Paul
assured the Colossians would reveal the hidden treasures of wisdom and
knowledge in the fullness of a relationship with the Most Holy Trinity. We
pray in the name of God the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
+ + +
True religion
consists of these two elements: pious doctrines and virtuous actions. Neither
does God accept doctrines apart from works, nor are works, when divorced from
godly doctrine, accepted by God... The knowledge of doctrines is a precious
possession. There is need of a vigilant soul, since there are many who would
deceive you by philosophy and vain deceit.
St. Cyril of
Jerusalem, Catechetical lectures, 4.2
St. Paul assures the Christians of Colossae that even though he does not know them, nevertheless, he struggles on their behalf and prays for them. The Greek word for "struggle" that Paul uses in 2:1 is agon, the origin of the English word "agony." It is the same word he used in his letter to the Philippians when he wrote: Yours is the same struggle [agon] as you saw in me and now hear about me (Phil 1:30). In both letters, he is probably referring to his struggles on their behalf in three ways:
Colossians 2:1-3 ~ Paul Struggles on Behalf of the
Colossian and Laodicean Christians
2:1 For I want
you to know how great a struggle I am having for you and for those in Laodicea
and all who have not seen me face to face, 2
that their hearts may be encouraged as they are brought together in
love, to have all the richness of fully assured understanding, for the
knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, 3
in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul has also sent a letter to the Christians in Laodicea (2:1), and he advised the communities to exchange his letters with one another after reading them (4:15-16). Laodicea was a chief city in Phrygia, a few miles northwest of Colossae (Col 4:13; Rev 3:14-22). Sadly, Paul's letter to the Laodiceans was lost to us, probably during the Roman persecution that began after 64 AD. Paul assures the Christians in the Lycus River Valley that just because he did not found their communities and has never seen them it does not mean he fails to concern himself with their welfare. He prays for them, and struggles against the power of Satan for the preservation of all Christian communities, even those he has not founded or met face to face.
2 that their
hearts may be encouraged [parakaleo] as they are brought together [sumbibazo] in
love, to have all the richness of fully assured understanding, for the knowledge
of the mystery [musterion] of God, Christ...
Verse 2 expresses the intent of Paul's prayer. The Greek
word for "encourage" is parakaleo that means "to comfort, buoy up, or
exhort" (IBGE, vol. IV, page 544; Strong's Concordance, New Testament Greek
Dictionary, page 67). Paul wants to comfort and encourage the community so their
struggles will not cause them to become dispirited, and they will have the
strength of faith to face their challenges with confidence and courage.
Another significant Greek word is sumbibazo, meaning "to knit together"
(IBGE, vol. IV, page, Strong's Concordance, New Testament Greek Dictionary, page
85), in our passage "brought together." This word suggests not just a bringing
together but a unity so strong that the many to become as a garment woven of
one piece in Christ.
Verse 2 is the third time Paul has mentioned the "mystery" of God (see Col 1:26, 27; 2:2; 4:3). In 1:26 and 27, "mystery" referred to God's plan to bring about the universal gift of salvation that includes the Gentile people of the earth. In this verse (and in 4:3), "mystery" refers to the "knowledge of the mystery" that is the true nature of God in Jesus Christ who is God enfleshed.
3 in whom are
hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul's point is that Jesus embodies the fullness of
divine Wisdom in Himself as he wrote in his letter to the Corinthians, ...but
to those who are called, Jews and Greeks alike, Christ the power of God and the
wisdom of God (1 Cor 1:24). They will find all their answers to life and
eternity in Christ alone who is the fullness of the revelation of God to
humanity (see Col 2:9).
Question: What petitions does Paul make to God on
behalf of the communities in the Lycus River Valley in verses 2-3?
Answer:
In the remaining verses of Chapter 2, Paul continues to stress the pre-eminence of Jesus Christ and to warn the Colossians against being seduced by false teachers and their philosophies. Paul's prayer for wisdom and knowledge for the community in verses 1-2 is an introduction to the warning that follows.
Colossians 2:4-8 ~ Warnings Against False Teachings
4 I say this so
that no one may deceive you by specious arguments. 5 For even if I am absent in the flesh, yet I am
with you in spirit, rejoicing as I observe your good order and the firmness of
your faith in Christ. 6 So, as you
received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith
as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one captivate you with an empty, seductive
philosophy according to human tradition, according to the elemental powers of
the world and not according to Christ.
Verse 4 suggests that some persons have introduced heresy into the communities of the Colossians and Laodiceans. The nature of the heresy has been a matter of debate among Biblical scholars. We can only deduce the nature of the heresy from Paul's incidental references to it in 2:8-23. Apparently, it was a doctrine that combined the elements from:
Paul refers to what appears to be a negative view of the human body (2:20-23) and perhaps the created order as a whole that is similar to the philosophy of Gnosticism.1 There was also what appeared to be a stress upon the importance of certain Old Covenant practices. These included circumcision (2:11-13), dietary regulations, and ritual feast observances (2:16). The heresy also seems to include an emphasis on the worship of angels (2:18a) and a preoccupation with mystical experiences that resulted in a denial of the sufficiency of Christ (2:18b-23). Any attempt to fit Christ into such a system of belief would undermine the Person and redemptive work of Jesus Christ and the teaching authority of His Church, which Paul addresses in the next verses.
6 So, as you
received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him, 7 rooted in him and built upon him and established in the faith
as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.
The use of the words "walk" and "rooted" appear to be
mixed metaphors. The Greek word for "thanksgiving" is eucharistia (John
Hardon, S.J., Catholic Dictionary, page 133).
Question: How do we both walk in Christ and
remain rooted in Him at the same time in thanksgiving?
Answer: To remain "rooted in Him" even as one
"walks" in the footsteps of Christ is to continually draw spiritual nourishment
and strength from Him in the Eucharist, which means "thanksgiving" in Greek.
Paul urges the Christians of Colossae (and Laodicea) to hold fast to the Gospel of Jesus Christ as it was first proclaimed to them (verse 6) and to steep themselves in it with grateful hearts (verse 7). To "walk in him" recalls God's promise to the Old Covenant Church that He was with them, and they were His people so long as they "walk" (Hebrew and Greek translations) with Him by living according to His precepts (Lev 26:3, 12; Dt 10:12; 11:22; 13:5; etc.). What Paul writes in verse 6 also reminds us of what Jesus promised in John 8:12, "I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will not walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
To "walk in him" is the core of Paul's teaching. He uses it in the same metaphorical sense that he used in Philippians 3:17-18 meaning active faith expressed in daily life. The direction of a Christian's life must be forward movement in Christ. Failure to move forward toward the goal of eternal salvation is to go backward and away from Christ.
8 See to it that
no one captivate you with an empty, seductive philosophy according to human
tradition, according to the elemental powers of the world and not according to
Christ.
Question: What threatens the Colossians "walking"
in the faith they learned from Epaphras? Are these new threats or old? See Is 29:13 and Mk 7:6-7.
Answer:
These are old threats. Both the prophet Isaiah (Is 29:13) and Jesus (Mk 7:6-7) confronted such idolatrous human precepts.
After having reminded the Colossians of the fullness of life through faith in Christ, he challenges them to stand firm in Christ and to reject the false teachings that threaten their new Christian identity. He warns them that any deviation from the Gospel introduced by "human tradition" motivated by "elemental powers of the world" is not according to Christ (verse 8).
"Human tradition" does not refer to the Church's authoritative teachings on the Gospel that we usually refer to as "Tradition" with a capital "T" (c.f., 1 Cor 11:2; 15:3-4; 2 Thes 2:15; 3:6; CCC 80-83). The Sacred Tradition of the Gospel is passed on orally and in writing:
Tradition with a capital "T," that is our inheritance from the teachings of Jesus and His Apostles, is to be distinguished from tradition with a lowercase "t" that is the traditions passed down from the various theological, disciplinary, or devotional practices developed in the local churches over time. These are forms adapted to different places and times in the history of these communities that express the great Tradition through local festivals or devotions. These historically traditional practices can be continued, modified, or abandoned under the guidance of the Church's Magisterium (see CCC 83).
In verse 8, Paul refers instead to "traditions" that are teachings motivated by secular philosophies and do not have their origin in Sacred Tradition. In his letter to the Galatians, Paul wrote forcefully about those who attempted to pervert the Gospel of Jesus Christ: But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel other than the one we preached to you, let that one be accursed! As we have said before, and now say again, if anyone preaches to you a gospel other than the one you received, let that one be accursed! (Gal 1:8-9).
Paul's phrase "elemental powers of the world" (stoicheia tou kosmou) uses the Greek word stoicheria that means elements or rudiments. It is a word that appears seven times in the New Testament and is common in Greek secular literature.3 It can refer to the material elements of the universe like the earth, air, water, and fire. It can also refer to heavenly bodies like the sun, moon, stars, and planets (Wis 7:17). It can also refer to angels or demons that were believed to regulate the course and movement of these "elements."
The ancient Greeks and other pagan peoples deified and worshipped these "elements" as gods. Wisdom 13:1-2 describes pagans as foolish for worshipping such things (also see Gal 4:8). For the members of the Sinai Covenant, God created the celestial bodies and uses them to provide the regulation of the days, months, and yearly events to count time and for events in the liturgical calendar (Gen 1:14; Num 28:11-14; Sir 43:1-8).
Colossians 2:9-15 ~ The Sovereign Role of Christ
9 For in him
dwells the whole fullness of the deity bodily, 10 and you share in this fullness in him, who is the head of
every principality and power. 11 In
him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by
stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ. 12 You were buried with him in baptism, in which
you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him
from the dead. 13 And even when you
were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he brought
you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions; 14 obliterating the bond against us, with its
legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also removed it from our midst,
nailing it to the cross; 15 despoiling
the principalities and the powers, he made a public spectacle of them, leading
them away in triumph by it.
It is through Christ alone that Christians have access to a relationship with God, and it is a relationship that extends beyond our earthly existence (verse 9). Christ is far superior to all things seen and unseen (verse 10; Col 3:1-3). United to Him in worship that is no longer entirely earth-bound, Christians worship is not within the confines of the visible world. Through the Sacraments Christ gave His Church, Baptized believers with circumcised hearts enjoy a new order of worship that is supernatural and heavenly.
11 In him you
were also circumcised with a circumcision not administered by hand, by
stripping off the carnal body, with the circumcision of Christ.
There is an Old Testament background to this verse. In
Moses' final homily to the covenant people, preached on the banks of the Jordan
River before the beginning of the conquest of Canaan, he refers to God's
promise of a future spiritual circumcision for a new order of covenant children.
It is the only time in Scripture that God spoke of circumcising anyone
Himself. Concerning Israel's future restoration after a judgment exile, Moses
promises: Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your
descendants so that you will love Yahweh your God with all your heart and soul,
and so will live (Dt 30:6 NJB).
Old Covenant fleshly circumcision was a sign of submission to God's holy covenant for Abraham's descendants that continued in the Sinai Covenant (Gen 17:9-14; Ex 12:48; Lev 12:3; Lk 1:59; 2:21) as a sign that prefigured the "circumcision of Christ" with Baptism (CCC 527). The reference to circumcised hearts in Deuteronomy 30:6 points to the Sacrament of Christian Baptism that produces the circumcision of Christ not by a human hand but by the Spirit of God on the transformed hearts of believers. Only the circumcision of Christ transforms believes from children in the family of Adam to children "born from above" into the family of God (Jn 1:12-13; 3:5, 7; Mt 23:12; Mk 16:16). "Only when Christ is formed in us will the mystery of Christmas be fulfilled in us... O marvelous exchange! Man's Creator has become man, born of the Virgin. We have been made sharers in the divinity of Christ who humbled himself to share our humanity'" (CCC 526, quoting Antiphon 1 of Evening Prayer for the Feast of Mary Mother of God on January 1st).
The word "stripping" in verse 11 (repeated in verse 15) suggests the Christian baptismal rite of taking off an old garment and putting on a new, spotless, white garment as a symbol of the purity of the newly baptized clothed in God's gift of grace.2 Paul will elaborate on this symbol in 3:8-10. His point is that we die with Christ to sin in the Sacrament of Baptism, and we are then raised up with Him to a new, spiritually restored life, forgiven our sins (verses 12-13). Christ, our great High Priest, lifts us above the created elements of the cosmos to worship in Spirit and truth as we "lift up our hearts" to Heaven in the liturgy of worship ( Jn 4:21-24 Gal 4:3; Heb 8:1; 9:25; 12:22-24; Rev Chapters 4-5).
12 You were
buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through
faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.
The Baptismal ritual of being covered with water signifies
dying with Christ while being raised up out of the water signifies a spiritual
resurrection to new life (CCC 628).
13 And even when
you were dead [in] transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he
brought you to life along with him, having forgiven us all our transgressions...
Paul's statement in this verse concerning the
"uncircumcision of your flesh" suggests the Colossian Christians are
uncircumcised Gentile converts (see Eph 2:11). The miracle of Christian
Baptism is a spiritual rebirth and forgiveness of all past sins including
original sin inherited from our first parents (CCC 977-80).
Following St. Paul's teaching in Romans 5:12-19, "...the Church has always taught that the overwhelming misery which oppresses men and their inclination toward evil and death cannot be understood apart from their connection with Adam's sin and the fact that he has transmitted to us a sin with which we are all born afflicted, a sin which is the death of the soul.' Because of this certainty of faith, the Church baptizes for the remission of sins even tiny infants who have not committed personal sin" (CCC 403).
The Church has always taught that Baptism is necessary for all in respect to salvation whether they be an infant or adult. God Himself established the necessity of infant Baptism with the entrance of boy children into a covenant relationship with Him on the eighth day of life. It was a covenant obligation both St. John the Baptist's parents and Joseph and Mary observed with St. John and Jesus (Lk 1:59; 2:21). In Jesus' command to Baptize for salvation, He set no restrictions on age (Mt 28:19-20; Mk 16:15-16), and the Apostles baptized entire households that must have included children (Acts 10:24, 44-49; 16:15). St. Irenaeus (m. c. 202 AD) wrote: "He [Christ] came to save all through Himself "all, I say, who through Him are reborn in God: infants and children, youths and old men. Therefore, He passed through every age, becoming an infant for infants, sanctifying infants; a child for children, sanctifying those who are of that age and at the same time becoming for them an example of piety, of righteousness, and of submission..." (Against Heresies, 2.22.4).
14 obliterating
the bond against us, with its legal claims, which was opposed to us, he also
removed it from our midst, nailing it to the cross; 15 despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it.
Christ's sacrificial death canceled the sin debt against
humanity for all who claim the redeeming power of His sacrifice. All baptized
Christians, therefore, share in His victory over sin and death.
15 despoiling the principalities and the powers,
he made a public spectacle of them, leading them away in triumph by it.
Paul uses the imagery of the public spectacle of a Roman emperor's victory parade where captured enemies were marched in subjugation.
In the same way, Jesus is victorious over the powers of Satan.
He has taken those satanic forces captive and rendered them powerless His sacrificial death and resurrection.
Question: In this passage, Paul uses what four
vivid images to explain what happens when a person is baptized into Christ?
Answer:
Colossians 2:16-23 ~ Practices Contrary to Faith and Freedom in Christ
16 Let no one,
then, pass judgment on you in matters of food and drink or with regard to a
festival or new moon or Sabbath. 17 These
are shadows of things to come; the reality [soma = body) belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, delighting in
self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, inflated
without reason by his fleshly mind, 19 and
not holding closely to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held
together by its ligaments and bonds, achieves the growth that comes from God. 20 If you died with Christ to the elemental
powers of the world, why do you submit to regulations as if you were still
living in the world? 21 "Do not
handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" 22 These
are all things destined to perish with use; they accord with human precepts and
teachings. 23 While they have a
semblance of wisdom in rigor of devotion and self-abasement [and] severity to
the body, they are of no value against gratification of the flesh.
The warning in verses 16-17 refers to matters of Jewish Old Covenant Law that separated Jews from Gentiles. The Old Covenant food restrictions (Lev 11), the observance of the annual festivals (Lev 23), the monthly new moon festivals that marked the beginning of every month (Num 28:11-15) and the weekly Sabbath (Ex 20:8-11; 23:12; 31:12-17; 35:1-3; Num 28:9-10) were all "shadows" or Biblical types that prefigured what was to come in the New Covenant in Christ Jesus (Rom 5:14; Heb 8:5; 10:1; 1 Pt 3:21). Christ freed Jews of these Old Covenant observances that separated them from Gentiles to create a new, united people to serve Him in a universal covenant. What is in question here, however, is not just continuing to follow the old Law that negates the liberating New Covenant Law of Jesus Christ and invalidates His sacrifice, but also human additions to those Biblically commanded practices that Jesus condemned (see Mt 23:1-33). Some false teachers are apparently judging Gentile-Christians as unfit because they fail to practice the false teacher's idea of what is a mix of Old and New Covenant practices.
The word translated "reality" in verse 17 is literally "body," soma in the Greek = These are shadows of things to come; the body belongs to Christ. Since Paul has written frequently of the Church as the Body of Christ (Col 1:18, 24; 2:19), it is likely that he is using wordplay on the word "body." The "body" that is the reality the former covenant only pointed to is the Church that is the Body of Christ.
18 Let no one
disqualify you, delighting in self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his
stand on visions, inflated without reason by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding closely to the head, from
whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and bonds,
achieves the growth that comes from God.
Paul continues to describe the false teachers using the
language of sporting events and litigation. When he writes Let no one
disqualify you he is alluding to a sporting event.
Question: How are the false teachers trying to
"disqualify" the Colossian Christians?
Answer: The false teachers are trying to
disqualify the faithful Colossians as candidates for the prize of salvation
because they do not take part in:
All their false ideas are "inflated without reason" by their, literally, "mind of flesh." These false teachers are baptized Christians who are preaching another Gospel instead of remaining true to what they were taught concerning Christ, the Head of the Body of Christ and His gift of salvation in the "ligaments and bonds" of right doctrine that "achieves the growth that comes from God."
To worship angels would deny the self-sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ. The words "taking his stand on visions" in verse 18 translates the Greek rare word embateuo, not found anywhere else in the Greek Old Testament or the New Testament. It is a word found in secular Greek legal documents for coming into possession of property or claiming an inheritance (Catholic Commentary on Scripture: Colossians, page 205). Paul is referring to mystical revelations upon which the false teachers claim a heavenly inheritance that is not available to anyone who has not had the same experiences.
Question: What assurance did St. Paul give the
Colossian Christians at the beginning of his letter in 1:12 concerning their
spiritual inheritance and what does it mean in light of the accusations of the
false teachers?
Answer: Paul wrote that he gave thanks to God the
Father "who has made you fit to share in the inheritance of the holy ones in
light."
Paul was referring either to the angels who worship God in Heaven or Christians who are guided by the "light" of Jesus Christ. The point is if God has judged them fit to share in the inheritance of Christ then, how can a human judge disqualify persons whom God the Father has qualified as his heirs in Christ.
St. Paul's Letter to the Ephesians has a similar description of the ecclesial Body in union with Christ as Head: And he gave some as apostles, others as prophets, others as evangelists, others as pastors and teachers, to equip the holy ones for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of faith and knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the extent of the full stature of Christ, so that we may no longer be infants, tossed by waves and swept along by every wind of teaching arising from human trickery, for their cunning in the interests of deceitful scheming. Rather, living the truth in love, we should grow in every way into him who is the head, Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, with the proper functioning of each part, brings about the body's growth and builds itself up in love (Eph 4:11-16).
Questions for reflection or group discussion:
False teachers have been a plague attempting to infect
the Body of Christ since the beginning of the Church (Acts 15:1). What are
some of the false doctrines professing Christian groups teach today concerning
the seven Sacraments Christ gave the Church and other doctrines? What does the
Catechism teach about Traditions with a large "T" and "traditions with a small
"t" (see CCC 80-86)? How do we combat the doctrines of false teachers? What
can you do to increase your knowledge and understanding of the faith? A
document on the website that may help you is the " Catholic Apologetics Resource".
Endnotes:
1. Gnosticism was a prominent heretical movement in the 1st
and 2nd centuries of the Church. It taught that the world was
created and ruled by a lesser divinity and that all that was material was
inherently incapable of any good. According to Gnostic teaching, Christ was an
emissary of a remote, supreme, divine being that was esoteric knowledge (gnosis)
who enabled the redemption of the human spirit. For Gnostics, there was no
bodily resurrection and adherents believed they should shun everything in the
physical world, including marriage, because it was inherently evil.
2. See the end of Jesus' parable of the Wedding Feast in Mt 22:11-14 where the "wedding guest" not clothed in the proper wedding garment was cast out of the feast "into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth," always a reference to divine judgment (see Mt 8:11-12; 22:13; 24:51; 25:30; Lk 13:27-28).
3. See Gal 4:3, 9; Col 2:8, 20; Heb 5:12; 2 Pt 3:10, 12.
Michal Hunt, Copyright © 2018 Agape Bible Study. Permissions All Rights Reserved.
Catechism references for Colossians Chapter 2 (* indicates Scripture is either quoted or paraphrased in the citation):
2:12 (CCC 628*, 1002, 1214*, 1227*, 1694*)
| Topics | Catechism citations |
| Baptism and forgiveness of sins | CCC 535 and 977-78 |
| Baptism of infants and children | CCC 403, 1231, 1233, 1250-52, 1282, 1290 |
| Baptism of adults | CCC 1247-49 |
| Baptism the Church's mission | CCC 1223, 1276 |
| Baptismal promises | CCC 1185, 1254, 2101 |
| Christian life rooted in the Sacrament of Baptism | CCC 1266 |
| Christ's Passion and cross the source of Baptism | CCC 565, 1225 |
| The Church and Baptism | CCC 846, 866, 1226-28; 1267 |
| Conversion and Baptism | CCC 1427-29 |
| Baptism is a sacrament of faith | CCC 1236, 1253 |
| God's grace and Baptism | CCC 1255, 1262-74, 1279, 1997 1999 |
| The Holy Spirit and Baptism | CCC 691, 694, 698, 701, 798, 1274, 2017, 2670 |