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    Colossians 2:4-15
    Lesson 386

    Read both the "King James Bible" and the "New Living Translation."

    In this lesson:
     
    The philosophers of Colosse.
    Paul exposes heresy (continued in lesson 387).
    Look for the warning in verse 2:8.
    Walk with Christ and be free.

    Raffaello Sanzio da Urbino's (1483-1520) representation of Philosophy.
    Study Tip:
     
    Find the truth in each Bible passage.
    Decide how that truth applies to you
    and     how you can apply it to your life.   ​

    The Epistle of Paul The Apostle To The Colossians

    The King James Bible    ​



    Colossians 2:4-15
    Beware of false teachers
    ​
    4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.
     
    5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.
     
    6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
     
    7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
     
    8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.
     
    9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.
     
    10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:
     
    11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:
     
    12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.
     
    13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;
     
    14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
     
    15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

    ​
    Margin notes:
     
    "Lest any man should beguile you with enticing words." (2:4) - "So no one can fool you with tempting words."
     
    "Joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith." (2:5) - "Delighted to see your discipline, and the strength of your faith." 
     
    "As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him." (2:6) - "As you found 
    the Lord Jesus Christ, so follow Him."  Don't be led astray by man-made philosophies, false religions, or teachers (2:8). 
     
    "Stablished in the faith." (2:7) - "Established in the faith."
     
    "Abounding therein with thanksgiving." (2:7) - "Overflowing with thanks (for your salvation)."
     
    "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit." (2:8) - "Beware of those who try to lead you astray through vain man-made religions."  Paul is repeating the point made in verse 2:4; don't be beguiled and led astray.  He will reinforce it again in 1 Timothy 6:20.  In addition to Gnosticism, other false philosophies and man-made religions flourished in Colosse and Laodicea.  Nice sounding, but fake ideas still plague the world today. 
     
    "The rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." (2:8) - "The ideas of the world, and not the teachings of Christ."
     
    "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead" (2:9) - "All of God lives in Jesus" (Colossians 1:19).  The Gnostics did not believe Jesus was God. 
     
    "Which is the head of all principality and power." (2:10) - "Who is the head of every authority and power." 
     
    "Ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands." (2:11) - "You are spiritually circumcised." Physical circumcision was an Old Covenant rite to show that a man belonged to God (Genesis 17:9-14).  After Jesus died on the cross, physical circumcision was no longer necessary to show faith.  Spiritual circumcision "without hands" is the cutting away of sin from one's heart (Deuteronomy 10:16; 30:6; Jeremiah 4:4; Romans 2:29).
     
    "Buried with him in baptism." (2:12) - "Submerged with Christ when baptized."  This message reinforces Romans 6:4. 
     
    "The operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead." (2:12) - "The workings of God, who raised Him (Jesus) from the dead."  God resurrected Jesus (Acts 2:24).
     
    "Quickened." (2:13) - "Brought to life." 
     
    "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us." (2:14) - "Erased the Mosaic Law that worked against us."  The rules, rites, and ceremonies of the Mosaic Law were symbolically nailed to the cross with Jesus and are no longer necessary.  See also Ephesians 2:15. 
     
    "He made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them." (2:15) - "He made a public spectacle of them, defeating them."


                                                  New Living Translation 
     

    Colossians 2:4-15 

    4 I am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments.

    5 For though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong.
     
    Freedom from Rules and New Life in Christ
     
    6 And now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to follow him.

    7 Let your roots grow down into him, and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness.
     
    8 Don't let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers of this world, rather than from Christ.

    9 For in Christ lives all the fullness of God in a human body.

    10 So you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over every ruler and authority.
     
    11 When you came to Christ, you were "circumcised," but not by a physical procedure. Christ performed a spiritual circumcision-the cutting away of your sinful nature.

    12 For you were buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the dead.
     
    13 You were dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away. Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins.

    14 He canceled the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the cross.

    15 In this way, he disarmed the spiritual rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the cross.
    ​
    ​    ​This second Bible text from the "New Living Translation" (Tyndale House, Publishers, Wheaton, Illinois) is a paraphrase and not an accurate word for word translation of the Bible.  However, it is a helpful tool when read with the "King James Version."
    Today's question:
    ​     
    1. How can you "walk" in Christ (2:6)?




    Your comments and suggestions are always welcome.
    Answer: (Do you agree?) 
    ​
    1. You can walk in Christ by
     
    A) "Committing your life and submitting your will to him (Romans 12:1-2)
     
    B) Seeking to learn from him, his life, and his teachings (Colossians 3:16)
     
    C) Recognizing the Holy Spirit's power in you (Acts 1:8; Galatians 5:22)." 
     
    (From the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; page 2383.)





    Application thought for the day:
     
    How has your attitude on faith versus man-made religion changed since finding Christ?
    Thanks to the writings and commentary of John Wesley and Adam Clarke.  Also, "The Layman's Bible Study Notebook" by Irving Jensen published by Harvest House Publishing, Irvine, California; the "Life Change Series" published by NavPress books, Colorado Springs, Colorado; the "Life Application Study Bible" published by Tyndale House Publishing, Carol Stream, Illinois; the "Quest Study Bible" published by The Zondervan Corporation, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "Robertson's New Testament Word Studies;" "The MacArthur Bible Commentary" by John MacArthur published by Thomas Nelson, Nashville, Tennessee; "Wisdom of the Bible" CD by Topics Entertainment, Inc., Renton, Washington for their inspiring pictures; "My utmost for His Highest" by Oswald Chambers, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc., Uhrichsville, Ohio; The "Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge" by Reuben Archer Torrey; "Hope For Each Day" by Billy Graham published by J. Countryman, a division of Thomas Nelson, Inc., Nashville, Tennessee; "Easton's Bible Dictionary" by Matthew George Easton; "Unger's Bible Dictionary" by Merrill F. Unger, published by Moody Press, Chicago, Illinois; "Halley's Bible Handbook" by Henry H. Halley, Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Michigan; "The Everyday Bible" published by World Wide Publications, Minneapolis, Minnesota; "The Living New Testament" published by Tyndale house, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Living Translation" published by Tyndale House, Wheaten, Illinois; "The New Testament" translated from the Latin Vulgate, published by Guild Press, New York, New York; BibleGateway.com for all their wonderful links; and of course, the "King James Bible."  All were critical in putting these lessons together.
    © 2022 evolke