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Colossians 2

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1
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh; ​
2
That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; ​
3
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. ​
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.

Rooted and Built Up in Him 6–7

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. ​

Warning Against False Philosophy and Deceit 8–15

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. ​

Freedom from Human Rules and Regulations 16–23

16
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: ​
17
Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ. ​
18
Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, ​
19
And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God. ​
20
Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances, ​
21
(Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22
Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23
Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh. ​

Bible text: King James Version (1769 Blayney text) · Public domain

Study Notes for Colossians 2

Verse 1

what great conflict I have — Agon is a contest, the athletic word of ‘the race that is set before us’ (Heb 12:1) and ‘the same conflict which ye saw in me’ (Phil 1:30). The ‘you’ are the Colossians and Laodicea; Epaphras shares it, ‘always labouring fervently for you in prayers’, with a ‘great zeal’ also for Laodicea and Hierapolis (Col 4:12–13).

Verse 2

knit together in love — Symbibazo, to bring together, is used again in v.19 of the body ‘knit together’ by the Head. ‘Full assurance’ (plerophoria) is the word of ‘full assurance of faith’ (Heb 10:22). The ‘mystery of God’ is declared in Col 1:27: ‘which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.’

Verse 3

all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge — They are ‘hid’ (apokryphos) in Christ, who is ‘the wisdom of God’ (1 Cor 1:24) and is ‘made unto us wisdom’ (1 Cor 1:30). Rom 11:33 names the same pair as God’s own: ‘the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and knowledge of God’.

Verse 4

enticing words — Pithanologia, persuasive speech, occurs only here in the New Testament. ‘Beguile’ (paralogizomai, to reason falsely) is found elsewhere only in James 1:22. Rom 16:18 describes the same method: ‘by good words and fair speeches deceive the hearts of the simple.’

Verse 6

As ye have therefore received — Paralambano is the verb for taking what is handed on, as of the gospel in 1 Cor 15:1 and 15:3. The manner of the receiving fixes the manner of the walk: ‘received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him’. ‘Walk’ (peripateo) is the figure of conduct throughout the letter (Col 1:10).

Verse 7

Rooted and built up — The verse uses two figures, plant and building, as in Eph 3:17 (‘rooted and grounded in love’) and Eph 2:20. ‘Stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught’ recalls the receiving of v.6. The verse ends with ‘thanksgiving’ (eucharistia), the word that recurs in Col 4:2.

Verse 8

philosophy and vain deceit — Philosophia occurs only here in the New Testament. ‘Spoil’ (sylagogeo) is to carry off as plunder, found only here. The measure is stated: ‘after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ’. Stoicheia, ‘rudiments’, are also ‘the elements of the world’ of Gal 4:3.

Verse 9

all the fulness of the Godhead bodily — Theotes, ‘Godhead’, and somatikos, ‘bodily’, each occur only here. ‘Dwelleth’ is the verb of Col 1:19, ‘it pleased the Father that in him should all fulness dwell’. The fulness dwells ‘in him’, and ‘bodily’.

Verse 10

ye are complete in him — ‘Complete’ is pleroo, filled, the verb behind ‘fulness’ (pleroma) of v.9: what dwells in him fills them. He is ‘the head of all principality and power’, whom Col 1:16 shows created them, and to whom ‘angels and authorities and powers’ are ‘made subject’ (1 Pet 3:22).

Verse 11

circumcision made without hands — Acheiropoietos, ‘made without hands’, is found also in Mark 14:58 and 2 Cor 5:1. ‘Putting off’ (apekdysis) occurs only here; ‘the body of the sins of the flesh’ answers ‘the body of sin’ (Rom 6:6). The LORD’s promise lay behind it: ‘the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart’ (Deut 30:6).

Verse 12

Buried with him in baptism — Synthapto, bury together, as in Rom 6:4, ‘buried with him by baptism into death’. ‘Risen with’ (synegeiro) is the verb of Eph 2:6 and Col 3:1. The raising is by ‘the faith of the operation of God’, his working (energeia) ‘which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead’ (Eph 1:19–20).

Verse 13

quickened together with him — Syzoopoieo, to make alive together, is found only here and in Eph 2:5. ‘Forgiven’ is charizomai, to give freely, and ‘trespasses’ (paraptoma) are the falls. Dead ‘in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh’, the Colossians are made alive together with the one raised (v.12).

Verse 14

Blotting out the handwriting — Cheirographon, a handwritten bond, and proseloo, ‘nailing’, each occur only here. ‘Blotting out’ (exaleipho) is the verb of Acts 3:19, ‘that your sins may be blotted out’. ‘Ordinances’ (dogma) are the decrees of the Law, as in Eph 2:15, ‘the law of commandments contained in ordinances’.

Verse 15

having spoiled principalities — Apekduomai, to strip off, is used again in Col 3:9 of putting off the old man. ‘Made a shew’ (deigmatizo) is to display publicly (Matt 1:19 has the compound paradeigmatizo, ‘a publick example’); ‘triumphing’ (thriambeuo) is the verb of 2 Cor 2:14. Heb 2:14 states the same victory: he ‘might destroy him that had the power of death’.

Verse 16

in meat, or in drink — After meat and drink, the list is the Law’s own cycle of holy times: ‘her feast days, her new moons, and her sabbaths’ (Hos 2:11). The command is that none ‘judge’ (krino) the Colossians in these matters. Rom 14:5–6 gives the same freedom about days: ‘He that regardeth the day, regardeth it unto the Lord.’

Verse 17

a shadow of things to come — Skia, shadow, is the word of Heb 10:1, ‘the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things’, and of Heb 8:5, the tabernacle’s ‘example and shadow of heavenly things’. ‘The body’ (soma) is the substance that casts it, and it ‘is of Christ’.

Verse 18

worshipping of angels — Threskeia, worship, is the word used of religion in Acts 26:5 and James 1:26–27. Scripture shows the right response to such worship: the angel says, ‘See thou do it not… worship God’ (Rev 19:10; 22:9). ‘Beguile… of your reward’ (katabrabeuo) and ‘intruding into’ (embateuo) occur only here.

Verse 19

not holding the Head — Krateo, to grasp and keep. From the Head ‘all the body’ is supplied through ‘joints and bands’; the increase is ‘of God’ (auxesis, as in Eph 4:16). ‘Knit together’ repeats v.2. The same dependence is in John 15:4: ‘As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.’

Verse 20

dead with Christ from the rudiments — Death with Christ separates from the stoicheia of v.8, the ‘elements of the world’ under which men were ‘in bondage’ (Gal 4:3). ‘Are ye subject to ordinances’ translates one verb, dogmatizo, found only here: why submit to decrees? Verse 21 gives them: ‘Touch not; taste not; handle not.’

Verse 23

will worship — Ethelothreskia occurs only here, a word joining ‘will’ and the threskeia of v.18: worship of one’s own choosing. ‘Neglecting of the body’ (apheidia) and ‘satisfying’ (plesmone) also occur only here. 1 Tim 4:8 gives the measure: ‘bodily exercise profiteth little: but godliness is profitable unto all things.’