colossians 2 – JARRETT FLETCHER

Is trusting Jesus enough for salvation? Can it really be that simple? Or is there a deeper, hidden meaning within Christianity? Are there religious practices for the spiritually elite that make us more acceptable to God and draw us closer to him? These are some of the questions the Colossians wrestled with. Fortunately for them (and us), Paul addresses in our text this week, Colossians 2:16-23. The passage reads,

^“16Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. ¹⁷These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, ¹⁹and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

²⁰If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— ²¹“Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” ²²(referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings? ²³These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh.”

There are two commands in this passage. The first, to not let anyone pass judgment on your faith. Second, to not let anyone disqualify you. Let’s consider each of these in turn.

1. Let no one pass judgment on you (2:16-17)

The believers at Colossae were being judged by those who thought they needed to add another element to their faith. Followers of Jesus were being told by people of Jewish background that they also needed to practice Sabbath, keep Jewish festival days, and observe dietary laws. In other words, their faith in Christ was not enough, unless the Jewish traditions were observed in addition to it.

Paul tells the Colossians, “don’t let these people judge you.” We can’t keep people from judging us. But we can shrug off their judgments. This is what Paul is telling the Colossians to do- they are to pay no attention to those who judge them in this regard. Why? Because all of these things are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ.

Take the Sabbath, for example. The Sabbath was a day of rest from work to enjoy God and his blessings. The Sabbath was a shadow that pointed to the future substance, who is Christ. He has provided ultimate, eternal rest for God’s people. There’s no working for our salvation, but rather resting in what Christ has done for us. He beckons those who are weary and heavy laden to come to him and find rest (Matt 11:28).

So it is with all of the Jewish traditions. They were shadows that pointed to Christ! He is the true temple, the true Passover lamb, the true sacrifice, the true prophet, the true priest, the true king! There is no going back to these shadows, the substance has come!

Continue reading →

Why do you live the Christian life? After coming to faith in Christ, why keep pursuing him? Why keep coming to church? Why should we keep reading the same stories, preaching the same gospel, and doing the same things? Why not try something new? Paul answers these questions in our text this week.

In Colossians 2:6-15, Paul encourages his readers to continually pursue Jesus, but he also tells them why. He writes, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (2:6-7).

Notice the command: walk in Christ! Paul adds, “just as you have received him.” In other words, they needed to hold fast to the gospel that was preached to them: salvation by grace through faith in the divine Son who died for our sins, rose from the dead, and ascended into heaven (see 1 Cor. 15:1-4).

Christ is the vine, we are the branches (John 15:5). We are rooted, built up, and established in him (v. 7). Spiritual growth comes not by moving on to “bigger and better” religious practices or philosophies, but my remaining tethered to Christ and deepening our roots in him.

This leads to the second command: don’t be taken captive. “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (2:8).

It’s almost as if Paul anticipates the Colossians taking the role of my six year old who’s favorite question is, “why?” The what is the command: walk in Christ! Don’t be taken captive by anything or anyone else! But the why is found in 2:9-15. In fact, there are multiple whys, multiple reasons why the Colossians, and why we by default, have no where to turn besides Christ:

1. The whole fullness of deity dwells in Christ.

This is another undeniable statement of Christ’s deity. “For in him [Christ] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). What a statement! In Jesus, the whole fullness of God dwells bodily. This is the miracle of the incarnation. The Son of God became man in Christ. If that is true, why would the Colossians need to look to anyone or anything else?

2. You have been made complete in Christ.

“…and you have been filled in him” (2:10a). The fullness of God that dwells in Christ has made us complete in him. He who fills all things has filled us in him. In other words, the Son of God has made us whole. He has met our greatest need, which is reconciliation with God. Once reunited to him, we lack nothing. In Christ, we have everything (2 Peter 1:3).

Continue reading →