January 15, 2017
Colossians
Colossians 2:16 - 3:17
Colossae:
- small agricultural town
- in modern day Turkey
- about 110 miles inland from Ephesus
- very simple little city
- part of the tri-cities: Colossae, Laodicea, and Hierapolis
Colossians 2:16-23
Freedom From Human Rules
16 Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ.
Colossians 2:16 starts with “Therefore.” The structure of the writing shows us that the “therefore” is really talking about everything before this idea. So, because:
- we know who Jesus is
- we know what His sacrifice does for us
and who we are in His redemption
- we are being constantly hit with deceptive philosophies
from all around us
- our spiritual fullness is in Christ not ourselves or the world around us
...we don’t need to be caught up in the law we used to live in.
These other rules and laws he is referring to is in reference to the judaizers who are trying to make Christians also stick to Jewish tradition.
Philippians 3:2-3
2 Watch out for those dogs, those evildoers, those mutilators of the flesh. 3 For it is we who are the circumcision, we who serve God by his Spirit, who boast in Christ Jesus, and who put no confidence in the flesh
Galatians 5:12
12 As for those agitators, I wish they would go the whole way and emasculate themselves!
18 Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. 19 They have lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Don’t let anyone who delights in these things disqualify you
- false humility
- worship of angels
20 Since you died with Christ to the elemental spiritual forces of this world, why, as though you still belonged to the world, do you submit to its rules: 21 “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? 22 These rules, which have to do with things that are all destined to perish with use, are based on merely human commands and teachings. 23 Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.
The things of the world are “elemental spiritual forces” compared to what Jesus offers. They are simple, uncompounded, rudimentary, primitive, basic, empty, and pathetic compared to truly following Jesus.
The NIV Application Commentary says it well:
It is basically a do-it-yourself religion and refuses to believe that all we can hope to attain has already been accomplished for us by Christ.
Colossians 3:1-17
Living as Those Made Alive in Christ
1 Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things. 3 For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God. 4 When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. 5 Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. 6 Because of these, the wrath of God is coming. 7 You used to walk in these ways, in the life you once lived. 8 But now you must also rid yourselves of all such things as these: anger, rage, malice, slander, and filthy language from your lips. 9 Do not lie to each other, since you have taken off your old self with its practices 10 and have put on the new self, which is being renewed in knowledge in the image of its Creator. 11 Here there is no Gentile or Jew, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave or free, but Christ is all, and is in all.
Here’s what we need to stay away from:
- sexual immorality
- impurity
- lust
- evil desires
- greed (idolatry)
- anger
- rage
- malice
- slander
- filthy language
- lying
Jesus changed you, be changed!
12 Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. 13 Bear with each other and forgive one another if any of you has a grievance against someone. Forgive as the Lord forgave you. 14 And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity. 15 Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, since as members of one body you were called to peace. And be thankful. 16 Let the message of Christ dwell among you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom through psalms, hymns, and songs from the Spirit, singing to God with gratitude in your hearts. 17 And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.
Here’s what you should be:
- compassionate
- kind
- humble
- gentle
- patient
- forgiving
- loving
- peaceful
- thankful
- encouraging to the church (teaching and admonishing)
- wise
- and Do everything in the name of Jesus.
Communication Card
- I will choose 2-3 sin issues from this passage to work on
- I will choose 2-3 characteristics of Jesus from this passage to work on
- I will read through Colossians this week
