Colossians 2 - Introduction

He still exhorteth them to be constant in Christ, to beware of philosophy, and vain traditions, worshipping of angels, and legal ceremonies, which are ended in Christ.

Anno Domini 62.

IN the preceding chapter, by displaying the power and dignity of Christ, who died as a sacrifice for the sins of the world, and by teaching that God hath appointed and accepted that sacrifice, the Apostle established the doctrine of the atonement on a sure foundation; and by setting forth the efficacy and extent of the atonement, that, through it, even the Gentiles hope for a glorious resurrection, he greatly recommended the gospel to the Colossians. Farther, by declaring Christ's commission to the apostles to preach salvation to the Gentiles through his death, and by describing his own labours as an apostle in preaching that great blessing, he had vindicated the commission which he had received from God for the communicating and perpetuating of such interesting discoveries. Deeply impressed, therefore, with the importance of these matters, he begins this second chapter with wishing that the Colossians knew what a combat of affliction he was sustaining, for preaching that Jesus Christ is the hope of glory to the Gentiles, Colossians 2:1.—His sufferingsfor that doctrine he wished them to know, that the hearts of the Gentiles might be comforted by the full assurance of its truth, which the grace of God, and his sufferings also, as a means of grace, would give them, so as to lead them openly to profess that doctrine. And, because the HeathenGentilesentertainedthehighestveneration for the mysteries of their gods, the Apostle, to lead the Colossians to put a just value on the doctrine of the gospel, calls the atonement for the sin of the world made by the death of Christ, and the hope of pardon, and of a glorious resurrection to eternal life, which the Gentiles were allowed to entertain by virtue of that atonement, The mystery of God and of Christ: a mystery infinitely more grand, more interesting, and more certain, than any of the mysteries of the heathen deities, of which the Phrygians were so fond, Colossians 2:2.

Farther, to shew the Colossians that the things written in the preceding chapter concerning Christ's being the image of the invisible God, and the Maker and Governor of all things, constitute a principal part of the mystery of God and of Christ, the Apostle introduced the subject anew in this place, by observing that in Christ are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge laid up, Colossians 2:3.—This second display of Christ's dignity was the more necessary, because the false teachers at Colosse, with a view to discredit his mediation and gospel, affirmed that he was nothing but a man: and talked in the most pompous manner of the dignity and office of the angels, by whom the law was given. This we learn from Colossians 2:4.—where the Apostle told the Colossians that he said these things concerning the dignity, the knowledge, and the power of Christ, that no false teacher might deceive them with enticing speeches, for the purpose of discrediting Christ, or of magnifying angels.—Next he assured them that his anxiety for the purity of their faith proceeded from the interest which he took in their affairs, Colossians 2:5.—and therefore he commanded them, agreeably to the account given them of Christ, that he is the image of the invisible God, the Maker and Governor of the world, the Saviour of mankind, and the only Mediator between God and man, to walk in him: they were constantly to hold that belief concerning Christ, and to yield him the honour and obedience due to his greatness, Colossians 2:6.—and to continue closely united to him, and built upon him, and made firm in the faith of the true doctrine ofthe gospel concerning his person and offices, as they had been taught: and to give thanks to God for the discoveries made to them concerning Christ's dignity and office, Colossians 2:7.—He exhorted them therefore to take care that no false teacher made a prey of them, through the empty and deceitful philosophy of the Platonists, which was calculated to support the heathen idolatry, and was obtruded on them to establish the worship of angels, as greater in knowledge and power than Christ; and was contrary to the duty which they owed to Christ, Colossians 2:8.—in whom dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily, Colossians 2:9.; so that to be made complete, whether in respect of knowledge, or pardon and favour with God, or sanctification, Christ's disciples need not have recourse either to angels or to the law of Moses, or to the Greek philosophy. In every respect they must be made complete by him who is the head of all government and power; the head and ruler of all the angelicalhosts, ver.10.—Inparticular,Christ'sdisciplesbythecircumcisionnotmade with hands, the Christian circumcision, consisting in putting off the whole mass of the sins of the flesh, are more effectually purified than the Jews were by the circumcision which wasmade with hands upon their body, or than the heathens by the Pythagorean abstinences and mortifications. So that they had no occasion to have recourse to the bodily circumcision, nor to the mortifications prescribed by the Pythagoreans, to render them complete in respect of purity, Colossians 2:11.—This Christian circumcision, he told them, was represented by their baptism, which typified the death of their old man, or nature through the death of Christ. Moreover, he adds that baptism is a pledge of the resurrection of the faithful with Christ; so that in every respect they might be complete in him through the grace of God, and had no need of the Levitical expiations, Colossians 2:12.—For you, Gentiles, although dead through the sins and circumcision of your flesh, God has made alive together with Christ, having forgiven you all trespasses, Colossians 2:13.—And to shew that by his own death Christ hath placed both Jews and Gentiles on the same level, in respect to pardon, the Apostle observed, that he hath blotted out the hand-writing of ordinances, because the chief of them were written by God himself; and declared that they were contrary to those who were under them, because they subjected them to death for every offence; but that Christ had blotted out the hand-writing, and in its blotted-out state had nailed it to the cross, to make all men sensible that the law of Moses, on account of its weakness, was abolished, together with the curse, Colossians 2:14.—Farther, Christ's disciples are made strong in him, in respect of government. For such of the angels as are inimical to mankind he hath stripped of their power by his cross, and hath triumphed over them by means of it. So that no true believer need be terrified when he recollects the malice and power of evil spirits, nor be tempted to worship them, either from hope or from fear, Colossians 2:15.

In what follows, the Apostle gave the Colossians two exhortations, founded on the doctrine that he had laid down in Colossians 2:10. The first was, that since they could be made complete in the knowledge of their duty by the precepts of Christ, they were not to allow any Judaizing teacher to rule them in meats, or in drinks, or a festival, or a new moon, or sabbaths, Colossians 2:16.—These, even under the Mosaic dispensation, were of no value, but as shadows of gospel blessings. And therefore, as the body, of which these services were the shadows, was Christ's body, the church; and as all the blessings represented by these shadows were now bestowed by Christ on his church; there was no more need of the Mosaic shadows to prefigure them, Colossians 2:17.—The second exhortation was, That since Christ was thehead of all government and power, the Colossians were not to allow any teacher tinctured with the Platonic philosophy, to make them lose their reward; namely, the benefit of Christ's mediation, by persuading them from humility to worship angels. These false teachers, by boldly describing the nature and office of the different orders of angels, intruded into things of which they had no knowledge, and were actuated by a foolish vanity, Colossians 2:18.—Besides, they renounced Christ, the head of all government and power, and by whose influence alone the whole body or church groweth. And by renouncing him, they deprived themselves of the benefit of his intercession, and of all the other blessings which he hath purchased for believers, Colossians 2:19.—Having thus taught the Colossians their duty, he said to them, Since by your death with Christ in baptism, and by yourprofessing the Christian faith, you have renounced your former philosophical and religious opinions, in as far as they are contrary to the doctrines of the gospel, why, as if ye still retained these false opinions, have ye subjected yourselves to the ordinances which are built upon them? Colossians 2:20.—namely, the Pythagorean precepts, neither eat, nor taste, nor handle, Colossians 2:21.—such meats as occasion the destruction of the life of animals, in order to their being used; that is, eat, &c. no animal food, Colossians 2:22.—which precepts, as well as the precepts of the Platonists formerly mentioned, concerning the worship of angels, have indeed an appearance of wisdom, as they recommend a worship voluntarily offered, together with humility and the mortification of the body: but in reality they are mere foolishness; especially the precepts which enjoin perfect and constant abstinence from all animal food; because they make no provision for the satisfaction of the body, which is as real a part of our nature as our soul, and needs to be strengthened with such food as is fit for it; otherwise it cannot serve the soul in the functions and duties of life, Colossians 2:23.