Colossians 2:1-10
Wednesday, 2 June 2021
"…and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power." -Colossians 2:10
Paul wrote to the Colossian church to guard themselves against the appealing false philosophies under the influence of false teachers. These were trying to inculcate opinions that tended to lead these believers away from the truths they had once embraced. All that is necessary to secure one’s salvation is to be found in the Lord Jesus and there was no need of any aid from the philosophy of Greeks or the tradition of the Jews.
'The heresy was this. Matter is essentially and inherently evil. Flesh is inherently and essentially evil. It is the natural home of evil. God is essentially, inherently holy, and between the essentially, inherently holy God and the inherently and essentially evil flesh there can be no communion. Then this question was propounded: How, then, can the essentially holy God come into contact with essentially evil man? That is to say, that between God and essentially evil matter there had been constructed a bridge, with decreasing gradients of Divinity, each one less Divine than the one behind it, until there comes one in the distant chain who is so little better than ourselves that we can touch and have communion and fellowship'(Note: J. H. Jowett, in The British Weekly, April 6, 1911, p. 4.). The above teaching brought in two types of practices namely: Licentious living on one side and on the other side asceticism. Both are equally dangerous.
In the above context Paul wrote- Col 2:9-10[KJV21]: "For in him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.” This was an affirming statement which carried the authority of heaven behind it to thwart the false teachings.
All through generations, men have understood their incompleteness. They have tried various ways to fill the vacuum within; but failed in this attempt. The only way we get the big answers of life answered is in Christ. Our incompleteness is made complete by our union with Him- who is the head of all principalities and powers and He is the true God himself. Only in this true life-flowing union with God, we are complete- complete morally and eternally. All our moral weakness is removed in Christ by the death and burial with Him on the Cross of Calvary. Col. 2:11 "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." Through this process of union with Christ, our old sinful nature is removed and the new nature is established in us through faith. We become partakers of divine nature through faith in Christ Jesus. 2 Peter 1:3-4: "According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue. Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust."
Let no one deceive us with empty words of philosophies and mysticism which is destroying the age-old Christian faith and beliefs in the western world, who are after “new age” religions. Many are fascinated after eastern mysticisms and philosophical talk. Let us take heed to what Paul wrote in Col.2:8: " 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." We are complete in Him!
Prayer: Abba Father, we thank You for the immense riches that You have given to us in the Person of Jesus Christ. Help us to cherish Him and live in union with Him, so that we are complete in Him. Amen.