Colossians 2:8-10 - Do Not Go Into Captivity
Bradley Milks
Colossians - Jesus is Lord of All • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Summation and Diagnosis
Summation and Diagnosis
Let us pray.
I invite you to open your Bibles to Colossians 2:8-10 this morning. In Colossians 2:6-7, Paul commands the Colossians to remain firm in the faith by looking to God’s work in their lives and then responding in an abundance of worship. Now, Paul commands the Colossians to be on guard against threats. The only way they can withstand these threats is by Colossians 2:6-7.
8 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. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
Colossians 2:8 - Be on Guard
Colossians 2:8 - Be on Guard
8 See to it that no one takes you captive
8 See to it that no one takes you captive
See to it
Learn about something that is hazardous
BE AWARE - BE ON GUARD - YOU ARE FACING DANGER!
No one takes you captive
Paul does not give the exact “who”, but clearly Epaphras has indicated there is a threat coming from false/heretic teachers
Carry off - take away as plunder by an anti-Christian
Removal of freedom and being taken into the slavery of heresy - Christ has already freed you!
By philosophy and empty deceit,
By philosophy and empty deceit,
Hollow and deceptive philosophy
Here is the weapon used to take people into captivity
4 since we heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love that you have for all the saints, 5 because of the hope laid up for you in heaven. Of this you have heard before in the word of the truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and increasing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth,
According to human tradition,
According to human tradition,
6 And he said to them, “Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written,
“ ‘This people honors me with their lips,
but their heart is far from me;
7 in vain do they worship me,
teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’
8 You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.”
9 And he said to them, “You have a fine way of rejecting the commandment of God in order to establish your tradition!
These are not simply human teachings on tradition, but false teachings that are leading people to false idolatrous worship
These “philosophies” are not divine truth, but instead lead people away from the truth IN Christ
According to the elemental spirits of the world,
According to the elemental spirits of the world,
Elemental spirits of the world
Spiritual powers/beings/forces
Putting them in the place of Christ as cosmic rulers
And not according to Christ.
And not according to Christ.
The problem is simple and clear - the false teachers teachings are not dependent upon Christ
They may even claim that Christ is an important part of salvation, but He is NOT ESSENTIAL to their message
Uses
Uses
Be on Guard
Why?
15 I will put enmity between you and the woman,
and between your offspring and her offspring;
he shall bruise your head,
and you shall bruise his heel.”
6 Humble yourselves, therefore, under the mighty hand of God so that at the proper time he may exalt you, 7 casting all your anxieties on him, because he cares for you. 8 Be sober-minded; be watchful. Your adversary the devil prowls around like a roaring lion, seeking someone to devour. 9 Resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same kinds of suffering are being experienced by your brotherhood throughout the world. 10 And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. 11 To him be the dominion forever and ever. Amen.
How?
Sober-minded - self-controlled
19 Now the works of the flesh are evident: sexual immorality, impurity, sensuality, 20 idolatry, sorcery, enmity, strife, jealousy, fits of anger, rivalries, dissensions, divisions, 21 envy, drunkenness, orgies, and things like these. I warn you, as I warned you before, that those who do such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.
Watchful - Constantly in a state of being alert
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Against?
Anything that is not centered on Christ for freedom
Lloyd-Jones Interview with Mr. Davies
What does the Church need above all else?
She needs to be absolutely certain about her message. We need to get back to the position of Paul when we wrote to Corinth - For I decided to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ and him crucified. We mustn’t be trying to preach philosophies or politics or things of that kind. We must go back to this New Testament message.
How do we know if it is not centered on Christ?
The Word of God
14 But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have firmly believed, knowing from whom you learned it 15 and how from childhood you have been acquainted with the sacred writings, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. 16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.
Colossians 2:9-10 - The Deity of Christ
Colossians 2:9-10 - The Deity of Christ
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
For in him
In Christ
The whole fullness of deity dwells bodily
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was in the beginning with God. 3 All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. 4 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.
14 And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.
31 And behold, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus.
3 concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh 4 and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,
16 Why do you look with hatred, O many-peaked mountain,
at the mount that God desired for his abode,
yes, where the Lord will dwell forever?
God’s dwelling has not taken residence in a building, but in a BODY
Christ is the focus of God’s presence in the New Covenant, not a temple or a location
Hypostatic Union
WCF 8.2 - Of Christ the Mediator - One person/Two Natures
The Westminster Confession of Faith: Edinburgh Edition Chapter VIII. Of Christ the Mediator
II. The Son of God, the second person in the Trinity, being very and eternal God, of one substance, and equal with the Father, did, when the fulness of time was come, take upon him man’s nature, with all the essential properties and common infirmities thereof, yet without sin; being conceived by the power of the Holy Ghost, in the womb of the Virgin Mary, of her substance.m So that two whole, perfect, and distinct natures, the Godhead and the manhood, were inseparably joined together in one person, without conversion, composition, or confusion. Which person is very God and very man, yet one Christ, the only Mediator between God and man.
10 And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
10 And you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.
And you have been filled in him
Full salvific satisfaction is attained only in Christ!
It is not simply a focus on that we are full, but who we are connected with specifically - CHRIST
It is not simply a focus on the benefits we receive, but whom we receive
Move to deeper waters so you can experience a deeper level of spirituality - Our experiential relationship with God is only in Christ alone, NOTHING ELSE
Who is the head of all rule and authority
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.
Go astray to the false teachers is going into enemy camp - even He is head over them
This is not just a mental change, but going back into slavery
Uses
Uses
The Hypostatic Union
This is not just a mental exercise reserved for the academic towers or theologians - this is meant for the everyday Christ-follower
Christ as our Mediator is not just man, but GOD AND MAN - Jesus, Son of God
Not man becoming God, but God becoming man
Marvel at this glorious truth
We’ve been filled in Him
There is nothing more we need for salvation except Christ
14 Yet death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over those whose sinning was not like the transgression of Adam, who was a type of the one who was to come.
15 But the free gift is not like the trespass. For if many died through one man’s trespass, much more have the grace of God and the free gift by the grace of that one man Jesus Christ abounded for many. 16 And the free gift is not like the result of that one man’s sin. For the judgment following one trespass brought condemnation, but the free gift following many trespasses brought justification. 17 For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
Conclusion
Conclusion
Colossians 2:8 - Be on guard
Colossians 2:9 - The deity of Christ