Colossians 2:15-23

Beware: Empty Philosophies

Premise - Christ is to have Preeminence

A. Christ is to have Prominence

Center of the Gospel Colossians 1:1-14

Deity Colossians 1:15-18

He is preeminent

over Creation

Colossians 1:15 He did the Creating

Colossians 1:16 All things are for Him

Colossians 1:17 All thing are held together by Him

Over the Church

Colossians 1:18 He is the Center or the Head in the Church

Center of Ministry Colossians 1:24-29

Colossians 1:24 We suffer for his sake

Colossians 1:25 We are stewards of (Christ in US. The hope of Glory)

Colossians 1:28 Christ is the center of Preaching

Colossians 1:29 He is the one who is truly laboring

B. Preeminence Defended (chapter 2)

Beware of Empty of Philosophy Colossians 2:1-10

Beware of Religious Legalism Colossians 2:11-17

Beware of man-made discipline and Asceticism Colossians 2:18-23

C. Preeminence Displayed Practically(chapter 3-4)

Personal Purity Colossians 3:1-11

Colossians 3:1 Seek Jesus - is our Hearts aim

Colossians 3:2 Our minds aim is Jesus

Colossians 3:3-4 Idenify with Christ Death and Life

Colossians 3:5-7 Therefore put do death

Colossians 3:8-9 Therfore put off the old

Colossians 3:10-11 put on the new man (who is all and in all)

Displayed toward others Colossians 3:12-17

Colossians 3:12-14 Therefore put on Good things

Colossians 3:15 Be ruled by or characterized by the peace of God

Colossians 3:16-17 Word of God is to have pre eminience in wisdom, teaching and admonishing to the Glory of Lord Jesus

Displayed in the Home Colossians 3:18-21 a

Colossians 3:18 Wives

Colossians 3:19 Husbands

Colossians 3:20 Children

Colossians 3:21 Father do not provoke

Displayed in work place Colossians 3:22-4:1 a

Colossians 3:22-25 Bodnservants(employer)

Colossians 4:1 Masters(employers)

Displayed in our Witness Colossians 4

The Purpose of the Letter-

to greet the Churches in the Tri-Cities (Laodicea, Heiropolice, Colosse)

Warn the church of some bad teaching that they would encounter.

such as Judizers

The legalistic teaching of the gentiles needing to become Jewish

This book

Circumcision Colossians 2:11-14

Traditions Colossians 2:11-17

Galatians

Proto-Gnosticism

Teach there is secret knowledge.

Theologians also propose that Paul was addressing early forms of Gnostic thought, which often involved the belief in special, hidden knowledge (gnosis) that could bring about salvation. Paul counters this by asserting the supremacy and completeness of Christ, emphasizing that all wisdom and knowledge are found in Him.

Colossians 2:8–10 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

Empty Philosophy (Pagan Mystics) Mysticism/Eastern Philosophies = Philadelphia+Sophia = Love of mind or love of wisdom

All matter is bad -

Colossians 1:16 “For by Him all things were created that are in heaven and that are on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or principalities or powers. All things were created through Him and for Him.” God Created everything Therefore it is not bad.

Angelic being are responsible for the moving of stars. Angelic being are responsible for the affairs of man. Angels are manipulating everything around us.

Colossians 2:15 “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it.”

Angel worship and ascetic practices Colossians 2:18–19 “Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”

Colossians 2:8–10 “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete in Him, who is the head of all principality and power.”

These teaching will lead you Away from the Preemince of Christ in your life.

Legalism -

leads back to bondage of trying to keep the whole law.

leads back works based religion

leads back discouragement from failing

leads back to Pride from succeeding in our own effort

leads to comparing yourself to others and can brings division in everyway

leads to hurt and pain

leads to unforgiveness

Leads to discouragement

leads to self piety and doubt

Which can lead to Hopelessness

which is exactly where the enemy of your soul hopes to take your life.

In his twisted way of thinking hope you would bring others with you.

When Christ Supreme and all sufficient

Liberty

Leads to Freedom from the law(Know Christ fulfilled it on our behalf).

Leads to loving our neighbor because He first love us(A response that religion cannot have)

religion is trying to appease or make God ok with us or our actions.

Leads to encouragement to get back up

Leads to humility because we know it was Him using us and not our own effort

Leads us to be excited to celebrate what God is doing in others( this brings unity)

Leads to forgiveness

Leads to healing

leads to contentment

Leads to joy

Leads to communion

Leads to a Living Hope

This is Christ in you the Hope of Glory

This is the Freedom

Point 2 of this chapter(beware of legalism)

Colossians 2:15–17 “Having disarmed principalities and powers, He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in it. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”

Having Disarmed principalities and power

Through the Christ paying for our sins on the Cross.

Passed, present, and future sins

Let no one judge you in food or in drink.

Let no one judge you

Let no one stand in judge over you

Dont allow someone to draw conclusions

Matthew 7:1 ““Judge not, that you be not judged.”

We judge actions (not the motives)

Food or Drink

Literally “ the act of eating and the act of Drinking.” Not the food itself

The question is not altogether between lawful and unlawful food, but between eating and drinking or abstinence. Asceticism rather than ritual cleanness is in his mind. (Wuest word study)

1 Corinthians 6:13 “Foods for the stomach and the stomach for foods, but God will destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for sexual immorality but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body.”

1 Timothy 4:4 “For every creature of God is good, and nothing is to be refused if it is received with thanksgiving;”

what is the problem

Romans 14:1–4 “Receive one who is weak in the faith, but not to disputes over doubtful things. For one believes he may eat all things, but he who is weak eats only vegetables. Let not him who eats despise him who does not eat, and let not him who does not eat judge him who eats; for God has received him. Who are you to judge another’s servant? To his own master he stands or falls. Indeed, he will be made to stand, for God is able to make him stand.”

Romans 14:10 “But why do you judge your brother? Or why do you show contempt for your brother? For we shall all stand before the judgment seat of Christ.”

Romans 14:21 “It is good neither to eat meat nor drink wine nor do anything by which your brother stumbles or is offended or is made weak.”

Conclusion We are not to stumble others.

Regarding a festival or new moon or sabbaths(when we worship)

Festivals - annually

Any of the Holy days or Festivals

by the way these at this time did not include days that are celebrated today for saint

Leviticus 23

Spring Feasts:

a. Passover (Pesach) - Leviticus 23:4-5; Exodus 12:1-28

Unleavened Bread (Matzot) - Leviticus 23:6-8; Exodus 12:15-20

Firstfruits (Bikkurim) - Leviticus 23:9-14

Summer Feast:

Feast of Weeks or Pentecost (Shavuot) - Leviticus 23:15-22; Deuteronomy 16:9-12

Fall Feasts:

Feast of Trumpets (Rosh Hashanah) - Leviticus 23:23-25; Numbers 29:1-6 b.

Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) - Leviticus 23:26-32; Leviticus 16

Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot) - Leviticus 23:33-44; Deuteronomy 16:13-17

new moon

Monthly Numbers 10:10

Numbers 10:10 NKJV

Also in the day of your gladness, in your appointed feasts, and at the beginning of your months, you shall blow the trumpets over your burnt offerings and over the sacrifices of your peace offerings; and they shall be a memorial for you before your God: I am the Lord your God.”

The new Moon was a day of worship as well.

Isaiah 1:13 “Bring no more futile sacrifices; Incense is an abomination to Me. The New Moons, the Sabbaths, and the calling of assemblies— I cannot endure iniquity and the sacred meeting.”

The authorities were at great pains to fix accurately the commencement of the month denoted by the appearance of the new moon. Messengers were placed at commanding heights to watch the sky, and as soon as the new moon appeared, they hastened to communicate it to the synod, being allowed even to travel on the Sabbath for this purpose. The witnesses were assembled and examined, and when the judges were satisfied, the president pronounced the words it is sanctified, and the day was declared new moon.”

Sabbath

Weekly

WHEN DO WE WORSHIP?

We worship on Sunday

In light of Christ Resurrection (observation)

Sunday the first

Acts 20:7“Now on the first day of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul, ready to depart the next day, spoke to them and continued his message until midnight.”

1 Corinthians 16:2 “On the first day of the week let each one of you lay something aside, storing up as he may prosper, that there be no collections when I come.”

Revelation 1:10 “I was in the Spirit on the Lord’s Day, and I heard behind me a loud voice, as of a trumpet,”

Mark 2:27 “And He said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath.”

Conclusion

Romans 14:5–6 “One person esteems one day above another; another esteems every day alike. Let each be fully convinced in his own mind. He who observes the day, observes it to the Lord; and he who does not observe the day, to the Lord he does not observe it. He who eats, eats to the Lord, for he gives God thanks; and he who does not eat, to the Lord he does not eat, and gives God thanks.”

Not about a DAY but the PERSON OF THE LORD

Our life is worship(Preeminince)

THE Reason we are not to allow some one to Judge? these are a shadow of things to come, but the Substance is of Christ.

The festivals and new moons are just ritual that there as symbols(image) of the Real thing found in Christ. (Body

The book of Hebrews is a wonderful book all about this.

Hebrews 8:5 “who serve the copy and shadow of the heavenly things, as Moses was divinely instructed when he was about to make the tabernacle. For He said, “See that you make all things according to the pattern shown you on the mountain.””

Particularly Hebrews 10:1–3 “For the law, having a shadow of the good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with these same sacrifices, which they offer continually year by year, make those who approach perfect. For then would they not have ceased to be offered? For the worshipers, once purified, would have had no more consciousness of sins. But in those sacrifices there is a reminder of sins every year.”

Hebrews 10:10–14 “By that will we have been sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all. And every priest stands ministering daily and offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. But this Man, after He had offered one sacrifice for sins forever, sat down at the right hand of God, from that time waiting till His enemies are made His footstool. For by one offering He has perfected forever those who are being sanctified.”

Christ the fullfillment of the law

Matthew 5:17 ““Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”

Galatians 3:24 “Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.”

It bring us to Christ

Conclusion -

We need to beware or be on serious guard for anything that will lead us away from simply relying on Christ for our salvation. Relying on Christ for Sanctification. Relying on Christ to be in simple right standing with God. Or in other words Keeping the Law or Rules and Regulation will not make more HOLY, more Spiritual, more RIGHTEOUS.

+in fact these thing appeal to our flesh.

+that if we do them we can have something to boast about.

There is a warning against this in Romans 4:1–4 “What then shall we say that Abraham our father has found according to the flesh? For if Abraham was justified by works, he has something to boast about, but not before God. For what does the Scripture say? “Abraham believed God, and it was accounted to him for righteousness.” Now to him who works, the wages are not counted as grace but as debt.”

Point 3 of this section(Beware of man-made discipline and Asceticism)

Colossians 2:18-23

This broken up into two sections

section 1

Colossians 2:18–19“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the Head, from whom all the body, nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments, grows with the increase that is from God.”

Let no one cheat you of your reward

OR another way of saying this do not be defrauded.

It is an athletic term of an Official deeming one not worthy of the reward

Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament Chapter Two

“The attitude of the false teachers would involve their sitting in judgment as to the future reward of those who refused their doctrine of angelic mediation. Paul speaks from the standpoint of their claim.” We could go a step farther and say that these false teachers would actually deprive those Christians who would be led astray by them, of their reward at the Judgment Seat of Christ by reason of the fact that their Christian experience would be affected, and in a bad way.

1.false humility and 2. worship of angels 3. elevated Pride

Sadly the false teachers would lead their people to call on angels as a mediator(as a false humility)

1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus,”

God “keep me Humble”

Elevated Pride - gnostics looked to specials visions(pride draw people to themselves rather than pointing to the Lord)

4.Not holding fast to the Head(Jesus) or Taking Jesus out of the equation

Stunts any real growth Spiritually

Wuest’s Word Studies in the Greek New Testament (Chapter Two)“Paul proceeds to point out that so far from securing spiritual growth of a higher order, the false teaching, by loosening the hold on Christ, prevented any growth at all, since it obstructed or severed the very channel of spiritual life.” The same authority translates, “and not holding fast the head.”

John 15:5–8 ““I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing. If anyone does not abide in Me, he is cast out as a branch and is withered; and they gather them and throw them into the fire, and they are burned. If you abide in Me, and My words abide in you, you will ask what you desire, and it shall be done for you. By this My Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit; so you will be My disciples.”

We need to be (praying, reading, charitable deeds) does not make us more holy

Section 2

Colossians 2:20–23 “Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principles of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to regulations—“Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle,” which all concern things which perish with the using—according to the commandments and doctrines of men? These things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, false humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

Ridged Life style (don’t go there, not eat that)

Basic Principles of the world

No longer being lead by your senses or Body

Sight

Touch

Taste

Smell

Hearing

Your Made of Body, Soul(mind), Spirit

1 Thessalonians 5:23 “Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you completely; and may your whole spirit, soul, and body be preserved blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.”

Before being Born again or Regenerated

Your Body dictates

Senses lead us

Where our Soul can justify our actions.

The Spirit sits dormat or not active.

When we become born again.

The Spirit is now in charge testifying of Jesus

Our Soul reasons

Body is used as a tool or vesel for the Lord

Matthew 26:41 “Watch and pray, lest you enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.””

Rules will not change who you are

Dont touch and my point my finger

It only Jesus who can change our Hearts and then Our lives are changed

Help us to beware

Legalism

Judge

enslaving

May we enjoy Him and the freedom and Peace that he provides