Straight Gospel, Pure and Simple

Introduction

Summary of what came before: 1. Paul thanks for God for the work of the Gospel in their midst.

2. Prays that God fill them with the knowledge of His will.

3. In Christ, all things have been reconciled to God, including you, the elect of God.

4. This is what energizes Paul to teach and admonish each one, to press each one to maturity, in knowledge of God and Christ in whom is all wisdom.

5. He doesn’t want anyone to deceive the Colossians with persuasive words, so he writes to them, remembering the good work that God has done in them.

Exposition of the Text

6) First imperative in the epistle in v6. As they have received Christ, so they must walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him.

7) Three metaphors: Walk, be rooted, be built up. Walking implies a sure path, so that as long as you stay the course, you are sure not to falter. A tree with deep roots weathers any storm. A building with a deep foundation is strong in any earthquake. Speaks plainly: Established in the faith. Abounding in the fruit of thanksgiving. If you are firm in Christ, you cannot be shaken. Gratitude is an expression of confidence and faith. We begin with gratitude and continue in gratitude.

8) Don’t be plundered. You have a treasure. Personal knowledge of Christ. (1) Persuasive words (v.4), Philosophy and vain deceit are the same thing. Sophistry, false systems constructed to justify sin. “Wiggle-room creators.” (2) Traditions of men are not worth depending on. Give appearance of strength but are fragile, unless grounded in eternal principles. Fiddler on the Roof. (3) Basic principles of the world. Elements of the world. “Elementary School.” Immature elements of worship found in the most sophisticated form of natural religion. A certain cloth, a certain symbol or gesture or ritual. Circumcision is such an “element”. It is for immature children. God dealt with us in this manner, when we were still childish and immature, needed someone to guide us by hand. So God set up sacrifices and symbols not just in revealed religion but also natural religion. Sacrifice, priesthood were common to all religions. "The times of ignorance God overlooked” (Acts 17:30) now, we are called to maturity in Christ (ch 1:28). God told us exactly what to do in the OT, in NT we have freedom. It is time to grow up! Maturity. To be established in the faith.

9) “Godhead” refers to God-ness not God-like-ness. In Christ, veiled in flesh, is present very God of very God. This raises the eyes of the moralizing Jew, set on ceremonies to look through them to Christ. Participate in Him, not in the old ceremony. This puts the philosophizing Greek to shame. Deity is not something to argue about in academies. He is body and blood. He’s a man. He is to be participated in.

10) Complete in him. Have Him and have the resources you need, in Him. Head of all principality and power. All angels (that gave the law to Moses, all philosophies, laws of science and logic (that give the Greeks wisdom). A Man is at the head of all of these things. And HE is God.

11, 12) The Great Doctrine of Union with Christ. In Him, our hearts were circumcised, when our sinful flesh was cast aside in His being cast aside. We are one with Christ’s body. We have fellowship with Him in His body. By the Spirit, by faith. Christ actually suffered pain for you. Calvin, “You are bodily connected to Adam.” You are bodily connected to Christ. In Baptism, by the Spirit, by faith in the working of God, who raised Christ from the dead.

Elementary principles, Philosophy and Tradition can seem more real that this spiritual, by-faith union with Christ. The rituals of pagans, the philosophy of thinkers or scientists, the traditions of RC/EO/etc etc. can seem more real that simple walking by faith in Jesus. C S Lewis quote. We are all quite familiar with this idea, that the old Jewish priesthood was a mere symbol and that Christianity is the reality which it symbolised. It is important, however, to notice what an astonishing, even impudent, claim it must have seemed as long as the temple at Jerusalem was still standing. In the temple you saw real sacrifice being offered—real animals really had their throats cut and their actual flesh and blood were used in the ritual; in Christian assemblies a ceremony with wine and bits of bread was conducted. It must have been all but impossible to resist the conviction that the Jewish service was the reality and the Christian one a mere substitute—wine is so obviously a substitute for blood and bread for flesh! Yet the Christians had the audacity to maintain that it was the other way round—that their innocuous little ritual meal in private houses was the real sacrifice and that all the slaughtering, incense, music, and shouting in the temple was merely the shadow.

Also in Romans 6. We are in Christ. Illustration. We are made alive together with him. He forgave our sins.

(14) Illustration used. Record of Debt that we owed. Jesus has taken that away. Our debts, our sins have been forgiven. Illustration of debt being forgiven, the paper being torn to shreds.

(15) “Disarmed” He has taken away the handles that the Devil has on you. Those consist in the debt of sin that you were required to pay. You were a slave till you paid that debt. Ponzi schemes: Philosophy, tradition, basic principles of natural religion. Jesus plundered the devils. He took away what they could have used against you, in order to accuse you before God. Do not be taken captive , do not be plundered by the devils. (v8)

Application of the Word

Walk in Him. By the same faith, by the same gratitude with which you began walking in God, walk in Him. Be rooted, be built up, be established.

Don’t be swayed by philosophy, tradition, religiousity.

Earthquake in Colossae. Fiddler on the Roof.

Hebrews 12, Psalm 46, Isaiah 54:10.

When adversity comes, the response of the flesh is to rely on vain philosophy, tradition of men, religiosity. When financially you hit hard times, you are tempted to just send your kids to govt schools. When the church

Nothing to small to bring to God. Therefore, nothing too big for you to tackle.