Traditions - Part 3
Notes
Transcript
Traditions - Part 3
Traditions - Part 3
We continue our journey through the book of Colossians
Paul has made his case for you and told you to be careful of deception and tradition:
He is up against people who are fighting to keep their traditions
He addressed the Gentiles
He addressed the Hebrews
Some traditions can remain…
Some traditions must cease…
Therefore, do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food or drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or Sabbaths. These are only a shadow of what is to come, but the body belongs to Christ.
We talked about this last week…just recap
Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, initiatory visions, puffed up without cause by a human way of thinking, and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with a growth that is from God.
First…Do not let anyone condemn you…
Okay are matters of food and drink, observing festivals, new moons, sabbaths
These are shadows (Jewish)
BUT THE BODY BELONGS TO CHRIST
Second…Do not let anyone disqualify you…
NOTE: this is written in a negative…
They will insist on you doing these things otherwise you are disqualified (Gentile)
Self-abasement
Worship of gods
Details of visions
Puffed up for no reason by thinking like a human
Ignoring the HEAD, which is Christ
Third…you think you do yourself and your community good…
This is the idea of the ‘whole body’
Held together and grows
It is the tradition by which we think we (as a body of others) are held together
But it is not...
If with Christ you died to the elemental principles of the world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.
If with Christ you died to the elemental principles (spirits) of the world (cosmos), why do you live as if you still belonged to the world (cosmos)? Why do you submit to regulations (dogma), “Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!”? All these regulations refer to things that perish with use; they are simply human commands and teachings.
Often, this section is used to warn or guilt Christians about thinking or living like someone in the world…
It is more than that.
It is challenging the Roman’s, the non-Israelites, to separate from the familial, city, region, and national gods
To not submit to those traditions
They are human commands and teachings…
And…
These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.
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Which things indeed, though having a reputation as wisdom on account of affected religion and mental lowliness and lavish neglect of the body, are of no real value against indulgence of the flesh.
An appearance of wisdom…
Self made religion and humility
Is just about all theology that exists…
The key for Paul is headed towards indulgences that continue to plague the churches
Paul makes this argument in Romans that the law inspires our mind to sin
Paul makes this argument here that nothing is going to free our mind, even things that appear wise
He is going to move into something we will see next week that will concentrate on changing as a person:
But what we know is that you cannot ‘rule’ your way to a new heart
Traditions - Part 3
Traditions - Part 3
