Fullness In Christ
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Last week
First exhortation
Walk in him
as we received Christ, so walk in him
We have been rooted in gospel soil, are being built on Gospel ground, and established in gospel truth
We know that the colossians are dealing with false teachings. “The colossian heresy”
First time we see the danger
Now Paul is going to give us 3 warnings
Kidnap vs 8
Condemn Vs 16
Disqualify vs 18
This week, Paul is going to show us the danger that lies ahead for these Colossians and by extension us.
“see to it that no one takes you captive”
First warning is for our kidnap
Captive
Idea of being taken away, Carries the idea of someone coming to steal a slave for plunder
Paul is warning us to not get taken captive, specifically from false teaching.
This is written to Christians
Paul is saying “Church, don’t let anyone come and steal you”
See to it
Be on watch, look out, beware
Cross a street - “Look out”
Spiritual traffic and you need to keep your head on a swivel
Jim Chelsea story of discernment
We are in a battle, there are human and demonic forces that are looking to take you down.
If I told you someone was coming to kidnap you today, what would you do?
Are we awake? Are we prepared for battle? Are we aware? Are we coasting?
Walking with our heads in our phones, running into traffic
No one
Paul says an apostle or angel in Gal
Galatians 1:6–9 “I am astonished that you are so quickly deserting him who called you in the grace of Christ and are turning to a different gospel— not that there is another one, but there are some who trouble you and want to distort the gospel of Christ. But even if we or an angel from heaven should preach to you a gospel contrary to the one we preached to you, let him be accursed. As we have said before, so now I say again: If anyone is preaching to you a gospel contrary to the one you received, let him be accursed.”
Surely we are aware of obvious false teaching, obvious heresy, obvious attempts to steal us
The reason we have to be aware is because it will take a watchful eye to identify your kidnapper
No one
No podcaster, no family member, no pastor, no teacher, NO ONE
The most dangerous false teacher is one that is close to you
Beware
How do they do it? How do these people accumulate people as their plunder
Philosophy & empty deceit
This could be rendered “hollow(empty) & deceptive philosophy”
Means by which some are kidnapped is via Philosophy, specifically hollow philosophy & deceptive philosophy
“Philosophy”
Love & wisdom
In fact, Philosophy was used in other writings to speak of ‘systems of thought’
Josephus describes judaism as a “philosophy”
These kidnappers are going to get you by going for your mind
It’s remarkable the amount of philosophers & philosophies that have come and gone
From the time of the early church we see gnostisim
salvation through secret knowledge and material was evil
Enlightenment - David Hume
The last 2 centuries -
Existentialism
no ultimate meaning. You create your own
Freaud
Man is driven by our subconscious desires, not sin
Darwin
No creator, no sustainer, only chance & survival
Postmodernism
no objective truth, truth is all relative, morality is merely a social construct
More recent
New age
Self help psychology
Manifestation
Deconstructionism
“Spiritual but not religious”
And from now until the time Jesus returns there will continue to be the new flavor of the culture that will attempt to steal away Christians
This philosophy specifically is empty & deceptive
Meaning it has no substance, no actual value, no truth
Hollow - vain - empty
Not necessarily that it is incoherent or unintelligible
In fact, Paul says that some are trying to delude with “plausible arguments”
They are enticing, they sound reasonable, they are persuasive
They contain no intellectual, moral, or spiritual value
No value vs 23
Like a child eating a sugar snack, it may be appealing but it is empty calories that will leave you malnourished, still hungry
Beware, it is empty
deceptive
Meant to allure you. To catch you
This word is used riches, desire, sin
Matthew 13:22 “As for what was sown among thorns, this is the one who hears the word, but the cares of the world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and it proves unfruitful.”
Ephesians 4:22 “to put off your old self, which belongs to your former manner of life and is corrupt through deceitful desires,”
Hebrews 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called “today,” that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.”
Perhaps we see the deceitfulness of these other things but fail to recognize that it is the same mission in these philosophies
Like a mirage in the desert, it will draw you to itself and ultimately turn out to be dry
Like sin, like riches, and like our fleshly desires, this philosophy is hung out in front of you like bait, ready to set the hook
Beware, it is deceptive
The basis
Paul is going to give us 3 prepositional phrases here
2 positively & 1 negatively
“According to” X3
“according to”, “based on”
Human tradition
elemental spirits
Human tradition
tradition or teachings.
Not a problem in and of themselves
1 Corinthians 11:1–2 “Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ. Now I commend you because you remember me in everything and maintain the traditions even as I delivered them to you.”
2 Thessalonians 2:15 “So then, brothers, stand firm and hold to the traditions that you were taught by us, either by our spoken word or by our letter.”
2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that you keep away from any brother who is walking in idleness and not in accord with the tradition that you received from us.”
The problem is that they are not divine teaching or tradition, but man made
Matthew 15:1–9 “Then Pharisees and scribes came to Jesus from Jerusalem and said, “Why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? For they do not wash their hands when they eat.” He answered them, “And why do you break the commandment of God for the sake of your tradition? For God commanded, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘Whoever reviles father or mother must surely die.’ But you say, ‘If anyone tells his father or his mother, “What you would have gained from me is given to God,” he need not honor his father.’ So for the sake of your tradition you have made void the word of God. You hypocrites! Well did Isaiah prophesy of you, when he said: “ ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ ””
Paul, echoing what Jesus has already said, is the reality that these philosophies are based on human, man made tradition
The false teachers (and pharisees here) are importing man made ideas into the apostles teaching. They aren’t denying Christ, their adding to him
Deuteronomy 12:32 ““Everything that I command you, you shall be careful to do. You shall not add to it or take from it.”
Beware Church,
beware of man made tradition and laws
“elemental spirits of the world”
some “rudiments of the world”, “basic/elementary principles”, “elements of the world”
debate of meaning
Stoicheion
Formal word
fundamental component / element
letters of alphabet
notes on a musical scale
3 possible interpretations
1. Elementary / basic principles
Hebrews 5:12 “For though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you again the basic principles of the oracles of God. You need milk, not solid food,”
Galatians 4:1–11 “I mean that the heir, as long as he is a child, is no different from a slave, though he is the owner of everything, but he is under guardians and managers until the date set by his father. In the same way we also, when we were children, were enslaved to the elementary principles of the world. But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. And because you are sons, God has sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, “Abba! Father!” So you are no longer a slave, but a son, and if a son, then an heir through God. Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more? You observe days and months and seasons and years! I am afraid I may have labored over you in vain.”
Religious basics / moralism / Jewish law ceremonies
Paul is saying the jewish observance of calendars, foods regulations is elementary and now we have Christ
Support
Warning in Colossians agains these things
Colossians 2:16 “Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath.”
Colossians 2:20 “If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations—”
Contrast against human tradition is appropriate
2. Spiritual beings
Contrast against the spiritual realm. Back to Gal 4
Galatians 4:8–9 “Formerly, when you did not know God, you were enslaved to those that by nature are not gods. But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how can you turn back again to the weak and worthless elementary principles of the world, whose slaves you want to be once more?”
Col speaks to spiritual realm
Previous
Colossians 1:16 “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.”
Colossians 1:20 “and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross.”
Future
Colossians 2:10 “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”
Colossians 2:15 “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.”
Colossians 2:18 “Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,”
Make sense the counter of Christ as a being to other spiritual beings
Perhaps the most popular interpretation of the text
Problems:
No evidence the word used of spiritual beings until the 3rd century
However, there was widespread spiritual association with planets & stars, making the transition of the word to spiritual make sense
Why would Paul switch his normal way of referencing spiritual beings (throne dominion; ruler authority) to this now?
Absolutely true that there are demonic forces here at work
1 Timothy 4:1 “Now the Spirit expressly says that in later times some will depart from the faith by devoting themselves to deceitful spirits and teachings of demons,”
end of vs 10 “head of all rule and authority”
3. Fundamental elements or components of the universe
air earth fire water
Support
Most often use in other writings
Colossians and Philemon 1. Spiritual Fullness in Christ (2:8–15)
Moreover, every instance of the phrase [ta] stoicheia [tou] kosmou from Paul’s general time period apparently has this meaning
Assume Paul would use word in a way that would be rightly assumed without any additional explanation
Question is contextually
What does universal elements have to do with this philosophy & false teaching?
Many people spiritualized the components of the universe
Philo of Alexandria 1st C AD
“Some have deified the substances of the elements, earth and water and air and fire, thinking them the original causes of the generation and destruction of all things.
Others have made gods of the heaven and the whole world.
Others again have worshiped the sun, moon, planets, and the whole host of stars, treating these as visible gods, as the causes of seasons, and of the fruits of the earth, and of the changes of the atmosphere, and of all the things by which the race of mortal creatures is supported.
This isn't a new temptation
Deuteronomy 4:19 “And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.”
Unfortunately this isn’t an old temptation either
Astrology industry is 13B projected to get to 28b by 2031
Zodiac signs
Horoscopes
Tarot cards
Birth charts
Daily horoscope
A new cycle is upon you, dear Aries, as the Scorpio sun aligns with the nodes of fate. The changes ahead will force you to adjust certain behaviors, and you'll need to trust that the unknown has its own blessings to offer. A fog descends while the Gemini moon squares Neptune, causing you to daydream. Allow the mind to wander, but don't become overly attached to one specific outcome, as the universe likely has its own plans. Seek emotionally fulfilling company and activities once Luna enters Cancer. Romantic connections benefit from a psychic charge when Venus stirs.
The universe is God
God help us I see some of this stuff in the church.
Christians, dont buy the empty and deceitful philosophy that is based on this foolishness
So this empty and deceitful philosophy is based on human tradition, based on elemental spirits
Now the negative
“not according to Christ”
I believe what Paul is doing here is showing the exclusivity of Christ
Any teaching/philosophy/worldview that would try to supplement Christ is wrong
Any teaching that does not submit itself under Christ is wrong
Any teaching that contradicts Christ is wrong
Any teaching that takes our gaze off of Christ
Colossians and Philemon 1. Spiritual Fullness in Christ (2:8–15)
Christ is the one in whom God exclusively is to be found, the one through whom the world was created and through whom it is redeemed, and the one who has decisively defeated all the hostile powers. Any teaching that in any way detracts from Christ’s exclusive role is by definition both wrong and ineffective
“Where philosophy delivers you a sugary fruit snack that leaves you hungry and malnourished, the gospel offers you the steak of christ”
Where philosophy is a mirage that leads you further into the desert, Christ is the oasis that satisfies
Where philosophy deceives and misleads you into slavery, Christ draws you into truth and freedom in Him
Why?
“for” - “because”
Christs fullness
Our fullness
Christs fullness
The fullness of deity dwells bodily
word used for deity here - theotes
theotes vs theiotes
Theiotes - divine essence. Divine qualities or associations
Romans 1:18–20 “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature (Theiotes), have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse.”
Theotes - is not essence, quality, or proximity, this is divinity
Paul is clearly saying that Christ is divine, he is God
And not only is he God, the fullness of God dwells in him
“Dwells”
OT idea of God dwelling in the temple, where we go to have access to him
Paul says God is not residing in a building but rather a body
Truly man, truly God
The colossian heresy believed the fullness of god was distributed & divided among various emanations. a heirerarchy of gods down to creation
All, not part, of divinity is found in him, and as the fullness of deity dwells in him, he is over all rule and authority.
This is where the cults differ from us
Islam - Jesus
Mormon - Jesus
JW - Jesus
Good with The essence, the qualities, the proximity of God
Not good with the the fullness of God dwelling bodily
Our fullness
“Filled in him”
“in him, you have been brought to fullness”
been made complete
perfect tense -> now and forever
False teachers then & false teachers now will offer you
There is no teaching that is better
there is not teacher that is higher
You dont need to look anywhere else, Christian, in Christ you have it all. You have been made complete
I want to leave you with this… It is in christ and in christ alone that you can find spiritual freedom & spiritual fulfillment.
To sum up this text neatly I think what Paul is showing here is spiritual freedom & spiritual fulfillment
Every other venture is going to leave you in bondage, leave you chained, leave you unfulfilled
Unbeliever, if you want spiritual freedom and fulfillment, you must find it in christ alone.
ENDING
