The Answer to Everything
1 - Fulness In Christ - Theory v6-15
2 - Freedom in Christ - Practice v16-23
Verses 6 and 7 occupy a pivotal position in the letter. They serve as the basis of Paul’s interaction with the Colossian heresy (vv 8–23) having summarized much of what has already been written in the epistle. The focus of attention is upon “Christ Jesus as Lord” whom the Colossians received as their “tradition” when they accepted the gospel at the hands of Epaphras. This Christ Jesus is none other than the Lord of all, in both creation and redemption (1:15–20), and he is the center of God’s mystery (1:27; 2:2). By means of an indicative-imperative form the readers, who have had many of the important ideas driven home to their hearts, are admonished to conduct their lives as those who have been incorporated into Christ. They have been securely rooted in him, they are progressively being built up in Christ as they are reinforced in the faith they had been taught. As they live under Christ’s lordship they are to abound in thanksgiving, grateful to God for his mighty actions for them. Christ Jesus was a more than adequate safeguard against the empty traditions of men. Let them see that their way of life and thought conform continually to his teaching.
Taking up language from the hymn of chapter 1:15–20 the apostle spells out why (v 9) the philosophy of the false teachers is not according to Christ. Two reasons are given: first, this Christ is the one in whom the whole fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily. Only in him is fullness to be found. It is not to be attained by groveling before the elements of the universe or by observing their regulations. Second, the readers have already been “filled” in Christ, the same person in whom the fullness of Deity dwells and the One who is ruler and master over every principality and power.
How foolish is it then for the Colossians to think, as the false teachers want them to, that they needed to grovel before these weak and beggarly elements as though they controlled the lines of communication between God and man.
Christ is the one whom they received as Lord. Let them continue to live in him, for he is the one in whom the entire fullness of Godhead dwells, the one in whom they have been made full, the person in whom they have been incorporated in death, burial and resurrection. It is in him that they have been raised and given new life. What really matters then is Christ and Christ alone
Like an IOU it contained penalty clauses (see Job 5:3; Philem 19). The Jews had contracted to obey the law, and in their case the penalty for breach of this contract meant death (Deut 27:14–26; 30:15–20). Paul assumes that the Gentiles were committed, through their consciences, to a similar obligation, to the moral law in as much as they understood it (cf. Rom 2:14, 15). Since the obligation had not been discharged by either group the “bond” remained against us (καὐ ἡμῶν).
On Francis’ view, which seems likely (see Introduction, xxxvi–xxxviii), the apostle is stating that the advocates of the Colossian “philosophy” delighted in ascetic practices as a prelude to the reception of heavenly visions.
Accordingly, the false teachers claimed to have joined in the angelic worship of God as they entered into the heavenly realm and prepared to receive visions of divine mysteries.
Nock suggested the term “may indicate some claim to special knowledge obtained on a visionary entry into heaven” (A. D. Nock, “The Vocabulary of the New Testament,” JBL 52 [1933] 131–39, especially 133). Recently Carr (JTS 24 [1973] 492–500) has produced additional evidence to that of Francis for this meaning of ἐμβατεύω (“enter”) in mystical asceticism. He claims that Colossians 2:18 is concerned with visions and with the encountering of the divine in real religious experience. It is the heavenly sanctuary where the worship conducted by the angels (Carr also understands θρησκείᾳ τῶν ἀγγέλων as a subjective genitive) occurs and this appears in the mind of the worshiper. So it was not the mystery language or practice which was penetrating the church at Colossae. Rather, it was a similar problem to what was encountered elsewhere: “claims to spiritual superiority validated by claims to higher religious experience through mystical-ascetical piety” (Carr, JTS 24 [1973] 500; cf. Bandstra, Dimensions, 329–32).
At Colossae whoever laid claims to these exalted and heavenly experiences was puffed up. The cause of this conceit was “the mind of his flesh” (ὑπὸ τοῦ νοὸς τῆς σαρκὸς αὐτοῦ), an unusual expression (though cf. Rom 8:7, “the mind [φρόνημα] that is set on the flesh”) that means the attitude and outlook which are characteristic of the old nature, dominated by the flesh.