Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Purpose #1- That their hearts might be encouraged

Purpose #2- That they might not be deluded

In vv.

6-8 Paul gives the commands that must be followed if we are to grow in spiritual maturity

Command #1- You must live in the same dependent faith in Christ as when you received Christ

Command #2- You must guard your life carefully against any teaching that is not according to Christ

In vv.

9-15 Paul gives the reasons why the only hope for spiritual maturity is found in Christ

This is Paul’s purpose in these remaining verses.

Paul wanted to instruct the believers in Colossae that the only hope for spiritual maturity is found in Christ.

This morning it is my goal that you believers would come to a fuller understanding and deeper conviction that your only hope for spiritual maturity / for spiritual completeness is found in Christ alone.

In order to accomplish this goal I want you to see two truths that you must believe.

If you would come to a fuller understanding and deeper conviction that your only hope for spiritual completeness is found in Christ alone, then:

I.

You must believe in the sufficiency of Christ

A. All that is accomplished IN HIM

9 ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς θεότητος σωματικῶς,*

Because in Him dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily,

Here Paul begins his argument for why you should follow his previously given commands.

Why should I walk in dependent faith, and why should I guard my life carefully against false teaching?

Because #1: IN HIM- dwells the full measure of Deity bodily

In Christ- dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily

In other words- Jesus is completely God.

Paul states that in Christ dwells all the fullness

Fullness- πλήρωμα- completeness, sum total, full measure

Because in Him dwells the full measure of Deity bodily.

Paul meant that the fullness of deity dwells in Christ.

The expression is unusual, but the God-man relationship cannot be expressed well in human language.

The fullness of deity was Paul’s way of stating that Jesus is every bit God.

This does not mean that Christ is all there is of God.

The Godhead, Deity is expressed fully in the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.

But it does mean that Jesus is every bit of Deity.

Everything that makes God the Father Deity, in Christ dwells the full measure of that Deity.

Jesus is fully God.

Finally, Paul states the wonder of the God/Man.

The full measure of Deity dwells in Christ in bodily form.

Christ is both fully divine, fully God and fully man.

Christ is sufficient for your spiritual growth because IN HIM dwells the full measure of Deity in bodily form.

Because #2: IN HIM- You are filled up or fully complete

10 καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι,*

And in Him you have been brought to fullness

⸀ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ πάσης ἀρχῆς καὶ ἐξουσίας.*

*

Who is the head of all rule and authority.

There is an incredible play on words here.

In v. 9- IN HIM all the fullness/πλήρωμα of deity dwells bodily.

Paul uses the same root word in v. 10- IN HIM you are complete/πληρόω/or lit.

you have been brought to fullness.

Now Paul does not mean that believers are elevated to the same position as Christ, we are not deity.

But using the incredible idea of the word fullness- just as Jesus was fully God, believers are fully complete IN HIM.

Nothing is lacking in our salvation!

We have everything we need to grow in spiritual maturity in Christ.

IN HIM we are fully complete.

The understanding of salvation may grow, and the appropriation of the blessings of salvation may increase; but in Christ, they had all there was, the “fullness” of salvation.

Support for this statement is found in the second half of the verse.

IN HIM- who is the head of all principality (Rule) and power (Authority)- We will save this thought for later this afternoon.

Because #3: IN HIM- the power of sin is conquered

Col. 2.11-12a

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism,

11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ

And in Him you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by human hands

ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος ⸆ τῆς σαρκός,

by putting off the body of the flesh

ἐν τῇ περιτομῇ τοῦ Χριστοῦ,*

by the circumcision of Christ,

12 συνταφέντες αὐτῷ ἐν τῷ ⸀βαπτισμῷ,*

Having been buried with Him in baptism

In whom / IN HIM you were circumcised (Aor tense- point of salvation, Passive- something that God did for you)

This is no ordinary circumcision- Paul qualifies this saying it was a circumcision made without hands- not handmade / not made by human hands.

This is no physical earthly man made circumcision- that kind of circumcision is of no spiritual use.

Even in the OT, circumcision was of no value in saving an individual, rather is was an outward demonstration that man was born sinful and needed cleansing.

“From the beginning, circumcision was used symbolically to illustrate the desperate need man had for cleansing of the heart.

Spiritual life does not come from something that is according to human hands- it only comes in Christ.

What we as sinners need is not human made circumcision- we need something that is spiritual, something that effects our hearts.

This is exactly what we get IN CHRIST.

In the rest of v. 11 Paul clarifies what he means by this spiritual circumcision.

In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh

11 Ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε περιτομῇ ἀχειροποιήτῳ

And in Him you were circumcised with a circumcision not made by human hands

ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος ⸆ τῆς σαρκός,

by putting off the body of the flesh

We were circumcised with a circumcision not made by human hands

By putting off the body of the flesh

By this I think Paul means that the power of sin has been conquered, which takes place when a person puts their faith IN CHRIST.

At that moment the domination of sin is broken in their lives.

2. By the circumcision of Christ

This kind of circumcision, a spiritual act whereby the powerful domination of sin is broken in the life of a believer, can only be performed by Christ- it is not human hand made, it is spiritual and only possible in Christ.

3. By identifying with the death of Christ through spiritual baptism

By the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism

Here Paul relates the concept of the circumcision of Christ to the concept of spiritual baptism in Christ.

Paul is using these two concepts, circumcision and baptism, as illustrations for the power of sin being broken in the lives of believers.

The power of sin is broken in our life because we identify with the death and burial of Christ when we was nailed to the cross and buried for three days.

It was the act of Christ’s death and burial that we by faith identify with that breaks the domination of sin over us.

Here Paul is not saying that the event of water baptism is what breaks the power of sin over us, but the spiritual meaning behind water baptism- the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ- this is the power that breaks the domination of sin in our lives.

This is the only power capable of dealing with our sin.

Only by means of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ can we gain victory over our sin.

In Christ we have that kind of spiritual circumcision.

In Christ we have that kind of spiritual baptism.

Why would we seek after anything else to become spiritually mature or complete.

We are fully complete only in Christ.

He is sufficient.

Because #4: IN HIM- you have been made spiritually alive

ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε

And in Him you were raised from the dead together

διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ θεοῦ

through faith in the energy/powerful working of God

τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ* ⸆ νεκρῶν·*

the one who raised Him from the dead.

Also/And- with Him or IN HIM you were risen (Aor, Pass, Ind)- this newness of life, becoming spiritually alive has already happened in Christ at the moment of salvation.

We identify with the resurrection of Christ in several ways- one is that we look forward to the day when we will be resurrected and our bodies will be glorified.

Two, right now we have been made spiritually alive so that we can walk in newness of life.

This is what Paul is talking about in Colossians.