Colossians 2.7-Paul Defines the Means by which the Colossians Were to Continue Living Their Lives in Fellowship with Christ
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday October 25, 2015
Colossians: Colossians 2:7-Paul Defines the Means by which the Colossians Were to Continue Living Their Lives in Fellowship with Christ
Lesson # 45
Colossians 2:6 Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. (NASB95)
“Having been firmly rooted” is the verb rhizoō (ῥιζόω), which literally means “to be rooted” and figuratively it means “to be firmly established, to be strengthened.”
The word pertains to becoming strengthened with emphasis upon the source of such strength and refers to these faithful Christians being firmly rooted or strengthened spiritually by their union and identification with Jesus Christ.
Specifically, they were strengthened by appropriating by faith this union and identification with Christ which results in their experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ.
The participle form of this verb rhizoō as a participle of means which is defining how the Colossians were to obey Paul’s command in Colossians 2:6 which required that they continue to live their lives in fellowship with Christ.
This indicates that they were to obey this command “by” being firmly rooted by means of their union and identification with Christ.
“Being built up” is the verb epoikodomeō (ἐποικοδομέω), which pertains to engaging in a building spiritual process of personal and corporate development and speaks of increasing the potential of someone with emphasis upon the process.
Here it refers to their spiritual development as Christians with emphasis upon the process they have undergone after conversion of growing spiritually.
They would grow spiritually by appropriating by faith the apostolic teaching concerning the Christian’s union and identification with Christ.
The participle form of this verb epoikodomeō is also functioning as a participle of means which indicates that Paul is commanding the Colossians to continue to live their lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ “by” being built up spiritually by means of their faith in their union and identification with Christ.
“In Him” is composed of the following: (1) preposition en (ἐν), “in” (2) dative intensive personal pronoun autos (αὐτός), “Him.”
The intensive personal pronoun autos means “Him” and contains the figure of metonymy meaning that the person of Jesus Christ is put for the Colossians union and identification with Jesus Christ.
This word is the object of the preposition en which means “by means of” since it is functioning as a marker of means indicating the means by which the Colossians were firmly rooted and built up spiritually.
Therefore this prepositional phrase expresses the idea that the Colossians were firmly rooted and built up spiritually “by means of their union and identification with Christ.”
“And established in your faith” is composed of the following: (1) conjunction kai (καί), “and” (2) verb bebaioō (βεβαιόω), “established” (3) noun pistis (πίστις), “in your faith.”
This time the conjunction kai is epexegetical meaning it is introducing a participial phrase which defines the Colossians being firmly rooted, yes built up spiritually by means of their identification with Christ.
Therefore when Paul says that the Colossians were firmly rooted and built up spiritually he means that they were established by means of their faith or in other words by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ.
The verb bebaioō pertains to firmness of character and specifically the Colossians’ Christ-like character and refers to the increase of inner strength with the implication of greater firmness of character and attitude.
Here the word speaks of the spiritual inner strength of the Colossians with the implication that they possess as individuals a certain measure of Christ-like character.
The participle form of this verb is also a participle of means indicating that it is helping to define for the Colossians how they were to obey the command in Colossians 2:6 which required that they continue to make it their habit of living their lives in fellowship with Christ.
It indicates that they were to obey this command “by” being established by means of their faith in their union and identification with Christ.
The noun pistis means “faith” and refers to the Colossians appropriating by faith their union and identification with Jesus Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
The articular construction of pistis is functioning as possessive personal pronoun referring to the Colossians expressing the idea of these Christians appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ.
This word is in the dative case and is functioning as a dative of means indicating that the Colossians were established “by means of” their faith in their union and identification with Christ.
“Just as you were instructed” is presenting a comparison between the Colossians being established by means of their faith in their union and identification with Christ and their being instructed by Epaphras to appropriate by faith their union and identification with Christ.
“And overflowing with gratitude” is composed of the following: (1) verb perisseuō (περισσεύω), “overflowing” (2) preposition en (ἐν), “with” (3) noun eucharistia (εὐχαριστία), “gratitude.”
The verb perisseuō is used intransitively and means “to overflow” since it pertains to something being in abundance with the implication of being considerably more than what would be expected and is used in relation to gratitude.
Therefore, the verb speaks of the gratitude of the Colossians “overflowing” in the sense of being in abundance with the implication that this gratitude is more than would be humanly expected.
The participle form of this verb is a temporal participle which indicates that “while” the Colossians lived their lives in fellowship with Christ by being established by means of their faith, they would overflow with gratitude to God.
The noun eucharistia means “gratitude, thanksgiving” since it pertains to expressing gratitude for benefits or blessings.
Here it is used of the faithful Christians in Colossae expressing their gratitude to God the Father for all the unmerited blessings related to their union and identification with Christ.
Many of which they were experiencing while experiencing fellowship with Christ by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ.
The noun eucharistia is the object of the preposition en which functions as a marker of means indicating that it is defining the action of the verb perisseuō which means that the Colossians were overflowing “by means of” gratitude.
Colossians 2:6 Therefore, just as all of you accepted the teaching concerning your union and identification with the Christ, who is Jesus, who is the Lord, so all of you continue to make it your habit of living your lives in fellowship with Him. 7 Specifically, all of you are to do this by being firmly rooted, yes by all of you being built up by means of your identification with Him. Namely, by all of you being established by means of your faith just as all of you were taught while overflowing with gratitude. (My translation)
The apostle Paul in Colossians 2:7 defines for the faithful Christians in Colossae how they were to obey the command he issued them in Colossians 2:6 which required that they continue to make it their habit of living their lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ.
He employs three participles to express the means by which they were to obey this command and specifically, these participles define specifically how the Colossians were to obey this command.
He uses a fourth participle which is temporal which expresses an action which is contemporaneous with these three participles.
The first two participles contain a metaphor.
The first is an agricultural metaphor comparing the Christian who is experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ as being firmly rooted like a large tree.
The second is a construction metaphor comparing the Christian who is experiencing fellowship with Jesus Christ with that of the construction of a building.
The first participle speaks of the Colossians growing stronger spiritually while the second refers to the development of Christ-like character in the Colossians and the third denotes the firmness of their Christ-like character.
The first and second express Paul’s desire that they continue to grow up spiritually while on the other hand the third affirms the measure of Christ-like character they have already attained.
Notice the importance Paul places upon the Colossian appropriating by faith the benefits of their union and identification with Christ.
Notice the importance he also places on Christian instruction.
Paul’s point in Colossians 2:6-7 is that if Colossians continue to make it their habit of living their lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ by being firmly rooted and built up through their union and identification with Christ, they will be protected from false doctrine.
If they continue to make it their habit of living their lives in fellowship with Jesus Christ by being established by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ, they will be protected from false doctrine.
Notice also in Colossians 2:6-7 that Paul is reaffirming with the Colossians that they are to continue to experience fellowship with Jesus Christ by appropriating by faith their union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.