Colossians 2.20a-The Colossians Died with Christ to the Elementary Teachings Promoted by the Cosmic System
Wenstrom Bible Ministries
Pastor-Teacher Bill Wenstrom
Sunday February 28, 2016
Colossians: Colossians 2:20a-The Colossians Died with Christ to the Elementary Teachings Promoted by the Cosmic System
Lesson # 62
Colossians 2:20 If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, 21 “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (NASB95)
“If” is the conditional particle ei (εἰ), which introduces a protasis of a first class condition that indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
“You have died with Christ” is composed of the following: (1) verb apothnēskō (ἀποθνῄσκω), “you have died” (2) preposition sun (σύν), “with” (3) proper name Christos (Χριστός), “Christ.”
The verb apothnēskō means “to die” referring to “retroactive positional truth” meaning that when Christ died spiritually and physically on the Cross, God considers the believer to have died with Him spiritually and physical as well through their identification with Christ in His death.
The second person plural form of the verb is a reference to the faithful believers in Colossae and is used in a distributive sense emphasizing that there are no exceptions and this means that “each and every one” of the Colossian believers were identified with Christ in His spiritual and physical deaths on the cross.
“To the elementary principles of the world” is composed of the following: (1) preposition apo (ἀπό), “to” (2) noun stoicheion (στοιχεῖον), “elementary principles” (3) noun kosmos (κόσμος), “of the world.”
As was the case in Colossians 2:8, the noun stoicheion here in Colossians 2:20 is in the plural and means “elementary teachings” and is used in relation to the teachings of the Mosaic Law such as dietary regulations, Sabbath observance, observance of the seven feasts of Israel and observance of circumcision.
The noun stoicheion is the object of the preposition apo which is a marker of separation which would indicate that the Colossian believers died with Christ “separating” them from the elementary principles of the world or we could “disassociating” them from the elementary principles of the world.
As was the case in Colossians 2:8, the noun kosmos here in Colossians 2:20 means “cosmic system” of Satan and is in the genitive case and functions as a genitive of production.
This would indicate that these elementary principles from the Mosaic Law are the production of the cosmic system of Satan in the sense that Satan and his angels are the ones who were influencing the Judaizers to seek to put both Jewish and Gentile Christians under the Mosaic Law.
The purpose of which was so that both Jewish and Gentile Christians could not experience their freedom from the Mosaic Law because of their union and identification with Christ in His crucifixion, death, burial, resurrection and session at the right hand of the Father.
Colossians 2:20 If, and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that each and every one of you have died with Christ disassociated from the elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system. Of course, we agree that this is true. Then, why as though all of you are living according to the standards of the cosmic system would any of you at any time allow yourselves to obey its prohibitions: “For your own benefit, do not handle, for your own benefit, do not taste, for your own benefit, do not touch!” (My translation)
In Colossians 2:20-21, the apostle Paul under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit is solemnly emphasizing with the faithful Christians in Colossae how it critical it is for them to continue to reject the teaching of the Judaizers who sought to have Christians govern their lives according to the Mosaic Law.
He attempts to persuade them to do so with a first class conditional statement which contains a rhetorical question.
In these verses, Paul is attempting to protect the spiritual freedom of the church at Colossae so that they might continue to grow up spiritual maturity and Christ-likeness.
The first class condition indicates the assumption of truth for the sake of argument.
The idea behind the first class condition is not “since” but rather, “if-and let us assume that it is true for the sake of argument that, then...”
Here the protasis is “if and let assume that it is true for the sake argument that each and every one of you Colossians have died with Christ disassociated from the elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system.”
This is a responsive first class condition which would mean that the Colossians would agree with Paul’s premise since they were familiar with his teaching regarding their identification with Christ in His death since Epaphras communicated this teaching to them.
The apodosis is “then why, as though all of you were living according to the standards of the cosmic system would any of you allow yourselves to obey its prohibitions: “for your own benefit, do not handle, for your own benefit, do not taste, for your own benefit, do not touch?’”
The relationship between the protasis and the apodosis is evidence and inference.
The evidence is that the Colossians have died with Christ disassociated from elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system, i.e. the Mosaic Law because they are identified with Him in His death through the baptism of the Spirit.
The inference is that the Colossians must reject the Judaizers’ misinterpretation, misuse and misapplication of the Mosaic Law.
Paul is not attempting to prove that his protasis is true rather he is saying with the first class condition that we agree that this doctrine is true that we have died with Christ as a result of being identified with Him in His spiritual and physical deaths.
Thus we as Christians must reject the teaching of the Judaizers who attempt to persuade Christians to live the Christian way of life according to the Mosaic Law.
The first class condition is thus serving to persuade the Colossians to respond to the conclusion found in the apodasis that they must reject the false teaching of the Judaizers based upon the premise.
Therefore, they would have to come to his conclusion if they submit to this line of argumentation.
In the protasis, Paul reminds the Colossians that they have died with Christ disassociated from elementary principles of the cosmic system of Satan.
The fact that they have died with Christ refers to “retroactive positional truth.”
This means that when Christ died spiritually and physically on the Cross, God considers the believer to have died with Him spiritually and physically as well through their identification with Christ in His death.
This identification was accomplished at the moment of their justification through baptism of the Holy Spirit.
The spiritual death of Christ resolved the sinner’s problem of being spiritually dead and personal sins.
His physical death resolved the sinner’s problem of dying physically and the indwelling sin nature.
To have died with Christ means that the believer is no longer under the rulership of the sin nature and the headship of Adam but under the headship of the Last Adam, Jesus Christ.
Jesus Christ died physically in order to deprive the indwelling sin nature its power over the justified sinner.
He was raised from the dead to permanently eradicate the indwelling sin nature and to give the guarantee of a resurrection body to those who trust in Him as Savior.
Our Lord died spiritually to deal with the consequences of the sinner possessing a sin nature and being spiritually dead as well as for the consequences of the sinner committing personal sins, which perpetuated their status of being spiritually dead.
Therefore, Paul is speaking in the context of the believer’s identification with Christ in His spiritual and physical deaths.
“Retroactive positional truth” is one of two different aspects related to “positional sanctification” the other being “current” positional truth.
The former means that when Christ died spiritually and physically on the Cross, God views the justified sinner as having died spiritually and physically with Christ as well.
The latter means that when Christ was raised from the dead and was seated at the right hand of the Father, God views the justified sinner as having been raised from the dead with Christ and seated with Him at His right hand.
Both are accomplished through the baptism of the Spirit.
“The elementary teachings promoted by the cosmic system” refers to the doctrines or the teachings of the Mosaic Law such as dietary regulations, Sabbath observance, observance of the seven feasts of Israel and observance of circumcision.
This is indicated by the content of Paul’s teaching in Colossians 2:8-23 which mentions in these verses explicitly or implicitly all these things found in the Mosaic Law.
“The cosmic system” is the noun kosmos which pertains to a vast system and arrangement of human affairs, earthly goods, godless governments, conflicts, riches, pleasures, culture, education, world religions, the cults and the occult dominated and negatively affected by Satan who is god of this satanic cosmos.
This system is promoted by Satan, conformed to his ideals, aims, methods, and character, and stands perpetually in opposition to God the cause of Christ.
This world system is used to seduce men away from God and the person of Christ.
It is anti-God, anti-Christ, and anti-Bible, and very anti-humanity though it often appears as humanitarian as part of Satan’s masquerade as an angel of light.
The noun kosmos is not only a system but also an organization referring to the assemblage of fallen angels forming a complex whole that is under the authority of Satan.