The Gospel's Freedom

CHRIST’S PREEMINENCE & THE GOSPEL MINISTRY 1:15–29

FALSE TEACHINGS IN COLOSSAE THREATENING SUPREMACY OVER THE THINGS OF CHRIST 2:1–2:23

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS OF LIVING LIFE IN UNION WITH CHRIST 3:1–4:6

When was the last time you were deceived?

phishing attempt - Fedex missed delivery

Facebook friend request from Aunt

Colossians 2:4 CSB

4 I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with arguments that sound reasonable.

Freedom In Worship

Colossians 2:16–17 CSB

16 Therefore, don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ.

v. 16 “food or drink” - the ceremonial law

Leviticus 11:1–8 CSB

1 The Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron: 2 “Tell the Israelites: You may eat all these kinds of land animals. 3 You may eat any animal with divided hooves and that chews the cud. 4 But among the ones that chew the cud or have divided hooves you are not to eat these: camels, though they chew the cud, do not have divided hooves—they are unclean for you; 5 hyraxes, though they chew the cud, do not have hooves—they are unclean for you; 6 hares, though they chew the cud, do not have hooves—they are unclean for you; 7 pigs, though they have divided hooves, do not chew the cud—they are unclean for you. 8 Do not eat any of their meat or touch their carcasses—they are unclean for you.

What was the purpose of this type of restriction? In part, for God’s people to be focused on holy, separated, clean living (clean vs unclean)

When was this done away with, and why?

Luke 16:16 CSB

16 “The Law and the Prophets were until John; since then, the good news of the kingdom of God has been proclaimed, and everyone is urgently invited to enter it.

Peter, in Acts 10 - “Rise and eat!”

“festival or new moon or Sabbath day” - came out of the law as well

Wouldn’t it be more spiritual to continue to honor these special days? No

v. 17 these are a shadow of the substance

Who is someone that you would really like to meet? A famous composer (John Williams, John Rutter)? A political figure?

Seeing the shadow vs seeing the person

for hundreds of years Israel only had the shadow; now they have the substance

The majority of the church members were gentiles; they had never had to be under these restrictions before!

Jesus to the woman of Samaria:

John 4:23 CSB

23 But an hour is coming, and is now here, when the true worshipers will worship the Father in Spirit and in truth. Yes, the Father wants such people to worship him.

Freedom From Falsehoods

Colossians 2:18–19 CSB

18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. 19 He doesn’t hold on to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and tendons, grows with growth from God.

v. 18 “delighting in” - insisting on?

“ascetic practices” - fasting, self-denial

“worship of angels” - invoking angels to ward off evil?

“visionary realm” - possibly syncretism, mystical ascents to heaven via visions

Similarities to Mormonism?

“ascetic practices” - you must go on a two year mission in order to be a good Mormon; disciplined lifestyle (up at 6:30, 10 hour work day, no caffeine, 6 days/week, only call family on Christmas and Mothers day)

“angels” - false teachings about Moroni

“He doesn’t hold on to the head” ?

Colossians & Philemon: Verse by Verse Warning against Misuse of Visions (2:18–19)

The implication is that the heretics had arisen from within the church and were probably at one time more orthodox. Yet now Christ was diminished in their system, perhaps to the level of one of the angelic powers, and their notion of salvation stemmed more from their asceticism and charismatic experiences than from the reality of Christ’s death on the cross. Literally, the verb states that they had “failed to grasp firmly” or “hold fast to” Christ, the head. They had drifted away from the centrality of Christ and so had lost the solid foundation for their faith. There can be no truth in a religion that ignores Christ.

Freedom To Live

Colossians 2:20–23 CSB

20 If you died with Christ to the elements of this world, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations: 21 “Don’t handle, don’t taste, don’t touch”? 22 All these regulations refer to what is destined to perish by being used up; they are human commands and doctrines. 23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence.

v. 20 “elements of this world”???

“elemental spirits of this world” ???

“elemental spiritual forces of this world”???

greek - “stoicheion”

The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary Element, Elemental Spirit

In most of its uses, element denoted an elementary or fundamental principle in a subject or discipline. Thus, it could designate a letter of the alphabet, a part of speech, a geometrical proposition, or a basic mathematical unit, such as a point or line. Heb 5:12 aptly displays this typical usage when it refers to rudimentary Christian teachings as the “first principles” of God’s words.

Colossians and Philemon 2. The Empty Promise of the False Teaching (2:16–23)

the phrase refers primarily to the basic “components” of the physical universe and, secondarily, to the spiritual forces often thought to be associated with those physical components

Who is the god of this world? Satan - 2 Cor 4:4 “4 In their case the god of this world has blinded the minds of the unbelievers, to keep them from seeing the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God.”

The ruler of this world Jn 12 31 “31 Now is the judgment of this world; now will the ruler of this world be cast out.”

Prince of the power of the air eph 2 2 “2 in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience—”

In summary - “elements of this world” are simply the current ruling spiritual powers (Satanic)

Colossians 2:20–23 NLT

20 You have died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle! Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial, and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s evil desires.

v. 21 - do these rules add anything needed for our salvation? No!

“The Christian life is one of freedom, not of bondage to the observance of special days and maintenance of special diets”

“Living in the fullness of the Spirit makes possible the only lasting effectiveness for curbing the desires of the flesh”

So are we free to do whatever we want? No!

col 3 1-2 “1 If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. 2 Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

Summary - we need to be careful to keep free of unnecessary restrictions in worship, doctrine, regulations

We are free to follow in obedience to the “things above”, living holy lives that are pleasing to God