Bible Study Colossians: 2: 15-23

 

A Commentary of the Book of Colossians 

By Dr. Barry L. Jenkins

Text Used: Legacy Standard Bible

Bible Study Colossians: 2: 15-23

Text: 

Alive with Christ

15 Having [a]disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in [b]Him. 16 Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath [c]day— 17 things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the [d]substance [e]belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one keep [f]defrauding you of your prize by delighting in [g]self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, being puffed up for nothing by his fleshly mind, 19 and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and [h]ligaments, grows with a growth [i]that is from God.20 If you have died with Christ [j]to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees: 21 “Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch”? 22 Which [k]deal with everything destined to perish [l]with use, which are in accordance with the commands and teachings of men; 23 which are matters having, to be sure, a [m]word of wisdom in [n]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.

Verse by verse commentary:

Verse 15: “Having disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them in Him.”

The verse provides us the image of a conquering Roman general parading his defeated and humiliated enemies behind his chariot. There was an invisible cosmic struggle taking place at the cross, and the prince of this age was “cast out”, “thrown down to the earth”, and “bound”. Through the Lord Jesus’ death for sinners, Satan was robbed of his power to intimidate and control people through the threat of death and eternal separation from God. Satan’s attack against the believer today takes two principle paths: Intimidation and Imitation. Satan will try to accuse you enough to convince you that you are not saved, too evil to be saved or that God hates you. I believe that Satan’s main tactic is imitation of the Holy Spirit. Satan creates a false salvation, false miracles and false healings. He will distort doctrine to try and conceal the true gospel message.

Verse 16: “Therefore, no one is to judge you in food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day—”

The false teachers imposed dietary regulations, probably based on those of the Mosaic law. Since they were under the New Covenant, the Colossians (like all Christians) were not required to obey the Old Testament dietary restrictions. Paul wants the readers to know that they were not to be negatively judged because they did not obey the dietary and Sabbath rules.

Verse 17: “things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ.”

In Colossae, the Sabbath was kept and festivals observed in order to gain the favor of supernatural powers or angels thought to control the universe. During this time period, people believed that everything that happened was the result of powerful “gods.” Paul wants to make sure that the Colossians focus on Christ as in control and overseeing the events happening in the physical realm, not some vague supernatural being.

Verse 18: “Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, going into detail about visions he has seen, being puffed up for nothing by his fleshly mind,”

The word translated “defrauding” literally means deciding against you. We should never allow another person to have the control to decide against us spiritually. We are to focus on the Lord Jesus Christ. We are to see Him in every book of the Bible, every Old Testament festival, and all prophecies are about Him. “Self-abasement” means humility. We do not practice asceticism to find the favor of God. We deny our flesh and do not follow it as part of the sanctification (becoming more Christlike) daily. The reference to “worship of angels” can be taken as a reference to practices found among Jewish mystics, whose purpose was to participate in angelic worship before the throne of God and to attain ecstatic prayer through asceticism and strict observance of the Torah. You can’t earn God’s favor, you just receive it.

Verse 19: “and not holding fast to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.”

There is no spiritual growth for the body of Christ (the church) apart from union with her Head, Who is the Lord Jesus Christ. I have preached for years to just listen to the message coming from most American churches. It is a message of “fun, food, and fellowship.” I have likened their pastors to game show hosts driving a little yellow school bus straight to hell while the participants play games on the bus. If the message is not 100% Christ, you are on the wrong bus.

Verse 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:”

“Died with Christ” refers to the believer’s union with Christ in His death and resurrection. “Elementary principles of the world” references the doctrines and opinions of men as opposed to the living Word of God. Paul’s point is that if Christ has set you free, why do you seek to be back in bondage by obeying man made rules? This is not a call to surrender to the passions of the flesh and the lusts thereof, but rather a call to personal holiness based on a love for Christ and His substitutionary death on the cross for your sins.

Verse 21: ‘“Do not handle, nor taste, nor touch’?”

These verses point out the futility of asceticism, which is the attempt to achieve holiness by rigorous self-neglect, self-denial, and even self-infliction. Christ’s work is all sufficient and does not require the effort of man. Salvation is 100% of the Lord. Sanctification (growing in Christlikeness and personal holiness) is a synergetic process whereby the Holy Spirit convicts of sin and brings the truth of the Gospel to the heart of the unbeliever before salvation and to the believer after being born again to transform him daily in personal holiness. In sanctification, man cooperates with the Holy Spirit to continue the process of transformation all the days of our lives.

Verse 22: Which deal with everything destined to perish with use, which are in accordance with the commands and teachings of men;“

While it is appropriate to exercise reasonable care and discipline of one’s body has some temporary value, it has no value in eternity, and the extremes of such practices serve only to satisfy the flesh. Examples of man made rules include: women not wearing pants, not going to movies, ball games, or bowling alleys, women not cutting their hair, and not reading a newspaper on Sunday. Time and space do not allow for a complete list; however, suffice it to say that this type of “holiness” is not true Godly holiness.

Verse 23: “which are matters having, to be sure, a [a]word of wisdom in [b]self-made religion and self-abasement and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence.”

God accepts worship offered according to Scripture, not religious exercises done at the direction of presumptuous human non-Biblical teachings. The idea that God must be worshiped only in the way He has instituted has had a profound influence in Biblical churches. Man made rules are for a man made religion. In these cases, churches and entire denominations become their own “god” and are misplaced in their zeal for their rules. The regulative principle of worship states that God is to be worshiped according to His will as set forth in the Scriptures. This may at first be accepted, but it comes at a price. Culturally, you will be swimming upstream. Under the regulative principle of worship, since the Bible does not prescribe the remembrance of Christ’s birthday or Easter, both of those holidays would be out. The Biblical feasts would be back in. Candidly, I believe Paul would not celebrate Christmas or Easter.