Moving through the book of Colossians, today we look at chapter 2, verses 6-10. In verses 6-7, Paul exhorts the Colossians to live in Christ. Paul’s primary concern was that they continue to grow in Christ. In the following section, verses 8-23, Paul shows the higher and greater life in Christ. Also, Paul goes from encouraging them to continue to live in Christ, to condemning the Colossians for the false teaching that was diverting them from Christ. Verse 9 includes one of the most important verses regarding the deity of Christ by saying all of the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form.
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority. (ESV)
KEY TAKEAWAYS:
- The Christian walk is one of continual progress (v. 6-7)
- Christ was fully God and fully man (v. 9)
- Believers are fully complete in Christ. We have a complete salvation. (v. 10)
Closer Look:
Verses 6–7: These two verses conclude the argument begun in 1:15. Paul’s point may be summarized as such: “Divine exaltation belongs to Christ (1:15–20); in Him are found (a) reconciliation to God (1:21–23), (b) the revelation of the mystery of Christ (1:24–27), (c) believers’ perfection (1:28–29), and (d) education (wisdom) (2:1–5). Therefore believers should continue to live in Him (vv. 6–7).”[1]
The Christian life continues as it commenced: “as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, so walk (or continue to live) in Him.” Just as the Colossian believers had begun with Christ, so Paul encourages them to continue in their walk with Him. Paul gave the same kind of encouragement to others (cf. 2 Cor. 11:4; Gal. 1:6). Since their faith decision initially took hold on the apostolic gospel, Paul exhorted them not to forsake its divine authority for any fallacious arguments. For with these divine roots that began in the past they can be continually built up (edified) and established (or strengthened) in the faith. Paul uses four words to describe the Colossians’ walk with Christ. The tense of the word translated rooted denotes a complete action; the believers have been rooted in Christ. The next three words, built up, established, and abounding, are in the present tense, showing the continual growth that should characterize every Christian’s walk. The phrase, “just as you were taught” gives us a picture of the Bible building and strengthening the Christian who studies it. Epaphras had faithfully taught the Bible, but the false teachers were undermining that doctrine. Those who study God’s Word become established in the faith. Satan has a difficult time deceiving the Bible studying believer.
This being rooted, built up, and established in Christ corresponds well with Ephesians 4:14 on the results of this continual living in Christ. Meaning if they continue to walk in Him, they would not be blown to and fro with every wind of doctrine (Eph. 4:14).
As believers are “built up” in Christ, they become more grateful and are overflowing with thankfulness (cf. Col. 1:12). A thankful life is a mark of Christian maturity. By reviewing these ideas of spiritual progress, we see how the growing Christian can easily defeat the enemy and not be led astray. If a believer’s spiritual roots are deep in Christ, they will not want any other soil. If Christ is their sure foundation, they have no need to move somewhere else. If they are studying and growing in the Word, they will not be easily enticed by false doctrine. And if their heart is overflowing with thanksgiving, they will not even consider turning from the fullness they have in Christ. A grounded, growing, grateful believer will not be led astray.
Verse 8: This verse has been used at times to teach that Christians should not study or read philosophy.[2] This is not Paul’s meaning. Paul was adept at philosophy as evidenced by his interaction with the Stoic and Epicurean philosophers in Athens (Acts 17:1-34). Paul was warning the believers not to be taken in by any philosophy that does not conform to a proper knowledge of Christ. Paul was concerned that no false teacher take the Colossian believers “captive by philosophy and empty deceit” (cf. v. 4). He wrote here not against all philosophy but against false philosophy, as the Bible also speaks against false religion (James 1:26). The particular false philosophy at Colosse was “empty” (kenēs, hollow), “deceptive,” and based on human tradition rather than on Christ. True Christian philosophy “take[s] captive every thought to make it obedient to Christ” (2 Cor. 10:5). Philosophy is the love of wisdom, but if one loves wisdom that is not Christ (Col. 2:3), then, they love an empty idol.[3] Such a person will be “always learning but never able to acknowledge the truth” (2 Tim. 3:7).
The false teachers at Colosse had combined worldly philosophies with the gospel. This kind of philosophy is based on the world’s “elemental spirits” (stoicheia, “elementary principles” or “basic principles”; cf. Col. 2:20; Gal. 4:3, 9). This may refer to the evil spirits who inspire such heresy and over whom Christ triumphed (cf. 2 Cor. 4:3–4; Eph. 6:11–12).[4] Such a philosophy is demonic and worldly, not godly or Christlike.[5] Paul’s strongest indictment against the heretics was that their teaching was “not according to Christ,” and thus they were not walking with Christ. Unless believers are careful, such philosophy may ensnare them, taking them “captive.”
Verse 9: So Paul gave the true and lasting antidote to all false teaching. In verse 9, Paul proclaims the Incarnation, the fact that God became a man bodily. There is no “fullness” (plērōma)[6] in a philosophy based on vain human reasoning. The Gnostics used this word, but they did not give it the same meaning as did Paul. To them, the pleroma was the source of all the “emanations” through which men could come to God. The highest point in gnostic religious experience was to share in the pleroma. For in Christ the whole (or all the) fullness of the Deity lives. Consequently, only in Christ can one have fullness. Apart from Christ is emptiness. This early Gnostic-like heresy challenged both Christ’s deity and humanity. This also contradicts the Gnostic claim that Jesus is merely a spirit or an angel whose “body” was only apparent, not real. Paul affirmed here that Christ is both fully God and truly man (cf. 1 John 4:1–6). (Side Note: When Jesus Christ ascended to heaven, He went in a human body. It was a glorified body, to be sure, but it was real. After His resurrection, Jesus was careful to assure His disciples that He was the same Person in the same body; He was not a ghost or a spirit (see John 20:19–29).)
The word for “Deity” is theotētos,[7] a word used only here in the NT for Christ’s essence as God. The full deity of Christ is nonetheless in bodily form—a full humanity (cf. Col. 1:22).
Putting together the phrase, “fullness of the Godhead (Deity),” we need to expand a touch more to see the magnitude of Paul’s statement. The Greek word pleroma indicates “plenitude,” “complete,” and “totality.” The Gnostics used the word to describe the totality of all deities. Both Paul and John used the word to describe Christ who is the fullness, the plenitude of God, for all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily (1:19; 2:9). Since all of God’s fullness resides in Christ, every spiritual reality is found in Christ. In Jesus, we lack nothing. The Greek word theotetos for Godhead designates the totality of God’s natures and person. All the fullness of the Godhead “dwells” or “permanently resides” in the body of Jesus, the God-man.
Verse 10: Paul illustrates the adequacy of Christ by demonstrating how the Colossian believers are complete. Not only is all the “fullness” of God in Christ (v. 9), but also believers have been filled in Christ or given fullness in Him. Their fullness of life comes from Christ’s fullness. They partake of the divine nature through Christ (2 Peter 1:4), for “from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace” (John 1:16). In Christ, the Colossians have put off the power of sin and the flesh (v. 11), have received new life (vv. 12-13), have been forgiven, have been delivered from requirements laid down by human traditions (v. 14), and have been freed from the powers of the demonic beings (v. 15). This, of course, does not mean believers become God or are elevated to the same stature as Jesus, but simply share in Him. They have or share in the goodness of the nature which He is. They share in the body of Him ”who is the Head” (cf. Col. 1:18) over every ruler (archēs, “power”) and authority (exousias, “ruling power”) (cf. 1:16; 2:15), including those who would talk the Colossians into living according to the world instead of according to Christ. There is nothing that the Christian needs to add to what was received in Christ at the time of conversion. Paul emphasizes the sufficiency of Christ in order to refute the Gnostics and the Judaizers who respectively believed that special knowledge or works were necessary to make a Christian complete. Just as Jesus was fully God, believers are fully complete in Him. Nothing lacks in salvation. 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
FOOTNOTES:
[1] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 677.
[2] Earl D. Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, H. Wayne House, eds., Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary (Nashville: Nelson, 1999), 1565.
[3] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 677.
[4] Some take this to mean elementary rules and regulations that certain teachers were seeking to impose on believers according to the dictates of human philosophy.
[5] Norman L. Geisler, “Colossians,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, eds. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton: Victor Books, 1985), 677.
[6] Strong’s 4138; BDAG – “That which fills (up); that which makes something full/complete, supplement, complement.” Also, “that which is full of something.”
[7] Strong’s 2320. BDAG – “the state of being god, divine character/nature, deity, divinity”