Bible Study for Texas for 10_19_92203

Posted: 9/19/03

Lesson for Oct. 19

Colossians 2:6-23

Lose the rules

By Joe McCammon

One of the all-time favorite children's fables is “Little Red Riding Hood.” Its popularity may be a product of its simple lessons taught. One of these lessons is to beware those who may deceive you.

The big, bad wolf had been watching his potential prey and devised a plan to get what he wanted. He would trick the girl into thinking he was her grandmother. The wolf locked the grandmother in a closet and disguised himself. The unsuspecting girl enters her grandmother's bedroom and looks curiously at the figure in the bed. She says, “Grandmother, what big eyes you have!” The wolf replies, “The better to see you with, my dear.” She then observes, “What big ears you have!” “The better to hear you with,” says the wolf. The little girl finally says, “Grandmother, what big teeth you have!” The impatient wolf then leaps from the bed and yells, “The better to eat you with, my dear!” The story has a good ending as a lumberjack rescues the little girl and the grandmother.

Paul's letter to the Colossians reveals he feared his fellow believers had been deceived into believing what eventually became known as the “Colossian heresy.” He felt the false doctrine of gnosticism was being disguised as a simplistic lifestyle which basically put man at the helm of achieving righteousness. The creeping heresy included a combination of speculations about the nature of God, strange powers, reverence to angelic creatures, food taboos and ascetic practices with similarities to Judaism.

Even though many parts of this philosophy can be assumed, still there is much we will never know of the extent to which this way of thinking affected their world. They claimed to have a secretive wisdom known only to those who accepted their philosophy and the “brotherhood” of its disciples. Paul did not confront the heresies point by point, but in a positive way reminded them of the life which they now had in Christ.

The Gnostics separated matter from thought, considering matter as evil which elevated knowledge as the ultimate way to salvation. This is why they did not want to admit to the humanity of Jesus. From Paul's point of view, the gospel of “grace unto salvation” was being compromised with a return to beliefs and practices leading to bondage under the law. He had told the Ephesians in a sister letter, written almost simultaneously with this epistle to the Colossians, “By grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the gift of God; not as a result of works” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

This letter follows the usual pattern of Paul's epistles in that he develops his main thesis in the first part and then makes very practical applications of this truth to daily living in the second half of the letter. In the second chapter, he stresses the way of holiness is not through asceticism (self-abasement), promoting only spiritual selfishness and efforts to control the passions. He contended that righteousness comes only by putting on Christ, setting one's affections on him, and thus removing everything from our lives contrary to his will. He emphasizes three points he wanted his readers to remember: They were established in Christ, they must beware of false teachings and they were free to live for Christ.

Faith established

Paul sums up his main emphasis for the remainder of the letter in verses 6-7, which exhort the Colossian believers to continue to demonstrate their faith in Jesus Christ and to express thankfulness for the privileges that were theirs in him. They must first come to a place where they should not seek to find “another gospel,” or “another Jesus” (2 Corinthians 11:4; Galatians 1:6). His point is clear: If they would only remain established and settled in the way of Christ, they would have no problems with false doctrine which undermined the gospel of Christ.

Paul beseeches them to seek not only the first basis of their faith, but their continual “strengthening in the faith” which rests in him. In the gnostic teaching, faith was held good for the beginner or the common follower of this way and “knowledge was the bright particular jewel of those who went on to perfection.” Paul expresses the urgency of taking this false teaching seriously, since it could bring to void the gospel of Christ and his sacrifice for our sin.

The goal of every Christian, therefore, can be seen in at least three efforts: (1) keep the view of our final glory in Christ uninterrupted, (2) guard against all things which might be done of our own choice and (3) practice true humility of heart.

Beware of deceivers

Paul's real concern seems to elevate with verse 8. His urgency compelled him to warn the Colossians that they were susceptible to a very dangerous heresy which could possibly bring to void the teachings of truth brought to them. The word “spoil” is a military term which means to “take captive,” the spoils of spiritual warfare. The apostle conceded deceivers would always be out there, but believers should never surrender in defeat to the “enemy.” In this case, the efforts of the enemy were being manifested in a subtle way. It was very enticing to some to accept a doctrine which seemed to have all the “answers.”

When the serpent, Satan, enticed Adam and Eve in the garden, he approached first the woman with promises of having all the answers about life. He deceived them by claiming they would not really die if they disobeyed God. Little did they know the consequence would be spiritual death as a result of their sin. They would be separated from the fellowship with God which they had previously enjoyed. The truth of God cannot be intimidated by anything that is anti-Christ and antagonistic toward the gospel of grace through Jesus.

Many false religions today claim to have all the answers. It is often the case that just the assertion of possessing a unique or special teaching should be enough for the Christians to be suspicious.

Some true Christians even today may tend to still rely on and give more attention to rituals and rules, do's and don't's, oughts and shoulds–rather than to Christ. A short list of these would be: making our own deals with life and even with God for our salvation rather than relying on Christ by gaining knowledge and amassing good works; being famous or at least having a good reputation; acquiring money; having things; getting power; engaging in moralistic rule-keeping; attending church “every time the doors are open”; getting baptized; singing the right songs; not saying the wrong words; participating in community events; helping the needy; etc.

Paul would admonish all believers to stand firm on the truth of God in Christ and stay clear of such ways of allowing false teachers to take hold.

Dying to live

It was essential for the readers to acknowledge again that they had died to the ways of this world and the spiritual powers which sought to lead them astray. Paul wanted to turn their thinking back to the way of truth. With a couple of rhetorical questions, he wanted to know, first, why they were living as though still being part of the world without Christ; and second, why they had apparently made an about-face to turn back to the old ways of living under certain rules and regulations.

“The legalists used elementary ABC's of legalism to seduce the early Christians and steer them away from Christ. Paul observed about himself, 'When I was a child, I spoke as a child, thought as a child, reasoned as a child; when I became a man, I put away childish things, elementary things' (1 Corinthians 13:11). We are certainly not free of the possibility of the same heresy taking hold even today. How should we respond to legalism? Paul said we need a funeral. Die with Christ to such legalism (2:20).” (Duane Brooks, Baptistway Study Guide)

In the city of Athens, Paul was confronted by Jews, devout men and philosophers concerning this “new doctrine” which he was proclaiming (Acts 17:16-34). The apostle was “stirred within when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry” (Acts 17:16). He had the wonderful opportunity to share with them what God intended for everyone to know about the way of grace and the life that only Jesus can bring to them. He proclaimed, “For in him we live, and move, and have our being” (Acts 17:28). To the Colossians, he was saying, “Since you are alive in Christ, do not fall to anything that would bring to death the Spirit and presence of God in your lives.”

Spread the news

An additional concern for Paul was that gnosticism would undermine the very spread of the gospel. Either the gospel would be silenced altogether by default or the Christians would become judgmental toward those who did not accept the false teaching, which most of the rest of the world sees us to be even now. We can have moral standards, however, that reflect Christ and live in humility toward others exemplified by the Savior. We have a mandate as those who possess the truth of Christ. We must do all we can in the power of the Spirit and with the mission that God has set before us to win our community, our state, and our world for Christ.

How much better to obey willingly than by compulsion!

Questions for discussion

What were some of the evidences of legalism among the Colossian Christians?

Name some possible heresies among believers and false religions in our world today.

How can we guard the church from false teachings of the primacy of laws and rules?

What to Paul was the most grievous affect of the heresy which he confronted?