Written by Paul J Bucknell on June, 10, 2020

Colossians 2:1-7 Rooted in the Riches of Christ

“Christ is before all things, and in Him all things hold together. He is also head of the body, the church; and He is the beginning, the first-born from the dead; so that He Himself might come to have first place in everything. For it was the Father’s good pleasure for all the fulness to dwell in Him, and through Him to reconcile all things to Himself, having made peace through the blood of His cross; through Him, I say, whether things on earth or things in heaven” (Colossians 1:17-20).

The Apostle Paul was in every way possible uniting the glory of Christ Jesus with the practical aspects of our Christian lives. He did this in chapter 1 and continues on in chapter 2. In chapter 1, the apostle spoke both of the exalted Christ as well as our goal of growing up in Christ. He seemed to do such a wonderful job at this, but with the problems the church was facing, it is obvious that Paul needed to more thoroughly address this issue; thus, these verses in chapter two.

At that time, the church was increasingly being troubled by mystics that claimed knowledge was the key to salvation. Gnosticism had not yet grown to a full, readably identifiable cult-like status, but the underpinnings were already laid. On the one hand, Paul states the glory of Jesus Christ and that knowing Him is the key to gaining that faith, but he also states that living your life shaped by Jesus is critical to a stable and growing Christian life. On the one hand, Paul states the glory of Jesus Christ and that knowing Him is the key to gaining that faith, but he also states that living your life shaped by Jesus is critical to a stable and growing Christian life.

As Paul goes into chapter two, (a division marking, only later added and not inspired) he repeats himself somewhat. His argument is clear. The knowledge of Christ is never separated from our lives. Genuine faith in Christ powerfully influences our choices and behavior. The more believers affirm this, the more they will grow in their Christian faith.

An Outline
The Power of the Gospel seen in chapter 1
There is a great problem that derives from our confidence in correct thinking, our knowledge. Knowledge can be separated from conviction and action. But as God sent His Son into the world, we find that those lofty plans must be realized to be genuine. Seminaries, places of theological training, miss out when they do not equip the person for living out the Christian life. What surprises me is that this is happening all around the world, even in such needy mission fields like India and in Africa. It is also seen in churches that have liturgies, prayers, services but do not touch one’s life. Confidence roots itself in some religious rule or ritual, rather than how the truth practically works out in their lives. We need the right theology—right thoughts about Jesus, but they need to be confirmed by our lives.

A. The Challenge of our Faith (Col 2:1-5)

1. Attain Maturity
2. Maintain Stability

B. The Course of our Faith (Col 2:6-7)

• What we know about Christ Jesus: “And we proclaim Him, admonishing every man and teaching every man with all wisdom” (Col 1:28a).
• has everything on how we live out our lives and: “that we may present every man complete in Christ” (Col 1:28b).
• how we serve others: “And for this purpose also I labor, striving according to His power” (Col 1:29).

Many children from Christian families grow up with this empty knowledge. To them, their faith is mere knowledge. Christ is remote from their lives. I would like to challenge you to ask Jesus to become personal to your lives. Ask Him to enter your lives and fill your whole heart. When our knowledge of Christ touches our personal lives in very practical ways, we are moved to respond in service.

“1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.” (Col 2:1-5 NASB).

1. Attain Faith (Col 2:2)

What we just saw in chapter one, we again see in the early part of chapter 2.

What we know about Christ Jesus

“…Resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col 2:2b-3).

has everything on how we live out our lives and

“For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf, and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face…” (Col 2:2a).

Paul is greatly struggling with how to protect the Colossian believers from the false ideas entering into the society and even the church. There must not be any room for disassociating what we believe with what we do. The mystical, what we believe, must be inextricably bound together with the practical Christian life.

Three Changes

So how does the Apostle Paul struggle to deepen their grasp of the truths of the Gospel? He shares with them three ways he struggles: 
Each will be looked at in a little bit more detail.
Paul first struggles to encourage believers. Paul is not carelessly rebuking them, but wants them to know that the truth of God’s Word can graciously ward off this attack. They are not to be dismayed that some believers are leaving the church or wonder if their own faith will hold out the doubts seeping into their hearts. Rebuking and caution must always be seasoned with kindness and genuine concern.

When doubts enter the congregation, one of the first things to go is love of the brethren. People become self-focused. Good theology necessarily must produce a greater love for God’s people. We might have seen ‘right’ doctrine cause division, but that teaching was not great but shallow and immature. How can the love of God, when properly understood, allow for the lack of love among believers? It is simply impossible.

1. “Hearts may be encouraged,”
2. “Having been knit together in love,” and
3. “Attained to all the wealth that come from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ.”

“Hearts may be encouraged”

“Having been knit together in love”

The image of knitting together provides an awesome integrated perspective of God’s people. They are one body. God’s truth will always produce love; otherwise that truth is corrupted, stained or imperfectly conceived of or practically carried out. The problem is never with knowing God, Christ or the truth for it always forms the perfect body of Christ.

“Attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ Himself, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.”

“Attained … wealth …understanding … Christ”

Paul is careful not to discard the glory of Christ to steer the confused believers back into the mainstream of faith because Jesus’ glory is inexpressibly great and always true. The mystery is revealed: Christ Jesus has come to unite God’s people to God again through His death on the cross and His life in us. Jesus has all the hidden treasures of wisdom and knowledge. There are no other hidden treasures from that set of truth jewels. No, it is all found in Jesus.

2. Maintain Stability (Col 2:4-5)

Paul also instructed the believers’ persistence in their faith. In chapter 1 he writes,

“If indeed you continue in the faith firmly established and steadfast, and not moved away from the hope of the gospel that you have heard, which was proclaimed in all creation…” (Col 1:23).

In chapter 2 he continues,

“I say this in order that no one may delude you with persuasive argument. 5 For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ” (Col 2:4-5).

Paul is compounding his efforts by negatively and positively exhorting them to hold onto their faith. One might think of a ship tossing back and forth as the believers frantically trying to hold to the rail less firmly they are overthrown into the angry sea. Without being in such circumstances, one might wonder how the dangers could be so persuasive. But think again! Great numbers of believers today are falling into our breed of untruths.

Christians, today are giving up their faith in the developing world because of the false philosophy/religion of secularism has entered many churches. First, churches are willing to give up their belief in the authority of the scriptures, the possibility of miracles, and then forsake the commands of Christ that affect our everyday lives. Naturalism and secularism have shot a long arrow right at the glory of Christ, denying His existence and the proof of God’s love.

Many, including many confessing Christians, openly admit that man just evolved from lower forms. They deny man’s high and special creation from being made in God’s image. The truths of God have been targeted one by one and the world hopes that the whole building will collapse. Though the church will never be destroyed, without due caution, our faith might run into jeopardy. Believers must be more attentive to the things that we believe deep down.

What we believe has everything to do with how our lives end up. False beliefs result in poor and inferior lives, resulting in eternal consequences. (Look at the statistics! The more a society drifts from the truth of God, the more trouble and pain and oppression takes place.)

B) The Course of our Faith (Col 2:6-7)

“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, 7 having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude” (Col 2:6-7).

The knowledge of Christ serves as the source of our infant faith as well as the goal of our faith, towards which we feverishly run.

The pattern is very clearly marked. The way we received our faith will be the same for our continued growth. It is impossible to separate the two for the faith that begins is destined to grow. The mark of life is growth.

The pattern established: New spiritual birth

In Colossians 2:6 we see the past tense used: “have received Christ Jesus the Lord.” (Note it does not say “as Lord,” making it a different experience from receiving Christ as Savior, as many believers speculate.) By receiving Christ Jesus the Lord, the full exalted Lord enters our lives. Paul expands on this at the end of Colossians chapter 1. The “have received” speak about what has happened and will continue to have influence into the future. Practically, Paul is stating that the union with God through Christ and the Spirit’s work in our lives continues on, and so, this growth should be anticipated.

It is one of the flaws of evangelists to stress the initial stage of Christian conversion only to dismiss the importance of maintaining one’s faith. We appreciate their efforts of assuring believers of eternal life and affirm the basis of faith in Christ’s blood and resurrection as the foundation of our salvation, but here as in other places, we need to move on and present the whole picture of faith. Dangers await these new believers.

This third phrase, “Being established in your faith,” is also in the present passive tense. Whereas the ‘build up’ focuses on growth and the building process, ‘establish’ speaks of strengthening the process.

Pattern imitated: “now being….”

The pattern of the Christian life is associated with our salvation. That is the “As” pattern: “As… so….” In other words we should see a similarity to what we experienced with what we will see. Paul attempts to filter out the way false beliefs enter the Christian congregations. If we focus on how we were saved, that which is clearly seen and noted, then believers should not be as susceptible to foreign false beliefs from entering in.

So walk in Him

This phrase as a whole describes the Christian walk. Who is to walk? The believers. Who is the Him? That is Jesus Christ. Jesus is a living Savior, not merely a remembered one, entombed only in our thoughts. The phrase “in Him” can be variously translated. In this case, “with Him” speaks of a relationship with Christ. Just as two friends might talk about their lives together, so is the fellowship we believers ought to have with our Lord. Other translations include “in Him,”–making it rather mystical, or “by Him,” which emphasizes the means by which we live and grow.

Paul in verse 6 asserts our Christian faith as “walking with Jesus.” In verse 7, Paul expands this. First, he affirms what has happened: “having been firmly rooted.” This is our salvation experience. We might think of a towering tree, knowing its roots penetrate deeply into the earth along with branches that stretch out with dangling fruit. The roots are there, and as our faith grows, the roots grow. But notice how Paul describes our present faith.

Paul uses two phrases to describe the Christian life. They are both marked by the word “now.”
Every building needs a foundation. Foundations are always important and shape the entire building. The greater the building, the more important the foundation becomes. The word ‘build’ refers to the believers spiritual growth and development. It is expected to occur. Who would think one would bother with a foundation if there is no building? Note that the use of building, however, clearly comes from being ‘in Him,’ which refers to the means by which a believer grows. We are saved by Jesus and grow by more deeply knowing Him, not just knowing about Him.

The word ‘established’ answers all the warnings of being unstable in one’s faith. The believer need not worry about how another believer might give up his or her faith for the world. The believer can continue on in his or her Christian faith untouched by the evil one.

• “Being built up in Him”
   
• “Established in your faith”
   

Secondary Spiritual experiences?

Many believers, dissatisfied with their Christian lives, seek a secondary experience. This is dangerous. We should not look at our spiritual development as a series of experiences, though, no doubt, we will experience various things as we grow. As verse 6 states, our Christian faith is one whole package, like any living thing. The roots are another expression of the organism that bears the branches and fruit. However, our Christian life experience should deepen in its knowledge of Jesus where we are increasingly influenced by Jesus’ perspectives, likes and dislikes, etc.

Discipleship-oriented

Paul closes with some interesting words in verse 7, “just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.” Paul’s struggle is largely manifested through instruction, verbal, and written communication, guiding them on what to do and not to do. The apostle, in content and method, establishes the foundation for the church. We should not replace the instruction; it remains to be the chief means to become stable believers. This instruction develops God’s grace and the empowerment of the Spirit of Christ in us, making us stand firm and grow stronger, avoiding the many subtle worldly philosophies trying to entangle us.

Summary thoughts

• The Christian life is dependent on spiritual birth: know Jesus Christ, not just information about Him.
• Avoid the extremes of mysticism and religious works.
• Confront doubts with a quest to know the truth.
• God’s people daily connect with Jesus by walking with Him, reading His Word and obeying Him.
• Disciple others: take part in instructing others to be stable and active in their faith.
• Past commitment to Christ must be preserved by a present life of devotion to Jesus.

Application Questions

1. Have you gained that initial faith in Christ? Do you know Jesus?
2. What areas about God (not religion) have become more evident and affected your life choices?
3. What are some daily or weekly activities you do to build up your faith?
4. How do you handle those times your faith seems to waver back and forth? What was Paul’s recommendations for you?