Colossians 2:17-23

Previous studies identified the source of the Colossian Erosi as Gnosticism.

The ascetic aspect is one of the basic targets in Paul's writings in Colossians chapter 2.

Now, as we briefly summarize this chapter, Jesus Christ is revealed to us the mysteries of God. We do not need special knowledge as the Gnostics are referred to.

And Paul then warns the Colossians and basically is a warning to all of us not to be deceived by persuasive words. That's what he says in verse 4. And then in verse 8, we are warned by Paul that it were those that were coming in with false ideas, false philosophies. And they, as Paul says, yeah, they could cheat you or defraud you, in this case, defraud the Colossians, with empty deceit according to the traditions of man, not according to Christ. Then Paul continues saying that in Christ dwells the fullness of God. And further than he says that Christ, that in Christ are all our sins forgiven. We are, in other words, spiritually circumcised in Christ. Little further on than in verse 14, he says Christ wiped out all our sins.

In other words, the sentence of our transgression, you know, the wages of sin is death. And he has completely annulled the evidence of our sins by nailing this evidence over his head on the cross.

Now, obviously, it's not the Ten Commandments, but it's this evidence that we have sinned. So, the charges against us, where it's very clear in the Bible, according to Romans 6.23, is basically the death penalty. And those charges are fully paid by what Christ has done, as we can see in verse 14, and in fact, verse 13 and 14. And then in verse 15, Paul says, as a result of that, he made a public spectacle of demons.

And therefore, in verse 16, the collagians should not allow these heretics to judge them, those outsiders coming in and judging through Christians. They should not allow that, because the ascetics considered feasting as indulging in the flesh and thus sinful. So, this was, in other words, all about asceticism.

For instance, yeah, when we read in verse 16, in collagians chapter 2, let no one judge you in food or in drink. This was about asceticism. Now food and drink, I mean, people could say, well, it's unclean meats, but it's actually in eating. And also, so it's not talking about unclean eating, because look at it, it's also in drinks or drinking. And there's no quote-unquote unclean drinks.

Sure, people may abuse drinking with alcohol, but it's not talking about unclean drinks. So, it's not talking about a question of clean and unclean foods. It's talking about, let no one judge you in eating and in drinking. And so, what is it? It basically is that, as we've seen, he's talking about Gnosticism and specifically asceticism. And therefore, he's talking about the Christian liberty of rejoicing during the celebration of God's feasts. We have that liberty when we go to the feast to rejoice, to be happy, to enjoy good food and drinking and having Christian fellowship, basically breaking the bread together with fellow brethren, and enjoying God's feasts or God's festivals that way.

So, Paul is saying, don't allow these heretics judge you in eating and in drinking. In other words, how you eat and how you drink. Next thing he says, or regarding. Now, the word he translated as regarding, that regarding is in the New King James Version, is translated respect in the Old King James Version. Let no one judge you in respect. In the NIV, the New International Version, says with regard, the actual Greek word is Greek 3313, meros, which means a section of or a portion of or an aspect of.

So, in this passage also, the words which are the nouns festival, new moon, or Sabbath's, have what they call a genitive case ending. In other words, it's like in English a word has apostrophe s as an ending, which implies that something belongs to somebody or something. For instance, like it's John's book. It means it's the book that belongs to John. So, these words festival, new moon, and Sabbath's had this type of ending that meant they belong to or to something or somebody. And so, also, these nouns, festival, new moon, or Sabbath's, do not have in Greek the definite article that, that, it was that festival or that new moon or that Sabbath's, which implies it's more referring to the quality or nature of these days, not to the identity that is this day or that day.

So, putting it all together, when we really judge you in eating and drinking, in regarding to, means in a portion or an aspect related to the inherent quality or nature of the festival or the new moon or Sabbath's. And so, don't allow anybody judge you or criticize you in a portion or aspect of festivals, new moon, or Sabbath's. In other words, they were talking about don't allow anybody to criticize you, how you observing them.

It was not about whether you had or not to observe them, it was about how they were observed. In other words, the manner they observed. In other words, eating and drinking, that's how you observe. In other words, you observe God's festivals in a joyous, breaking bread situation where you fellowship and you enjoy fellowship and you break bread together. You eat and drink. What obviously is in quantities that are proper and not overeating, not over-drinking, not abusing.

But you enjoy that with proper food that God has blessed according to his laws for us to eat. But these heretics, we're judging the collusions about how they were eating and drinking, about the act of eating and drinking in the process of worship. And so that's what we see in verse 16. So let no one criticize you or judge you in eating and drinking as far as or regarding how you do it at one of God's festivals. And then verse 17 says, which are a shadow of things to come.

So these festivals represent or picture or foreshadow things in the future. They are. So it's not they were. In other words, it's not past, but it's present. They are. So they're not obsolete. They are. And also a shadow. They are a shadow. Now, for instance, if you stand out in the sun and, for instance, you see a shadow caused by a tree and then you see the tree's shadow, for instance, or you see the shadow of something else, of a house or something else, it means that the tree or the house is there. You know, a shadow is caused by something that is there. It's not by something that is obsolete.

Now, the other interesting word to take note here in this verse, verse 17, which it says, which are.

So these holy days are shadows of things to come. You know, where they point to things in the future, like the kingdom of God, the millennium, and the judgment, the second resurrection. They all have meanings. They all foreshadow something, things to come. But then it goes on. But the substance. Now, this word substance is from the Greek 4983. Now, this word in Greek is Selma. S-O-M-A Selma. This word appears nothing else than 146 times in the New Testament. And it's always translated body, always translated body, except in some modern translations in the specific verse.

Otherwise, it's always translated body. 146 times translated body, even in more traditional versions, like the King James versions translated, or the old King James versions translated as body.

So the word Selma is body. And so it could refer to a human body or as the spiritual body of Christ.

And also one should note that the word is after substance, it's got the word is. That word is in some Bible versions appears in italics, which means it's not in the original Greek.

So a more accurate translation from the Greek would be the body of Christ.

And Paul himself in this epistle, for instance, in Corossians 1 verse 24, he says, for the sake of his body, which is the church. So the body of Christ is the church. In other words, so Paul is talking about the Church of God.

And so for ascetics, to celebrate any of God's festivals with godly eating and drinking was completely wrong. For them, there should be abstinence. It's like fasting, rather than rejoicing when you keep the feast with enjoying good food and and fellowship.

And so Paul, he is saying, let no one judge you or don't allow these heretics to judge you or criticize you. How you observe God's early days, God's festivals, for instance, new moon, the only of God's festivals that falls on the new moon is the day of trumpets. There was a day of trumpets symbolize. The day of trumpets symbolizes Christ's coming.

And so it foreshadows things of the future. They all point to Jesus Christ and his coming future. The the feast of Tabernacles points to the millennium. The last great day of the eighth day points to the second resurrection. And the judgment goes with it, which is a wonderful meaning that we have in the church. Understanding, let's put it this way, it's wonderful. And so let no one judge you. That's what Paul is telling to the brethren in Colossae about how to observe God's early days. But rather let the church of God tell you how to observe these early days. That's what these two verses are saying, verses 16 and 17. And so it's not individual members with their own ideas, but it's the body of Christ, the spiritual body of Christ, the church of God, that tells us how to observe God's early days, how to observe the feast, how to keep it. For instance, we have the church has said, okay, we're going to keep the feast this way. We're going to have services every day. But on the holy days, they are holy days, but on the other days, you can go out and do other things as well. But you have first services. You put God first.

And so this does what to the church? Well, brings unity, brings unity, because we all do the same thing. In a sense, we all speak the same thing. It brings unity. And thus, therefore, don't let people criticize you how you keep God's early days, but allow rather the church to tell you how to keep God's early days, how to keep the Sabbath. And it's godly traditions that we have on these days that God allows the church to give us this instruction, these principles, so that there is unity in the church. It is so beautiful that you go to, for instance, other countries. You go to Australia. You go to Canada. You go to South Africa. You go to Angola. You go to Brazil. You go to Chile. And everybody does it the same way. That brings unity to the church. And then it continues now in verse 18. Let no one cheat you. Now, yeah, let no one. It's like in verse 16. Let no one. So in verse 16 is don't allow these people to criticize you. And then in verse 18, like in verse 16 says, also let these same heretics not, I beg your pardon, not cheat you. Now, the actual Greek for cheat is actually a word. It's Greek 2603, which is actually be arbitrating against you. The word arbitrate is like an empire. It's the one that is the empire that is kind of making decisions. For instance, let's see if we look at sports, the empire, it says, okay, penalty, green card, red card, you're out or whatever it may be. So let no one be arbitrating against you. In other words, make decisions against you or rule against you or judge the manner in a way that favors the other side. In other words, the Gnostic side, or to issue a ruling that goes against you or decide the case to your disadvantage. And so don't allow anyone to do that to you. Or in other words, disqualify you of your reward. You know, it's letting no one cheat you or disqualify you of your reward. And then he says, the taking delight in false humility. It was insisting in false humility. And so when you look at the context, he's saying, hey, don't let anyone judge you and how you keep God's elite eyes. And then he says, let no one judge you. In other words, cheat you in false humility.

Why? Because these Gnostic things as well don't feast, don't enjoy food, good food and good fellowship on one of God's festivals. But instead, for instance, you go to a festival and you fast. You've got to go to the feast and fast and really have this approach of appearing very humble.

And he says, therefore, don't take the light in this false humility and worship of angels.

In other words, this false humility is like punishing the body, like penance and worship of angels. It's like this Gnostic idea of climbing up the ladder of different emanations. Remember, the Gnostics had all these different emanations as you get further and further down the ladder, you got nearer to the physical. But as you went up this ladder of emanations, you got nearer and to the spiritual, to God. And this is basically different degrees or levels of angels, quote-unquote, demons, demons. So don't do that in the worship of angels. In other words, intruding into those things which he has not seen. These are things that you got to be careful because it's things that you do not see. An important scripture related to that is Ephesians chapter 6, just a few pages back, Ephesians chapter 6 verse 12. And it says, for we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in heavenly places. It was we're fighting against these evil powers, basically different levels of demons. And so these sort of ideas, that's what it says, don't allow anybody to cheat you of your reward or disqualify of your reward in these gnostic beliefs or ideas because they're inappropriate. They are not godly. And basically saying we don't need to go through different angels quote-unquote demons. In a sense, it's like conceptually like the Catholics have when you die. You go to purgatory, for instance, and they are different quote-unquote compartments to go through in this stage of purgatory to get to a higher level. Similar type of concept. Or idolatry, like go through Virgin Mary instead of, you know, we only have one mediator and that's Christ. Or, for instance, like you have the Rosary and you've got to go through by saying so many our fathers and so many Hail Marys around the Rosary. You know, these are all pagan ideas, basically. And in these things have an appearance of wisdom. That's asceticism. If you read right at the end of this chapter, verse 23, it says, these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom. They have no value to hold back the passions of the flesh. Anyway, continuing in verse 18, this worship of angels basically is worshiping demons.

This is basically idolatry. Now, the righteous angels are there. They are around us. For what? To help us achieve salvation and to protect us. But we do not pray to angels. It's like some people say, well, I've got to ask my guardian angel. We don't pray to angels. There are angels around us, but do you really have a specific guardian angel? I would be surprised if that is the case. I don't think it is, but there are angels protecting us in different circumstances. And so, let's not have the thinking or the mindset that there is angelic beings assigned to specific people. And therefore, even some people have heard in some of these cases, they ask this being to tell them what's going to happen to them today. And then they sit with a pencil and a paper, and they just let their minds go. And then they write something as they quote-unquote inspired by these angels, quote-unquote, demons. And we've got to be careful not to fool around with these things, with demons. That is not godly. That is not of God. Yes, we do know there are angels on the background, but we are not to worship them in any way. Now, it says here in verse 18, which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind. So, people have these ideas, and they get puffed up with these ideas. Now verse 19, and not holding fast to the head from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments grows with the increase that is from God. We have to hold fast, and the word holding fast is from the Greek kratheo, 2902, which is use strength to hold to, use power, be powerful, seize, retain.

And where does the spiritual growth come from? The growth comes through Christ, and it's God that gives us the increase of growth. See, that's what it says, growth, growth with the increase that is from God. But we hold fast to the head, we hold fast to Christ. And so, we all from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments. So, we all are nourished by this power that comes from God. We got to hold on to it, we got to hold fast, and we're all fast to the head, to Christ. And through him, we receive the growth. So, there's no spiritual growth with God except, in other words, being except or apart as being united with the head, which is Christ. We've got to be united, we've got to be in close contact with Christ, holding on to Christ, and that through him, we're going to get spiritual growth. And so, reviewing these verses 16 through 19 says, don't allow people to judge you. How you keep God's early days. Don't allow people to cheat you of your reward. In other words, don't allow people to disqualify you. You've got to hold on to Christ to hold power and strength. Hold fast to what the church, Jesus Christ's spiritual body, has taught us. Stick to the things that have been taught to us. We've got to understand the meaning and value of God's plan of salvation, God's early days, and how to observe them correctly, and hold fast to Christ, which is the head of the church. Now, let's hold this word, hold fast.

Cratayo is the same word that is used in Revelation 3 verse 11. So, let's look at Revelation 3 verse 11. Because Revelation 3 verse 11 says, Behold, I'm coming quickly. Hold fast. The same Greek word to what you have. We've got to hold fast to what we have. So, it's a basically so that no one cheats you of your reward. In other words, that no one may take your crown. It's such an interesting parallel.

So, the logical conclusion could be that we may be jeopardizing our crown by throwing away or not holding to how to keep God's early days the correct way, and particularly not even keeping them and keeping God's Sabbath the correct way.

It's so important. And how can people deceive us through persuasive words, as we read in verse 4, and philosophies of man, as we read in verse 8. And so, going back to collagions, chapter 2 verse 16 through 19, it's a very interesting section that says, you know, don't let these people criticize you, deviate you with persuasive words that you don't have to keep God's early days or whatever it is, or how to keep them, because it could be a case that they would cheat you of your crown. And then it continues now in verse 20, therefore, therefore, if you died with Christ, you see, when have we died with Christ? When we are baptized, when we are baptized, the old man dies, our old man dies with Christ. We make a commitment to live according to the new man. And so, therefore, if you died with Christ, if you really made a commitment and you are baptized, this is died of Christ from what? From what? From the basic principles of the world. Now, we did talk about this word, basic principles, because some Bible versions talk translated as basic rudiments. That is Greek 47-47, stochion, which means the basic elements of the world. I went through that in the previous study. Say, the English standard version puts it this way. If we with Christ, you died, if we with Christ died to the elements, elemental spirits of the world. And so, therefore, if we with Christ died to the element spirit of the world, why do you live as if you are in the world? What is the elemental spirits of the world? We died to these demons, to these ideas and philosophies of Gnosticism. Why do you live as if you are in the world? Why you live like you did in the past? Why are you going back? Why do you submit to these teachings regulations of the Gnostic world? That's what it says here. It says, why is there living in the world? Do you subject yourselves to regulations? Verse 21, he has an example of the relations. It's like a statement in brackets, in parentheses, that it says, do not touch, do not taste, do not handle. These are Gnostic regulations. This is asceticism. These are ascetic approaches. In other words, don't touch this, do not taste that, do not handle. These are physical things. And that's what it says.

Which, verse 22, which all concerned things, which perish with the using. These are physical things, and they all will perish. And so, if we read verse 20 and 22, and considering that verse 21 is like in between brackets, in between parentheses, it says in verse 20, therefore, seeing that you've died with Christ from these elemental spirits, these pagan demonism and all this idolatry, you've died of Christ from this. Why do you subject yourselves to regulations, which all concerned things, which perish with the using, according to the commandments and doctrines of man?

So, what are these regulations? These are commandments and doctrines of man. These are traditions of man. And so, why do you go back to these worldly things? It's not talking about the commandments of God, but it's talking about these ideas, these philosophies, these persuasive words of people that are convincing people to go the wrong direction.

Verse 23, these things, what things? These commandments, these doctrines, these traditions, these philosophies of man, they appear wisdom. They appear to be wise. So, it says, these things indeed have an appearance of wisdom in self-imposed religion, self-imposed religion. Here it was not God-imposed religion, self-imposed religion. And then it says false humility and neglect of the body. And then it says, but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. In other words, they have no value for you and I to overcome the things of the flesh, the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, the pride of life. Oh, these are so basic, important things. The things of the flesh, of the eyes, and the pride of life. Arrogance, when people are arrogant, are proud. It's my way. It's going to be my way.

Wow, that we got to humble ourselves. Now, so lust, lust of the flesh, lust of the eyes, the pride of life are applicable to everybody. You know, for instance, a blind man can still lust. A person with his hands cut off and feet cut off can still covet.

Sin is in the mind. In the mind, it's the pride of life which is in the mind and in the heart. And these are the things that we have to deal with, that we have to overcome.

And so, brethren, this chapter, chapter two, I spent a little time, three Bible studies going through chapter two. It's a chapter that people have many misunderstandings. In fact, chapter one and chapter two of Colossians are very important because Paul is talking about these ideas of man, Gnostic ideas, and today we have our own little varieties of these ideas. We have them. And so, this is a chapter that we need to be able to explain it to ourselves and to others. We really need to study this chapter very, very carefully. In the next chapter, now Paul brings out more Christian applications and encouragement. But in the next chapter, because it's a big break in thought from what was covered in the first two chapters, we will cover the next chapter in the next Bible study.