| Bible Books Doctrines Words Lord Jesus Christ Messages Hermey Salvation Humm Site Help |
| search tips | advanced search |
In
Colossians
2
Paul
expresses
his
personal
concern
as
the
minister
of
Christ.
He
is
worried
that
men
should
beguile
you
with
enticing
words
.
With
this
in
mind,
he
tells
us
how
to
stay
in
Christ.
First,
we
must
be
aware
that
we
can
be
spoiled
if
we
get
our
doctrine
from
anyone
except
Christ
Jesus
the
Lord.
Next
we
are
told
about
physical
and
spiritual
things
which
will
be
removed
from
our
life
if
we
truly
get
our
doctrine
from
Christ
Jesus
the
Lord.
Those
people
who
have
been
saved
for
some
time
and
have
not
removed
these
things,
or
are
not
removing
these
things,
are
not
in
Christ.
Then
Paul
warns
us
about
losing
the
things
from
God
if
we
do
wrong
religious
acts.
After
this
Paul
asks
a
question
designed
to
make
us
seriously
think
about
what
he
just
said
and
he
ends
the
chapter
by
telling
us
that
religion
only
looks
good
to
the
world.
A summary of the sentences in this chapter is:
should beguile you with enticing words.
As ye have...received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him...
spoilingdoctrine.
dead with Christthen why are you responding to prompts that you are supposed to be dead to?
Paul's
main
concern
was
that
religious
people
would
lead
us
astray
from
following
Christ
and
that
we
would,
therefore,
miss
out
on
the
blessings
available
to
us.
Therefore,
he
was
sending
this
epistle
to
tell
us
that
all
the
treasures
of
wisdom
and
knowledge
are
hid
in
Christ.
As
a
result,
we
need
to
get
these
things
from
Christ,
and
not
anywhere
else.
In
addition,
we
also
have
to
do
it
God's
way
or
we
won't
receive
what
God
has
available
for
us.
This
chapter
gives
us
details
about
what
is
in
Christ
,
but
that
is
only
part
of
the
message
for
today.
In this chapter Paul is going to tell us how to get God's blessings God's way. The primary concern that Paul has is problems caused by false teachers trying to get people to go a different way from God's way. Therefore, Paul warns us about doctrines which will spoil us and also warns us about being beguiled. Think of a fruit which looks good on the outside but is written on the inside. That is one way that religion spoils Gods people. It excuses internal sin and rot so long as we look good on the outside. Another way is revealed by the fact that things taken by a conquering army are called spoils. Satan wants to take the riches that Christ wants to give us. Satan uses religion and false doctrines to do this. With that in mind, we can now look at the first sentence of this chapter which introduces the entire chapter.
For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you,
and for them at Laodicea,
and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;
That their hearts might be comforted,
being knit together in love,
and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding,
to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God,
and of the Father,
and of Christ;
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Paul
starts
this
sentence
with
For,
which
means
he
is
giving
the
reason
for
what
he
said
in
the
prior
sentence.
In
the
first
chapter
and
in
the
last
sentence
of
it
Paul
told
us
that
receiving
the
blessings
that
are
in
Christ
are
conditional.
Now
in
this
chapter
he
is
going
to
warn
us
about
false
teachers
who
will
lead
us
astray
and
cause
us
to
not
fulfill
God's
conditions.
The
result
of
following
false
teachers
is
that
we
lose
the
blessings
that
are
available
Christ.
No
honest
person
can
look
at
what
is
happening
today
and
claim
that
most
people
are
Christ.
Just
look
at
all
of
the
political
and
religious
leaders
being
caught
in
illegal
and
immoral
acts.
Look
at
all
of
the
divorce,
violence
and
other
things
done
by
the
average
man.
Our
religious
leaders
tell
us
that
we
are
in
Christ
(that
we
are
Christians)
but
we
do
not
have
the
blessings
of
being
true
Biblical
Christians.
In the First Step of this sentence Paul expresses his concern. Neither Christ nor Paul ignored our problem but sent us written instructions. In the Second Step of this sentence we are told the blessings that are available if we do things God's way and the results which will be in our life if we do things God's way. Our Third Step tells us where to get what we need in ordered to do the Second Step.
Blessings:their hearts might be comforted
being knit together in love
all of the riches of full assurance of understanding
acknowledgement of the mystery of God
acknowledgement of the mystery of the Father
acknowledgement of the mystery of Christ
With
this
in
mind,
we
can
now
look
at
these
three
mysteries
.
...to fulfill the word of God; Even the mystery...which is Christ in you(1:21-29). God had a personal relationship with Adam and Eve before they sinned. Sinful man has insisted on a formal religious relationship with God but we are told that the mystery of God is Christ in you. (Please follow that link to where there are further links all of the places in the Bible where this phrase is used.) As we have seen all throughout this site, this is the Biblical expression of an ongoing personal relationship between the saved and God. Those saved people who maintain this relationship receive things which the lost and back-slidden saved person does not receive. For example, in in Mark 4:11 and Luke 8:10 we read: And he said, Unto you it is given to know the mysteries of the kingdom of God: but to others in parables; that seeing they might not see, and hearing they might not understand. Jesus said this to His disciples. The main mystery of the kingdom of God is that God puts His character into saved disciples (Luke 17:21) and not into others. This is a change from what people understood before the church age and it makes no sense to the religious man. Thus, the Bible calls it a mystery.
In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.