Colossians 1:21-2:5 Christ in them.

1:21 – Their former condition and their current life in Christ. There are three sets of triplets in this section of Colossians.

Before coming to Christ.

1.)    Alienated (1:21)

2.)    Hostile

3.)    Evil deeds

Now their standing in Christ by redemption in his blood.

1.)    Holy (1:22)

2.)    Blameless

3.)    Above reproach

The quality of the life of the believer in Christ.

1.)    Stable (1:23)

2.)    Steadfast

3.)    Not shifting from the hope of the gospel

The recipients are described before their faith; after they believed;  and the hope for their completion (“perfection”) as they live the Christian life until death.

1:22, “but now” (in the ESV, “and he now”) describes the break-point between what they were before their believed and what they are now.

The change came about through the work of Christ in which “he has reconciled in his body of flesh by his death in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (1:22).

To these triplets is added the condition or test of the validity of their faith, “if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel …” (1:23).

Afflictions of their behalf. 2:1-5.

There is a shift in 2:1-5. Paul is concerned about the way the church was facing this disruptions and doctrinal challenges of their day (see below a discussion about Gnosticism). Notice the aspirations Paul lists for his friends at Colossae:

(2:2) Discouragement  — he wants their “hearts to be encouraged.”

(2:2) Being pulled apart — he wants them to be “knit together in love.”

(2:2) At risk of missing the whole of the Gospel — he wanted them “to reach all the riches of full assurance.”

(2:3) Threatened with Gnostic faith changing the meaning of the gospel — “in Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (gnosis).”

(2:4) Risk of being “deluded” — “be fully taught, to know the truth of Christ.”

Paul shared the difficulty of his current life, “I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake …” His imprisonment was part of his sufferings. But it could be his strivings on their behalf in prayer and the concern he had for them to finish well and not be “deluded” or that they may not finish unto the end (teleion), to maturity.

The purpose for which Paul “struggled” so for these people was so that their hearts would be “encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance.” His struggle would result in their assurance and love.

2:3 – All the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

The Gnostic or (“insipient Gnostic”) religion was growing in this area. They held that matter was evil and that spirit was good. If God (spirit) was to communicate with matter (bad), he had to create many stages and steps between spirit and world by which he would communicate. The goal would be to gain, even in earth, the knowledge of the spirit (God). This was a philosophical religion that worked against the claim that God became flesh, that God would come to this planet and that God would die for sinful people and love them with all his heart.

Gnosticism stood against many claims of the gospel of Christ. Paul was not dealing with Gnosticism as a threat to the Christian gospel, he saw the gospel as vastly superior to any form of Gnosticism, so much as he was using the motifs and language of the Gnostics arguments to present the Person and Work of Christ to these people in terms that were important at that time. He also seemed to be laying out some strategies by which the Colossians could present the claims of Christ to those who were familiar with the Gnostic ideas (and other competing notions about God there would come up from competing religions and philosophies that came into conflict with the claims of Christ in the Christian Gospel).

2:4 – “So no one may delude you with plausible arguments.”  The Greek culture was filled with arguments. The Socratic method of questions and answers was in every corner of the culture. In schools, in pagan worship, in philosophers who traveled around (“itinerant philosophers” they were called), so it would be expected that the new faith of Christianity would be subject to many objections, questions, and queries. Some in the new church were led astray and turned after other religions; or they sought to wrap the claims of Christ around some other religion or philosophy. Much like today, people take what they have and they often blend Christianity into it.

In Haiti it is common for many Fetishites try to use some of the elements of Christian worship (particularly from the Roman Catholic mass) and attempt to incorporate their symbolism and worship. In mainline Christianity, a dominate political party may influence official policies on abortion or gay marriage more than Christian tradition or the creeds of the church. In both cases, there is a break from the message and the understanding of the Christian message because it is incorporated into an alien system. Christianity, may have many denominations and church government systems, but there is always a connection about the Person and Work of Jesus Christ, from Greek Orthodox, to American Charismatic. The faith in Christ and the cross is the same. The Gnostics (or “proto Gnostics” or “insipient Gnostics” – scholars don’t know what to call the group) were active in the area and they tried to define Christ in Gnostic terms. Paul was addressing some of these assertions in Colossians, using some of their language and pouring Biblical truth and Christology into those concepts to establish the glory and identity of Christ and to explain in common terms the meaning of redemption and salvation. Just like we should do today with our modern culture and vocabulary.

Paul is confident. 2:5, “to see your good order and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” These nouns, “good order” and “firmness” are borrowed from the Roman legion. They are terms that describe the order of the army and their fitness for duty. Paul’s imprisonment in Roman and his daily interaction with the Roman guard gave him new words to describe what the church is like when people in it move toward maturity (“perfection”).

Summary.

When you have faith, you have faith in Christ.

It begins a process of spiritual growth, unto maturity, or “perfection.”

It establishes new relationship with others who are also “in Christ.”

It gives you wisdom and understanding of yourself, God, and the universe.

It places a burden on you to tell others about Christ.

It directs your life toward order and stability.

It focuses more and more of Christ.