Monthly Archive for August, 1996

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Colossians 2:19d

Published on August 21, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“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.”
 
"by joints and ligaments"
“Joints”– ligature, ligament, part of the joints of the body which binds the different parts together.  The “joints” link different member of the body together.  We can sit and stand because we have ligaments. Joints and ligaments provide the body with coordination and action. 
Not only does Jesus hold authority over the church but he dynamically influences its life by “joints and ligaments.” They give us nourishment and unite us to God.
Eph. 4:15,16, “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.”
These verses are parallel passages to our verse.  The “joints and ligaments” here are men given by Christ for equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.  Gifted men such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers equip the saints for ministry. 
“Joints and ligaments” refer to the means of God’s provision. Truth given by gifted men is the means for association with Christ.  Doctrine is the basic resource we need to live the Christian life.  Truth ties us all together.  We link together by what we believe. 
The truth of Christ joins together different nationalities, talents, mentalities.  We build muscle and strength by using joints of the body.  Mussel and strength is not necessarily the same thing.  Strength comes from truth.
PRINCIPLE:
The “joints and ligaments” refer to gifted leaders in the body of Christ who edify the body of Christ by passing on God’s truth.
APPLICATION:
Spiritual vitality is dependent upon submission to the head. Spiritually, the ministry of Christ consists in the communication of truth by gifted leaders. Are you “nourished” and “knit together” by leaders who carefully communicate the truth of the Word of God?
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Colossians 2:19c

Published on August 20, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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"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.
 
"and knit together"
“Knit together” means to cause to coalesce, to join or knit together, to bring together, to unite, to combine.  It is often translated “teach” or “instruct.”  It means to bring a number of ideas together to come to a conclusion. 
Eph. 4:15,16, “But, speaking the truth in love, may grow up in all things into Him who is the head—Christ— 16 from whom the whole body, joined and knit together by what every joint supplies, according to the effective working by which every part does its share, causes growth of the body for the edifying of itself in love.” 
This is a parallel passage to our verse.  The “joints and ligaments” here are men given by Christ for equipping the saints for the work of the ministry.  Gifted men such as apostles, prophets, evangelists, pastor-teachers equip the saints for ministry.
PRINCIPLE:
The church functions best when gifted men communicate the nourishment of truth to the church.
APPLICATION:
The church coalesces when gifted men nourish the church with truth.  Are you in a healthy church where the gifts edify the body of Christ? 
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Colossians 2:19b

Published on August 19, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“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.”
 
"from whom all the body"
“From whom” is Jesus Christ the head (v. 19a).  He is the body’s source of life and growth. 
The “body” is the church.  When the church is on earth it is called the “body” of Christ.  When the Christ comes to rapture the church, it is called the “bride” of Christ.  The church is not a bride now. 
The church as a “body” is the universal church. This church is any believer anywhere on earth. 
"nourished"
“Nourished” means to supply fully, abundantly, to provide something besides what already exists to make available whatever is necessary to help or supply the needs of someone — to provide for, to support, to supply the needs of, provision, support.  This was a term of the ancient drama. 
This is the word from which we get our word “chorus.”  In the ancient Greek world a wealthy benefactor supplied all the money needed for the expensive chorus to function. He gave everything needed.  He defrayed expenses for training, costuming and staging.  Great dramatists like Euripidies and Sophocles presented plays at the great festivals.  The play would often train for a year before it opened.  Usually they performed a play in memory of the gods. It is like someone generosity supplying all the up front money for a Broadway play.  It is a word of grace. 
God is the benefactor here.  He provides everything we need to live the Christian life.  He defrays any expenses we may face to live before him. 
2 Cor. 9:10 “Now may He who supplies seed to the sower, and bread for food, supply and multiply the seed you have sown and increase the fruits of your righteousness.”
Gal. 3:5,  “Therefore He who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you, does He do it by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith?”
Life comes from the head.  God disperses that life  throughout the body by believers by exercising their spiritual gifts prepared by gifted men (”joints and ligaments”).   The saints, not the gifted men, do ministry.  All this results from holding fast to the head.
PRINCIPLE:
God is a God of grace who provides all that we need to live the Christian life.
APPLICATION:
Do you feel that the Christian life depends upon your strength?  Do you draw upon God as a God of grace to meet your need?
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Colossians 2:19

Published on August 18, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“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.”
 
"And not holding fast to the Head"
The Gnostic mysticism of Colossae cannot connect to the “Head” (Christ, 1:18; 2:10) of the “body” (the church).  They cannot at the same time assert a true claim on Christ and hold to Gnosticism.  Jesus is the only mediator between God and man (I Tim. 2:5,6).
By claiming the mediatorship of angels they fly the face of the finished work of Christ.  No one can mediate between God and man except Jesus Christ.  Jesus Christ is the exclusive basis of Christianity.
The words “holding fast to” mean to cause a state to continue on the basis of some authority or power — “to hold, to keep, to cause to continue.”  God expects us to apprehend Jesus Christ.  We can live without an arm but we cannot live without a head.  We cannot live the Christian life without Christ the head.  It is the head that gives orders.  We must first check with him.  The only way we can do that is by systematic study of the Word of God.  He does not lead by spiritual duck bumps. 
The failure of false teachers to hold fast to the head of the church is the foundation of false doctrine.  False teachers detached from the head and have no life in them.  They put angelic aeons in the place of Christ.  Those who go to mediums are an example of this today. 
All errors of believers relate to this as well.  If the believer does not have a healthy relationship to the head, the life that flows from the head will be anemic.  Fruit depends upon a healthy fellowship with the head (John 15:4-5).
PRINCIPLE:
The only way to grow in the Christian life is to vitally link with Christ.
APPLICATION:
Any wolf recognizes a woman in love.  He knows she is out of circulation.  The true Christian is deeply in love with Jesus Christ.  The body severed from the head dies.
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Colossians 2:18d

Published on August 17, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”
 
"intruding into those things"
The word “intruding” means primarily, to step in, or on.  This is the only occurrence in the New Testament. 
Metaphorically “intrude” means to frequent, dwell in (our passage).  This word could mean to invade, to enter on.  Because Colossians argues against Gnosticism it probably means the entrance of the initiated into the mystery religions.  The mystery religions used this word as a term of ecstasy.  This person took a stand based on what he saw in the mysteries when he was initiated into the religion. 
"which he has not seen"
This person invents his own religion “which he has not seen.”  He has a do-it-yourself-religion.  He makes it up as he goes along. 
If you claim to be God yourself, you do not have anyone above you to whom you can look for help; you can only look down on everybody else. That is the danger and the folly of this kind of thing. A modern proverb answers it well: “There are two things one should never forget:
1. There is only one God.
2. You "ain’t" Him!”
False teachers dwell on “vain” notions.  The Gnostics entered into ecstatic experiences which had no basis in biblical revelation.  Since the canon of Scripture (the list of books that belong in the Bible) has closed, there is no further need for more revelation from God. 
This kind of person blames the Holy Spirit for his dreams and visions.  This is common today.  “The Lord told me this vision.”  When?  How?  “I just had a feeling, a dream.”  What are the chapter, book and verse for this thinking?  If it does not have scriptural support it ought to be checked off as so much spiritual drivel.  It is spiritual hallucination.
God used visions before the Bible was completed (the canon) to communicate with the believer.  Today visions are spurious, counterfeit, apocryphal and unreliable.  We cannot go on the basis of our feelings because feelings fluctuate.  We feel good at one moment and bad another time.  The feelings of a Christian are no more reliable than the feelings of a non-Christian. Our fallen nature is susceptible to error, insidious and wicked as it ever was. The only reliable standard, the only credible guide is the Word of God.  “Let God be true and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4).
"vainly puffed up"
“Puffed up” means to blow up, inflate (from to blow with bellows).  It is used in the New Testament metaphorically in the N.T. in the sense of inflated with pride (I Cor. 4:6, 18, 19; 5:2; 8:1; 13:4; Col. 2:18).  Religion can inflate us with pride.  Arrogant and haughty religion is vanity (cf.  I Co 8:1)
"by his fleshly mind"
The sin capacity produces lust patterns.  It is from these that sin originates.
PRINCIPLE: Appearance of humility is often unadulterated pride.
APPLICATION: Religious leaders love to advance their own notions about God because it gives them an edge on everyone else.  This is spiritual pride, a love of advancing special notions.  This puts them in a special place in the religious community.  They loved to be thought of as wiser than other Christian leaders.  Pride is at the foundation of many religious errors and biblical corruption.  It is even the base of many evil practices.
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Colossians 2:18c

Published on August 16, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”
 
"and worship of angels"
“Worship” signifies religion in its external aspect, religious worship, especially the ceremonial service of religion. Acts 26:5 uses this word of the religion of the Jews. 
In Jas. 1:26, 27 the writer purposely uses this word to set in contrast that which is unreal and deceptive, and the “pure religion” that consists in visiting “the fatherless and widows in their affliction.”
Paul argues against incipient Gnosticism in this passage.  Gnosticism held that there is a hierarchy of angels between all human beings. We must placate God. Knowledge, which began in virtual ignorance, increases until at last one entered into the fullness of understanding of the Oneness of all things.
PRINCIPLE:
Gnosticism of our day is the New Age Movement.
APPLICATION:
Satan deludes people by religion. The ancient heresy of Gnosticism appears widely today under the name of the New Age Movement.  It seeks the Oneness of all things. They tell us that we are all part of the universe of created matter.  We unite in Oneness with God.
They claim that we can escape from self and move into oneness with the universe. That is why Paul refers to it here as a “false humility.”  It claims to move you beyond self.  In actual practice, they focus on self.  The real goal is to develop all your self powers. We call this the human potential movement.  All you need is already there inside you.  All you need to do is bring it out and develop your possibilities and full potential.
Shirley MacLaine’s strange spirit beings, of astrology, Ouija boards, tarot cards and assorted holy men, psychics, swamis, yogis and gurus are present day Gnosticism. All of these purport to offer help in increasing our understanding to fulfill the possibilities of our humanity.
The Christian who gets involved with the human potential movement is a present day Gnostic.
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Colossians 2:18b

Published on August 15, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”
 
"taking delight in false humility"
There is nothing in the word “humility” to indicate that it is false.  The context indicates that it is a false humility.  We might render “humility” as “subjection to.”  The idea is abject worship of angels.  This is pretense of humility but they are proud people.
Worship of angels has the appearance of modesty or humility as if we are unworthy to talk to God ourselves.  It was a humility of their own making, not a humility commanded from God.  These notions were purely the inventions of men and not from the Bible (Isa. 8:20; I Cor. 4:6).  Therefore, this whole thing was phony.  It detracted from the mediation of Christ for our sins.  Religious pride makes man presume upon the Word of God.
Many are impressed with what they give up for God.  If they suffer for God, this is supposed to impress God.  God is in the business of making provisions for us.  He calls this the principle of grace.  Bona fide humility is when we recognize that what we have is from God.  All of us have a streak of asceticism that is usually brought to the surface when some horrible experience comes our way. 
PRINCIPLE:
Spiritual pride is the most difficult pride to correct.
APPLICATION:
There are those who say that “I would never presume for sure that I know that I am going to heaven.  No one can know that for sure.  We will not know whether we qualify until we get there.  I would not have the audacity to claim I know I am going there.”  That is a mock humility. It is unvarnished, unbelief in the Bible. 
The Bible states flatly that we can know we are going to heaven, “And this is the testimony: that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. 12 He who has the Son has life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have life. 13 These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God” (I John 5:11-13).
Phony self-effacement appears spiritual but it is not true humility.  True humility focuses upon God and his grace (provisions) to us.  False humility draws attention to self.
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Colossians 2:18

Published on August 14, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”
 
"Let no one cheat you"
“Cheat” means to give judgment against, to condemn.  It comes from two Greek words: kata–against, and brabeuw–to umpire against.   Most of us have had umpires call strikes against us when they were balls. The noun for umpire occurs in the following verses:
1 Cor. 9:24 “Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it.“ 
Phil. 3:14 “I press toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”
The verb occurs in Col. 3:15, “And let the peace of God (‘Christ’ in some manuscripts) rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.”  When we let God’s peace act as an umpire in our hearts, we have tranquility with men.  Let the peace that God gives cast the deciding vote in our struggle. 
The umpire, however, in this passage is the false teacher who tries to frustrate adherence to the truth.   Another rendering is “let no man decide for or against you (as an umpire).” “Do not give yourselves up to the judgment of any man.”
"of your reward"
The false teacher judges as a referee that the Colossians were not worthy to receive a prize.  They disqualified, condemned and judged them as not worthy of a reward.  False teachers can rob the Christian of his spiritual reward.  We cannot lose our salvation but we can lose reward.  False teachers can bully you away from your reward.  They can lead believers away from the truth only by the Christian succumbing to an attack from religion. 
2 Jn. 8 “Look to yourselves, that we do not lose those things we worked for, but that we may receive a full reward.”
We want a full reward, not a half reward, at the Judgment Seat of Christ.  We want everything we are entitled to when we see him.  Salvation is free but reward we earn.  Since salvation is a gift we cannot lose it.  Because we work for rewards, we can lose them. 
Rev. 3: 11 “Behold, I am coming quickly! Hold fast what you have, that no one may take your crown.”
PRINCIPLE:
False teachers can rob Christians of their reward by succumbing to error.
APPLICATION:
Are you jeopardizing your reward in heaven by your careless attitude toward the truth?
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Colossians 2:17

Published on August 13, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.”
 
We should not let the law judge us (verse 14) because Christ fulfilled the law (Romans 6:14). The five systems of legalism of verse 16 are the “shadow” in this verse.
 
"which are a shadow of things to come"
“Shadow” is used of the image or outline cast by an object (here), of ceremonies under the Law; of the Tabernacle and its appurtenances and offerings, Hebrews 8:5; of these as appointed under the Law, Hebrews 10:1. A “shadow” is the shape or shade cast by an object which blocks rays of light. Here it refers to an entity that corresponds to an archetype or foreshadowing, reality, corresponding reality.
The “shadow” of the Old Testament, that is, the Old Testament ceremonies about Christ are simply ways of depicting Christ before he came historically. The animal sacrifices were an illustration of his sacrificial death. They were not the reality of his death. Shadow, however, always reveals that there is reality somewhere.
“Things to come”–the coming of Christ and his work.
"but the substance is of Christ"
The ceremonies of the law served their purpose well. After they fulfilled their purpose God instituted something better–the reality of Christ. All the ceremony of the Old Testament, the legalistic system, the Aaronic priesthood, the tabernacle with its furnishings and ritual all pointed forward to Christ. They were pictures and parables of Christ. Jesus took the place of all that ceremony.
The “substance” is equivalent to reality. Reality is found in Christ (Hebrews 8:5,10:1-4). It is impossible to have shadow without light. A shadow points toward something real–”substance.” The Old Testament types merely foreshadowed the coming reality. Christ was the fulfillment of the types (Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:3-4).
A “shadow” is only an image cast by a real object which represents its form. The Old Testament types were not real. Jesus Christ is the reality. Since the reality has come there is no longer a need to follow the shadow of the Old Testament types. Christ is the intrinsic value, not the types. It was the substance that caused the light that caused the shadow to come. To continue in ceremonial observance (shadows) implies that Christ has not come.
PRINCIPLE:
 
The law cannot save a sinner nor sanctify a saint.
APPLICATION:
 
It is very difficult to get the message of grace through to religious people. They feel they must make a contribution to their salvation. To come to grips with the fact that only Jesus can satisfy an absolutely holy God is a humbling experience. Before we can accept what God does for us we have to stop doing the doing (Romans 4:5). It is imperative to turn from good works, the law, morality, religion, the Ten Commandments to become a Christian. God provides all that we need for salvation in the death of Christ (Galatians 3:13).When we believe that promise, we become a true Christian.
 
The law cannot sanctify a saint. Formerly, in the Old Testament, God wrote the law on tables of stone. In the New Testament he writes the law on our hearts. When we become a Christian, God puts a new heart in us to live before him.
Ritual without reality is a deadly error. It introduces meaninglessness into our lives. People who partake of the Lord’s supper without understanding its meaning simply go through motions, but not the reality of the Christian life.
Some people feel there is good luck in going through rituals. Maybe God will bless them if they move in the shadows of religion. But Christianity presents Jesus Christ as reality. Would you rather have shadow or substance? Would you rather tell a shadow that you love it, or a person? It is no fun to kiss a shadow! Ritual without Christ is like kissing a shadow.
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Colossians 2:16c

Published on August 12, 1996 in Colossians. 0 Comments
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“So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths.”

 
The first day of the week is Sunday; the seventh day of the week is Saturday. If we were to keep the Sabbath day we would worship on Saturday. Does the Bible teach that the Christian is to worship on Saturday?
 
"or sabbaths"
The word “sabbath” means seven. The Bible uses “sabbath” most commonly of the seventh day of the week–Saturday. “Sabbath” is used more broadly in the sense of a festival set apart for a special occasion.
The root for “sabbaths” means to cease, desist. The word came to mean a complete cessation. The idea is not relaxation or refreshment but cessation from activity. For six days God created and on the seventh he rested. The seventh day is a commemoration of grace–God did the doing. We rest in that.
The observation of the seventh day of the week by Israel was a “sign” between God and his people. God rested after six days of creation (Exodus 31:16-17, 20:8-11). Eventually these regulations became a burden to Israel due to over systemization of their religion. Two treatises of the Mishna are entirely occupied with regulations for observance. Jesus liberated people from the vexatious traditional accretions which were an end in themselves (Matthew12:1-13; John 5:5-16). He made it a means to an end.
For the first three centuries of Christianity, “sabbaths”were never confounded with the first day of the week. Romans 14:5; Galatians 4:9-11. Those who place Christians under legalism make an artificial separation between the ceremonial and moral law. They say that the sabbath has not been annulled.
The Sabbath is the only one of the Ten Commandments not repeated in the New Testament. Christians met on Sunday, not Saturday (Acts 20:7; 1 Corinthians 16:2). Our passage condemns Sabbath observance, Colossians 2:16. The law was only a shadow of the reality to come (Jesus Christ; Hebrews 8:5,10:1). What the Old Testament foreshadowed our Lord fulfilled (Matthew 5:17; Romans 8:3-4).
PRINCIPLE:
The Bible places no special privilege upon worship on special days.
APPLICATION:
 
The ancient heresy of Gnosticism appears widely today under the name of the New Age Movement. It seeks the Oneness of all things. They tell us that we are all part of the universe of created matter. We unite in Oneness with God.
 
They claim that we can escape from self and move into oneness with the universe. That is why Paul refers to it here as a “false humility.” It claims to move you beyond self. In actual practice, they focus on self. The real goal is to develop all your self powers. We call this the human potential movement. All you need is already there inside you. All you need to do is bring it out and develop your possibilities and full potential.
Shirley MacLaine’s strange spirit beings, of astrology, ouija boards, tarot cards and assorted holy men, psychics, swamis, yogis and gurus are present day Gnosticism. All of these purport to offer help in increasing our understanding to fulfill the possibilities of our humanity.
The Christian who gets involved with the human potential movement is a present day Gnostic.
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