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spoiled. To have learned that in Christ is all the treasure of wisdom, and knowledge, and
that He Who is made unto us wisdom and righteousness and redemption, has been made
unto us sanctification as well, is the lesson we may learn from the trouble of the
Colossian Church, a lesson necessary for our peace, our true growth and our
sanctification, as it is for the glory of Him Who has been given to be Head over all things
to the Church.
#30. BEWARE.
Why are ye subject to ordinances? (2: 20-23).
pp. 52 - 58
On reaching the closing section of verses 20-23, one further truth is stated in the
corrective administered by the apostle, and that is, "Ye died with Christ". While this is of
tremendous importance, we shall, having regard to the limitation of space and the fact
that much of the doctrinal teaching conveyed by these four words has already been
brought out in the exposition of Rom. 6:, fell justified in referring the reader to that
series of articles for information, and in the present series proceed direct to the
conclusion of Col. 2:, taking the above statement of doctrine with us.
The closing section of Col. 2: balances the opening one, and as it is some time since
we set out this passage in structural form, it may be of use to repeat the outline of the
opening and closing portions of Col. 2: 4-23:--
R | a | 4-8. Plausible speech. Philosophy (sophos).
b | 8. Traditions of men.
c | 8. Rudiments of world.
CORRECTIVE. | 8. Not after Christ.
9, 10. Ye are filled full in Him.
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R |
c | 20-22. Rudiments of world.
b | 22. Teaching of men.
a | 23. Wordy show of wisdom (sophos).
CORRECTIVE. | 23. Not in any honour.
23. Filling the flesh.
Between the believer and all that would impose upon him stands the great fact, that he
died with Christ; and that not only to sin, but to the rudiments of the world, to the
lordship of men, to the ceremonies and the prohibitions of a carnal religion. From all
such the believer is blessedly free.
When writing to the Galatian believers who had been induced to observe days and the
like, the apostle associated such observance with their previous service to "them which
by nature are no gods", and we must remember that in those days the very elements of the