Israel's history and through whom the law was given. Some were of a higher order than

others--principalities and powers, who controlled the spheres and the lines of

communications between God and man. So important were these supposed to be that all

prayer, worship and revelation could only be received through them and by their

permission. They had special knowledge to impart and were therefore to be feared and

respected. This could only be done by keeping the law and in addition to this, observing

a rigorous asceticism.

This error was obviously more dangerous than the Galatian legalism which Paul had

combated before. It struck at the roots of the doctrine concerning pre-eminency of the

Person and work of Christ, consequently the Apostle lost no time in seeking to expose its

satanic origin and cunning deception. It is therefore in the Colossian epistle the majesty,

glory and fullness of the Lord Jesus are developed more fully than in any of the other

writings of Paul. The `tradition of men' is measured against the One in Whom dwells all

the fullness of the God-head bodily, Who is pre-eminent in both the old and new

creations. He is the one Mediator between God and men, combining Godhead and

manhood, and is the victor over the very principalities and powers who were ensnaring

the Colossian saints.

Not only this, but as Lord and Head of the church which is His Body, He fills to the

full every member. What need then was there for the empty shadows the Colossians

were striving after? They were only satanic means of canceling the liberty and fullness in

Christ and bringing them into abject bondage. The Christians at Colossae had to learn

that anything that detracts from the supremacy of Christ and the completeness of the

believer in Him is deceiving error. In fact it can be said that all error does one of two

things. It either tries to add something of its own to the unique position of the Saviour, or

it detracts from Him. There can be no `extras' to the Lord Jesus Christ. HE IS ALL and

in all (Col. 3: 11). Once this profound lesson is grasped, one is saved from all sorts of

deceit and deception which come from the wiles of the devil.

Everyone who names the name of Christ should seriously ask themselves: is Christ

everything both as God and Man to me? Or must I add something else to Him to feel

really comfortable and secure in my life and witness?  And remember that these

`additions' can look very spiritual and attractive on the surface and not in the least fleshly

or wrong. The Lordship of Christ needs greatly stressing today among His people. Too

many of them know Him as Saviour and no more, and have advanced little beyond the

stage of spiritual babyhood. This is often the result, specially in young believers, of

doing a lot and keeping the Book shut, thus mistaking activity for spirituality. Whereas

the great need of all is to soak ourselves, as it were, in the truth of these N.T. epistles,

especially the prison letters of Paul--the apostle to the Gentiles, whose writings so

wonderfully cover this age of grace with their distinctive and supreme revelation of `our

great God and Saviour, Jesus Christ' (Titus 2: 13 R.V.) and the heavenly Body and

Temple He is now building (Eph. 1: 19-23; 2: 19-22).

We come then to the exposition of this magnificent epistle and start with its divine

structure which has been exhibited by 100: H. Welch.