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doctrine was Christ (Eph. 4: 20). His life here in the flesh (Gal. 2: 20), the goal of this
life (Phil. 1: 21), and the life of resurrection glory (Col. 3: 4) was Christ.
No language of ours can express anything approaching the fullness that the heart
realized to be resident in these words of Col. 2: 2. Nothing less than a life-long
exposition of these epistles could hope to touch the fringe of so mighty a theme."
(The Berean Expositor, Volume XXIII, pp.44, 45).
If these wise words impress afresh with the mightiness of the theme of Christ Jesus
they are not in vain. Truly in Him alone are `all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge
hidden' (Col. 2: 3 R.V.) and this is the great antidote to all error of doctrine, such as the
false teachers were seeking to foist upon the Colossian believers. As Paul had previously
insisted to the Corinthian church, Christ alone is the wisdom of God (I Cor. 1: 24, 30).
This glorification of the Lord Jesus was for the express purpose of preventing those at
Colossae from being deceived:
"This I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech. For though I
am absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order,
and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ" (2: 4, 5 R.V.).
Although the Apostle was severed by distance in his Roman prison, yet in the tidings
that were brought to him by Epaphras he was with them in thought and prayer, keenly
alert to their needs and noting their response. In the next two verses Paul sums up their
Christian experience in their vital relationship to Christ Jesus, the One Who is Lord and
God:
"As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and builded
up in Him, and stablished in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in
thanksgiving" (Col. 2: 6, 7 R.V.).
They had received Him as Saviour and Lord and thus were `rooted' in Him. They
were now expected to acknowledge Him in practice as Lord and Master. The Apostle
uses two illustrations here to express the truth. `Rooted' is the perfect participle in the
Greek which points to an act that took place in the past, but whose effects persist in the
present. This `rooting' in Christ and close unity with Him is true for all time and
therefore speaks of continuous security. Such healthy rootage leads to healthy growth
and fruit. `Built up' is the present participle which indicates a steady spiritual growth.
`Established' likewise expresses a continuous experience of strengthening and
confirming resulting from this Christ-centred living. The `faith' is the body of revealed
truth that had been given by the risen and ascended Christ through the Apostle Paul
(Gal. 1: 11, 12; Eph. 3: 1-9; II Tim. 1: 13, 14; 2: 2) and as a final note, abounding
thanksgiving and gratitude is stressed, for this directs thought away from self to the Lord
Who is the only source and substance of these glorious truths and to Whom all praise and
glory should be given.
We now enter the distinctive section of this epistle which deals with the Colossian
heresy and its antidote (Col. 2: 8 - 3: 4). Consequently the Apostle commences with a
word of warning: