Chapter Two

Exhortation to the readers (1–7). Refutation of the teaching of the Colossian heretics (8–23).

Colossians 2:1. I want you to know how much I am struggling for you and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face. The Apostle loves and cares for the Colossians and their neighbors — the Laodiceans and those from Hierapolis. He is very pleased that they are living a good life, but urges them to hold firmly to the teaching given to them, lest they be led astray by false teachers.

Colossians 2:2. that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God and of the Father and of Christ, Colossians 2:3. For in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The Apostle wants the Colossians and others, not knowing him personally, Christian believers in those places to know how much he cares for them (“how much I am struggling for you”). Indeed, he was far away in chains and could not help the Colossians, who at that time were threatened by heretics. The object of his concern is to comfort, to calm the hearts of the Colossians troubled by the appearance of false teachers. The Apostle wants them, having bound together the bonds of Christian love, to achieve the fully Christian conviction so necessary to them (“all the riches of a complete understanding”), regarding the knowledge of the mystery of God and Father and Christ (i.e. knowledge of the plan of divine dispensation for human salvation). — “In him” — more correctly: in it, i.e. in the mystery. The Apostle desires that the Colossians grasp this mystery, because in it are hidden all the treasures of “wisdom,” i.e. the highest divine wisdom and of human knowledge: only to the knowledge of this mystery, consequently, is it worth expending all one’s efforts.

Colossians 2:4. I am saying this so that no one will deceive you with persuasive arguments; Colossians 2:5. for though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit; and I rejoice to see your order and the firmness of your faith in Christ. In explaining his thought, the Apostle says that he wishes to protect the Colossians from being led astray by false teachings, which had all the appearance of logical persuasiveness, but were actually deception (“plausible arguments” or false reasoning). — “Persuasive arguments” — the skill of presenting something fundamentally false as plausible through clever turns of speech. — “For though I...” The Apostle greatly sorrows that he cannot through personal conversation with the Colossians protect them from heretics, and therefore asks them to remember that he is still with them spiritually. Feeling himself as if beside the Colossians, the Apostle rejoices, seeing that their church possesses both external organization and internal firmness, which their faith in Christ gives them. Pointing out this condition of the Colossian church, the Apostle in this way as if advises the Colossians to take pity on themselves and not exchange what they possess for what the false teachers are promising them.

Colossians 2:6. As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, Colossians 2:7. rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Since they live a proper Christian life, the Colossians should keep unchanged what is taught to them about Christ by their teacher — Epaphras. Besides, they should “live your lives in him,” i.e. carry out in life the Christian teaching they have assimilated. Then they will be true Christians, whom no false teachers will lead astray. — “Rooted in him,” — just as a plant is rooted in good soil, resting on Him as a building rests on a firm foundation, and as a result being further strengthened in the faith taught to them by Epaphras, and also joining together with growth in faith a feeling of gratitude to God, who leads them on this path — this is how the Colossians should live (The final words must be added, because otherwise the words: “rooted” would have to be related to the expression: “live,” which is inconvenient in terms of the meaning contained in these expressions of “life” and “rooting”). Col 2:8-23. The essence of this important section is as follows. The false teaching of the Colossian heretics is nothing other than an empty deception, consisting entirely of human traditions and far from true Christianity (8). In order to expose the false teaching of these heretics about Christ, the Apostle says that Christ is not at all what the heretics said about Him: He is the incarnate God, God-man (Col 2:9), and in Him Christians have received salvation from the burden of demonic power that lay upon them (Col 2:10-15). Therefore, the believing Colossians should not be led astray by those means of achieving the soul’s salvation which are recommended by the false teachers, namely they should not again place themselves under subjection to the ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law (Col 2:16-17), perform some special worship of angels (Col 2:18-20), and fall into false asceticism (Col 2:21-23).

Colossians 2:8. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the universe, and not according to Christ. Romans 1:20. “Captivated”—συλαγωγών—not captured in nets, as a hunter catches birds in a snare.—“Philosophy”. The Apostle has in mind not philosophy in general—he undoubtedly assigned great weight to the philosophical mind in grasping the divine nature (see Rom 1:20 “through contemplation of His works”)—but philosophy of a certain kind, specifically that which he immediately calls empty deception (the article before φιλοσοφίας shows the Apostle means a particular philosophy. Moreover, before the phrase κενήσ απάτης there is no article or the preposition δια—thus it constitutes an appositive to the word φιλοσοφίας).—“According to human tradition”. The Apostle calls the tradition “human”, clearly wishing to show his disdain for it. Perhaps he has in mind certain teachings of Jewish philosophizing rabbis, especially those of Alexandria. These traditions formed the basis of the Colossian false teachers (“according to tradition”—more precisely: “in accordance with tradition”—κατά παρ.), but these traditions did not constitute the content of their teaching: they were merely the norm by which their false teaching was formed.—“According to the elemental principles of the world”. Until recently, the elemental principles of the world were typically understood as those same principles about which the Apostle Paul speaks in his letter to the Galatians (Gal 4:3), that is, the elementary foundations of religious and moral life, elementary attempts to solve the religious and moral problem and in particular the commandments of the ceremonial law of Moses. But in recent times, among wide circles of Bible readers in Germany, the view has spread that these principles denote spiritual living beings (“astral spirits”). This view, however, cannot be accepted, because the expression στοιχεία only in later Byzantine literature came to be used to denote spirits or demons, and before Paul’s time it is not found anywhere in such a sense. Furthermore, for denoting demons, the Apostle uses more specific expressions—rulers and powers (Col 2:15). Finally, this view is contradicted by Col 2:20. Here the Apostle says: “If you have died with Christ to the elemental principles of the world, why do you, as though living in the world, submit to decrees?” If here, as in the verse we are discussing, the elemental principles meant “elementary spirits”, then by “world” we would have to understand the world as a whole, nature in general. But in verse 20 it would be impossible to understand the word “world” thus: for Christians continue to live in the world as a whole, though they have died with Christ... Some commentators understand by the elemental principles of the world the stars themselves. But this interpretation is even less sound, because it is unclear why the Apostle would call the stars, which already exist in the world and form part of it, the elemental principles or stars of the world. Moreover, how could we understand their designation in the letter to the Galatians as “weak and beggarly” (Gal 4:9)?—As for the view of the elemental principles of the world as natural elements (such a view exists—Zahn holds it, for example), this interpretation is contradicted by the Apostle’s mention in the letter to the Galatians that pre-Christian humanity or pre-Christian Israel was enslaved by these elemental principles (Gal 4:9).—It therefore seems more probable that by the elemental principles of the world the Apostle means the elements of knowledge, so to speak, the alphabet of the world. This understanding fits perfectly with the placement of this expression after “according to human tradition” and before “and not according to Christ”, and it will contain nearly the same thought as the expression that precedes it. Moreover, it stands in direct contrast to the following expression: if in the mystery of God and Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Col 2:3), then in the teaching of the false teachers there are only the first elements of knowledge. With these elements Christians have already parted ways, they have grown beyond them—so why return to them? Thus also Col 2:20 can be interpreted. It should be noted that the Apostle does not censure these elements of knowledge as absolutely false—he only speaks of their inadequacy for the Christian. Colossians 2:9. for in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily, The Colossian heretics considered Christ only one of the aeons — expressions of the Godhead. In contrast to them, the Apostle says that in Christ dwells all the fullness of the Godhead and moreover “bodily” or in the body, so that we can observe it: the Apostle of course means to say that we can see God in the incarnate Son of God, Jesus Christ (compare Col 1:19).

Colossians 2:10. and you have come to fullness in him, who is the head of every ruler and authority. On the other hand, believers too are fulfilled in Christ, i.e. through a mysterious union with Him have received the fullness of divine gracious gifts. — “Who is the head” ... From angelic powers nothing more need be expected, because all these powers are subject to Christ and can give believers nothing new in the matter of salvation.

Colossians 2:11. In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ; Believers need not look for anything in the fleshly circumcision, which the Colossian heretics wanted to restore among Christians. The purpose which fleshly circumcision had in mind, namely the mortification of the old man, has already been achieved by the Colossians through the reception of baptism, which the Apostle calls circumcision accomplished by Christ Himself. — “The body of the flesh” — sinful human nature, the body insofar as it was subject to the influence of fleshly inclination. The addition of “sinful” further strengthens the meaning of the whole expression “the body of the flesh.”

Colossians 2:12. when you were buried with him in baptism, you were also raised with him through faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. In the water of baptism a person is buried with Christ and the old man in him dies. But this is not all: at the same time the Christian also rises with Christ for new life. This resurrection is accomplished in the person, thanks to the power of his faith in the almightiness of God, already shown in the resurrection of Christ Himself (compare Rom 10:9).

Colossians 2:13. and when you were dead in trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you alive together with him, when he forgave us all our trespasses, See Eph 2:1.

Colossians 2:14. erasing the record that stood against us with its legal demands. He set this aside, nailing it to the cross. As for the Jews, God also forgave them their sins (to them the Apostle joins himself — “us”) by “erasing” — more precisely: by blotting out, wiping away the “record” or debt obligation which the Hebrews gave at Sinai, obliging themselves to carry out the will of God. The record was composed in the form of definite exact statutes (according to Greek, properly: “erasing the decree” compare Eph 2:15). — “Against us.” We did not have the strength to fulfill the conditions of this record, and it stood before us, blocking our path to God. — “He set this aside,” — i.e. destroyed (compare 2 Thess 2:7). — “Nailing it to the cross,” i.e. through His cross sufferings Christ destroyed the power of this obligation, and our record itself, having completely lost all its writing, was hung by Him on His cross, as a sign that it is no longer valid.

Colossians 2:15. He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public example of them, triumphing over them in it. On His cross Christ at the same time stripped the powers from the evil spirits, who caused such harm to the Gentiles (compare Eph 2:2), or more precisely, removed their military armor. Here He “publicly” — more precisely: openly, to all people (Theophylact) — showed them defeated. — “Triumphing over them in him” — more precisely: “leading them after Him in His triumphal procession.” — “In him,” — more precisely: “on it,” i.e. on the cross — Col 2:14, or “behind His cross” (which according to the Apostle’s understanding, He holds in His hands, as a triumphator usually held in his hands his banner or spear).

Colossians 2:16. Therefore do not let anyone condemn you in matters of food and drink or of observing festivals, new moons, or sabbaths. Since Christ freed people from the obligation to keep the ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law, therefore no one has the right to condemn the Colossians for their free attitude toward the choice of food and drink or for their non-observance of some Jewish festival or new moon festival, or of the ordinary sabbath. Regarding food and drink the Colossian false teachers probably went further than the requirements of the Mosaic law and, like the Essenes, required abstinence from certain kinds of food and drink. (Mukhin p. 194) — “Some” — more precisely: “parts of festivals.” The false teachers obviously did not even have the ability to observe all Jewish festivals, to which foreign Jews customarily went to Jerusalem for pilgrimage. To go from Colossae was very far.

Colossians 2:17. These are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. All these Old Testament institutions, even now, in the time of the Apostle, continuing their existence, are nothing other than a shadow, which is cast by “what is to come,” i.e. for Christians already not the future but the present age of the Messiah. If the Apostle speaks of the coming of the Messiah and His kingdom as future, he does so from the point of view of the Old Testament, in which the kingdom of the Messiah was always denoted as future, coming. — “But the substance belongs to Christ.” The body, from which in the Old Testament a shadow was cast, which gave meaning to all Old Testament institutions, is Christ Himself. But once the body itself has come, there is no need for the shadow or reflection, which previously gave some dim understanding of this body.

Colossians 2:18. Do not let anyone disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, dwelling on visions, puffed up without cause by a fleshly mind, Colossians 2:19. and not holding fast to the head, from whom the whole body, nourished and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows with a growth that is from God. As for the theoretical teaching of the Colossian false teachers, the central point of it was the teaching about angels; the Apostle forbids being led astray by this teaching. Let no one, he says, rob you of the prize you have won (more precisely: “let not anyone pass judgment against you”), i.e. salvation. Meanwhile, it is toward this robbery of your prize that the heretics strove, using as bait that false humility which they based not on a true understanding of the nature of the man renewed in Christ, but on completely arbitrarily accepted assumptions (probably on the false reasoning that inherited sin is not destroyed in a Christian). Further, the Apostle points out that in the name of such false humility the false teachers introduced a special worship of angels. They themselves considered themselves unworthy to approach God and therefore thought it necessary to resort to the mediation of angels, who supposedly expressed divine fullness and could, in their opinion, introduce people into communion with God. What exactly this worship of angels consisted of is unknown, but obviously the false teachers performed some rites in honor of them (this is also indicated by the very designation of “worship” by the term worship). This worship took root in some Asia Minor regions so much that in 365 the fathers of the Laodicean council threatened anathema for adherence to it (Mukhin p. 201). — “Dwelling on visions” — more precisely: plunging into the very depth and moreover completely without result. — “Puffed up without cause” ... The consequence of such investigations in the angelic realm was that the false teachers fell into pride, which had no foundation. — “Fleshly,” i.e. their mind was subject to the inclinations of their flesh, the sensual side of their existence. — “Head,” — i.e. Christ. As the head gives direction to the activity of the muscles and tendons, making them work for the benefit of the entire bodily organism, so Christ gives direction to all church workers, so that they work for the common good of the Church. The heretics separated themselves from the head — Christ, and therefore their society could not live a proper Christian life and grow with the growth which God provides (“growth that is from God”).

Colossians 2:20. If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the universe, why do you live as if you still belonged to the world? Why do you submit to regulations, Colossians 2:21. “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch. Colossians 2:22. [All these regulations concern things that perish with use,] according to human precepts and teachings? Since the ascetic rules of the false teachers were more understandable and more readily acceptable to the Colossians than their abstract theosophical arguments about angels, from this side, obviously, the greatest danger was approaching the Colossian church, and therefore the Apostle once more addresses these “rules.” It seems very strange to him that the Colossian Christians, who as Christians are already thought to be dead with Christ and with this to have abandoned those initial stages of knowledge (“elemental spirits of the universe” compare Col 2:8) on which they formerly stood, that these Christians again, as if living in the world — in that world which still continues to be guided in its life by these elementary forms of knowledge (“elemental spirits of the universe”) — again allow themselves to be placed in dependence on various rules or regulations, having the character of strict and firm precepts (such is the meaning of the expression “submit to regulations” — in Greek from decree precept). These precepts relate to various kinds of food and drink, about which the false teachers said: “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch.” Against such fear the Apostle says that all this, i.e. both food and drink, perishes through use or in eating (when used as food), is digested and can produce no harmful effect in the moral sense on a person. — “According to human precepts and teachings,” i.e. the heretics are guided in this case by individual rules, which were developed among the Jews as supplements to the Mosaic law, and by teachings or various philosophical views, which underlay these rules.

Colossians 2:23. These have indeed an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-imposed piety, humility, and severe treatment of the body, but they are of no value in checking the indulgence of the flesh. If the heretical dogmas are rumored (in Greek speech — in Russian not quite accurately: “appearance”) as wise rules, due to the fact that they require voluntary or a new kind of worship, due to humility and the ascetic mortification of the body, then this depended not on the fact that these rules had real worth. One can even say that these rules led to goals completely different from those indicated by the heretics. The latter namely asserted that the observance of their rules would elevate a Christian above the movements of a sensual-sinful nature, and yet actually the person who fulfilled them came to self-indulgence of the flesh, i.e. to pride, arrogance. “Flesh,” or the fleshly side of a person, was pleased here with the consciousness of his special merits, which consisted in suppressing bodily needs. * * * Notes Colossian false teachers. On the basis of the first and second chapters of the epistle to the Colossians, one can form some understanding of the Colossian false teachers. We see that these were people who resorted to plausible words and false reasoning in spreading their teaching (Col 2:4), that they gave their views the appearance of some philosophical system (Col 2:8). This is with respect to the form in which they clothed their teaching. Now, as to the very content of their teaching, the first place was held by the denial of the sole significance in the matter of salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ, Whom they did not hold as head (Col 2:19). Along with Christ they placed angels, whom they taught to worship as mediators between men and God (Col 2:18). All the angels together with Christ formed, according to their view, one divine fullness in which the Godhead manifests itself (compare Col 1:16). Finally, in relation to morality, the Colossian false teachers preached a peculiar asceticism, joining it with the veneration of certain Jewish festivals and other ceremonial prescriptions of the Mosaic law (Col 2:20-23). Whence arose such a direction in the Colossian church? Scholars differ in deciding this question. Some attribute the origin of this heresy to Greek philosophy, others to Jewish influence (Mukhin, in particular, sees here the influence of Essenism) yet others (Dibelius) to the combined influence of various religions and cults that existed at that time in Asia Minor and particularly in Phrygia. On the ground that in Judaism one can find the beginnings of all the above-mentioned views of Colossian false teaching, one should accept as most probable the supposition that this false teaching was indeed of Jewish origin. Thus the Apostle, saying that the philosophy of the Colossian false teachers was based on human tradition (Col 2:8), could have in mind precisely the Jewish tradition or teaching, which among the Jews of the post-exilic period was known under the name Halakah (tradition). Then, only by Jewish influence could be explained the striving of the Colossian false teachers to introduce circumcision (Col 2:11) and respect for Jewish festivals (Col 2:16) among Christians. Finally, the teaching about angels as mediators between men and God (Col 2:18) could rest on the view of the Old Testament, according to which angels stand before the throne of God and offer prayers to God for men (Dan 9:21) and so forth. Similarly, abstinence from various nourishing and stimulating foods and drinks could have in its foundation the fact that certain pious Jews, thanks to such abstinence, were worthy to see angels (Dan 10:2-5), which of course was the object of ardent desires of the Colossian false teachers. Thus it can be concluded with probability that the Colossian false teachers were Christians standing under the influence of later Jewish views and unable to rise to a correct understanding of the Person and work of our Lord Jesus Christ. But one should not insist, as Mr. Mukhin does, that the foundation of the Colossian false teaching lay in the views of the Essenes themselves: there are no facts showing that the Essenes avoided eating meat and wine (compare Col 2:16) and practiced some special veneration of angels. On the contrary, the Colossian false teachers did not have a very essential teaching of Essenism concerning ablutions and celibacy. It should be noted that in individual teachings the Colossian false teachers resemble the Galatian false brothers (compare Gal 4:3 and Col 2:8), sometimes the Philippian Judaizers (compare Phil 3:2 and sq. and Col 2:11), and finally the Roman “weak” (compare Rom 14:1 and sq. and Col 2:16). In Greek the Godhead is denoted by two terms: theotes and theiotes. The first word comes from the term god and is used to denote divine being, while the second, coming from the adjective divine — is used to denote the properties of God (compare Rom 1:19-20). It is clear that the Apostle here wants to make known to his readers that in Christ are present not only divine properties, but God Himself dwells: He — in substance is God. The 35th rule of the local council of Laodicea states: “it is not fitting for Christians to abandon the Church of God and go away and name angels and hold assemblies. This is forbidden. Therefore if anyone is converted to practicing such secret idolatry, let him be anathema: because he abandoned our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and devoted himself to idolatry.” In the explanation of this rule it is said: “condemned are heretics who do not pray to God and Christ, but only to angels, supposedly creators and rulers of the world.” The Blessed Theodoret explains the origin of this angel worship by the influence of the Colossian or Phrygian heretics. Bishop Theophanes makes the supposition that the assemblies of these angel-worshippers were similar to the gatherings of contemporary spiritualists.