The Apostle Paul’s Letter to the Colossians

May

May 1

Chapter 2, Verse 6, con’t, “Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him,”

ἐν αὐτῷ περιπατεῖτε, en autō peripateite, “in him walk,” peripateo, from peri = “around” and pateo = “walk,” means to walk around — and figuratively to live your life “walking” or conducting yourself in you daily life either in the truth. . .in him. . .or in the darkness of sin apart from God. If I try to walk in the truth under my own power, I fail, miserably. I know, I have tried. Here, Paul used the present tense of walk in the imperative mood. That means it is an ongoing action, a habit that is formed, repeated over and over. Walking in him requires being in the word everyday. That is not a complicated task but it is a necessary task to avoid the deception of darkness. Paul said it best in Romans 12:1-2, “I appeal to you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.” Your heart and mind go where your love is. If you really love God, and you are doing your best to put him first in your life, you will be in the word daily. When you are, the Holy Spirit’s power will be evident in your life. For my part, the greatest benefit of being in Christ and his word are found in 3 John 1:4, “I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth.”

May 2

Chapter 2, Verse 7, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

ἐρριζωμένοι καὶ ἐποικοδομούμενοι ἐν αὐτῷ, errizōmenoi kai epoikodomoumenoi en autō, “having been rooted and built up in him,” After receiving Christ as Savior and Lord, two personal tasks are presented and one great, potential blessing. rhizoo, from rhiza = root, mean to be stable, made strong and able to stand against storms because of a deep, established root system — hence, not able to be moved. The passive voice indicates the rooting has been previously accomplished by an outside force, namely, God as an act of his sovereign grace. The perfect tense indicates the past completed action with ongoing results. In this, we can understand that initial rooting happened when we first trusted Christ as Lord of our life and it continues throughout our lifetime because nothing is able to separate us from the love of God in Christ (Romans 8:39). The beauty of this truth is captured in Isaiah 61:1-3, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness,
the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified.” The Spirit of the Lord is in my life leading me to share my faith and bring glory to Him.

May 3

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

ἐποικοδομούμενοι, epoikodomoumenoi, “being built up,” combining epi = apt, fit, suitable, and adding force oikodomeo = to build up or edify, the expanded meaning becomes “to appropriately build upon an already laid foundation.” The clear figurative use means to take a life yielded to Christ through salvation and build it up spiritually; that is, to promote Christian character. When I read Paul’s letters, the stories about him in Acts, and the historical record concerning the other apostles, four words come to mind about their collective character: dedication, obedience, fearlessness, and morality. Before going to Jerusalem, Paul called together the Ephesian elders after seeing the riotous nature of some of the people of that city. He said to them, “You yourselves know how I lived among you the whole time from the first day that I set foot in Asia, serving the Lord with all humility and with tears and with trials that happened to me through the plots of the Jews; how I did not shrink from declaring to you anything that was profitable, and teaching you in public and from house to house, testifying both to Jews and to Greeks of repentance toward God and of faith in our Lord Jesus Christ. . .Therefore I testify to you this day that I am innocent of the blood of all, for I did not shrink from declaring to you the whole counsel of God. Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he obtained with his own blood. I know that after my departure fierce wolves will come in among you, not sparing the flock; and from among your own selves will arise men speaking twisted things, to draw away the disciples after them. Therefore be alert, remembering that for three years I did not cease night or day to admonish every one with tears. And now I commend you to God and to the word of his grace, which is able to build you up and to give you the inheritance among all those who are sanctified.” (Acts 20:18-21, 26-32) Not the only way, but the beginning and foundational way for being built up in Christ is, always has been, and always will be, reading, studying, and living out the word of God.

May 4

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

βεβαιούμενοι τῇ πίστει, bebaioumenoi tē pistei, “being strengthened in the faith,” The verb bebaioo, from bebaios, means sure, fixed, standing firm on one’s feet; hence, unshakeable. bebaios is from baino, “fit to tread upon” or having a firm foundation. In Greek law, it meant “to designate properly guaranteed security.” So, it is a term meant to inspire confidence. Here, the passive voice indicates the being established is the result of an outside force (the Holy Spirit) and the present tense means it is ongoing in every believer’s life. In Christ, I have been established by the faith that brought salvation to my soul, I am being established through the continual work of the Holy Spirit in my life, and I will be forever established when I am ushered into the eternal presence of God. Paul wrote about the source of this unshakeable stand at the end of his letter to the Roman believers, “Now to him who is able to strengthen you according to my gospel and the preaching of Jesus Christ, according to the revelation of the mystery that was kept secret for long ages but has now been disclosed and through the prophetic writings has been made known to all nations, according to the command of the eternal God, to bring about the obedience of faith— to the only wise God be glory forevermore through Jesus Christ! Amen.” (Romans 16:25-27) The gospel of Jesus is the source, nothing else can establish a firm stand in God. It begins with the gospel and ends with the gospel. The supernatural result, then, of being established in the faith, is the obedience of faith–to Christ.

May 5

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

καθὼς ἐδιδάχθητε, kathōs edidachthēte, “just as you were taught;” Sometimes translated “instructed,” the verb didasko, from dao = know or teach, (and where we get English didactic); basically means to provide instruction or information. Paul used it to mean having taught the student-believer in such a way that the student would have conformed to what was taught; i.e., living a life of faith in Christ. The Greeks liked to gather and “argue” about all sorts of religious speculations. It was a smorgasbord of ideas where one was considered as good as another. Paul argued for objective truth based upon his teaching of the gospel. We call it discipleship. True Christian discipleship honors the word of God and does not change with “every wind of doctrine.” Paul addressed this in Ephesians 4:11-16, “And he gave the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, the shepherds and teachers, to equip the saints for the work of ministry, for building up the body of Christ, until we all attain to the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, to mature manhood, to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ, so that we may no longer be children, tossed to and fro by the waves and carried about by every wind of doctrine, by human cunning, by craftiness in deceitful schemes. Rather, speaking the truth in love, we are to grow up in every way into him who is the head, into Christ, from whom the whole body, joined and held together by every joint with which it is equipped, when each part is working properly, makes the body grow so that it builds itself up in love.” Believers are to be equipped, mature, and able to overcome the schemes of those who would lead us astray so that we may grow together in the righteousness of Christ.

May 6

Chapter 2, Verse 7, con’t, “rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.”

περισσεύοντες ἐν εὐχαριστίᾳ, perisseuontes en eucharistia, “abounding in thanksgiving.” The verb perisseuo means “I exceed the ordinary” or “I cause to abound.” The present tense form used here means “to go above and beyond the expected measure,” continually. You might say, super abounding. As believers grow in Christ, the natural (supernatural) result is a living experience in the fruit of the Spirit. . .”But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.” (Galatians 5:22) As the Spirit’s power begins to work in our life, you realize the immeasurable, overwhelming nature of God’s goodness. It is exceedingly, abundantly more than we can imagine. Paul wrote, “For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith—that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may have strength to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21) Taking hold of this produces a constant mindset of thankfulness. Eucharistia, is “the giving of thanks for God’s grace.” It is a learned attitude, a choice to express gratitude for all the big and little things God does in your life. And, when this becomes a holy habit, your spiritual eyes begin to see more of God everywhere and in every circumstance, both the good and bad. I personally take great solace when I see God working in an unpleasant, unhealthy, diseased circumstance. His presence encourages me to face what I would otherwise try to avoid. Thank God for his abounding grace.

May 7

Chapter 2, Verse 8, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Βλέπετε. . .συλαγωγῶν, Blepete. . .sylagōgōn, “take heed. . .taking captive.” This is similar to the warning of delusion from plausible arguments in verse 4. “See to it,” or “take heed,” in the vernacular could be rendered, Be on the lookout. Individuals, churches, even entire religious groups have been led away from the clear teaching of scripture throughout history. I say over and over again that it began in Eden when the serpent questioned God’s words to Eve. When those who are not well grounded in the word come under the influence of sometimes flashy, charming, seductive false teachers, they fall prey to mental and spiritual captivity. Sylagogon, from sylagogeo, which is properly “to carry off like a predator with its prey,” here means “to make a victim by fraud.” Fraudulent teachers, who know what they are saying is a lie, are everywhere. Beware lest you are carried off to a place of denying your faith for a lie.

May 8

Chapter 2, Verse 8, con’t, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Paul warned about believers letting their minds being taken in by false teachers. In this verse, he is not talking about those who, in the religious sense, twisted what he was teaching. Here, the first perplexing issue is φιλοσοφίας, philosophias; from philos = friend, and sophia = wisdom, it generally means friend or lover of wisdom. The is the only occurrence of this form in the New Testament and should not be confused with the modern English meaning. Paul was addressing the two leading philosophies of his day, Stoicism and Epicureanism along with the Gnostics, all of whom taught non-biblical, erroneous doctrines full of speculations–all of which were incompatible with Christianity. The next terms, κενῆς, kenēs = empty (empty of moral content), vain, foolish, worthless, and ἀπάτης, apatēs = a false impression, something made to cheat by fraud or trickery, describe the character of those philosophies. “Half truths” are what we call it today–just enough so-called truth to get your attention, but not clear truth to lead you to Christ and his righteousness. Always remember this about a half-truth. A half-truth is also half lie and the lie contained in it is what the person spinning it wants you to hear and believe.

May 9

Chapter 2, Verse 8, con’t, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, paradosin tōn anthrōpōn, “tradition of men,”. . .στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου, stoichia tou kosmou, “principles of the world.” The expressions “I’ve always heard it said,” and “mom and them always told me” aptly describe what Paul is writing about here. Tradition, paradosis, from paradidomi, means to surrender, give up, deliver to, and pictures handing over or passing on to someone. Common sense teaches that traditions are modified from generation to generation and do not necessarily reflect any truth at all. Especially in matters of “religion,” every supposed truth must face the question, “Is it according to scripture?” Stoicheia, from stoicheo = mark in rank from stoichos = row. It is about arrangement of something basic. In the vernacular, do you have all your ducks in a row? Are you prepared, can you defend what you believe or have to do? The Greeks understood and believed the universe consisted of four essential elements: earth, wind, fire, and water, and they existed and operated without any outside influence. The traditions and principles of the world always leave out the true essential element–biblical God. John 1:1-4, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through him, and without him was not any thing made that was made. In him was life, and the life was the light of men.” The whims of men do not compare to the truth of God.

May 10

Chapter 2, Verse 8, con’t, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.”

Everything that brings delusion (vs. 4), everything that seems reasonable (vs. 4) but is not, everything that comes from the philosophy of those who do not believe in the one true God (vs. 8), everything that deceives (vs. 8), everything that comes from tradition apart from God (vs. 8), and everything that arises from a belief that the cosmos operates on its own (vs. 8), all these things of the world are what satan, the deceiver, wants to bring into the church of the Lord Jesus. All of it is contrary to Christ, the creator, ruler, and sustainer of all things. Instead of being fooled by sharp-tongued, so-called ministers who seek to introduce “new” ideas into the church than run counter to the clear teaching of scripture, we must set our minds of Christ (Colossians 3:2), who He is, what He has done, who you are in Him. Paul addressed the fate of anyone and everyone who seeks to steer believers away from Christ, “For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth. For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. For although they knew God, they did not honor him as God or give thanks to him, but they became futile in their thinking, and their foolish hearts were darkened. Claiming to be wise, they became fools, and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images resembling mortal man and birds and animals and creeping things.” (Romans 1:18-23) The unbelieving world is there already. Do not be sucked into their folly and destruction. Follow Christ and Christ alone.

May 11

Chapter 2, Verse 9, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells.”

ὅτι ἐν αὐτῷ κατοικεῖ πᾶν τὸ πλήρωμα τῆς Θεότητος σωματικῶς, hoti en autō katioikei pan to plērōma tēs Theotētos sōmatikōs, “For in him dwells all the fullness of the Deity bodily.” hoti, “for,” may also be translated “because” and should be since the Colossians, of necessity, were having to be on guard against the false teachers. “In him” is at the beginning of the sentence denoting that everything we need in time and eternity is found in Jesus. Pleroma, from pleroo = to make full, means a full measure with the emphasis on being complete–nothing should be or can be added. Jesus in incarnate God, the Lord who was crucified and risen. He is the one mediator between God and man (1 Timothy 2:5). Theotetos means “the Godhead,” the perfect personality of God, divine in nature, attributes and perfections. Only found in this verse, Paul used it as a declaration of identity. Jesus is exactly God and when we see all God is in heaven, we will see Jesus.

May 12

Chapter 2, Verse 9, con’t, “For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells.”

κατοικεῖ. . .sōmatikōs, katoikei. . .somatikos, dwells. . .bodily; katoikeo, from kata = down, according to, and oikeo = dwell, reside; i.e, a dwelling place as one’s personal residence, it is used figuratively to mean “exactly at home;” the preposition kata intensifies showing permanence. Here, it is present tense indicating that Jesus always has been and always will be God. The is much like Moses’ encounter with God at the burn bush. God said, אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶֽהְיֶ֑ה , “I AM who I AM” — or, I who have always been and who will always continue to be, has sent you. The word was God (John 1:1) and He existed in the form of God (Philippians 2:6). While the Gnostics of Paul’s time did not believe Jesus was fully man and fully God, today’s Jehovah’s Witnesses believe the same thing. This is exactly the sort of false teaching Paul was referencing. Any person or religious group who denies the absolute deity of Jesus and/or teaches any other way to be saved that faith in him, is lying and cannot be trusted. The truth is: JESUS SAVES!

May 13

Chapter 2, Verse 10, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

καὶ ἐστὲ ἐν αὐτῷ πεπληρωμένοι, kai este en autō peplērōmenoi, “and you are in him having been made complete;” anytime we see “in Christ,” “in Christ Jesus,” or “in him,” at the beginning of a Greek sentence or phrase, it is placed there for emphasis. It alludes to the believer’s powerful and permanent relationship to Christ by faith. Because we are in him, all our spiritual needs are met, always. When we begin to feel like that is not the case, we must remember to refocus ourselves on Jesus and what he has done for us instead of on what is going on around us or even on the trouble in our spirit. Having Jesus in our lives means we possess everything we need to live a godly life. The form of pleroo used here means that we are completely filled. We have all of Jesus that we need and it implies that we are to be controlled by the one filling us–again, Jesus. Paul is trying to convey the idea that we have no spiritual deficiencies in Christ. We have all the capacity in our intellect to be godly–but because we are also told to be filled in an ongoing sense, (Ephesians 3:19, 5:18) we must figure out, as we are led by the Spirit, how to express that in our daily walk as we seek to be more like Christ while we deal with all the evil in the world. If it sounds difficult that is because it is difficult. Our salvation in Christ is complete; our daily Christian life will always be full of challenges. Thank God he has equipped us to be up to the challenge.

May 14

Chapter 2, Verse 10, con’t, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

ὅς ἐστιν ἡ κεφαλὴ, hos estin hē kephalē, “who is the head.” The root of estin is εἰμί, eimi = “I am, I exist,” which is comparable to אֶֽהְיֶ֖ה, yeheyeh in the Old Testament (Exodus 3:14). Here, the present tense indicates Christ’s continual, eternal headship while the indicative mood emphasizes this is actual reality, not metaphor. When speaking about God, I have often heard well-meaning people refer to him as “the big man upstairs.” While it is not meant to be disrespectful, it totally misses the mark. When we stand before God, and we all will (Romans 14:12), we will see a man, Jesus. But he is not a man like us, full of sin and doubt. He is holy and pure, having complete authority over everything in time and space. He is the cental force that holds together the entire universe. That is why he is called he kephale, the head. Metaphorically, it means a corner stone unity two walls. He is the chief cornerstone (Matthew 21:42), but so much more. Literally, it means ruler and Lord. When I think about Jesus as Lord of my life, I am drawn to Philippians 2:9-11, “God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” He is the Lord God and he is coming soon.

May 15

Chapter 2, Verse 10, con’t, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

The noun ἀρχή, arche, “rule” in its simplest form means origin or beginning. It is generally used to designate a singular kingly ruler, a group of rulers, or a beginning. Firguratively, it describes what comes first and is before others (having priority) and is, therefore, preeminent. In our world, there are all sorts of rulers, people in charge who are considered to be higher in rank than those over whom they govern. Sometimes rulers come into power by force, as in war when there may be many casualties. And sometimes rulers are chose by the vote of others who voluntarily place themselves under authority. In Ephesians 1:15-23, Paul declared, “For this reason, because I have heard of your faith in the Lord Jesus and your love toward all the saints, I do not cease to give thanks for you, remembering you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give you the Spirit of wisdom and of revelation in the knowledge of him, having the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints, and what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might that he worked in Christ when he raised him from the dead and seated him at his right hand in the heavenly places, far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and above every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the one to come. And he put all things under his feet and gave him as head over all things to the church, which is his body, the fullness of him who fills all in all.” The Lord Jesus Christ is now seated on the throne of God, in heaven, far above every worldly leader, with power this world cannot imagine. He did not come to this position by war or vote. He is there because he gave himself as a ransom for the sin of mankind. He died, took my sin on himself, resurrected from the dead, and is preeminent over all.

May 16

Chapter 2, Verse 10, con’t, “and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.”

The noun ἐξουσία, exousia, means “power to act” or authority as used here. In the New Testament, regarding believers, it means delegated power, the authority to act as they are guided by faith. In regard to Jesus, it means operating in a designated jurisdiction. What is that? The purview and jurisdiction of Christ is everywhere, at all times, regarding everything. There was no limit to his power to act before time as we know it began, in the time we understand, and in eternity future beyond time and space. All of Hebrews 1 speaks to this, verses 1 through 4, in particular, “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs.” He upholds the universe by the power of his word.” It is difficult for a mortal to understand the vastness of the power and authority of Jesus. He walked on water, calmed stormy seas, fed thousands with little, made wine from water, raised the dead, and himself resurrected after being crucified. He rules the universe, has authority over all things, and saves those who come to him in faith.

May 17

Chapter 2, Verse 11, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”

ἐν ᾧ καὶ περιετμήθητε, en hō kai perietmēthēte, “in whom also you were crucified;” the root peritemno, combines peri = all around, and temno = cut off. The idea of circumcision in the plan of God began in the life of Abraham. In Genesis 17, when Abram (his old name) was 99 years old, after God appeared to him in a vision (Genesis 15) and after he had met with Melchizadek (priest of God without lineage, beginning or ending [I believe he was a preincarnate appearance of Christ] Genesis 14), God promised the old man and his old wife (Sarai was well beyond childbearing years) a son, Isaac, through whom he would establish his covenant–an everlasting relationship that would culminate in Christ. The outward sign of the covenant was to be circumcision, removal of the male genitalia foreskin, signifying the personal, ongoing relationship with God. The physical act which separated all the men with Abraham from all the men of other nations, reflected the inward faith Abraham had in God and his willingness to obey God in spite of the physical pain. Here, in Colossians, Paul connects the dots reminding us of the pain Christ endured on the cross to connect us to the love of God through our own personal faith in him.

May 18

Chapter 2, Verse 11, con’t, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”

In John 3, Nicodemus, a learned man of the Pharisees, came to Jesus with an inquiry about his authority. Jesus answered him by saying, “. . .unless one is born again he cannot see the kingdom of God” (vs. 3). Confused, Nicodemus asked, “How can a man be born when he is old?” (vs. 4). Here, in verse 11, we face the same sort of conundrum — if our thinking is physical and not spiritual. περιτομῇ, peritomē, “with circumcision,” is another word, like the first, translated circumcision or circumcised and means the same thing, removal of male foreskin. ἀχειροποιήτῳ, acheiropoiētō, “make without hands,” combines a = without [a contraction of alpha used as a negative], cheir = hand, and poieo = to make; literally, “not made with hands” and figuratively not made in a human sense. This word is used 3 times in Scripture: (1) referring to the resurrection body of Jesus (Mark 14:58), (2) referring to the believer’s future, glorified resurrection body (2 Corinthians 5:1), and (3) spiritual circumcision of the heart, here in Colossians 2:11, that occurs when an individual accepts Jesus as Savior. Paul included the figure to refute those who insisted physical circumcision was necessary for salvation. Paul wrote in Romans 3:28, “For we hold that one is justified by faith apart from works of the law.” Not by the work of the hands of men are we redeemed, but by faith in the person of Jesus Christ who gave himself as a ransom for sin are we saved.

May 19

Chapter 2, Verse 11, con’t, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”

ἐν τῇ ἀπεκδύσει τοῦ σώματος τῆς σαρκός, en tē apekdysei tou sōmatos tēs sarkos, “in the removal of the body of the flesh;”

apekdusis is the noun form of apekduomai that means “put off from oneself;” it combines apo = away from, and ekduo = to come out of something, that is, clothes or armor. This is the only use in Scripture and expresses the idea of casting off a garment to get away from it. The imagery of getting rid of an old, filthy piece of clothing is a metaphor of our corrupt flesh inherited from Adam (original sin passed on). Soma, body, describes the literal human body while sarx, flesh, is used not in a literal sense but figuratively in the oral and ethical sense–corrupt passions and desires. What is the point? Paul is communicating that this spiritual circumcision results in a supernatural casting off of thte old self with all its evil thoughts and practices in favor of putting on the new self by being renewed in Christ. Only the power of God can affect such change in the life of a human being.

Chapter 2, Verse 11, con’t, “In him also you were circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, by putting of the body of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ,”

What is the circumcision of Christ? It is not the physical act that took place on the eighth day of his life. After 33 years of sinless living in a completely human body, and after being tempted in every way as a man, Jesus gave himself to the authorities to be crucified. He was beaten, mocked, and let to the top of a hill where he was nailed to a cross, hoisted above the earth, and left to die for crimes he did not commit. After more than three hours, at the point of death, Jesus cried out, “Father, why have you forsaken me?” I cannot begin to explain all that means. But I know this–he was somehow cut off from fellowship with the Father in heaven for a time. Cast off, alone, and suffering with all the weight of every person’s sin resting on him, he paid the ultimate price to pay our sin debt and declared, “It is finished.” He died, was buried, and rose from the dead, victorious over sin and the grave. Jesus made the way for me to be cut off from a life of sin, to be saved by grace, and to be made a new creation in Him.

May 21

Chapter 2, Verse 12, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead,”

συνταφέντες αὐτῷ ἐν τῷβαπτισμῷ, syntphentes autō en tō baptismō, “having been buried with him in baptism,” sunthopte, from sun/syn = “with” and addresses an intimate union, and thapto = to perform a funeral and bury somone; here, it means to be buried with someone and in the context refers to a believer’s burial with Christ, and so our inclusion in his death through union with him. “With him” refers to Christ and means when he was laid in the tomb, so were we who believe. “In baptism,” here, does not refer to water at all. This is talking about the spiritual baptism of every believer that occurs the moment we are saved by God’s grace through faith in Jesus. In that moment, when we repent and believe, the Holy Spirit enters into our life, quickening our dead spirit, cleansing our soul, and makes us ready for our new life walking with God daily.

May 22

Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead,”

ἐν ᾧ καὶ συνηγέρθητε, en hō kai synēgerthēte, “in which also you were raised with him,” Some of the events Paul wrote about speak to the past, present, and future all at the same time. He was trying to explain something in human terms that reflect God who is not bound by time. One thing we should always remember is that God sees all of time as an eternal now. This is impossible for us to completely comprehend. “Were raised up,” sunegeiro, combines sun = together (intimate union) and egeiro = to raise. This means to be roused from death in the company of another, Paul using it figuratively to mean revive spiritually. Our spiritual resurrection is, in God’s eyes, very real through faith in Jesus and provides the basis for our ability to walk in the power of our new birth in Christ. The aorist tense of the verb points to a completed action in the past with ongoing results. In the economy of God, we were raised with Christ, we are raised each day, and we will be raised when Christ returns. In Romans 6:5-11, Paul reminds us, “For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over him. For the death he died he died to sin, once for all, but the life he lives he lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus.” The resurrection power of God in Christ has made me whole and a permanent resident of heaven. What job in this life is to learn how to live like I am already there.

May 23

Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead,”

διὰ τῆς πίστεως τῆς ἐνεργείας τοῦ Θεοῦ, dia tēs pisteōs tēs energeias tou Theou, through the faith in the working of God” The preposition dia, “through,” is used here as a marker pointing to the agency or medium that produces spiritual resurrection. That agency is pistis, faith. It is by faith alone in Christ alone that we are saved. The idea of water baptism (a misinterpretation of Paul’s use of baptizo earlier in the verse) being a necessary part of being saved is nowhere found here. Water baptism is properly understood as an outward symbol of the inward spiritual act of faith in Jesus, picturing the death of the old self and the subsequent participation in the new life. The energia, “working of God,” describes the operative, effectual power that energizes a believer’s faith (the word is exclusive to Paul and is also used to describe the resurrection power of Jesus at Calvary). The point is this: everything about the act of salvation is from God. Feeling convicted about sin, coming to the place of godly sorrow (repentance) concerning sin, the desire to turn away from that life and turn to God, placing faith in Jesus as Savior and Lord, having the assurance of salvation, all of this comes from God. Paul wrote in Ephesians 2:8-9,”For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” Even the faith we exercise in Jesus is not from within us, it is the gift of God. Otherwise, if we claimed we somehow conjured up enough faith to be saved, we would go around bragging about it.

May 24

Chapter 2, Verse 12, con’t, “having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead,“

τοῦ ἐγείραντος αὐτὸν ἐκ νεκρῶν, tou egeirantos auton ek nekrōn, “the [One] having raised him out from the dead.” The death of Jesus was momentous in that it paid the price for the sin of mankind. He burial was sad for everyone involved because they could not help but wonder if his life was over. The resurrection was the greatest day in history–he overcame death, hell, and the grave and made it possible for me, by faith, to be saved and guaranteed a place in heaven. The resurrection means many things, but one of the most important is that it validates the Father’s acceptance of his atoning sacrifice for our sin. Jesus’ resurrection from the dead (nekros, from nekes = a corpse, a dead person having breathed their last breath) is the key to understanding all the future history of mankind. Simply put, all who accept him, by faith alone, for salvation, will live with him forever. All those who ignore him will end up burning forever in a lake of fire with no relief. As Paul wrote in Romans 6:23, “For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus Saves!

May 25

Chapter 2, Verse 13, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

Καὶ ὑμᾶς νεκροὺς ὄντας, Kai hymas nekrous ontas, “And you dead being.” Every time I read “And you” in this passage, it is like someone is looking straight at me with their finger pointed at my face. Why? Because things aren’t much different today that they were early in the history of humanity. Genesis 6:5, “The LORD saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually.” As Jeremiah wrote about the sin of Judah that led to their captivity in Babylon, he said, “The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately sick; who can understand it?” And King David, called a man after God’s own heart by God himself, said, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13). Paul wrote about the horrendous habits of man in Romans 1:18-28. In verses 24 and 25, he wrote, “Therefore God gave them up in the lusts of their hearts to impurity, to the dishonoring of their bodies among themselves, because they exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever! Amen.” Without Jesus, we are all dead spiritually, wallowing in sin and living against God. That is exactly why we need a Savior. Jesus came to seek and to save the lost (Luke 19:10). I was a dead man walking until Jesus invaded my life and saved my soul from hell.

May 26

Chapter 2, Verse 13, con’t, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

In this phrase, Paul states we were dead in two ways. The first is trespasses, παραπτώμασιν, paraptōmasin, which is also in another form at the end of the verse, παραπτώματα, paraptōmata, translated transgressions. The root, παράπτωμα, paraptóma, means “a false step,” or more properly, “to fall away after being close beside.” In essence, Paul is speaking about deviation from truth and righteousness. In the Old Testament, פֶשַׁע, pesha, is translated trespass and means “a stepping asie from the correct path.” Whether trespass or transgression, ultimately, we are talking about sin. In Romans 3, Paul wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (vs. 23). How did we get here? Adam in the Garden of Eden. The original sin in man, by one man, was his disobedience to God when he failed to do what God said to do–stay away from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. The result, in Adam we all die. In Romans 5:12, Paul wrote, “Therefore, just as sin came into the world through one man, and death through sin, and so death spread to all men because all sinned.” The remedy for sin, Jesus. Romans 5:8 tells us, “but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.” Jesus removes the penalty for all our trespasses when we receive him as Savior and Lord.

May 27

Chapter 2, Verse 13, con’t, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

τῇ ἀκροβυστίᾳ τῆς σαρκὸς ὑμῶν, tē akrobystia tēs sarkos hymōn, “in the uncircumcision of the flesh of you.” akrobustia, from akron = the extreme, and buo = cover; it refers to the male foreskin and is related to the Old Testament requirement God gave to Abraham (Genesis 17:10ff) as a sign of the covenant with what would eventually become Israel and hence, Jews. Here, in verse 13, Paul is using it to describe the uncircumcised Gentiles; most of the Colossian believers were Gentiles. He is using it figuratively and in a negative sense pointing to a lack of relationship with God and the perfect righteousness required by the Law. The term was also used derisively by Jews who considered all non-Jewish people to be pagan. Before being saved by faith in Christ, Paul further described those of the uncircumcison in Ephesians 2:1-3, “And you were dead in the trespasses and sins in which you once walked, following the course of this world, following the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that is now at work in the sons of disobedience— among whom we all once lived in the passions of our flesh, carrying out the desires of the body and the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, like the rest of mankind.” Jesus remedied that and Paul included that in Ephesian 2, “But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ. For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility by abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, that he might create in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace, and might reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross, thereby killing the hostility.” Now, regardless of national origin, skin color, or anything else, salvation is available to all who receive Jesus as Savior and Lord.

May 28

Chapter 2, Verse 13, con’t, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

συνεζωοποίησεν ὑμᾶς σὺν αὐτῷ, synezōopoiēsen hymas sin autō, “He made alive together you with him.” The verb suzoopoieo, is from syn/sun = together with, referring to a close personal relationship, and zoopoieo = “make alive,” which is the combination of zoos = alive, and poieo = to make. I guess that is why it is such a mouthful. It is, in fact, an exciting biblical word used only here and in Ephesians 2:5. It is aorist which means a completed action. The connection between Jesus and those given to him by the Father is certain, permanent, and based entirely on Jesus’ resurrection. In other words, the spiritual resurrection of every true believer is a sure thing. I am reminded of two passages in Romans 8, “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death. For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit” (vss. 1-4), and “And we know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to his purpose. For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those whom he predestined he also called, and those whom he called he also justified, and those whom he justified he also glorified” (vss. 28-30). The doctrine of divine election is not popular in some religious circles, but here it is. Jesus saves. . .those he chose. . .to live for him — Ephesians 2:10, “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” And he will return one day to gather all believers together, forever. Seek Jesus while you can.

May 29

Chapter 2, Verse 13, con’t, “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the circumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses.”

As I have already stated, there is little difference between tresspass and transgression. Both are derived from paraptoma, which combines para, = aside, and pipto = fall, as in “stumbling.” Ethically, it is a false step, going where we shouldn’t and/or doing what we shouldn’t — sin. “Having forgiven,” χαρισάμενος, charisamenos, is from charis = grace, which is undeserved merit or favor. It has the basic meaning “to give.” It is what God gives to us freely, graciously, and generously, even though we do not deserve it (because of tresspass/transgression). In his grace, God pardons our sin. That is, he finds and treats us, who are guilty of sin, as not guilty. That is a wow moment, when you think about it long at all. When I read this passage, I go full stop when I see πάντα, panta, “all.” It means sum total, without exception. When we trust Jesus as Savior and Lord, God does not pardon just the worst of our sin, but all sin, past, present, and future. This is not a license to go out and sin. It is a declaration of God’s extensive love for us and should be sufficient inspiration for us to run from sin. In Romans 6, Paul wrote, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” The newness of life, provided by God’s grace, is the place where we find peace and purpose.

May 30

Chapter 2, Verse 14, “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

ἐξαλείψας τὸ καθ’ ἡμῶν χειρόγραφον, exaleipsas to kath’ hēmōn cheirographon, “having blotted out the against us handwriting.” The verb eksaleipho, from ek = out from, and aleipho = smear, originally meant “to plaster, rub smooth, or whitewash,” as in covering a surface, and later come to mean “wiping out” in the sense of “to cancel.” cheirographon, from cheir = the hand, and grapho = a document (handwritten), was generally used to describe a legal agreement having been written down and sealed with a wax imprint. Just about everybody keeps records of some sort. We have deeds to our homes, car titles, recipes; and sometimes its just memories. Paul is using record in this context to describe a legal, binding document used in courts where judgments were made against those who broke the law including a list of any penalties incurred. We seem to forget that breaking the law has consequences. Figuratively, he is talking about our sin–the list is long. Our sin is what separates us from God. We all have sinned. The bad news is that we can never pay our sin debt on our own. No amount of good will cancel the debt or erase the memory of it. The good news is that when we accept Jesus into our lives, God wipes away the list and the penalty. We are set free in Jesus. I am reminded that my freedom came at a price, the precious blood of Christ. And in my freedom, I should live as far away from sin as I can.

May 31

Chapter 2, Verse 14, con’t, “by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with it legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross.”

τοῖς δόγμασιν ὃ ἦν ὑπεναντίον ἡμῖν, tois dogmasin ho ēn hypenantion hēmin, “in the decrees against us and which was hostile to us.” Dogma, from dokeo = “to think” or “to seem as if;” it refers to a legal statement about rules that are to be followed to the letter. All of these together, ordinances, obligations, regulations, were part of Greek sets of rules that people were to observe or risk severe penalties in the courts. Dogma has the sense of a fixed, authoritative decision. In other words, rigid law. Its use here refers to a binding law posted in a public place for all to see. Violation demanded punishment. Thus, the law stood against people and was hostile to them. Hostile, hypernantis, from hupo, a prefix adding intensity, and enantios, = opposite to or contrary, means set against an enemy i battle. The only other New Testament use is in Hebrews 10:27, “but a fearful expectation of judgment, and a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries.” Laws are generally enacted to keep the peace and maintain order. Clearly, the idea here is that the law is against us; we are all guilty before it and it demands justice. Thanks be to God that Jesus fulfilled the law in himself as a ransom to pay the debt for sin.