ELNORA’S BIBLE STUDY WITH FAMILY & FRIENDS, Colossians 2, Saturday, November 1, 2025
Context for Chapter 2
Chapter 1 introduced Christ as supreme over all of creation. Chapter 2 refines this argument by showing how the salvation offered through Jesus is superior to false, alternative systems. Paul specifically refutes several ideas, such as legalism, asceticism (self-denial), and mysticism. These are not how God intends us to grow, spiritually. Later chapters will contrast these false, external attempts with the true, inner spiritual growth which comes only by faith in Christ.
A Source: https://www.bibleref.com/Colossians/2/Colossians-chapter-2.html
1. Standing Firm Against Deception, Verses 1-10, KESHIA
1I want you to know how much I have agonized for you and for
the church at Laodicea, and for many other believers who have never met me
personally. 2 I want them to be encouraged and knit
together by strong ties of love. I want them to have complete confidence that
they understand God’s mysterious plan, which is Christ himself. 3 In
him lie hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I
am telling you this so no one will deceive you with well-crafted arguments. 5 For
though I am far away from you, my heart is with you. And I rejoice that you are
living as you should and that your faith in Christ is strong. 6 And
now, just as you accepted Christ Jesus as your Lord, you must continue to
follow him. 7 Let your roots grow down into him,
and let your lives be built on him. Then your faith will grow strong in the
truth you were taught, and you will overflow with thankfulness. 8 Don’t
let anyone capture you with empty philosophies and high-sounding nonsense that
come from human thinking and from the spiritual powers[a] of this world,
rather than from Christ. 9 For in Christ lives all
the fullness of God in a human body.[b] 10 So
you also are complete through your union with Christ, who is the head over
every ruler and authority.
SECTION QUESTIONS: To Be Added
2. Christ is the Center, Verses 11-23, DESTINY
11 When you
came to Christ, you were “circumcised,” but not by a physical procedure. Christ
performed a spiritual circumcision—the cutting away of your sinful nature.[c] 12 For you were
buried with Christ when you were baptized. And with him you were raised to new
life because you trusted the mighty power of God, who raised Christ from the
dead. 13 You were
dead because of your sins and because your sinful nature was not yet cut away.
Then God made you alive with Christ, for he forgave all our sins. 14 He canceled
the record of the charges against us and took it away by nailing it to the
cross. 15 In this way, he disarmed[d] the spiritual
rulers and authorities. He shamed them publicly by his victory over them on the
cross. 16 So don’t
let anyone condemn you for what you eat or drink, or for not celebrating
certain holy days or new moon ceremonies or Sabbaths. 17 For these
rules are only shadows of the reality yet to come. And Christ himself is that
reality. 18 Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on
pious self-denial or the worship of angels,[e] saying they have
had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, 19 and they are
not connected to Christ, the head of the body. For he holds the whole body
together with its joints and ligaments, and it grows as God nourishes it. 20 You have
died with Christ, and he has set you free from the spiritual powers of this
world. So why do you keep on following the rules of the world, such as, 21 “Don’t handle!
Don’t taste! Don’t touch!”? 22 Such rules are
mere human teachings about things that deteriorate as we use them. 23 These
rules may seem wise because they require strong devotion, pious self-denial,
and severe bodily discipline. But they provide no help in conquering a person’s
evil desires.
SECTION QUESTIONS: To Be Added
Legalism, Asceticism (self-denial), and Mysticism Defined
Legalism is the strict adherence to the letter of the law or a religious/moral code, often to an excessive degree. In Western contexts, it can refer to a theological or religious attitude of depending on good works or strict rule-following for salvation.
Asceticism is a lifestyle characterized by self-denial and abstinence from worldly pleasures for the purpose of achieving spiritual or intellectual goals. It involves practices like fasting, prayer, and renunciation of material comforts, with the aim of gaining a higher state of being, purification, or a stronger connection with the divine.
Mysticism (1) belief that union with or absorption into the Deity or the absolute, or the spiritual apprehension of knowledge inaccessible to the intellect, may be attained through contemplation and self-surrender. (2) vague or ill-defined religious or spiritual belief, especially as associated with a belief in occult forces or supernatural agencies.
Confessions for Colossians, Chapter 2
Source: https://prayer.knowing-jesus.com/Colossians
Comments
Post a Comment