Colossians 2

Colossians 2 is the second of the four chapters of Colossians. Following chapter 1, which speaks of the preeminence of Christ and of Paul's labor for the gospel, this chapter explains for whom that labor is undertaken and refutes the teaching that was unsettling the church.

Outline

• Verses 1-5: Paul says that he strives on behalf of the believers in Colossae and Laodicea and of those who have not seen his face. Since all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hid in Christ, the mystery of God, he tells them not to be deceived by enticing words.
• Verses 6-7: Having received Christ Jesus the Lord, they are urged to be rooted in him, established in the faith, and abounding in thanksgiving.
• Verses 8-15: Paul warns against philosophy that follows the tradition of men and the rudiments of the world (generally taken as the basic principles of the world, though some interpret the phrase as the spiritual powers that rule the world). He declares that in Christ dwells all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. Believers have received a circumcision made without hands, and in baptism they were buried with him and raised with him. God blotted out (erased) the handwriting that was against us, nailed it to the cross, and triumphed over principalities and powers.
• Verses 16-19: Believers are not to let anyone judge them in meat or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, the new moon (the festival on the first day of each month), or the sabbath days. These are a shadow of things to come, but the body is of Christ. Paul urges them not to be beguiled of their reward through false humility and the worshipping of angels, but to hold fast to Christ, the Head.
• Verses 20-23: Since they died with Christ, there is no reason for them to submit to ordinances such as "Touch not; taste not; handle not." Such ordinances have a show of wisdom, Paul says, but are of no value in restraining the indulgence of the flesh.

Key Verses

• Colossians 2:9 "For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." This verse is frequently cited in discussions of the Incarnation and Christology.
• Colossians 2:14 "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us … nailing it to his cross." This verse expresses the forgiveness of sins accomplished on the cross.
• Colossians 2:16-17 "Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." These verses are a central point of reference in discussions of how festivals and the Sabbath should be understood.

People and Places

• Paul: The author of the letter, who appears in the text as "I."
• Colossae: The city in Asia Minor where the church that received the letter was located.
• Laodicea: A city near Colossae, mentioned alongside it in verse 1.

Points for Reflection

• Circumcision and baptism (verses 11-12): Presbyterians and others in the covenant theology tradition see these verses as linking circumcision and baptism as signs of the covenant and cite this connection as one of the grounds for infant baptism. Baptists, pointing to the phrases "through the faith" and "buried with him," support baptism by immersion for those who have professed faith. For details, see the articles Infant Baptism Debate and Baptism and Immersion.
• The Sabbath (verse 16): Most Protestant churches read this verse to mean that the regulations concerning festivals and the Sabbath have been fulfilled in Christ. The Seventh-day Adventist Church interprets the sabbath days here as annual ceremonial festivals, distinguishing them from the weekly Sabbath. This question is treated in the article Sabbath and the Lord's Day.
• The false teaching at Colossae: The text does not specify the nature of the teaching. Scholars have offered various interpretations, including Jewish legalism, mysticism, and a syncretistic blend of ideas with early Gnostic tendencies. Some hold, however, that it cannot simply be identified with second-century Gnosticism.
• Connections within the New Testament: The theme of dying and rising with Christ through baptism parallels Romans 6:3-6. The discussion of the rudiments of the world connects with Galatians 4:9-11. The view of the law as a shadow corresponds to Hebrews 10:1. The chapter leads into the exhortation of chapter 3 to "seek those things which are above."