Colossians – Chapter 2

1 For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

2 That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ;

3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

4 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.

5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.

6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:

7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.

8 Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily.

10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ:

12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.

13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses;

14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us (*), and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;

(*) Note: many thought that what was nailed to the cross was the Ten Commandments written upon two tablets of stones. Compare with [05] Deuteronomy 31:26, readers can easily find out that the “handwriting of ordinances” (not the commandments carved upon rocks by the finger of God), which was against the Israelites, is none other than the law book of Moses that this prophet placed next to the Ark of the Covenant to bare witness against the Israelites, with all the ceremonial law of sacrifice, circumcision, feasts, and 7 annual Sabbaths. As for the Ten Commandments of God, they are all unchangeable, eternal moral principles (don’t murder, don’t fornicate, don’t worship false gods…), not even one jot or one tittle of them can pass away (see note in [01] Matthew 5:19). Let no one presume that they can just confess Jesus upon their mouth, and they would be free to go ahead and fornicate, deceive, steal, commit idolatry… breaking the Ten Commandments and still be saved. Obeying the Ten Commandments is not what saves us, but it is the obvious fruit of a true faith, and can be used as a test to detect whether we really believe in the Lord with a biblical, saving, surrendering faith.

15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink (*), or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbaths (**):

(*) The Old Testament law contains no drink law for anyone to use to judge one another here, thus the judging in drink or meat (food) here cannot possibly be referring to the dietary law as in [03] Leviticus 11, but the laws regarding meat offerings and drink offerings, which were ceremonial laws of Moses foreshadowing Christ.

(**) Note: besides the weekly Sabbath of the Ten Commandments, the Old Testament also has 7 ANNUAL Sabbath days in the ceremonial law of Moses (See note in [03] Leviticus 23:24). Many people are just outright lazy when it comes to reading the Old Testament law books like [03] Leviticus, and thus do not know about their existence, upon reading this verse would be mistaken that one of the Ten Commandments of God was abolished! Read again the note in [12] Colossians 2:14 above to understand correctly which Sabbaths were being abolished here, to avoid trespassing one of the Ten Commandments.

17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ (*).

(*) All the ceremonial ordinances of Moses, from sacrificial laws to circumcision, to feasts and annual sabbaths, are NOT unchangeable, eternal principles of truth like “don’t steal”, “don’t murder”, “don’t eat scavengers”, but are only prophecies foreshadowing Christ, built up into religious ceremonies to convince people to believe in Jesus. For example the Passover is actually a prophecy pointing to Christ’s time of death (afternoon of the 14th day of the first month). When Jesus died on the cross, all these prophetic ceremonies found their fulfillment in Him, and thus expired.

18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

20 If ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,

21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;

22 Which all are to perish with the using;) after the commandments and doctrines of men?

23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body: not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.