If we like to garden, and enjoy many beautiful flowers or fresh vegetables, when we see some weeds, we need to take action and pull those weeds out quickly before they spread and ruin our garden. When a doctor discovers disease in his patient, he will order surgery to remove the cancer before it spreads. The bad apple is quickly removed from the barrel before the rottenness spreads. Whenever we find something bad we need to act quickly before the damage or danger will spread further. The same is true within the Church. When heretical beliefs and false, damaging philosophical teachings crop up in the Church, they need to be quickly rooted out and removed. Our Scripture for today continues in Paul’s letter to the Colossians, and he addresses some of those false beliefs.
Though Paul had not founded the church in Colossae, and possibly had never visited there, he was very concerned about the spreading heretical philosophies that some people in the church were believing and spreading on to other people. This church was probably begun by a believer named Epaphras, and Paul knew that these false and heretical philosophies were not what had been taught by his fellow preacher. When Epaphras came to Colossae witnessing to them, they received his message. They accepted the truth that Jesus is fully God and fully human, died for their sins, rose the third day, and coming again (vs. 6-7). Paul urged them, and us today, that after receiving Jesus, we need to continue to live in Him. To walk in Christ is to live a life patterned after His. Jesus should establish our values, guide our thinking, and direct our conduct.
After the founding of this church, Satan did not waste any time, and began infiltrating with heretical teachings and philosophies (vs. 8). We need to be on the alert against these false philosophies which are so popular in our world. Satan is trying to destroy Christians and the Church with philosophies based on human wisdom that appeals to our human nature, which are self-focused, and not God-focused. Satan’s promises are always empty, and end in disaster when we follow what he says and seek after these false promises. However, the Lord is faithful, and His Word is always true.
As believers, we need to be on guard, our eyes always on the mark. Even some popular religious sayings are not Biblically true, such as “God helps those who help themselves”, and “There are many paths which lead to God”. These are said quite often, and many people believe them as truth, yet they are Biblically false. It is very important to check out all teachings, making sure they are accurate. Don’t be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies (vs. 8). There are false teachers who want to entrap us in ways of thinking and living that are opposed to the Gospel. Their philosophy sounds enticing, but is based on human reasoning, and empowered by dark spiritual forces. False teachers who are successful in getting people to believe lies, rob them of truth, salvation, and blessings.
Over the centuries, false beliefs have spread that Jesus was only man, or only God or spirit. The latter was more common in the past. The former is much more common today. Some people in the Colossian church were ones that got caught up in these false beliefs (vs. 9). We may not understand how Jesus could be both fully human and fully divine at the same time, but that is what Scripture clearly teaches (John 1:1, 14; Philippians 2:5-8). Everything that exists was created by and for Jesus. It is all under His authority, whether we want to acknowledge it or not (vs. 10). His Headship extends not only over the Church, but over all forces that are opposed to Him, as well. One day all must acknowledge Him as God (Philippians 2:10-11).
As Paul closes our Scripture for today, he declares the truth that Satan and his minions were defeated at the cross by Jesus (vs. 15). Sin was the legal right that Satan had to hold man in captivity. With sin atoned for, he has no more legal right to hold in bondage anymore anyone who accepts Jesus as their Savior. When Rome conquered an enemy, their soldiers would return home in a victory parade. In the parade the defeated leaders, the generals and kings, would be led in chains, shamed and mocked. This is what Jesus did to the hostile spiritual forces on the cross. Satan is a defeated enemy!
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