Scripture Lesson: Colossians 2:6–15
October 5, 2016
"And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross." ~ Colossians 2:15
There have always been scams; there have always been ways that one group of people have taken advantage of another group of people. There have been mail scams, telephone scams and now, email scrams. The disrepute may be dishonest but they sure keep up with technology.
Sadly, scamming people appears to be human nature. And unfortunately, no group is exempt from being a potential target of scam artists, while some groups are targets of scam artists.
In our text, the Colossians were duped out of the freedom that Christ purchased for them on the Cross. The Colossians were mental captives, instead of living the freedom that Christ made available to them. These Colossians were taken captive by a philosophy and a tradition that was both ritualistic and legalistic. The gospel message is so simple, yet human nature, then and now, leans itself repeatedly toward making the good news complicated and unattainable. The Gnostics were the greatest threat to the development of Christianity at the church at Colossae.
The Gnostics believed that flesh is evil, and it is separate from thought or knowledge, what they considered the highest forms of salvation. They believed that Jesus only appeared to have a body.
The Colossians’ struggle suggests that their attention had shifted from the teachings of Christ, to the worship of angels, then to pious self-humiliation, and human prescriptions for righteousness. They were convinced that they needed something more than the simple teachings of Christ. The philosophy and tradition they let into their congregation told them that Jesus’ gift of salvation was not free and was not available to all.
But Paul knew that was not true. So, he wanted to correct their behavior and wrote this letter to call them back to the gospel of Christ. Paul wanted them to adhere to the simple teachings of Christ that said, follow me, and the example I have lived. Paul knew that in Christ, God’s spirit dwells. Paul believed that following the spirit of Christ must take precedence over every authority on earth for Christ’s followers. He knew that it is through Christ and Christ alone, that people are made righteous. He knew that it is not wise to give yourself over to vain human activity. Paul’s letter to the Colossians called them back to the basics. Such as, hold fast to the message of Christ, in whom the fullness of God dwells bodily, verse 9, and through whom we have redemption, verses 13-14. He called them to remember that it is through Christ that people are spiritually circumcised, that is, that believers are marked as belonging to God, verse 11. It is in baptism that believers are first buried with Christ and then raised to new life in Him, verse 12.
Through Christ believers receive forgiveness of their sins, verse 13. Paul called the Colossians to live the freedom Christ purchased for them, and every believer, through His crucifixion at Calvary.
Paul’s word of caution, found here in Colossians, could easily be spoken today. The Christians at Colossae were being confused by theological ideas that were being added to the gospel of Christ.
The air was filled with talk about angels and elemental spirits, about customs and rituals which were to be observed. None of these did a thing to make the people more Christian; they served, instead, as distractions. And this is still the case as 21st century Christians find ourselves wrestling with theologies that say Christianity is not relevant, that Christianity does not require personal piety, study or dedication. The Colossians were distracted by Gnosticism, and other theologies of the day, as they all vied for their moment on the main stage. In the first century, the followers of each religion thought their religion would endure the test of time. But Christianity was truly different than the other religions and the Colossians nearly lost sight of that fact. Lest you think that the Colossians were less than other Christians, remember that the Galatians, for example, were distracted by arguments over circumcision and customs from Judaism. And if you are honest, you will admit that things distract you from your faith development, too. Things like money, homes, vacations, cars, food, clothes, sports and other leisure-time activities, cell phones, Facebook, twitter, television, and the list could go on and on.
Modern Christians suffer from a different malady than the Colossians. The Colossians had forgotten what they were taught about the freedom, and the gift, they had in Christ. Modern Christians on the other hand, know about Christ but they don’t want to accept what they know.
The text says school is out; quit studying the subject and start living it, when you do so, you can’t help but praise God. That is what Paul wanted the church at Colossae to understand, and that is what he wants you to understand as well. Scams come and go; the first century Christians at Colossae were scammed into thinking that they needed a more complicated, more structured religion. A religion where they had rules and rituals to follow, rather than a religion that talked about their freedom from the rules and rituals. The Gnostics had the Christians at Colossae convinced that they needed a how-to manual on being followers of Christ, rather than understanding that baptism is the only how-to manual that they would ever need. Through baptism the early Christians, middle Christians, and present-day Christians find our way to Jesus.
Baptism was for them, and continues to be, the initiation rite into Christendom. In fact, Protestant denominations only have two sacraments – Baptism and Holy Communion. This lets you know how significant the two really are. Whether you were baptized by emersion, pouring, or sprinkling, the effect is the same. The water washed away your old life and way of being, and you emerged a new creation when God raised you to a new life. You became a new being following the wisdom of God through the resurrection and life of Christ.
You don’t need a telescope, microscope, or horoscope to realize the fullness of Christ, and the emptiness of the universe without Him. Entering into Christ’s fullness is not something you figure out or earn. It is a gift freely given to you by our Lord, Jesus the Christ, when He destroyed the power of sin. Jesus Christ destroyed the power of sin by dying on Calvary for you.
You will never earn Christ’s gift no matter how ritualistic or legalistic you may become. You will never earn Christ’s gift no matter how pious or dedicated to the cause of Christ you may be.
You will never earn Christ’s gift of salvation no matter how many good works you do. Christ’s gift of salvation is just that, a gift, a gift freely given to you because Jesus loved you so much that He went to Calvary, and then rose three days later, as the Christ of God, and our Savior.
Pastor Woods-Barrant