The Fullness of God found in Christ
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, 10 and you have been filled by him, who is the head over every ruler and authority. (Colossians 2:8-10)
In these three verses, Paul warns the believers at Colossae about the methods in which the false teachers will try to persuade them. He warns them to “be careful that no one takes you captive,” meaning that they are to avoid being carried away from the truth and enslaved in error. The false teachers were using “philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world.” This isn’t to say that all philosophy is inherently wrong. This was in reference to specific philosophy that was empty and worthless, which is in contrast to the fullness found in Christ.
The deceit was based in two areas, human tradition and the elements of the world. Human tradition, as William Baclay states “It was a product of the human mind; and not a message of the Word of God.” The second base of the deceit was called the elements of the world, which translated from the Greek means “component parts of a series.” In this instance, it referred to superstitious beliefs in elemental and cosmic spirits. Christ is the Creator (see John 1:10), and therefore, all creation is subject under Him.
Then, in verses 9 and 10, Paul gives two counter arguments to combat the two areas that false teachers were focusing on: the person of Christ and the believer’s identity in Him. The false teachers did not see Jesus Christ as God and was lesser than supposed elemental spirits. Not only that, but they also did not acknowledge Christ being fully God and fully Man. Paul counters this with verse 9, “for the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ,” meaning that Christ displays all the characteristics of God completely even when He was physically here on earth.
The false teachers then target the believers, stating that the believers needed to receive extra secret revelations known only to the false teachers and do additional rituals to receive salvation. Paul counters this by stating that the believers “have been filled by Him, who is the head over every ruler and authority.” The believers are complete once they have accepted Christ as their Savior. There is no need to do anything additional to guarantee their salvation. Once saved is always saved. And the believers’ salvation is guarded by Christ, who is supreme and “the head over every ruler and authority.”
Blessings,
Isaac De Guzman
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