“Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude. See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ” (Colossians 2:6-8).
In the verses above, Paul encouraged the brethren in Colossae to remain faithful to Christ, while also warning them of the danger of being taken captive. In essence, there were two paths before them – the way of Christ and the way of the world.
It is just as true today as it was then that the world uses various tactics to make its way seem appealing (philosophy, deception, traditions of men, and the elementary principles of the world). In the verses that follow, Paul explained why Christ is better than the world, so that they would remain faithful to Him.
Let us consider the five reasons Paul gave to explain why Christ is better than the world.
The Fullness of Deity Dwells in Him
“For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form” (Colossians 2:9).
The term Deity refers to the quality of being God. Paul used a similar term in his letter to the Romans when he described the “divine nature” (Romans 1:20) or “Godhead” (KJV). As Paul explained to the Colossians, Jesus was Deity while in the flesh. This is why the angel, when he appeared to Mary, identified Jesus as “‘Immanuel,’ which translated means, ‘God with us’” (Matthew 1:23). Jesus did not surrender His Deity when He came to earth. Instead, Paul was able to say that the church had been purchased with the blood of God (Acts 20:28), which clearly referred to Jesus’ blood, which He shed in His death.
Earlier in his letter to the Colossians, Paul described Jesus as our Creator and Sustainer: “He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together” (Colossians 1:15-17). Because He made us and continues to care for us, He has the “preeminence” (Colossians 1:18, KJV) over all things. He is to be preferred over everything we could gain in this life, which is why Paul said, “I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ” (Philippians 3:8).
He Makes Us Complete
“And in Him you have been made complete…” (Colossians 2:10).
Complete means to be brought to fullness. Without Christ, we are lacking. With Him, we have everything we need. Jesus told His disciples, “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (John 14:6). In describing His role as “the good shepherd” (John 10:11), Jesus said, “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly” (John 10:10). We miss out on these blessings without Him.
In Paul’s work of preaching the gospel, he told these brethren, “We proclaim Him…so that we may present every man complete in Christ” (Colossians 1:28). In the same way today, the preaching of the gospel enables us to become “complete in Christ.” However, for this to happen, the message of Christ must be preached completely. Like Paul, we must “not shrink from declaring the whole purpose of God” (Acts 20:27). The inspired word of God equips us “for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). Therefore, in order to complete the work God has given us to do, we must not neglect any part of His word.
He Has All Authority
“…and He is the head over all rule and authority…” (Colossians 2:10).
“When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him” (Colossians 2:15).
Jesus is the head over all things because He is the Creator: “For by Him all things were created, both in the heavens and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities all things have been created through Him and for Him” (Colossians 1:16). Jesus told His apostles, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth” (Matthew 28:18), and this was the foundation for their preaching and their efforts to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20).
His authority was demonstrated in His death and resurrection. As the psalmist prophesied of Christ, the full force of civil authority was against Him: “Why are the nations in an uproar and the peoples devising a vain thing? The kings of the earth take their stand and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord and against His Anointed, saying, ‘Let us tear their fetters apart and cast away their cords from us!’” (Psalm 2:1-3). However, even though they put Him to death, He still “triumphed over them” (Colossians 2:15). The psalmist described God as saying, “But as for Me, I have installed My King upon Zion, My holy mountain” (Psalm 2:6). They killed Jesus, but He was victorious. We will share in His victory if we submit to Him (Revelation 17:14).
He Removes Our Sin
“And in Him you were also circumcised with a circumcision made without hands, in the removal of the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ; having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead. When you were dead in your transgressions and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our transgressions” (Colossians 2:11-13).
The “removal of the body of the flesh” refers to forgiveness. We put off the old man of sin by having “our old self…crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with…” (Romans 6:6). This occurs when we are “buried with Him in baptism.” Paul explained, “Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life. For if we have become united with Him in the likeness of His death, certainly we shall also be in the likeness of His resurrection” (Romans 6:3-5).
When Peter preached on the day of Pentecost, he called upon his hearers to “repent, and…be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins” (Acts 2:38). Similarly, Paul was told, “Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name” (Acts 22:16). Our sins are forgiven when we respond in faith to the message of the gospel by being baptized into Christ to have our sins washed away.
Even so, forgiveness comes by God’s grace. In a parallel passage from the letter to the church in Ephesus, Paul explained that “even when we were dead in our transgressions, [God] made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved)” (Ephesians 2:5). Baptism does not “earn” us salvation as if we are doing some work to remove our sins. When we submit to the Lord’s command to be baptized, we do so “through faith in the working of God” (Colossians 2:13). He is the one who removes our sins, not us, nor the one who baptizes us. This is why Peter wrote, “Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” (1 Peter 3:21). When we are baptized, we are making an appeal to God to forgive us of our sins so that we can have a good conscience as we are raised to “walk in newness of life” (Romans 6:4).
He Removed the Old Law
“Having canceled out the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” (Colossians 2:14).
The “certificate of debt” and “decrees” refer to the old law (the Law of Moses). The Law itself was good. In fact, Paul wrote, “So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Romans 7:12). It came from God and did what He intended it to do. However, it was only ever meant to be temporary. Long before the time of Christ, God told His people that “a new covenant” would be made with them (Jeremiah 31:31; Hebrews 8:8). The Law was given as a “tutor to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:24-25). In other words, since Christ came and died on the cross, we are no longer under the old law.
At the beginning of his gospel account, John explained the difference between the revelation delivered through Moses and what was revealed in Christ: “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ” (John 1:17).
Since Christ has come, we now have the gospel, which is “the power of God for salvation” (Romans 1:16). If we attempt to return to the old law (or anything else, for that matter), we fall from grace. Paul explained this to the churches of Galatia: “And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law. You have been severed from Christ, you who are seeking to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace” (Galatians 5:3-4).
Conclusion
It is far better to follow Christ than to follow the world, yet the world is continually trying to convince us otherwise. Do not be deceived or taken captive! Instead, walk in Christ and stand firm in Him.
