Aleethia!

This lesson was taught on Wednesday evening, 08-13-2008.

In this passage Paul is truly dealing with the problem of legalistic asceticism. Asceticism can be defined in this way.

Asceticism = the practice of severe self-discipline and abstinence from all forms of indulgence, typically for religious reasons

The false teaching he’s dealing with now is this extreme version of self-denial.

In verse 20 Paul seems to turn this teaching on its head. Remember that this teaching is an outworking of the underlying Gnostic philosophy that matter is evil and the spiritual is good. It makes sense then, that these people would teach extreme self-denial. Deny yourself pleasure, food, any number of things, and you are becoming less materialistic and more spiritual.

Paul agrees that we have died to the world, and the powers that rule the world. He then asks why, considering our death to the world, would we submit ourselves to asceticism.  This turns the Gnostic thinking upside down. They thought that by denying themselves they were becoming more spiritual. Paul says, you’ve already become spiritually alive and dead to the world, so why would you submit to the world by denying yourself.

The Greek word translated as submit is a form of the word we get our english words dogma and dogmatic from. It means to voluntarily submit to a system of rules laid down by an authority. Paul is arguing that we are no longer under the authority of the world and the Devil and should therefore not submit to their legalistic system of rules.

In verse 21 Paul gives us examples of the type of regulation they are being given. He seems to almost be mocking their regulations by saying, “Don’t handle this. Don’t taste that. Don’t touch anything!”

This is legalism remixed. › Continue reading

This post is part of a teaching series on the book of Colossians. All of the lessons in this series can be found here. In the first lesson we outlined the book. In each subsequent lesson we look at one small section of the outline and seek to answer five questions concerning the text.

Last week we took a look at this same passage, focusing specifically on how Paul prayed in verse one. This week we’re looking at the rest of the passage to learn what he prays and why.

2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ,

Paul is praying for their “hearts” to be encouraged. What does he mean by hearts?

As this term is used in Scripture, it refers to both the rational and emotional elements of our inner person. The mind and emotions. All of who we are at our core.

Paul’s prayer is that their hearts would be encouraged, comforted, uplifted. He says this will happen when they are

knit together in love

What does he mean by “knit together”? Is Paul getting out a knitting needle? This Greek word literally means “compacted, or held together.” I would prefer an english rendering that said “welded together.” › Continue reading