Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: COLOSSIANS #2 - 1:24-2:19)
C. 1:24-2:5 JESUS CHRIST: KEY TO THE GOSPEL MYSTERY
1. 1:24-29 PAUL'S APOSTOLIC RELATIONSHIP TO THE GOSPEL FOR GENTILES
Nun CHAIro [5463]en tois paTHEma-sin [3804]huPER huMON,
Now I rejoice in my:sufferings for you,
kai an-ta-na-pleRO[466]ta hus-teREma-ta [5303ton THLIpse-on [2347]
and fill up on my part what are lacking of the afflictions
tou ChrisTOU en tosarKI mou huPER tou SOma-tos auTOU,
of the Christ in my :flesh for his :body,
HO es-tin heek-kleSIa; hes e-geNOmen eGOdiAko-nos,
which is the church; 25 for which I became minister,
kaTA ten oi-ko-noMIan [3622]tou TheOU ten doTHEI-SAN moi eis huMAS, pleROsai ton LOgon tou TheOU,
according to the dispensation of :God :given me toward you, to fulfill the word of :God,
to musTEri-on [3466]to a-po-ke-krumMEnon [613]aPO ton aiOnon [165]kai aPO ton ge-neON [1074]:
26the mystery :hid from the ages and from the generations:
nun de e-pha-neROthe[5319]tois haGIois auTOU, hois eTHEle-sen ho TheOS gnoRIsai [1107]
but now has it been manifested to his :saints, 27 to whom :God was pleased to make known
ti to PLOUtos tes DOxes tou mu-steRIou [3466]TOUtou en tois ETHne-sin [1484],
what isthe riches of the glory of this :mystery among the nations,
HOS es-tin ChrisTOS en huMIN, heelPIS tes DOxes: hon heMEIS ka-tagGELlo-men [2606],
which is Christ in you, the hope of :glory: 28whom we proclaim,
nou-theTOUNtes [3560]PANta ANthro-pon kai diDASkon-tes [1321]PANta ANthro-pon en PAsesoPHIa [4678],
admonishing every man and teaching every man in all wisdom,
HIna pa-raSTEso-men [3936]PANta ANthro-pon TElei-on [5046]en ChrisTO;
that we may present every man perfect in Christ;
eis ho kai ko-piO[2972], a-go-niZOme-nos [75]kaTA ten eNERgei-an [1753]auTOU,
29unto which I also toil, striving according to his :working,
ten e-ner-gouMEnen [1754]en eMOI en duNAmei.
which works in me with power.
2. 2:1-5 APOSTOLIC CONCERN FOR FULL GOSPEL APPREHENSION
a. 2:1-3 PAUL'S DESIRE: FULL REVELATION OF CHRIST IN THE CHURCH
THElogar huMAS eiDEnai [1492]heLIkon [2245]aGOna [73]EchohuPER huMON,
For I would have you know how great a conflict I have for you,
kai ton en La-o-diKIa, kai HOsoi ouch heOra-kan [3708]to PROsoPON [4383]mou en sarKI;
and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my :face in the flesh;
HIna pa-ra-kleTHOsin [3870]hai karDIai auTON, sun-bi-basTHENtes [4822]en aGApe,
2that their :hearts be comforted, being knit together in love,
kai eis pan PLOUtos tes ple-ro-phoRIas [4136]tes suNEse-os [4907],
and unto all riches of the fullness of the understanding,
eis ePIGno-sin [1922]tou mu-steRIou [3466]tou TheOU, ChrisTOU,
unto full knowledge of the mystery of :God, Christ,
en HOei-sin PANtes hoi the-sauROI [2344]tes soPHIas [4678], kai GNOse-os [1108]aPOkru-phoi [614].
3in whom are all the treasures of :wisdom, and knowledge hidden.
b. 2:4 This I say that no one delude you with persuasive speech.
TOUto LEgoHIna meDEIS huMAS pa-ra-loGIze-tai [3884]en pi-tha-no-loGIa [4086].
c. 2:5 PAUL'S JOY: ORDER AND FAITH IN CONVERTS
ei gar kai tesarKI Apei-mi [548], alLA toPNEUma-ti sun huMIN ei-mi,
For even if I am absent in theflesh, yet am I with you in the spirit,
chaiRON kai BLEpon huMON ten TAxin, kai to steREo-ma [4733]tes eis ChrisTON PIste-os huMON.
joying and looking at your :order,and the steadfastness of your :faith unto Christ.
D. 2:6-19 REASONS FOR MAINTAINING CHRIST'S SUPREMACY
1. 2:6-7 FOR CHRIST IS THE ROOT AND GROUND OF THE GOSPEL
Hos oun pa-reLAbe-te ton ChrisTON, IeSOUN ton KUri-on, en auTOpe-ri-paTEIte,
As therefore you received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in him,
er-ri-zoMEnoi [4492]kai e-poi-ko-doMOUme-noi [2026]en auTO, kai be-baiOUme-noi [950]tePIstei,
7rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith,
kaTHOS e-diDACHthe-te [1321], pe-risSEUon-tes [4052]en auTEen eu-cha-riSTIa [2169].
even as you were taught, abounding therein in thanksgiving.
2. 2:8-15 FOR CHRIST ALONE FULLY MEETS HUMAN NEED
a. 2:8-12 JUDAISTIC TRADITION AND PHILOSOPHY: ROBS OF TRUE CIRCUMCISION
BLEpe-te, MEtis EStai huMAS ho su-la-goGON [5209]
Look out, lest any shall be that makes spoil of you
diA tes phi-lo-soPHIas [5383]kai keNES [2756]aPAtes [539], kaTA ten paRAdo-sin [3862]ton anTHROpon,
through the philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of :men,
kaTA ta stoiCHEIa [4747] tou KOSmou, kai ou kaTA ChrisTON:
after the elements of the world, and not after Christ:
HOti en auTOka-toiKEI [2730]pan to PLEro-ma [4138]tes theOte-tos [2320]so-ma-tiKOS [4985],
9for in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily,
KAI es-te en auTOpe-ple-roMEnoi [4137], HOS es-tin heke-phaLEPAses arCHES kai e-xouSIas [1849]:
10and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power:
en hokai pe-ri-etMEthe-te [4059]pe-ri-toME[4061]a-chei-ro-poiEto[886],
11in whom you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands,
en tea-pekDUsei tou SOma-tos [4983]tes sarKOS, en tepe-ri-toMEtou ChrisTOU;
in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of the Christ;
sun-taPHENtes [4916]auTOen tobapTISma-ti [908],
12having been buried with him in :baptism,
en hokai su-neGERthe-te [4891]diA tes PIste-os
wherein you were also raised with himthrough the faith
tes enerGEIas [1753]tou TheOU, tou eGEIran-tos [1453]auTON ek neKRON.
of the working of :God, who raised him from thedead.
b. 2:13-15 SPIRITUAL RESURRECTION: THE SEAL OF CHRIST'S VICTORY FOR US
kai huMAS, neKROUS [3498]ONtas tois pa-rapTOma-sin [3900] kai tea-kro-busTIa [203]tes sarKOS huMON,
And you, being dead by the trespasses and the uncircumcision of your :flesh,
su-ne-zo-oPOIe-sen [4806]heMAS sun auTO, cha-riSAme-nos [5483]huMIN PANta ta pa-rapTOma-ta;
you did he make alive together with him, having forgiven us all :trespasses;
e-xaLEIpsas [1813]to kath' heMON cheiROgra-phon [5498], tois DOGma-sin, ho en hu-pe-nanTIon heMIN:
14having blotted out the handwriting against us, in :ordinances, which was contrary to us:
kai auTO ERken ek tou MEsou, pro-seLOsas [4338]auTO tostauRO[4716];
and he has taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross;
a-pek-duSAme-nos [554] tas arCHAS [746] kai tas e-xouSIas [1849],
15having despoiled the principalities and the powers,
e-deigMAti-sen [1165]en par-reSIa [3954], thri-amBEUsas [2358]auTOUS en auTO.
he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.
3. 2:16-19 FOR CHRIST SUPERCEDES TYPES AND ANGELS
a. 2:16-17 DISCARD THE TYPE WHEN ITS FULFILLMENT APPEARS!
MeOUN tis huMAS kriNEto[2919]en BROsei [1035], kai en POsei [4213],
Let no one therefore judge you in meat, and in drink,
een MErei he-orTES [1859]ene-o-meNIas [3561]esabBAton [4521]:
or in respect of a feast day or new moon or sabbaths:
HA es-tin skiA ton melLONton [3195]: to de SOma tou ChrisTOU.
17which are a shadow of the thingsto come: but the body isof the Christ's.
b. 2:18-19 LESSER DIGNITIES: A COMPROMISE WHEN CHRIST CAN BE HAD
meDEIS huMAS ka-ta-bra-beuEto[2603]THElon en ta-pei-no-phroSUne[5012]kai ThreSKEIa [2356]
Let no one rob you of a prize by voluntary humility and worship
ton agGElon [32], ha heOra-ken [3708]em-baTEUon [1687],
of the angels, dwelling in what things he has seen,
eiKE[1500]phu-siOUme-nos [5448]huPO tou noOS [3563]tes sarKOS auTOU
vainly puffed up by the mind of his :flesh
kai ou kraTON [2902]ten ke-phaLEN [2776], ex hou pan to SOma,
19and not holding to the Head, from whom all the body,
diA ton aPHON [860]kai sunDESmon [4886]e-pi-cho-reGOUme-non [4822]kai sun-bi-baZOme-non [4822],
being supplied and knit together through the joints and bands,
AUxei [837]ten AUxe-sin [838]tou TheOU.
increases withthe increase of :God.
NOTE: As many of you readers will have seen, I receive much insight and blessing from the writings of Oswald Chambers. All of his collected writings can be obtained. They have been collected by David McCasland, who also has written his third biography, “OC - Abandoned to God”, published by “Discovery House Press,” Grand Rapids MI, 1993). It is one of the most enlightening biographies I have read, and will enable the reader to understand and appreciate yet more “My Utmost for His Highest.”
However, I was fellowshipping with a friend, and he mentioned that he appreciated my notes on those portions of God's Interlinear Numeric Greek NT, the two texts used in these mailings by Russian Ivan Panin. It is true I have spent well over 40,000 hours on the preparation of this Interlinear text, and receive many “spin-offs” from the Spirit directly related to the portion I am working on. My question: Though I love to put an “OC” note with the relevant portion, I am of course open to putting what I'm sensing the Spirit is saying to me in the preparation. Have any of you any thoughts to guide me in this choice?
As I was having my devotions this morning (2009-10-03) - a new insight came to me. It was as if the Holy Spirit nudged me and said: “Look at the 5 men I have specifically given you as mentors:
Brother Yun representing the Apostle
H. A. Baker - the Prophet
Rees Howells - the Evangelist
George Muller - the Pastor
Oswald Chambers - the Teacher
These 5 men have overlapping gifts with each other; but for me, I have sensed the 5-fold “chiropractic spiritual adjusting” (ka-tarTIzo) taking place on my behalf. For four of them, they being dead - yet speak!
“Mystery”- one of the unusual words in the NT. It refers to a truth that was hidden in the OT, but especially the apostle Paul in the NT was given the privilege of explaining over a dozen of these “mysteries.” “Christ in you, the Hope of Glory” - is one of these chief mysteries. (1:28)
In 2:3, Paul points out that God comforts our hearts by revealing to us his :mystery - which is “Christ, in whom are all the treasures of :wisdom, and knowledge hidden.”Match this truth with Galatians 2:20 - “I have been crucified with Christ; and no longer I live, but Christ lives in me: and what I now live in theflesh I live by faith which is in the Son of :God, who loved me, and gave himself up for me.” What an insight! And if He lives His life through us, then all that He isaccording to the mystery recorded above - then He lives that mysterythrough us! God told Rees Howells - “Two cannot live in the same body - If I come in, yougo out.” Thatis the explanation for the lives of the 5 mentors mentioned above.
2:6 - This was a key verse for Bob Cook of Chicago back in the '50's. See the first love we as new believers have for Christ. So - not like the Ephesians who left this first love - let us keep walking in this love. “As therefore you received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, (by grace through faith), so walk in him.” Alan Redpath, former pastor of “Moody Memorial Church” of Chicago, once said, “To maintain vital daily devotions with Christ, is the most difficult assignment I have.” The above 5 mentors all said the same thing - but they never relinquished their dedication to maintain it.
2:8-15 - Circumcision of Heart- the fulfillment of the type, circumcision of the flesh. The bigthing with God for us - is that we do not allow Judaistic traditions to robus of true circumcision of the heart.
2:15 - Very significant- We need to see Satan as an eternally defeated foe. His head is crushed! Since Calvary, the Resurrection, the Ascension and Christ's seating on God's Throne at His right hand; - Jesus- in just a matter of time - will consummate on Satan what He started2000 years ago!
And finally, 2:18-19 - We should nevermiss the import of these 2 verses. May we together let nothingcome between us and our Head - Jesus! - J.A.W.