Pastors Jim and Marie Watt
(From: COLOSSIANS #3 - 2:20-3:17)
E. 2:20-3:4 ARGUMENT FROM BAPTISMS FOR CLEAVING TO CHRIST
1. 2:20-23 SUPERIORITY OF CHRIST OVER HUMAN TRADITIONS
a. 2:20-22 BAPTISM IN CHRIST: FREES FROM MEN'S TRADITIONS
Ei a-peTHAne-te [599]sun ChrisTOaPO ton stoiCHEIon [4747]tou KOSmou,
If you died with Christ from the elements of the world,
ti, hos ZONtes[2198] en KOSmo, dog-maTIzes-the [1379],
why, as though living in the world, do you submit to ordinances,
MeHApse[680], meDE GEUse[1089], meDE THIges [2345] (HA es-tin PANta eis phthoRANtea-poCHREsei,
21Handle not, nor taste, nor touch 22(all which areto perish with the using),
kaTA ta enTALma-ta[1778]kai di-da-skaLIas ton anTHROpon?
after the precepts and teachings of :men?
b. 2:23 HUMAN ORDINANCES: POWERLESS TO CONTROL THE FLESH
A-tiNA es-tin LOgon men Echon-ta soPHIas [4678]
Which things are such ashave indeed a show of wisdom
en e-the-lo-threSKIa [1479], kai ta-pei-no-phroSUne[5012], kai a-pheiDIa [857]SOma-tos;
in will-worship, and humility, and severity to thebody;
ouk en tiME[5092]tiNI pros ples-moNEN[4140]tes sarKOS.
but of no value against indulgence of the flesh.
2. 3:1-4 SPIRITUAL BAPTISM FREES FROM EARTH TIES: RELEASES TO LIFE
a. 3:1 BAPTISM: AN INCENTIVE TO SEEK HEAVENLY BLESSING
Ei oun su-neGERthe-te [4891]toChrisTO,
If then you were raised together with the Christ,
ta AnozeTEIte [2212], hou ho ChrisTOS es-tin, en de-xiA [1188]tou TheOU kaTHEme-nos [2521].
seek the thingsabove, where the Christ is, seated at God's right .
b. 3:2 Set your mind on the thingsabove, not on those upon the earth.
ta AnophroNEIte [5426], meta ePI tes ges.
c. 3:3 For you died, and your :life is hid with the Christ in :God.
a-peTHAne-te[599] gar, kai hezo-EhuMON KEkGod.rup-tai [2928]sun toChrisTOen toTheO.
d. 3:4 MANIFESTATION OF THIS TRUTH: AT CHRIST'S COMING
HOtan ho ChrisTOS pha-ne-roTHE[5319], hezo-EheMON,
When the Christ, our :life, shall be manifested,
TOte kai huMEIS sun auTOpha-ne-roTHEses-the [5318]en DOxe[1391].
then shall you also with him be manifested in glory.
F. 3:5-17 CHRIST: CAUSES CONTRAST BETWEEN EARTHLY AND TRUE BELIEVERS
1. 3:5-11 RECKONING: MEANS OF POINTING UP CONTRAST BETWEEN OLD MAN & NEW
NeKROsa-te [3499]oun ta MEleta ePI tes ges: porNEIan [4202], a-ka-tharSIan [167], PAthos [3806],
Put to death therefore the members which areupon the earth: fornication, uncleanness, passion,
e-pi-thuMIan [1939]kaKEN [2556], kai ten ple-o-neXIan [4124], HEtis esTIN ei-do-lo-laTRIa [1496];
evil desire, and :covetousness, which is idolatry;
di' ha ERche-tai heorGE[3709]tou TheOU:
6for which comes the wrath of :God:
en hois kai huMEIS pe-ri-paTEsaTE [4043], po-te HOte eZEte [2198]en TOUtois;
7in which you also once walked, when you lived in these;
nuNI de aPOthes-the [659] kai huMEIS ta PANta: orGEN [3709], thuMON [2372], kaKIan [2549], blas-pheMIan,
8but now do you also put themall away: anger, wrath, malice, railing,
ais-chro-loGIan [148]ek tou STOma-tos [4750]huMON: mePSEUdes-the [5574]eis alLElous;
shameful speaking out of your :mouth: 9lie not one to another;
a-pek-duSAme-noi [554]ton pa-laiON ANthro-pon sun tais PRAxe-sin auTOU, kai en-duSAme-noi ton NEon,
seeingyou have put off the old man with his :doings, 10and have put on the new,
ton a-na-kaiNOUme-non [341]eis ePIGno-sin [1922] kat' eiKOna [1504]tou KTIsan-tos [2936]auTON:
who isbeing renewed unto knowledge after theimage of him that created him:
HOpou ouk HEni HELlen kai IouDAIos, pe-ri-toME[4061]kai a-kro-buSTIa [203],
11where is no Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision,
BARba-ros [915], SKUthes, DOUlos [1401], eLEUthe-ros [1658]; alLA PANta,kai en PAsin, ChrisTOS.
barbarian, Scythian, bond, free; but Christ is all, and in all.
2. 3:12-17 FOUR EVIDENCES OF THE TRUE CHRISTIAN
a. 3:12-14 THE SPIRITUAL GARMENTS OF THE CHRISTIAN
EnDUsas-the [1746]oun, hos e-klekTOI [1588]tou TheOU, HAgi-oi[40]kai e-ga-peMEnoi [25],
Put on therefore, as chosen of :God, holy and beloved,
SPLAGCHna [4698]oik-tirMOU [3628], chresTOte-ta [5544], ta-pei-no-phroSUnen [5012],
bowels of compassion, kindness, lowliness,
praUte-ta [4236], ma-kro-thuMIan [3115]; a-neCHOme-noi [430]alLElon, kai cha-riZOme-noi [5483]he-auTOIS,
meekness, longsuffering; 13 forbearing one another, and forgiving each other,
eAN tis PROS ti-na EchemomPHEN; kaTHOS kai ho KUri-os e-chaRIsa-to huMIN, HOUtos kai huMEIS:
if any one have a complaint against any; even as the Lord forgave you, so also doyou:
ePI PAsi de TOUtois ten aGApen, HO es-tin SUNdes-mos [4886]tes te-leiOte-tos [5047].
14and above all these things put on:love, which is thebond of perfectness.
b. 3:15 PEACE: THE CHRISTIAN'S REFEREE FOR GUIDANCE
kai heeiREnetou ChrisTOU bra-beuEto[1018]en tais karDIais huMON,
And let the peace of the Christ arbitrate in your :hearts,
eis hen kai eKLEthe-te[2564]en heNI SOma-ti [4983]; kai euCHAri-stoi [2170]GInes-the.
to which also you were called in one body; and be you thankful.
c. 3:16 SPIRITUAL SINGING: THE RESULT OF THE ANOINTED WORD
ho LOgos tou KuRIou e-noiKEIto[1774] en huMIN plouSIos [4146]en PAsesoPHIa [4678],
Let the word of the Lord dwell in you richly in all wisdom,
diDAskon-tes [1321] kai nou-theTOUNtes [3560] he-auTOUS psalMOIS [5568],
teaching and admonishing yourselves with psalms,
HUMnois [5215], oDAIS [5603]pneu-ma-tiKAIS, en teCHAri-ti Adon-tes en tais karDIais huMON toTheO.
hymns, spiritual songs,with grace singing in your :hearts unto :God.
d. 3:17 THE LORD JESUS' NAME: THE KEY IN EVERY WORD AND DEED
kai pan HOti eAN poiEte, en LOgo[3056]een ERgo[2041],
And whatever you do, in word or in deed,
PANta en oNOma-ti [3686]KuRIou IeSOU, eu-cha-ri-STOUNtes [2168]toTheOpaTRI di' auTOU.
doall in theLord Jesus' name, thanking :God theFather through him.
NOTE: 2:20-23 - The majority of professing believers slip into this false syndrome. It is not what we do for Christ that counts for Him - it's what we allow Him to do through us because of our intimate, constant relationship with Him. It is personal, passionatedevotion to Jesus!
3:1-4. As we meditate much - vocally - over this passage, the Holy Spirit will enlighten our understanding, and lift us to the level of this - our confession. Will-worship will notcut the mustard. It is only the life of Christ lived out through us by the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit - that makes this possible. Full surrender and complete obedience to Him is the key!
3:5-11. Like David, let us fully confess in the spirit of Psalm 51 that there is no good thing dwelling in our flesh. Paul echoed these words. Until Galatians 2:20 becomes an absolute reality in our lives, the Christ-life is but a mockery. The NT is a picture of what our life can become when it is Christ living out His life through us. Let His “new heredity” take full possession of us through the gift (do-reA) of the Holy Spirit - and then people will see the reality of the NT being manifested through us!
3:12-14. God has designed for us new spiritual clothing. New garments for old! What a marvelous exchange! This is the first of the 4 evidences in this passage.
3:15 - Number 2 - The wonder of learning to let “peace” be our complete guide. When we foul - the Holy Spirit blows His referee whistle, and peace departs. Stop the game! Pay the penalty for the foul! When peace returns, then take up the game of life again.
3:16 - Number 3. The New song of the Lord should constantly spring up out of our lives through our meditation upon the Word. See Psalm 19:14; Joshua 1:8; Psalm 1. Joshua, David, Jeremiah, Paul, Timothy and all spiritual “Bible saints” experienced this. But as in Acts 2:38-39 - it is for us too. Note the word admonish- nou-theTEo! This is Nouthetic counseling! We sing the new song of the Lord to one another, that springs from our meditation on the Word. Brother Yun “The Heavenly Man”, constantly builds up his fellow saints with the New Song of the Lord! In Ephesians 5 this song springs from the Holy Spirit. Here it is from the Word. Actually it is through the combination of both.
Fourthly and finally, it is the Name of Jesusused with understanding and faith - that releases all we say and do to form an anointed gift for others. Then all of this is wrapped and presented through our thanksgiving to the Father in Jesus' Name! - J.A.W.