The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Colossians

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- Chapter 2 -

(Revelation 3:14–22)

For I want you to know the kind of solicitude that I have for you, and for those who are at Laodicea, as well as for those who have not seen my face in the flesh.

May their hearts be consoled and instructed in charity, with all the riches of a plenitude of understanding, with knowledge of the mystery of God the Father and of Christ Jesus.

For in him are hidden all treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Now I say this, so that no one may deceive you with grandiose words.

For though I may be absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit. And I rejoice as I gaze upon your order and its foundation, which is in Christ, your faith.(a)

Alive with Christ

(Ephesians 2:1–10)

Therefore, just as you have received the Lord Jesus Christ, walk in him.

Be rooted and continually built up in Christ. And be confirmed in the faith, just as you have also learned it, increasing in him with acts of thanksgiving.

See to it that no one deceives you through philosophy and empty falsehoods, as found in the traditions of men, in accord with the influences of the world, and not in accord with Christ.

For in him, all the fullness of the Divine Nature dwells bodily.

And in him, you have been filled; for he is the head of all principality and power.

In him also, you have been circumcised with a circumcision not made by hand, not by the despoiling of the body of flesh, but by the circumcision of Christ.

You have been buried with him in baptism. In him also, you have risen again through faith, by the work of God, who raised him up from the dead.

And when you were dead in your transgressions and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, he enlivened you, together with him, forgiving you of all transgressions,

and wiping away the handwriting of the decree which was against us, which was contrary to us. And he has taken this away from your midst, affixing it to the Cross.

And so, despoiling principalities and powers, he has led them away confidently and openly, triumphing over them in himself.

Therefore, let no one judge you as concerns food or drink, or a particular feast day, or feast days of new moons, or of Sabbaths.(b)

For these are a shadow of the future, but the body is of Christ.

Let no one seduce you, preferring base things and a religion of Angels, walking according to what he has not seen, being vainly inflated by the sensations of his flesh,(c)

and not holding up the head, with which the whole body, by its underlying joints and ligaments, is joined together and grows with an increase that is of God.

So then, if you have died with Christ to the influences of this world, why do you still make decisions as if you were living in the world?

Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle these things,(d)

which all lead to destruction by their very use, in accord with the precepts and doctrines of men.

Such ideas have at least an intention to attain to wisdom, but through superstition and debasement, not sparing the body, and they are without any honor in satiating the flesh.

Footnotes

(a)2:5 In the phrase ‘firmamentum ejus,’ the word ‘ejus’ refers to ‘ordinem,’ so that the phrasing is ‘your order and its foundation…’(Conte)

(b)2:16 In meat, etc:He means with regard to the Jewish observations of the distinction of clean and unclean meats; and of their festivals, new moons, and sabbaths, as being no longer obligatory.(Challoner)

(c)2:18 Willing, etc:That is, by a self willed, self invented, superstitious worship, falsely pretending humility, but really proceeding from pride. Such was the worship, that many of the philosophers (against whom St. Paul speaks, ver. 8) paid to angels or demons, by sacrificing to them, as carriers of intelligence betwixt God and men; pretending humility in so doing, as if God was too great to be addressed by men; and setting aside the mediatorship of Jesus Christ, who is the head both of angels and men. Such also was the worship paid by the ancient heretics, disciples of Simon and Menander, to the angels, whom they believed to be makers and lords of this lower world. This is certain, that they whom the apostle here condemns, did not hold the head, (ver. 19,) that is, Jesus Christ, and his mediatorship; and therefore what he writes here no way touches the Catholic doctrine and practice, of desiring our good angels to pray to God for us, through Jesus Christ. St. Jerome [Epist. ad Algas.] understands by the religion or service of angels, the Jewish teachers, who sought to subject the new Christians to the observance of the Mosaic law.(Challoner)

(d)2:21 Touch not, etc:The meaning is, that Christians should not subject themselves, either to the ordinances of the old law, forbidding touching or tasting things unclean; or to the superstitious invention of heretics, imposing such restraints, under pretence of wisdom, humility, or mortification.(Challoner)

(Revelation 3:14–22)

For I desire to have you know how greatly I struggle for you and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh;

that their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love, and gaining all riches of the full assurance of understanding, that they may know the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ,

in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.

Now I say this that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech.

For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in the spirit, rejoicing and seeing your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

Alive with Christ

(Ephesians 2:1–10)

As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk in him,

rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, even as you were taught, abounding in it in thanksgiving.

Be careful that you don’t let anyone rob you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elemental spirits of the world, and not after Christ.

For in him all the fullness of the Deity dwells bodily,

and in him you are made full, who is the head of all principality and power.

In him you were also circumcised with a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the sins of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ,

having been buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

You were dead through your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh. He made you alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses,

wiping out the handwriting in ordinances which was against us. He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

Having stripped the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it.

Let no one therefore judge you in eating or drinking, or with respect to a feast day or a new moon or a Sabbath day,

which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ’s.

Let no one rob you of your prize by self-abasement and worshiping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,

and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God’s growth.

If you died with Christ from the elemental spirits of the world, why, as though living in the world, do you subject yourselves to ordinances,

“Don’t handle, nor taste, nor touch”

(all of which perish with use), according to the precepts and doctrines of men?

These things indeed appear like wisdom in self-imposed worship, humility, and severity to the body, but aren’t of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.