2: 1 Laodicea and Hierapolis. See Introduction: Timing and Circumstances of Writing.

2: 2 perfect understanding. Paul says that only a lack of understanding of the meaning and essence of the mystery of God's economy can be the cause of the anxiety and confusion of those who believe.

to know the mystery of God and the Father and Christ. Paul accomplishes the podvig of ministry precisely so that the saving mystery of God may be known by the Colossians as well. The Apostle emphasizes that this mystery belongs to God - the Father and Christ, thereby indicating the divine dignity of Christ.

2: 3 in which they are hidden. More correct: "in which they are hidden", tk. and the construction of the phrase in Greek and the logical meaning indicate that subordinate clause(v. 3) explains the word "mystery", "in which all treasures are hidden."

2: 6 as ... received Christ ... so walk. Those. do not give in to false teachings; stick to what you have been taught in the gospel.

2:7 Paul reveals the meaning of the words "received Christ" (v. 6). Accepting Christ is rooting and establishing in Him and strengthening faith in Him. At the same time, faith requires prosperity in it, i.e. strengthening in Christ.

2: 8 on the elements of the world. See Introduction: Difficulties of Interpretation.

11 circumcision. It is believed that the false teachers in Colossus insisted on the need for circumcision, as was the case in Galatia, and that this is why Paul in Colossians addresses this topic. However, this interpretation is unfounded primarily because Paul does not here speak out directly against circumcision, as in Galatians. It would be more correct to assume that Paul wants to show the Colossians that the authority over the flesh (v. 23), which they hope, among other things, to receive from false teachers, they already have by virtue of their participation in Christ.

Being an Old Testament rite of passage, circumcision symbolized cutting off sin, changing the heart and becoming one of the faithful (Deut. 10.16; 30.6; Jer. 4.4; 9.25.26; Ezek. 44.7.9). Paul convinces the Gentiles in Colosse that by being baptized into Christ, they were circumcised. Baptism, here called "the circumcision of Christ," signifies washing away from sin, personal renewal by the Spirit of God and communion with the body of Christ (Acts 2.38; 1 Pet. 3.21; Tit. 3.5; Rom. 6.4; 1 Cor. 12,13; Gal. 3,26-29; Col. 2,13). The section under consideration reveals a very important idea about the unity of the nature of God's covenant with all His children: pagan believers do not need to follow the precepts of the Old Testament for the sake of communion with God and His people (Acts 15). Their faith in Christ makes them the same children of Abraham, as if they were connected with him by the visible signs of the covenant (Gal. 3,26-29; Rom. 2,28.29; Phil. 3,3). Although baptism is not the same as circumcision, the parallel to this sign of the covenant is very clear.

2:13 forgiving us all our sins. Paul is more likely to talk about justification than about forgiveness. In this case, the apostle emphasizes that God not only overcame the general power of sin, but also eliminated the guilt arising from specific deeds with which sinners offend God.

2:14 having destroyed ... the handwriting. Those. by destroying the IOU. The IOU means the law by which sin is known (before God). On the cross, God made Christ "a sacrifice for sin" (2 Cor. 5:21), and He endured the "oath of the law" (Gal. 3:13) against the "debtors." In the sentence of death to Jesus, Paul sees the abolition of the doom to death that threatened lawbreakers. The believer is no longer threatened by the curse of the law.

2:15 put them to shame. Here is an analogy with the triumph of a Roman commander, followed by captured enemies. The death of Jesus for sinners was His triumph over Satan, sin and death.

2:16-17 Ritual Old Testament institutions for the Jews are only a shadow of the future, which for Christians has become the present.

2:18 by the ministry of Angels. The following expression "invading what I have not seen" gives reason to believe that in this case we are talking about a kind of piety found among some Jewish mystics, who set as their goal the initiation of the ministry of angels at the heavenly throne of God. The form of Judaism presented by these false teachers was sufficiently orthodox and did not lead people away from the worship of the one true God. However, the Colossians, apparently, were carried away by speculative teachings about spiritual essences and began to worship them along with God, attributing to them what rightfully belongs only to Christ.

2:19 chapters, from which the whole body. This image has something in common with 1,18, as well as with the ideas developed further (3,1 - 4,6) by Paul about the life of Christians as members of the Church, the Head of which is Christ.

2:20 for the elements of the world. See Introduction: Difficulties of Interpretation; See the article Christians in the World.

I. The apostle expresses his concern for the Colossians, v. 1-3.

II. He talks about them again (see 5).

III. Warns them against false Jewish teachers (vv. 4, 6, 7) and against pagan philosophy, v. 8-12.

IV. Lays out the privileges of Christians, v. 13-15.

V. Closes the chapter with a warning against Judaizing teachers and those seeking to introduce the worship of angels, v. 16-23.

Verses 1-3... We can see here what great care Paul showed for the Colossians and for other churches with which he did not have personal acquaintance. The apostle had never been to Colosse, and the church that emerged there was not planted by him, and nevertheless he cared for her as tenderly as if she were his only flock (v. 1): I wish you to know what a feat I I have it for you and for those who are in Laodicea (and Hierapolis), and for all who have not seen my face in the flesh. Note:

(1.) Paul's concern for the church was so great that it came to feat. He was struggling and was in constant fear, no matter what happened to them. In this, Paul was a true follower of his Master, who endured a great struggle for us and was heard for his reverence.

(2) We can maintain fellowship of faith, hope and holy love even with those Christians and churches whom we have never personally known and with whom we have never spoken. We can think, care, and pray for those with whom we are long distances, and those who have never been seen in the flesh we can hope to meet in heaven.

I. What exactly did the apostle want the Colossians? That their hearts may be comforted, united in love for all the riches of perfect understanding, for the knowledge of the mystery of God and the Father and Christ, v. 2. Their spiritual well-being was his concern. He does not mean that they should be healthy, cheerful, rich and prosperous in the earthly, but that their hearts may be comforted. Note that the best prosperity is the prosperity of the soul, and this is what we must take care of, both for ourselves and for others. It describes what it is.

1. When our knowledge reaches the understanding of the mystery of God and the Father and Christ, when we come to a clearer, more distinct, correct knowledge of the truth that is in Jesus, then our soul thrives. For the knowledge of the secret - either the one that was hidden before, but now became known, the secret concerning the Father and Christ, or the aforementioned secret of calling the pagans into the Christian church, as God and Christ revealed it in the Gospel; not just mechanically speaking about it in words, without understanding their meaning, or how we have been taught to understand it in our catechism, but to penetrate into it, into its meaning and purpose. We must work on this, and then our soul will prosper.

2. When our faith reaches full confidence in this secret and bold confession of it.

(1.) Full confidence, or a well-founded understanding of the great truths of the gospel, when they are assimilated without doubt or challenge, but with deep satisfaction, as faithful and worthy of all acceptance.

(2) When she attains free confession, when we not only believe with our hearts, but are ready, being called to this, to confess our faith with our lips and are not ashamed of our Lord and our holy faith under the threats and pressure of enemies. This is called the wealth of perfect intelligence. Great knowledge and strong faith make the soul rich. It means to grow rich in God, to be rich in faith, to have true wealth, Lu 12:21; 16:11; James 2: 5.

3. The prosperity of the soul consists in abounding in consolation: ... so that their hearts may be comforted ... The soul thrives when it is filled with joy and peace (Rom. 15:13), when it has an inner satisfaction, which no external sorrows can stir up when it is capable rejoice in the Lord, even if all other consolations disappear, Hab. 3: 17,18.

4. The closer our communion with our brothers in Christ becomes, the more our soul prosper: ... united in love ... Holy love unites the hearts of Christians, faith and love contribute to our consolation. The stronger our faith and the hotter our love, the greater our consolation. Having mentioned Christ, Paul, true to his custom, takes the opportunity to glorify Him (v. 3): In whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Above, he said (1: 9) that all fullness dwells in Him, but here he speaks, in particular, of the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. In Him abides the fullness of wisdom, since He perfectly revealed the will of God to the human race. Note that the treasures of wisdom are hidden in Christ, not from us, but for us. Whoever wants to be wise and reasonable must turn to Christ. We must spend the stores prepared for us in Him, and retrieve the treasures that are hidden in Him. He is the wisdom of God, and has become for us wisdom from God, 1 Cor. 1: 24,30.

II. Paul a second time expresses his concern for the Colossians (v. 5): Although I am absent in body, but in spirit I am with you, rejoicing and seeing your prosperity and the firmness of your faith in Christ. Observe:

1. We can be divided in body with churches and Christians, but in spirit to be in communion with them, for the communion of saints is spiritual. Paul heard about the Colossians, about their prosperity and firmness in the faith, and although he never saw them, he never was among them, he tells them that he can easily imagine himself being with them and looking with joy at their good behavior.

2. The improvement and firmness of the faith of Christians are a matter of joy for ministers; they rejoice when they see order among them, their correct behavior, and their firm devotion to the teachings of the gospel.

3. The more firmly our faith in Christ, the better will be all our conduct as a whole, for we live and walk by faith, 2 Cor. 5: 7; Heb 10:38.

Verses 4-12... The apostle warns the Colossians against deceivers (v. 4): I say this so that someone does not deceive you with ingratiating words; and Art. 8: ... lest anyone draw you away ... He strenuously emphasizes the perfection of Christ and the gospel revelation in order to keep them from being caught by people who have a corrupting influence on their principles. Note:

1. Satan takes possession of souls through deception. He seduces them and thus destroys them. This is the same ancient serpent that deceived Eve by his cunning, 2 Cor. 11: 3. He cannot strike us except by deception, and he can deceive us only because of our own mistakes and insanity.

2. Satan's servants, seeking to take possession of souls, seduce them with insinuating words. Pay attention to the great danger posed by ingratiating words. How many souls have been destroyed by the flattery of deceivers, who hid evil principles and wicked deeds under deceptive masks and beautiful visibility: ... with caress and eloquence they deceive the hearts of the simple-minded, Rom. 16:18. "Be on guard against insinuating words, beware and fear those who want to catch you in some evil, for they seek to destroy you." If sinners persuade you, do not agree, Prov 1:10. Observe:

I. An excellent antidote against deceivers (v. 6,7): As you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, being rooted and established in Him ...

1. All Christians, at least in confession, accepted Christ Jesus the Lord, accepted Him as Christ, the great prophet of the church, whom God anointed in order to reveal His will through Him; as Jesus, the great High Priest and Savior, who saved us from sin and future wrath by offering Himself as a substitutionary sacrifice; and as Lord, or Lord and King, to whom we must obey and obey. We accepted Him, that is, entered into a covenant with Him, accepted as ours in all respects and in all His qualities, in order to use them for all purposes.

2. Those who have accepted Christ should strive to walk in Him: to conform their practical life to His principles and their behavior to His commandments. Since we have accepted Christ, that is, we have agreed to belong to Him, we must walk with Him in our Everyday life and keep fellowship with Him.

3. The closer we are to Christ, the closer our communion with Him in our daily walk, the more we become rooted and confirmed in faith. Good behavior builds faith best. If we walk in Christ, we will be rooted in Him, and the more firmly we are rooted in Him, the closer we will be to Him: Rooted and established. Note, We cannot be established in Christ unless we are first rooted in Him. If we are united to Him by living faith and heartfelt agreement with His commandments, we will grow in Him. "As you have been taught, that is, according to the Christian teaching in which you have been instructed." Note that Good parenting is good for building our faith. We are to be strengthened in faith as we have been taught, thriving in it with thanksgiving. Note also: Having been established in faith, we must succeed in it more and more, and with thanksgiving. The way to receive benefit and comfort from God's grace is to thank as much as possible for it. We must accompany all our accomplishments with thanksgiving and realize that we owe the mercy of God for all our privileges and achievements.

II. Direct warning of the danger that threatens us: See ... that someone does not carry you away with philosophy and empty deception, according to human tradition, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ, v. 8. There is a philosophy that develops our mental faculties in a noble direction and serves the purposes of religion, such as studying the works of God in order to know Him and strengthen our faith in Him. However, there is also an empty and deceptive philosophy that prejudices religion, puts human wisdom in opposition to the wisdom of God and, pleasing the fantasies of people, destroys faith in them. These are subtle and interesting speculations about what is superior to us, or what does not do us any good; or a selection of eloquent words and terms, empty and deceiving, creating only the appearance of knowledge. According to human legend, according to the elements of the world. This is a clear reference to Jewish upbringing and pagan education. The Jews were guided by the traditions of their elders and the material principles of the world, rituals and ceremonies, which were only preparatory in nature as an introduction to the Gospel age. The pagans confused the principles of philosophy with Christian principles; both turned their minds away from Christ. He who blindly relies on another person and walks the paths of the world, he shirks from following Christ. The deceivers were, in particular, the Jewish teachers who tried to bring the law of Moses into harmony with the gospel of Christ, but in reality - in contradiction with it. Here the apostle shows

1. That we have in Christ the essence of all the shadows of the ritual law, for example:

(1.) The Jews had the Shekinah, that is, the special presence of God called glory, the guarantee of which was a visible sign. We have the presence of God in Christ (v. 9): For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. During the time of the law, the glory of God dwelt among the cherubim in the form of a cloud that covered the lid of the ark. Now she dwells in the person of our Redeemer, who became a partaker of our nature, bone of our bone and flesh of our flesh, and more clearly revealed the Father to us. The fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily; in this case, not body and spirit are opposed, but body and shadow. This means that the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ in reality, and not in a type, for He is both God and man.

(2.) The Jews were circumcised as the seal of the covenant. But in Christ we are circumcised by circumcision not made with hands (v. 11), through regeneration, which is spiritual, or Christian circumcision. The Jew who is like that inwardly, and the circumcision that is in the heart, according to the Spirit ... Rom. 2:29. This is Christ's circumcision and belongs to the era of Christianity. It is accomplished not by hands, not by the power of man, but by the power of the blessed Spirit of God. We are born of the Spirit (John 3: 5), and this is accomplished by the bath of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, Titus 3: 5. This circumcision consists in the removal of the sinful body of the flesh, in the rejection of sin and the transformation of our lives, and not in simple external rituals. This is not a washing of the fleshly uncleanness, but a promise to God of a good conscience, 1 Pet. 3:21. Moreover, it is not enough to reject some one sin, but it is necessary to overthrow the whole sinful body from oneself. Our old man was crucified with Him, so that the body of sin might be destroyed, Rom. 6: 6. Christ was circumcised, and we, through union with Him, become participants in this effective grace that draws off the sinful body of the flesh. And again: The Jews thought that they had fullness in the ceremonial law, but we have fullness in Christ, v. 10. The law was imperfect and insufficient: If the first covenant were without flaw, then there would be no need to look for a place for another (Heb. 8: 7), and the law, having a shadow of future goods, and not the very image of things, with the same sacrifices ... could never make those who come with them perfect, Heb. 10: 1. But all the imperfections of the first covenant are filled in in the Gospel of Christ, through His perfect sacrifice for sin and the perfect revelation of God's will. Who is the head of all principality and authority. Just as the Old Testament priesthood found its perfect fulfillment in Christ, so did the kingdom of David, which was considered the supreme authority and the supreme rulership in the time of the Old Testament and was the pride of the Jews. He is the Lord and head of all authority in heaven and on earth.

2. We are partakers of Christ in all that He experienced (v. 12): Having been buried with Him in baptism, in Him you were also resurrected by faith in the power of God ... With Him we are both buried and resurrected, both symbolized by our baptism. This does not mean that in the symbol or in the ritual of baptism, burial and resurrection is presented more than the crucifixion of Christ - in the Lord's Supper: the apostle says that we are circumcised by circumcision made not by hands and that we have been raised with Him by faith in the power of God. But baptism symbolizes the fact that we are buried with Christ (since baptism is the seal of the covenant and our obligation to die to sin) and co-raised with Him (because it is the seal of our obligation to live for righteousness, to walk in a renewed life). At baptism, God commits to be our God, and we pledge to be His people, we promise, with the help of His grace, to die to sin and live to righteousness, to put off the old man and put on the new.

Verses 13-15... The apostle shows here how great the advantages Christians have over the Jews.

I. The death of Christ is our life: And he revived you, who were dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, with him ... v. 13. The state of sin is the state of spiritual death. Those who are in sin are dead in sin. As the death of the body consists in its separation from the soul, so the death of the soul consists in its separation from God and His favor. As physical death is decay and decay of the body, so sin is decay, or corruption of the soul. Just as a dead person cannot help himself with his own strength, so an inveterate sinner is morally powerless. Although he possesses natural strength, the strength of intelligent creation, he does not have spiritual strength until he receives divine life, or a renewed nature. This, in the main, should be attributed to the state of the pagan world, which lies in evil. They were dead in uncircumcision of their flesh, alien to the covenant of promise, and were atheists in the world, Eph 2: 11,12. Because of their uncircumcision, they were dead in sins. This can also be attributed to spiritual uncircumcision, or the corruption of the old nature, and thus it means that we are dead both by law and by our condition. Dead by law, being a convicted villain, is called a dead person because he is under a death sentence; so also sinners, over whom the guilt of sin gravitates, are under the judgment of the law and have already been condemned, John 3:18. We are also dead in our condition, because of the uncircumcision of our flesh. An unconsecrated heart is called an uncircumcised heart. This is our condition by nature. Now in Christ, we, who were dead in sins, are revived, that is, we received in Him deliverance from the guilt of sin and the crushing of his power and dominion over us. Revived with Him, through our union with Him, or assimilation to Him. The death of Christ was the death of our sins, and His resurrection is the revival of our souls.

II. Through Him we have the forgiveness of sins: ... having forgiven us all sins. This is revival. To forgive a crime means to return the life of the criminal. And for this we owe both the death of Christ and His resurrection, for as He died for our sins, so He was resurrected for our justification, Rom. 4:25.

III. Everything that was against us was destroyed. Christ received for us a legal exemption from the manuscript concerning us, which was against us, v. 14. This manuscript can be understood as:

1. Obligation to punish the guilt of sin. The curse of the law is a manuscript against us, like the manuscript on the wall in Belshazzar's palace. This handwriting was against us, for it threatened us with eternal destruction. It was removed when He redeemed us from the curse of the law, becoming a curse for us, Gal. 3:13. He destroyed this handwriting for all who repent and believe. "Let there be a curse on me, my father." He overturned and destroyed the judgment against us. When He was nailed to the cross, the curse was nailed with Him. And our old nature was crucified with Him, through His cross. When we remember the death of the Lord Jesus and see Him nailed to the cross, we must also see the handwriting that was against us destroyed. Or, this can be understood as:

2. The ceremonial law, or the law of the commandments (Eph 2:15), which was a burden to the Jews and a dividing wall to the Gentiles. The Lord Jesus took him from Wednesday and nailed him to the cross, that is, canceled his obligation, so that everyone could see that he no longer binds them. When the essence came, the shadows disappeared. The law has come to an end (2 Cor. 3:13), decaying and aging close to destruction, Heb. 8:13. These expressions are reminiscent of the ancient method of freeing a slave, either by crossing the record or piercing it with a nail.

IV. Christ acquired for us a glorious victory over the powers of darkness: By taking the powers away from the principalities and powers, he imperiously subjected them to shame, triumphing over them in Himself, v. 15. As the curse of the law was against us, so the authority of Satan was against us. He redeemed us from the just judgment of God by paying the price of the ransom, and from the hands of Satan, the executioner who carries out the judgment of this judgment, He delivered us with a powerful and powerful hand. He took prisoner captive. Satan and all the powers of hell were defeated and disarmed by the death of the Redeemer. The very first promise of the Bible relates to this: the suffering of Christ, which struck Him in the heel, crushed the head of the serpent, Gen. 3:15. These expressions are sublime and majestic, let us turn and look at this greatest sight. The Redeemer triumphed by His death. His crown of thorns turned into a laurel. Taking away their strength, crushing the power of Satan, defeating him and depriving him of strength, He imperiously subjected them to shame - made of them a spectacle for angels and people. Never before has the kingdom of Satan been dealt such a mortal blow as Jesus Christ did at Calvary. He tied them to His chariot and sat on it as a conqueror in order to conquer - an allusion to the triumph of the commander returning in victory. He triumphed over them with Himself, that is, either by His Cross and by His death, or, as others understand, by His own power, for He trampled the winepress alone, and none of the nations was with Him.

Verses 16-23... The apostle ends the chapter with calls for appropriate responsibilities, which he deduces as a consequence of the previous discourses.

I. A warning to the Colossians to beware of the Jewish teachers, that is, those who imposed the yoke of the ceremonial law on Christians: Let no one then condemn you for food or drink ... v. 16. The ceremonial law contained many regulations concerning the distinction between days and types of food. As seen from Rome. 14, some observed these distinctions, but the apostle shows here that since Christ came and abolished the ceremonial law, we must not keep them. “Let no man impose these obligations on you, for God does not impose them; if God has set you free, then do not be subjected again to the yoke of slavery. " Because this is a shadow of the future ... (v. 17), that is, these regulations had no real meaning in themselves, and now they have lost all meaning. And the body in Christ, the body, the shadow of which they were, appeared, therefore, the observance of the ritual law regulations, which were shadows and types of Christ and the Gospel, is tantamount to the statement that Christ has not yet come and the Gospel age has not yet come. Notice what an advantage we have in the age of the gospel over those who lived under the law: they had shadows, and we have their essence.

II. He warns them to beware of those who seek to introduce the worship of angels as mediators between God and man, like the pagan philosophers: Let no one deceive you with the willful humility and ministry of Angels ... v. 18. The appeal to the mediation of angels, although it had the form of humility, recognizing oneself as unworthy of direct appeal to God, in fact was an arbitrary humility, not prescribed by God and therefore displeasing to Him, moreover, unacceptable, since it meant rendering the creation of that honor, which belonged to Christ alone. In addition, the concepts on which this practice was based were just human inventions, and not God's revelation, a manifestation of the proud arrogance of the human mind, an attempt to penetrate into an area inaccessible to him without sufficient knowledge and without permission: ... which he did not see, recklessly puffing up his carnal mind, that is, claiming to describe the order and rank of the angels and their ministries, which the Lord hid from us; therefore, although in practice it had the appearance of humility, in essence it was real pride. They put forward their ideas to satisfy their fleshly quirks and to be thought of as wiser than other people. Pride is at the root of a great many mistakes and perversions, and even vicious customs, which make a very good impression and give the appearance of humility. Those who do this do not keep the head, v. 19. In essence, they reject Christ, the only mediator between God and man. It is the greatest insult to Christ, the Head of the church, when one of its members has recourse to any other mediator besides Him. When people release the hand of Christ, they grasp what is closest to them and hold on to it instead of holding on to Christ. The head, from which the whole body, being united and fastened by its compositions and bonds, grows with the age of God. Note:

1. Jesus Christ is the Head for the church, not only governing it, but also imparting life-giving juice to it. Just as the individual members of the physical body are united with the head, so the members of the church are united with Christ in compositions and bonds and receive life and nourishment from Him.

2. The body of Christ is a growing body, it grows with the age of God. The new man grows, the born-again nature must grow, unless there are some random obstacles. By the age of God, that is, growing from grace, the source of which is God; or, according to ordinary Hebraism, a great and abundant age. That you may be filled with all the fullness of God, Eph 3:19. See parallel expressions: ... Who is the head of Christ, of whom the whole body, made up and mated by means of all mutually fastening bonds ... receives an increment for itself in love, Eph 4: 15,16.

III. Based on the above, Paul again warns the Colossians: So, if you died with Christ to the elements of the world, why do you, as those who live in the world, hold on to the ordinances? (v. 20). If, as Christians, you died to the ordinances of the ceremonial law, then why obey them? Such as: "do not touch", "do not eat", "do not touch" (v. 21,22). In the era of the law, there was a concept of ceremonial impurity arising from contact with a dead body, from the use of food sacrificed to idols or forbidden food, and the like, that everything decays from consumption, having nothing in itself that could preserve them, and those who used them saw how they decayed and disappeared. Or, which leads to a perversion of the Christian's faith, having no other basis than the tradition of people. It has only the form of wisdom in self-willed service and humility ... They considered themselves wiser than others, observing the Law of Moses along with the Gospel of Christ. But alas! It was just a shadow of wisdom, fiction and empty pretense. By abstaining from this or that food and mortifying bodily needs and pleasures, they only showed some neglect of nourishing the flesh, there was nothing of true piety, for the Gospel teaches us to worship God in spirit and truth, and not by observing rituals, and through the mediation of Christ alone, not the angels. Observe:

1. Christ freed Christians from the ritual regulations of the Mosaic Law and delivered them from the yoke of slavery imposed by God Himself.

2. Submission to human institutions in the worship of God is reprehensible and contrary to the freedom of the gospel. The apostles demanded that Christians stand firm in the freedom that Christ gave them, and not again be subjected to the yoke of slavery, Gal. 5: 1. To impose this yoke is to encroach on the authority of Christ, the Head of the Church, and to introduce another law of commandments after Christ abolished the old Eph 2:15.

3. It had only the appearance of wisdom, but in reality it was insanity. True wisdom consists in strict observance of the ordinances of the gospel and complete submission to Christ as the sole Head of the church.

3. "Wisdom and knowledge" in Christ (2: 1-5)

Qty. 2: 1... Paul "struggled" and did the labor of love (he performed the feat - the Greek word "agoona" literally means "struggle") not only among those whom he knew personally, but also for the sake of those who did not see his face in the flesh. These words clearly indicate that it was not Paul who founded this and other Christian communities in the Lika Valley. The mention of Laodicea (and Hierapolis), compare 4:16 - indicates that heresy penetrated there, although it appeared, apparently, first in the Colosse.

Qty. 2: 2-3... Paul names the purpose for which he accomplishes his "feat" so that their hearts, united in love, may be comforted (meaning "be filled with courage"). Without faith and conviction, as well as without genuine unity, there can be no complete understanding (here "sineseos" - "the ability to penetrate into the essence") of the truth. In relation to God's truth, such penetration into the essence is impossible without a full surrender of oneself to Him. The center of this "understanding" is Christ.

Penetration into the essence of God's ways gives believers the ability to know Christ in all His fullness. Christ, being the mystery of God, reveals the Father to people (John 1:18; Heb. 1: 2-3). For in Him are hidden (Col. 1:26) all the treasures of wisdom (sophia - 1: 9) and knowledge. Knowledge (knowledge) is given by the perception of truth, and wisdom consists in applying the knowledge gained to life.

Prudent judgment is as dependent on knowledge as prudent behavior depends on wisdom. The source of both is only in Christ (Rom. 11:33; 1 Cor. 12: 8), who is “wisdom”, which seems to the world to be insanity, and at the same time is the power of God (1 Cor. 1: 21-25 ), giving the believer "righteousness, holiness, and redemption" (1 Cor. 1:30).

Qty. 2: 4-5... Only the complete knowledge and wisdom of Christ can keep the believer from being seduced by insinuating words (phytanoyogy is found in the New Testament only here and means "convincingly sounding speeches", in relation to which it is implied that they are built on false arguments). Truth does not always sound convincing, and sometimes an erroneous point of view is more convincing. It all depends on how fully a person has cognized the truth and is fully imbued with conviction in it. Being in spirit with the Colossians, the apostle rejoiced at the predominance of accomplishment (compare 1 Cor. 14:40) in their midst, seeing in the firmness of (their) faith in Christ.

I. The Call to Live in Christ (2: 6-7)

Qty. 2: 6-7... These two verses conclude the theme started at 1:15. Here is a short summary of what Paul said: Christ was exalted by God the Father above all things (1: 15-20); in him -

a) the reconciliation of the creation with God (1: 21-23), b) the revelation of the mystery of God (1: 24-27), c) the improvement of believers (1: 28-29) and d) the highest wisdom (2: 1-5) ... Therefore, Christians should abide in Him constantly (verses 6-7).

The life of a Christian must continue just as it began: as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him. Paul also encouraged other believers to do this (2 Cor. 11: 4; Gal. 1: 6). Since their faith was originally laid on the foundation of the apostolic evangelism, he urges them not to abandon what is sanctioned by God - for the sake of human sophistication.

After all, being rooted in Christ in the past, they can be firmly established in Him from day to day and constantly strengthened in faith. And then they will not be "carried away" here and there, depending on where the "wind of doctrine" of man blows (compare Eph. 4:14). As believers are established in Christ, believers are increasingly advanced in faith and are filled with gratitude to God (compare Col. 1:12).

II. The polemic: the exalted life in Christ (2: 8-23)

Following the admonition of believers to continue to abide in Christ (2: 6-7), in Whom the Divine fullness dwells and in Whom is the source of complete redemption, Paul proceeds to condemn the heresy that arose in Colossus, which leads Christians away from the Lord.

A. "Gnostics" Are Wrong in Denying the Divinity of Christ (2: 8-10)

Qty. 2: 8... Paul was concerned that the false teachers would not entice the Colossian Christians with philosophy and empty deception (compare verse 4). But he speaks here not against philosophy in general, but against that pseudo-philosophy, which declared itself, in particular, in the Colosses, and was nothing more than "empty deception", being based on human ideas, and not on Christ. True Christian philosophy "captivates every thought into obedience to Christ" (2 Cor. 10: 5).

After all, philosophy means "love for wisdom", but if someone loved wisdom, which is not Christ (the Source of all wisdom and knowledge - Col. 2: 3), then he loved "emptiness." The apostle speaks of such people as "always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth" (2 Tim. 3: 7). Their philosophy is based on worldly principles (corresponds to the elements of the world; in Greek, here "stoicheya" - "the simplest, material principles", maybe - "primary spirits" - Col. 2:20; Gal. 4: 3,9).

That is, it can also mean evil spirits, inspiring heretical ideas, over which Christ won the victory (2 Cor. 4: 3-4; Eph. 6: 11-12). Therefore, any philosophy that ignores Christ is not just worldly, but demonic, and cannot be pleasing to God. Christians who have lost their vigilance run the risk of falling into traps set by her.

Qty. 2: 9... Philosophy, built on vain human reasoning, cannot have "fullness" (pyaooma). For in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead. This means that a person can find "fullness" only in Christ. Everything outside of Him is emptiness. As the philosopher Jean-Paul Sartre put it, "Life is the excitement of the sea of ​​nothingness" (compare Eccles. 1: 14-18). Greek, "theotetos", translated as "Deity", is a strong-sounding word (found only here in the New Testament), which emphasizes the divine essence of Christ.

Expressed in all its fullness bodily, that is, in bodily form, this divine essence was and remains truly human (compare Col. 1:22). Meanwhile, the heretical teaching that arose in the first century (the forerunner of Gnosticism) called into question both the divine and human nature of Christ. Those who adhered to this teaching declared Christ to be an angel who had not a real body, but only its appearance. In contrast, Paul here affirms the "fullness" of Christ both as God and as genuine man (1 John 4: 1-6).

Qty. 2:10... As in Christ all the "fullness" of the Godhead (verse 9), so believers are full in Him. For the source of their (full) life is in His fullness. Through Him they became partakers of the divine nature (2 Pet. 1: 4), as it is said “of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace” (John 1:16).

This, of course, does not mean that believers are identified with the Creator, however, in Christ they became partakers of His nature. A part of the body of Him who is the head (compare Col. 1:18) of all principality and authority (compare 1:16; 2:15), including those forces that by temptation tried to draw the Colossians into life "according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ. "

B. "Legalists" Are Wrong, For What Is True Is In Christ (2: 11-17)

Qty. 2: 11-12... From considering the theological mistakes of the false teachers, Paul goes on to their practical mistakes, that is, from their "gnosticism" to their "legalism." The Colossian pagans who believed in Christ did not need to follow the Jewish religious rules and rituals, such as circumcision. They have already been circumcised in Christ.

Not by the hand of man (compare Eph. 2:11), but Christ accomplished this spiritual circumcision, expressed in the "crucifixion" of believers with the Lord and, as a consequence, in the removal of the sinful body of flesh from them; "circumcision in the heart" is what the apostle calls it in Rom. 2:29. The expression “body of flesh” (compare with “carnal… mind” in Col. 2:18) should be understood to mean “sinful nature”; it was she who was decisively eliminated by Christ's death and his resurrection. What people became in Adam — sinful, fallen, corrupted — was destroyed by Christ. In Him the believer has become a "new creation" (2 Cor. 5:17). Having Jesus Christ Himself as his head, he subordinates his life to His power and no longer lives according to the law of Moses, but according to Christ.

Grech, "apecdisea", translated as a removal (literally means "complete separation from something"); found in the New Testament only here. This "separation" from one's previous life or "taking off" from oneself of the "old" sinful nature occurs at the moment of salvation, when the believer is buried with Him in the baptism of the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13) and resurrects with Him to a new life. Water baptism is a symbol of this "burial" and "resurrection"; immersion in water symbolizes burial with Christ, and coming out of water symbolizes resurrection by faith in the power of God to "new life" (Rom. 6: 4).

Qty. 2: 13-14... Before man was set free for this new life in Christ, he was dead in sins and in the uncircumcision of the flesh (compare with the "earthly members" in 3: 5 and with the "old man" in 3: 9). Death means separation, not complete disappearance, and even unsaved people carry the image of God within themselves (Gen. 9: 6; James 3: 9); but they are separate from God. Deprived of spiritual life, they, however, continue to live earthly life. But God raised those who believed for spiritual life. He revived (them) with Him (compare Eph. 2: 1-6). The same power (cf. Col. 1:29) that raised Christ from the dead (2:12) raises believing sinners to spiritual life (verse 13).

This new life comes when God forgives us all sins, having destroyed the handwriting that was about us. This is the name here for the written law, in the face of which all men become guilty (Rom. 3:19); therefore Paul also writes: which is against us. However, in Christ the law was fulfilled (Rom. 8: 2), and therefore no longer needed (Gal. 3:25; Heb. 9:12). The legalists were wrong because in Christ the believers were, as it were, made dead to the law.

This written set of rules and regulations, that is, the Law, was like promissory note... And since people were not able to fulfill it, it turned into a bankruptcy certificate for them. As you know, insolvent debtors are equated with criminals. However, Christ by His death removed the charge of crime from them: He took ("handwriting") from the environment and, as it were, nailed (it) together with Him to the cross, thereby showing that He had paid the debt. Thus, the door to a new life was opened for the believers.

Qty. 2: 15-17... Having fulfilled the requirements of the law, Christ took away the powers from rulers and powers, that is, from the spirits of evil (1:16; 2:10), and triumphed over them (2 Cor. 2:14). Is it not clear that as a result, Christians were freed from the power of these evil forces, which ultimately motivated people to persist in fulfilling the legal precepts regarding food and holidays.

No one has the right to condemn you for eating or drinking - precisely because those who believe in Christ have been exempted from the requirements of the law - those listed in Lev. eleven; 17 and Deut. 14. Whatever people eat, God does not condemn them for it. He directly says that you can use any writing, because everything was created by Him, “so that the faithful and knowing the truth may eat with thanksgiving” (1 Tim. 4: 3).

The doctrines forbidding this, contrary to the permission given by God, the apostle Paul calls "doctrines of demons" (1 Tim. 4: 1); He reminds the Colossians that Christ defeated demons (2:15). This freedom received by believers extends to holidays such as the new moon or the Sabbath (Gal. 4:10). Those who sought to bring Christians under the yoke of the law made an artificial division between the so-called "ceremonial" and "moral" institutions of it; they also claimed (and still do) that the Sabbath law remains in effect.

That this is not true can be seen from the following: 1) The Sabbath commandment is the only one of all that has not been confirmed in the New Testament; 2) The first Christians - after the crucifixion of the Lord and His resurrection on the first day of the week (Acts 20: 7; 1-Cor. 16: 2) - began to gather on this very day, that is, on Sunday (Mark 16: 1 -2; John 20: 1); 3) In the Bible, nowhere is the division between "moral" and "ceremonial" laws made (it first appeared only in the 13th century); 4) In this passage of the Epistle to the Colossians, the apostle explicitly accuses those who demand the observance of the Sabbath; 5) following Paul's expression, the Mosaic law, including the Sabbath prescription, were only a shadow of the future, while the body, that is, the essence of things, reality is in Christ (compare Heb. 8: 5; 10: 1). What the Old Testament foretold, Christ fulfilled (Matt. 5:17; Rom. 8: 3-4). A shadow is only an image of an object that reproduces its shape. The one who has found Christ, that is, the essence, no longer has the need for the old shell ("shadow").

C. Those who profess mystical teachings are wrong - Christ has primacy in everything (2: 18-19)

Qty. 2:18... In English. In the translation of the Bible, an additional thought sounds here, namely, that those who "deceive" Christians, that is, those who lead them away from the Lord, to the "shadow" of the law, deprive them of their intended spiritual reward. Just as a referee in a sporting event deprives a person who has turned off the treadmill from a prize, so will those who walk away from Christ will be deprived of the prize (1 Cor. 3: 10-15). Some heretics who seduce believers wear the mask of an assumed (in Russian "self-willed") humility, and it is precisely about such that Paul wrote to Timothy as "having a form of piety, but denying the power of it" (2 Tim. 3: 5), because the power of godliness is in Christ (Rom. 8: 3-4).

Precisely because the piety of the legalists was not sincere, it did not prevent them from serving the Angels, under the pretext that they were unworthy to serve God, and the angels, they say, are mediators between Him and people. Meanwhile, the Scripture forbids serving angels (Ex. 20: 3-4; compare with Rev. 22: 8-9). Legalism as a teaching itself was inspired by the fallen angels (1 Tim. 4: 1), those "primitive spirits" that accompany the "material principles of the world" (Gal. 4: 3), or primitive, pre-Christian, principles of knowledge of the world; it is they who are trying to persuade Christians to mystical meditations and actions, in order through this to plunge them into slavery, making them dependent on themselves. According to other translations, false teachers "try to delve into what they saw" (meaning - in visions), entering (recklessly arrogant) on this basis. This is due to their carnal, that is, sinful mind.

Qty. 2:19... Although the believer in mystical forces and maintaining contacts with them believes that by doing so he reaches "the highest reality", in reality he only loses contact with the Head (Christ), Who alone allows the "body" to grow into the age of God (compare John 15: 1- 5). True spirituality is not given by this and not by the coordination of one's existence with laws and regulations, which are only a "shadow", but by connection with Life, which is reality.

Without being fastened by vital ties (spiritual "sinews" and "muscles"; in Russian - by compounds and ties) with the Head, the body of Christ cannot grow. Jesus Himself expresses this thought, using the image of a vine: "I am the vine, and you are the branches; he who abides in Me, and I in him, the same bears much fruit; for apart from Me you can do nothing" (John 15: 5 )

D. Those who preach asceticism are wrong - true "immunity" to sin - in Christ (2: 20-23)

Qty. 2: 20-21... Legalism and mysticism (ideology and their practice) were accompanied by Colosoi 2:22 - 3: 2 philosophy and practice of asceticism, expressed in a pseudo-spiritual system of prohibitions: Do not touch, do not eat, do not touch. A kind of legalism manifested itself already in the exaggeration with which Eve conveyed the words of God to the serpent: "and do not touch them (the fruits of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil), lest you die" (Gen. 3: 3; compare with Gen. 2: 16-17). The need for asceticism grows out of a sense of guilt, out of the consciousness of one's own sinfulness.

But Christ by His death "took away" human sin (Col. 2: 13-14). And therefore, if believers with Christ died to the elements of the world (compare the interpretation to verse 8), then they should no longer submit to them at the behest of the flesh. Only those who remain "alive to sin" (Rom. 6: 2-7) are forced to submit to it. The worldly live by worldly rules, including those who, in their ostentatious humility and false piety, dare to enter into contact with the angelic forces. But true spirituality is expressed in a life guided by the power of the Holy Spirit, in union with Christ, by whom the believer died to sin. For we know that "our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be destroyed" (Rom. 6: 6).

Qty. 2: 22-23... What is the point for believers to adhere - according to the commandments and teachings of man - to prohibitions regarding food and nutrition, that is, everything that decays from consumption? Asceticism is nothing more than a human-made system of rules (often based on out-of-context passages from the Mosaic Law). The form of asceticism preached by the false teachers of Colossus thus grew out of legalism.

And an illustrative example of it in the New Testament time was the urgent prescriptions of circumcision, which was imputed to the Jews by God as a sign of faith (Rom. 4:11), while the "legalists" tried to establish it as a condition for receiving grace (Gal. 2:21). Following this kind of man-made religious practice only had the appearance of wisdom (sofshe - compare Col. 1: 9; 2: 3); the exhaustion of the body and neglect of it, according to the apostle, had no spiritual value.

Cities in the valley of the Lycus River About 150 km from Ephesus, in the valley of the Lycus River, there were once three large cities - Laodicea, Hierapolis and Colossus. They were once Phrygian cities, and during Paul's time they were part of the Roman province of Asia. From each of them one could almost see the other two. Hierapolis and Laodicea stood on both sides of the valley of the Lycus River flowing between them at a distance of about 10 km from each other. The colossi lay 20 km higher on both banks of the river.

The Lycus Valley had two important features.

1. She was famous for her earthquakes. The ancient Greek geographer Strabo gives it a strange definition euseistos, what does it mean in Russian fit for earthquake. Laodicea was repeatedly destroyed by earthquakes, but it was so rich and independent that it was rebuilt without financial assistance from the Roman government. As John, the author of Revelation put it about her, in her eyes she was rich and did not need anything (Rev. 3:17).

2. The waters of the Lycus River and its tributaries were saturated with limestone, which settled throughout the area, forming amazing natural formations. Here is how Lightfoot describes the area: “Ancient monuments are buried, fertile fields are covered, river beds are clogged, streams diverted to the side, fantastic grottoes, cascades and stone arches are formed by this strange, capricious force, both destructive and creative, which worked quietly for centuries. Disastrous for vegetation, this inlay spread over the ground like a white shroud. Like the glaciers on the mountain slopes, for another thirty kilometers they attract the traveler's eye with their white shine and add extraordinary value to this unusually beautiful and impressionable landscape. "

Rich area

However, the area was rich and famous for two closely related crafts. The volcanic soils are very fertile, and all that was not covered with chalk was splendid pastures on which huge flocks of sheep grazed. This area was the largest center for the wool industry of the then world. Laodicea was especially famous for the production of high quality garments. Dyeing was closely associated with this craft. These lime waters had some quality that ensured a particularly high quality of dyeing fabrics, and the city of Colossa was so famous for its dyeing craft that one of the colors bore its name.

Thus, these three cities were located in an important geographic and economically prosperous area.

Minor town

Once all three cities were of equal importance, but over the years, their destinies have changed. Laodicea became the political and financial center of the region; Hierapolis has become a major industrial city and a renowned health resort. In this volcanic region there were many deep crevasses, from which rose hot vapors and springs, widely known for their medicinal properties; thousands of people came to Hierapolis to bathe and drink its water.

At one time, Colossa was as large a center as the other two cities. Behind the Colossi, the mountain ranges of Cadmus rose and the Colossi dominated the passes to the mountain roads. The Persian kings Cyrus and Xerxes stayed there during their campaigns of conquest, and the Greek historian Herodotus even called the Colossi "the great city of Phrygia." But for some reason, this glory faded. The extent of this decline is shown by the fact that the location of Hierapolis and Laodicea can still be determined today. There are still ruins of some large buildings, and in the place where the Colossi once stood, not a stone remains, and one can only guess where they stood. Even at the time Paul wrote his letter, Colossus was only a small city, and Lightfoot says it was the most insignificant of all the cities to which Paul wrote.

But, in the city of Colossa, a heresy arose, which could lead to the death of the Christian faith, if they allowed it to develop unhindered.

Jews in Phrygia

To complete the picture, one more fact must be added. Many Jews lived in the area in which these three cities were located. Long before this, Antiochus the Third Great ordered the resettlement of 2,000 Jewish families from Babylon and Mesopotamia to the regions of Lydia and Phrygia. These Jews prospered and, as is often the case, many tribesmen followed them to the area to share their prosperity. There were so many of them that strict Palestinian Jews complained that so many Jews left the harsh conditions of their ancestral country "for the wines and baths of Phrygia."

The number of Jews who lived there can be imagined from the following historical event... As we have seen, Laodicea was the administrative center of the region. In 62 BC Flaccus was the procurator there. He wanted to put an end to the practice of the Jews to take money out of the province to pay the temple tax, imposing a ban on the export of money, and only in his part of the province seized about 10 kg of smuggled gold intended for the Jerusalem Temple, which was equal to the temple tax of at least 11,000 people. In view of the fact that women and children were exempted from paying the tax and, it must be assumed that many Jews were still able to smuggle their money, it can be assumed that the Jewish population of the area was about 50,000 people.

Church at Colosse

The church in Colossus was one of those that Paul did not start himself and that he never attended. He ranks the Colossians and Laodiceans among those who did not see his face in the flesh (2,1). But, without a doubt, this church was created at his direction. During the three years that Paul lived in Ephesus, the gospel spread throughout the province of Asia, and all its inhabitants - both Jews and Greeks - heard the sermon about the Lord Jesus (Acts 19.21). The colossi were located 150 km from Ephesus, and no doubt this church was created during that two-year campaign. We do not know who founded it, but it may well be that it was Epaphras, who is described in the letter as a collaborator of Paul and as a faithful servant of Christ in the Church of Colossus, and later was associated with Hierapolis and Laodicea. (1, 7; 4,12.13). If Epaphras was not the founder of the church at Colosse, he was undoubtedly a minister of Christ in this area.

Pagan church

It is clear that the church at Colossus consisted primarily of pagans. Phrases like alienated and enemies (1.21) Paul usually uses it to refer to those who were once foreign to the covenants of promise. In 7.27 Paul says that God was pleased to show what a riches of glory is in this mystery for the Gentiles, having in mind the Colossians themselves. V 3,5-7 he lists their sins before they became Christians, which are typical pagan sins. We can confidently say that the church at Colossus consisted mainly of pagans.

Threat to the church

It must have been Epaphras who brought Paul to the Roman dungeon the news of the situation in Colossus. Many of the messages brought were good. Paul thanks God for the news of their faith in Jesus Christ and their love for all the saints (1,4), for the fruits of their Christian faith (1,6). Epaphras brought him the message of their love in spirit (1,8). Paul is delighted to hear of their accomplishment and the firmness of their faith (2,5). There were problems in Colossus, of course, but they did not take on the character of an epidemic. Paul believed that prevention is better than healing, and in this epistle he grasps evil even before it was widespread.

Heresy in the Colossi

No one can say with complete certainty what kind of heresy it was that threatened the existence of the church in Colosse. The "Colossian heresy" is one of the great scholastic problems of the New Testament. We can only turn to the letter itself, collect the characteristics given there and see if any heresy corresponds to them. 1. It was a heresy attacking the absolute primacy of Christ and the uniqueness of His sovereignty. In no other Pauline epistle is there such a sublime characterization of Jesus Christ, or such persistence in affirming His perfection and completeness. Jesus Christ is the image of the invisible God; all fullness dwells in him (1,15.19); in Him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (2,3); in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily (2,9).

2. Paul especially emphasizes the role of Christ in creation. He created everything (1,16), and everything is worth it (1,17). The Son was the instrument with which the Father created the universe.

3. At the same time, Paul makes every effort to emphasize the true humanity of Christ. In the body of flesh Christ performed His redemptive feat (1,22). All the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him bodily (2,9). For all His Divinity, Jesus was truly of human flesh and blood.

4. It seems that there was an element of astrology in this heresy. V 2,8 Paul warns the Colossians lest they be carried away by the elements the world, and at 2.20 says that if they are with Christ that they died for elements the world. Greek word stopheya, translated here as element, has two meanings.

a) It is based on the meaning a number of items. For example, it can mean a row, a line of soldiers, but most often it was used to designate the alphabet, letters of the alphabet, so to speak, in order. From here it got the meaning elements, components of objects. If so it is to be understood, then Paul means that the Colossians are slipping into the position of elementary Christianity when they should have matured in faith.

b) We believe that the second meaning is more appropriate here. Stoikheya may matter elemental spirits of the world, and, in particular, the spirits of the stars and planets. The ancients were haunted by the idea of ​​the influence of the stars, and even the greatest and wisest people did nothing without consulting them. The ancients believed that everything was in the iron hands of fate, depending on the stars, and astrology claimed that it could give people secret knowledge that would free them from slavery and from these elemental spirits and demons. Most likely, the false teachers of the Colossians preached that in order to free people from dependence on these elemental spirits, something else is needed besides Jesus Christ.

5. This heresy attached great importance to demonic powers. The message repeatedly talks about bosses and the authorities, by which Paul refers to these demonic powers (1,16; 2,10.15). The ancients believed unconditionally in demonic powers. In their minds, the air was swarming with them. Each natural force - wind, thunder, lightning, rain - had its own demonic leadership. Every place, every tree, every river, every lake had, in their opinion, its own demon. These demons were, in a sense, an intermediate link to God, and in another sense, barriers to Him, because in the view of the ancients, most of them are hostile to man. The ancients lived in a world in which a mass of demons and spirits lived. Obviously, the false teachers of the Colossians preached that in order to overcome demonic power, something else is needed besides Jesus Christ.

6. There was also a philosophical element in this heresy. Heretics captivate people with philosophy and empty seduction (2,8). The Colossus heretics said that the simplicity of the good news needed to be complemented by more skillful and more difficult to understand knowledge.

7. There was a tendency in this heresy to insist on the observance of special days and holidays, new moons and Saturdays. (2,16). 8. There was also a feigned ascetic element in this heresy. False teachers made food and drink laws (2,16). Their slogan It was:"Do not touch, do not taste, do not touch" (2,21). This heresy intended to restrict Christian freedom to the observance of various legal rites.

9. There was an antinomic trend in this heresy. False teachers tried to plant in people careless attitude to the integrity necessary for a Christian, and frivolity to bodily sins (3,5-8).

10. Apparently, this heresy allotted some place to the veneration of angels (2,18). In addition to demons and demons, they also introduced angels as intermediaries between God and people.

11. And finally, in this heresy, there seemed to be an element of what we would call it, spiritual and intellectual snobbery. V 1,28 Paul Lays Out His Purpose: To Discipline any human, teach any wisdom to present every person perfect in Christ Jesus. We see how the phrase is repeated every person and that Paul's purpose is to make every person perfect in any wisdom. It is fair to conclude from this that the heretics allotted the good news to only a select few and created an intellectual and spiritual aristocracy in the widespread Christian faith.

Gnostic heresy

Was there any general heretical movement at that time that included all these aspects? There was such a movement - gnosticism. Gnosticism arose from two fundamental ideas about matter. The Gnostics, firstly, believed that only spirit is good, and matter is inherently vicious. Secondly, the Gnostics believed that matter is eternal, and that the universe was not created from nothing, in contrast to the Christian creed of faith, but from this perverse matter. Certain consequences inevitably followed from these fundamental provisions.

1. They influenced the doctrine of creation. If God is a Spirit, then He is absolutely good and could not at all create from this perverse matter. Therefore God not was the creator of the world. He poured out a series of emanations, each of which was further from Him, until finally, at the other end, an emanation appeared, which was so far from God that it could process matter, and this emanation created the world. But the Gnostics went even further. In view of the fact that each subsequent emanation was further and further from God, she, the Gnostics said, knew less and less about Him. As the number of series of these emanations increased, ignorance turned into hostility, and thus the emanation farthest from God knew nothing about Him, and, at the same time, was hostile to Him. From this it followed that the one who created this world did not know anything about the true God and at the same time was completely hostile to Him. And so, refuting this Gnostic theory of creation, Paul argued that the mediator of God in the process of creation was not some ignorant and hostile force, but the Son, who knew the Father perfectly well and loved Him.

2. They also touched Jesus Christ Himself. If matter was completely wicked, and Jesus was the Son of God, then, the Gnostics argued, Jesus could not have had a body of flesh and blood. He had to be a kind of spirit, a phantom. Thus, the inventions of the Gnostics reached the point that Jesus, when walking, allegedly did not leave footprints on the ground. And this, of course, completely deprived Jesus of His human essence and the ability to be the Savior of people. Refuting this Gnostic theory, Paul insisted that Jesus had a body of flesh and blood and that He saved people in a body of flesh and blood.

3. They touched upon the ethical aspects of life. If matter is vicious, then it follows that our bodies are vicious, and if our bodies are vicious, then two consequences follow from this.

a) We must starve and beat our body and renounce it, lead a strictly ascetic lifestyle, suppress our body, denying it all needs and desires.

b) But you can also approach from the completely opposite side. If the body is vicious, it doesn't matter what the person does with it; only the spirit is important. And therefore a person can satisfy the desires of his body and it does not matter.

Thus, Gnosticism could manifest itself in asceticism, subject to all kinds of laws and restrictions; or alternatively, it could result in antinomianism, which justifies any immorality. And we see that both of these tendencies were propagated by the false teachers of Colossus.

4. It follows from this that Gnosticism claimed a highly intellectual way of life and thinking. There is a long line of emanation between God and man, and in order to get to God, one has to climb the long stairs with difficulty. To do this, he needs various mysterious knowledge, special training for the elite, and hidden passwords. He must know all this in order to lead a strict ascetic lifestyle, and those who want to lead such a severe ascetic lifestyle will simply not be able to do their daily activities. And therefore, the Gnostics believed, the highest religious spheres are open only to a select few. This idea of ​​the need to belong to some kind of intellectual religious aristocracy corresponds to the situation in the Colosse.

5. One more thing needs to be added. It is quite obvious that in the false teaching that threatened the Church of Colossus, there was a Jewish element. The observance of holidays, new moons and Saturdays was characteristic of Judaism, and the laws on food and drink were essentially Jewish Levitical laws. Where did this Jewish element come from? It is strange to note that many Jews were sympathetic to Gnosticism. They knew everything about angels, demons and spirits. But first of all they said: “We know perfectly well that special knowledge is needed to comprehend God. We know perfectly well that Jesus and His good news are too simple, and this special knowledge can only be found in Jewish law. Our ritual and formal law is that special knowledge that gives a person the ability to attain God. " And therefore Gnosticism and Judaism often entered into a strange alliance, and this is precisely the kind of union that we find in Colosse, where, as we have already seen, there were many Jews.

It is quite obvious that the false teachers of Colossus were infected with the Gnostic heresy. They tried to convert Christianity into philosophy or into theosophy, and if they succeeded, the Christian faith would be destroyed.

Authorship of the message

One more question remains. Many theologians do not believe that Paul wrote the epistle. They put forward three theses.

1. They say that there are many words and phrases in Colossians that are not found in any other letter of Paul. And that's perfectly true, but it doesn't prove anything. We cannot demand from a person that he always wrote in the same way and used the same language. It may well be considered that in the Epistle to the Colossians Paul had to say something new and find new words for this.

2. They say that Gnosticism developed much later than the era of Paul, so if the Colossian heresy was associated with Gnosticism, then it must have been written later than the era of Paul. It is true that the major works of the Gnostics were written later, but the idea of ​​two worlds and the idea of ​​the depravity of matter are closely related to both the Jewish and the Greek worldview. There is nothing in Colossians that cannot be explained by the Gnostic line, which had long history in the ancient worldview, although, of course, its systematization took place later.

3. They say that the views of Jesus Christ reflected in the Epistle to the Colossians far outstrip anything found in the Epistles, which undoubtedly belong to Paul. There are two answers to this.

First, Paul speaks of the unsearchable riches of Christ. In Colossus, Paul was faced with a new situation, and in order to cope with this situation, he drew new answers from this incomprehensible wealth. In Colossians, Christology really overtakes everything written in the early epistles of Paul, but this does not at all give the right to assert that Paul did not write it, if we do not want to assert that his thought remained in one place all the time. It is fair to say that a person thinks through the meaning and content of his faith to the extent that he is forced to do so by circumstances, and in the face of new circumstances Paul rethought the meaning of Christ.

Secondly, the germ of Paul's idea of ​​Christ, set forth in the letter to the Colossians, is, in fact, already contained in one of his earlier letters. V 1 Cor. 8.6 Paul writes that we have one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all, and we are by him. This phrase is the basis of everything that he says in the Letter to the Colossians. The seed was already in his mind, ready to blossom as soon as new conditions gave him growth.

We need not hesitate to admit that Colossians was written by Paul himself.

Great message

Strange and surprising, the fact remains that Paul wrote a letter, which reflected the highest flights of his thoughts, to such an insignificant city as the Colossi were then. But, thereby, he suppressed a tendency that otherwise would have destroyed Christianity in Asia Minor and, perhaps, could cause irreparable harm to the entire Church.

Interpretation of Colossians 2:16. Your Sabbaths (holiday) and the Lord's

Often people familiar with the Bible try to prove the fact of the abolition of the Sabbath by the New Testament with the following text:

“So let no one condemn you for food, or drink, or for some feast, or new moon, or saturday» (Col. 2:16).

However, in this case, we again encounter a poor knowledge of Scripture. The fact is that the Jews called Saturday Not only seventh day of the week. The Jews had (and still are) and special Saturdays - Shabbatot meyuhadot - festive days on which it is forbidden to work. For example, you cannot do any deeds on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and on certain days of the holidays of unleavened bread (Passover), Pentecost (the first fruit, weeks), Trumpets and Tabernacles:

“In the first month, on the fourteenth day of the month, in the evening of the Lord's Passover; and on the fifteenth day of the same month the feast of unleavened bread to the Lord ... first day may you have a sacred meeting; do not work any work … on the seventh day also a sacred meeting; do not work any work» (Lev. 23: 5-8, Lev. 23: 16,21, Lev. 23: 24,25, Lev. 23: 34-36).

« On the ninth day of this seventh month, the day of atonement, may you have a sacred meeting; humble your souls and sacrifice to the Lord; do not do anything on this day for it is a day of atonement, to cleanse you in the presence of the Lord your God; but every soul that does not humble himself on that day will be cut off from his people; and if any soul does any work on this day, I will destroy that soul from her people; do no deed: this is an everlasting ordinance throughout your generations, in all your dwellings. it's a rest Saturday for you, and humble your souls, from the evening of the ninth day of the month; celebrate from evening to evening your Saturday» (Lev. 23: 27-32, see also Lev. 16: 29-31).

Notice in verse 32 rest Saturday in a ritual celebration Of the day of purification(Atonement) is named "Saturday yours» ... And further in the 38th verse of this chapter it is said that all of the above rest days are established in excess of weekly Saturdays: « except Saturdays Lord's» (Lev. 23:38, see also Lev. 23: 3). We see here initial separation Saturdays of the Lord (weekly) and folk festive - your Saturdays: the second was only supplemented to the first.

According to the law of Moses, the Israelites were required to strictly observe the holidays established by God. Three times a year - at Easter, Pentecost (the feast of the weeks) and the feast of Tabernacles - the Jews were to gather in Jerusalem (see Deut. 16:16). On these days, a special service was arranged in the temple to God and additional burnt offerings were offered. Also in every sabbath and new moons (the first day of the new month), in addition to the permanent burnt offering, were required additional offerings and burnt offerings:

« And on Saturday bring two lambs one year old without blemish, and for a grain offering two tenths of an ephah of flour ...: this is the sabbath burnt offering every Saturday over constant burnt offering ... and in the new month your burnt offering to the Lord: of the cattle, two calves, one ram, and seven lambs one year old without blemish, and three tenths of an ephah of wheat flour "(Num. 28: 9-13).

Naturally, all Old Testament offerings and burnt offerings symbolized Christ. Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial part of the law (see Matthew 5:17), once replacing both sacrifices and offerings to God:

“Therefore Christ, entering the world, says: sacrifices and offerings You did not desire, but you prepared a body for Me» (Heb. 10: 5).

That is Saturday mentioned in Col. 2:16 in a listing with words holiday and new moon, can only be perceived in context festive Saturdays and ritual serving the Lord on the seventh day of the week. Indeed, according to the following text, the listed Old Testament symbols are already executed Jesus - “This is shadow of the future and the body is in Christ "(Col. 2:17), and the weekly Sabbath, as we discussed above, was not reflected in the ministry of Christ.

Scripture frequently uses the phrase holiday, new moon, Saturday, where Saturday is associated with ritual services:

“The former tabernacle ... is an image of the present time, in which gifts and sacrifices are offered, which cannot make the one who offers perfect in conscience, and which are with food and drink, and various ablutions and rituals related to the flesh were installed only before time fixes " (