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Scripture Reading: Col. 1:13-19; 2:2-3, 6-9, 16-17, 19; 3:3-4, 9-11, 15-17; 4:6
In this chapter we would like to consider several of the major verses found in the four chapters of the book of Colossians.
Colossians 1:13-19 says, “Who delivered us out of the authority of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son of His love, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins; who is the image of the invisible God, the Firstborn of all creation, because in Him all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth, the visible and the invisible, whether thrones or lordships or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through Him and unto Him. And He is before all things, and all things cohere in Him; and He is the Head of the Body, the church; He is the beginning, the Firstborn from the dead, that He Himself might have the first place in all things; for in Him all the fullness was pleased to dwell.”
In this series of verses there are fourteen main points. The first point is that God has transferred us out of the authority of darkness — the kingdom of Satan — into the kingdom of the Son of His love. We have not only experienced some kind of inward change, but we have been transferred from one realm into another realm, from one kingdom into another kingdom. The second point is found in the title the Son of His love. This refers to the Lord Jesus, who is the Christ. Christ is the Son of God’s love. The third point is that Christ is the image of the invisible God. The Son of God is the image of the invisible God. He gives the invisible God a visible image. The fourth point is that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation. This means that in all creation, Christ is the first man. The fifth, sixth, and seventh points go together. The fifth point is that in Christ all things were created, in the heavens and on the earth; the sixth point is that all things were created through Christ; and the seventh point is that all things were created unto, or for, Christ. All things were created in Christ, through Christ, and unto Christ. The eighth point is that Christ is before all things. This means that Christ existed before all other things came into existence. The ninth point is that all things cohere, subsist, in Christ. This means that all things fit together, are joined together, and exist in Christ. The tenth point is that Christ is the Head of the Body, which is the church. The eleventh point is that Christ is the beginning, the start; the twelfth point is that He is the Firstborn from the dead; the thirteenth point is that He has the preeminence or first place in all things; and the fourteenth point is that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Him.
If we spend some time to read Colossians 1:13-19 and to meditate over these fourteen items, we will see what a Christ we have. God’s kingdom has been committed to Him, He is the Son of God’s love, and He is the image of the invisible God. With regard to creation, He is the Firstborn of all creation, and all things were created in Him, through Him, and unto Him. He is also before all things, and everything that has been created subsists in Him — He is the center and sphere within which all things are joined together to exist. With regard to the new creation, He is the Head of the Body, the beginning, and the Firstborn from the dead, that is, the Firstborn of resurrection. He is also the One who has the first place in all things and the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. By meditating on these fourteen items revealed in Colossians 1:13-19, we will have a deeper realization concerning who Christ is.
Colossians 2:2-3 says, “That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden.” These two verses contain three important points. The first is the mystery of God, the second is that the mystery of God is Christ, and the third is that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in the mystery of God, which is Christ. Not merely do all wisdom and knowledge dwell in Christ, but even more, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge dwell in Him.
Verses 6 through 9 continue, “As therefore you have received the Christ, Jesus the Lord, walk in Him, having been rooted and being built up in Him, and being established in the faith even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ; for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” These verses contain six crucial phrases. The first is you have received the Christ. This is the only place in the entire Scriptures that says so directly that we have received Christ. The second expression is walk in Him. Having received the Christ, we must walk in Him. This means that our whole daily living must be in Christ. The third important phrase in these verses is having been rooted, and the fourth is being built up. Our being rooted in Christ has already been accomplished, but our being built up is presently taking place. We need to pay careful attention to these four expressions: received, walk in, having been rooted, and being built up.
The fifth expression that we should take note of is beware that no one carries you off as spoil. In the original Greek this expression — carries you off as spoil — conveys the thought of being captured away and made prey of. In this verse Paul warned the believers in Colossae that they were in danger of being captured and carried away. What did he fear that they would be carried away from? He feared that they would be carried away from Christ. Thus, he charged them to beware of being carried off as spoil through philosophy and empty deceit, “according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.”
The sixth important expression in these verses is for in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily. This is the reason that we must take heed not to be captured away by men or anything else. There are so many things in this world that are trying their best to make us a prey and take us away from Christ. We have to beware to prevent this from happening, because all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ. We need to seek Christ and hold to Christ.
Verses 16 and 17 say, “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath, which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ.” In these two verses we see that food, drink, feast days, a new moon, and the Sabbath are all shadows and figures; the reality is Christ Himself. The real food and the real drink are Christ Himself. Moreover, the real feast day, which is a time of happiness, the real new moon, which is a new beginning, and the real Sabbath, which is a day of rest, are all Christ. Christ is our time of happiness, Christ is our new beginning, and Christ is our rest. Christ is the body of all these things.
Verse 19 goes on to say, “And not holding the Head, out from whom all the Body, being richly supplied and knit together by means of the joints and sinews, grows with the growth of God.” This verse reveals that in the Body there are joints and sinews. The joints supply, and the sinews knit together. This verse also unveils that when we hold the Head, the result is the increase, growth, of God. The One whom we hold is Christ, and the One who increases is God. While we are holding fast to Christ, the joints supply, the sinews knit together, and the result is that the element and fullness of God grow and increase in us.
Colossians 3:3-4 says, “For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ our life is manifested, then you also will be manifested with Him in glory.” These verses are very mysterious. Verse 3 says that we have died, but then it immediately says that we have life. On the one hand, we are dead and have been finished, but on the other hand, we still have life. The life that we now have is a new life, a life that is “hidden with Christ in God.” Moreover, this life, which is hidden with Christ in God, is Christ, and this Christ, with whom our life is hidden in God, is our life. In addition, this Christ who is our life will be manifested in glory, and when this happens, we will be manifested with Him. Who can apprehend such words? Surely they are too mysterious.
Verses 9 through 11 go on to say, “Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his practices and have put on the new man, which is being renewed unto full knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, where there cannot be Greek and Jew, circumcision and uncircumcision, barbarian, Scythian, slave, free man, but Christ is all and in all.” On the one hand, we have put off the old man, and on the other hand, we have put on the new man. In this new man there are no Jews, Greeks, Chinese, or Americans, but Christ is all and in all. In the new man there is nothing but Christ.
Verses 15 through 17 say, “Let the peace of Christ arbitrate in your hearts, to which also you were called in one Body; and be thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom, teaching and admonishing one another with psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to God. And whatever you do in word or in deed, do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” These verses speak of two matters — the peace of Christ and the word of Christ. Our heart should be ruled by the peace of Christ, and our mouth should be filled with the word of Christ. When this is so, we will express Christ. Within, the peace of Christ will arbitrate, and without, what we express with our mouth will be the word of Christ. We need to be filled with the word of Christ to the extent that we express Christ with psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs. Not only should we express Christ in common words and ordinary speech, but we should have psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs that are full of the expression of Christ, full of the language of Christ and the word of Christ.
After saying that we should let our heart be ruled by the peace of Christ and let our mouth be filled with the word of Christ, these verses say that we should do all things “in the name of the Lord Jesus.” What does it mean to do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus? This means that whatever we do, we do it as a representative of Christ. In the name of Christ means representing Christ. When I go to visit someone in the name of Mr. Jones, it means that I go as a representative of Mr. Jones. Whatever we do, we should do it as a Christ-man, a Christian, a man representing Christ.
Let us now consider one verse from chapter 4. Verse 6 says, “Let your speech be always with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one.” The word speech in this verse comes from the Greek word logos, which means “word.” Thus, we can also translate this verse as, “Let your word be always with grace, seasoned with salt.” What does the expression with grace, seasoned with salt mean? What is grace? The Scriptures reveal that grace is Christ (Gal. 2:20; 1 Cor. 15:10). And what is salt? Unlike honey or sugar, salt can be used to kill germs. The spiritual meaning of salt is the working of the cross to kill all the germs. Thus, for our word to be always with grace, seasoned with salt means that our word should always be filled with Christ and should always pass through the killing of the cross.
If we consider all these passages from the book of Colossians, we can see that there is a sequence and a particular line of thought throughout the book from chapter 1 to chapter 4. As the apostle Paul wrote this book, he surely had a line of thought in his spirit.
The line of thought in the book of Colossians begins with God, who is a mystery. All that God is and all that God has are a mystery. Paul begins his Epistle from this point.
Paul continues his line of thought by revealing that the mystery of God is Christ Himself. What is unable to be understood in God, can be understood in Christ; what cannot be seen in God, can be seen in Christ; and what cannot be apprehended and realized in God, can be apprehended and realized in Christ. Paul’s first point is that God is a mystery, and his second point is that this mystery is Christ.
Then the third point in the line of thought in Colossians is that since Christ is the mystery of God, God has made Him to be everything. The fact that God has made Christ everything is clearly revealed in the first two chapters of this book. Paul unveils Christ in three aspects: what He is to God, what He is to creation, and what He is to the church.
The first aspect of what Christ is to God that is revealed in Colossians is the Son of God’s love. What is a son? A son is the manifestation of the father. When we see a son, we know that there is a father somewhere. We do not need to ask this son whether or not he has a father. As long as there is a son, there must be a father. In addition, by observing the son, we can see what the father is like. In the same way, as the Son of God, Christ manifests His Father. Christ is not only called the Son of God but “the Son of His love.” This indicates how pleased God is with Christ as His Son.
The second aspect of what Christ is to God as revealed in Colossians is God’s image. God is invisible, but He has an image that is visible. This is Christ. Christ is the visible image of the invisible God. We cannot see God, but we can see Christ. We cannot touch God, but the apostles said that they not only saw Christ but even touched Him (1 John 1:1).
Christ is also the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. Thus, Paul reveals three aspects of who Christ is to God. He is the Son of God’s love, the image of the invisible God, and the One within whom all the fullness of God dwells.
In the first chapter of Colossians, Paul also unveils several items of what Christ is with regard to creation. The first item is that Christ is the Firstborn of all creation. This is a mystery. Christ is not only the Creator; He is the Firstborn of creation. Creation is an action, and Christ is the Firstborn of this action. Christ is also the first item of this creation. This makes Christ not only God the Creator but also the first action of creation and the first creature of creation.
In addition to being the Firstborn of all creation, Christ is the One in whom, through whom, and unto whom all things were created. In Him means in the power of Christ’s person. All things were created in the power of what Christ is. Through Him indicates that Christ is the active instrument through which the creation of all things was accomplished. Unto Him, or for Him, indicates that Christ is the end of all creation. All things were created unto Him for His possession. In, through, and unto indicate that creation is subjectively related to Christ. Christ is the One in whom, through whom, and unto whom all things were created.
Christ is also the One in whom all things subsist. All things subsist and are joined together in Christ. Christ is like the hub of a wheel. All the spokes of the wheel are joined together in the hub. If you take away the hub, all the spokes will be disconnected, and the wheel will cease to exist. All the items in the entire universe are joined together and have their existence in Christ.
Christ is so much to the old creation, and He is also so much to the new creation, the church. The first item of who He is to the new creation is the Firstborn of the dead, the Firstborn of resurrection. Again we see that Christ is the Firstborn. Christ died and then was resurrected from the dead. He is the Firstborn of the dead, the Firstborn of resurrection.
Christ is also the Head of the Body, the church. Thus, to the church Christ is both the Firstborn of resurrection and the Head of the Body.
The whole universe is composed of three big items — God, the old creation, and the new creation. Besides these three items, there is nothing else. To God, Christ is the Son of God’s love, the image of the invisible God, and the One in whom all the fullness of the Godhead dwells. Besides Christ and outside of Christ, there is no God. Within Christ is God, the essence of God, and the reality of God. Everything of God, all of God’s fullness, dwells in Him. With regard to the old creation, Christ is the Firstborn of all creation, the One in whom, through whom, and unto whom all things were created, and the One in whom all things cohere. To the new creation, Christ is the Firstborn of resurrection and the Head of the Body, the church. This is the Christ whom we receive when we believe in Him. Generally, those who receive Christ consider that He is the One who was crucified on the cross, bore our sins, shed His blood, and was buried and resurrected. This is what they believe and confess. In this portion of the Word, however, Paul depicts a Christ who is much more than this. The Christ who is the mystery of God is so much to God, to the old creation, and to the new creation. This is the third point in the apostle’s line of thought in the book of Colossians. Paul’s desire was to unveil such a Christ.
The fourth point in the apostle Paul’s line of thought is that Christ is our life. In the past we may have realized that Christ is our life, but did we realize that the Christ who is our life is such a Christ? This Christ, who is so much to God, to the old creation, and to the new creation, is our life. This is why we must walk in Him, live in Him, take hold of Him, and beware of being captured away from Christ by anything else. This world is full of thieves, robbers, and enemies, all trying their best to make us a prey and to capture us away from Christ. In this book these things do not refer to bad things but to many good things, such as philosophy, human knowledge, and human wisdom. History speaks of one group of people who put a very high value on philosophy. These people are known as the Gnostics. They appreciated Greek literature, Greek philosophy, and Persian thought very much. These items may seem to be very good from the perspective of human ethics, but they are enemies of Christ. All these things will make us prey, capture us, and carry us away from Christ. This is why we must hold fast to Christ as our life.
When I was very young, around eleven or twelve years of age, I studied at an elementary school established by the Baptist mission. Then I went to a college that had been started by the American Presbyterian mission. As a result of attending these two schools, I met many missionaries. My impression of them was that nearly all of them appreciated the teachings of Confucius very much. Once, I heard one of them say, “The teachings of Confucius correspond with the teachings of the New Testament.” The teachings of Confucius may appear to be good, but actually they are enemies of Christ, capturing people and carrying them away from Christ.
During the time that I attended the Presbyterian college, every weekday from eleven thirty to twelve noon we had what was referred to as “chapel time.” During this time someone would give a sermon, and we would listen. Of all the sermons that I heard, I never heard a single one that told us how to practice taking Christ as our life or how to experience Christ as our life. Instead, we heard only teachings. These teachings were substitutes for Christ and enemies of Christ. All the teachings were good, fundamental, and scriptural, but they were enemies of Christ because they kept those who heard them away from Christ.
We all must realize that Christ is a living person. He is the image of the invisible God, the center of the whole universe, the Head over all things, and a real person to be our life. Our concern should not be with doctrines or teachings but with this living person. We must deal with, contact, and fellowship with this living Christ moment by moment. We are not here just to learn His teachings; we are here to learn how to live in Him, with Him, by Him, and through Him. Christ is a living person to be our very life. We are here to learn how to take Him as our daily life. This is the apostle’s thought in saying that Christ is our life.
After revealing that Christ is our life, the apostle Paul makes this very practical. He writes, “Let no one therefore judge you in eating and in drinking or in respect of a feast or of a new moon or of the Sabbath” (Col. 2:16). All these items — eating, drinking, feasts, a new moon, and the Sabbath — are all good things. No one can live without eating and drinking; everyone likes to enjoy a happy day of feasting; everyone likes a new moon, which represents a new beginning with new hope; and everyone likes to have rest, which is typified by the Sabbath. After listing all these positive items, the apostle goes on to say, “Which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ” (v. 17). Paul’s thought here is that all these things are merely a shadow, the reality of which is Christ Himself. Christ is our real food, our real drink, our real time of feasting, our real new beginning, and our real rest. Thus, the way to experience Christ as our life in our daily life is to take Him as all these items.
To illustrate how we can take Christ as so many things in a practical way, I would like to share with you the following testimony. I believed in the Lord over forty years ago. At that time the Chinese New Year was very important to the Chinese people. The custom was that everyone would rise up early in the morning (some even did not sleep the night before), put on new clothing, and begin to do many things to celebrate the New Year. I also participated in many of these things until around two years after I had been saved. After I had been saved for around two years, when the New Year arrived, I no longer had the heart to enjoy all those things. My heart was wholly on the Lord.
Before I went to bed the night before the first day of the New Year, I spent much time studying the Scriptures. When I went to sleep that night, I was so happy and full of joy, and the next morning when I rose up, right away I knelt down to pray. The moment I knelt down, I was full of the feeling that the Lord was with me. The Lord’s presence was so near to me, and the Lord seemed so sweet to my heart. While I continued kneeling in prayer, my mother came to my room and said to me, “Come and put on your new clothes.” At that time I was still under my mother’s hand, so I went to my mother’s room where she had laid out a complete set of new clothes for me. After putting on all the new clothes, I went back to my room and knelt down to pray again. This time, however, the Lord was gone. According to my feeling, the Lord was far away from me. I simply could not pray, and I knew that something was wrong with my new clothes.
After some time I got back up and returned to my mother’s room. I said to her, “Mother, I am sorry, but I have to take off these new clothes.” When my mother heard this, she looked at me and asked, “Are you mad? What are you saying?” I answered her, “Please forgive me, but I simply cannot wear these new clothes.” Then I went and took off all the new clothes, put my old clothes back on, and returned to my room to pray once more. When I knelt to pray, my eyes were filled with tears, and once again I sensed the full presence of the Lord. Through this experience I learned that from that day on I should no longer celebrate New Year’s Day.
After I stopped celebrating New Year’s Day, several times my friends came to me and said, “We feel so sorry for you. You never celebrate New Year’s Day, and you never go to the movies.” When they said things like this to me, I would answer them, “I feel even more sorrowful for you. There is no need for you to be sorry for me. Every day is a New Year’s Day to me, because I have Christ. I do not need a feast day, because every day is a feast to me, and every day is a good time to me. I also do not need to go to movies, because Christ is my pleasure. Do not be sorrowful for me; just be sorrowful for yourself. I have Christ, and He is everything to me.”
By saying that Christ can be all these things to us, the apostle Paul gives us a practical way to experience Christ as our life. Christ is the real food, the real drink, the real feast, the real new moon, and the real Sabbath. Christ is also the real light. If we do not have Christ as our light, then we are in darkness. We should tell people, “If you do not have Christ as your clothing, then you are naked. Your clothing is merely a shadow. Christ is our real covering.” This should not be merely a doctrine to us. This must be our actual experience. All positive things are but a shadow. Christ is the reality, and by taking Him as the reality of all these things, we can have the practical experience of Christ as our life.
The book of Colossians reveals that as the mystery of God, Christ is everything. As the Son of God’s love, the image of the invisible God, and the One in whom God’s fullness dwells, Christ is everything to God. As the Firstborn of creation, the One in whom, through whom, and unto whom all things were created, and the One in whom all things cohere, Christ is everything to creation. Finally, as the Firstborn of resurrection and the Head of the Body, Christ is everything to the new creation, the church. Colossians also unveils that Christ is our life and the reality of every positive thing in the universe. Since Christ is so rich and all-inclusive, we need to experience and enjoy Him every day.
