The Body of  Christ Obligated--Colossians 2:16-3:4

     For the past two web pages the Church has been considered:  The Body of  Christ Warned and The Body of  Christ Taught.
     Having shown that Philosophy is for the most part opposed to the Body of  Christ and having presented the teaching of
the Body of  Christ in regard to union with Christ, the apostle now turns to the practical outworking of  it.  In Colossians 2:16-3:4 he shows "The Body of  Christ Obligated."  The apostle first sets forth:

I. THE NEGATIVES--2:16-23
     A. The Separation from Legalism--vv. 16, 17
          1. Ritualism is a shadow.
               a. The heresy is Colosse was a mixture of  Judaism with Christian truth.
               b. They were not to be judged on the basis of  keeping of  the Mosaic Law. |
               c. "The observance of  the Jewish" ritual "whether in its original form, or with the multiplied and ascetic additions
                    which it presented in those days, laid believers no longer under obligation.  They belonged to an obsolete
                    system, which had 'decayed and waxed old.'  Christianity inculcated no such periodical holidays [How
                    corrupted Christianity--used in its broad sense--has become].  For it did not bid men meet thrice a-year to
                    feast themselves but each day to 'eat their bread with gladness and singleness of  heart.'  It did not summon
                    them to any tumultuous demonstration with 'trumpets at new moon,' since every division of  the month was a
                    testimony of  Divine goodness, and whole kalendar [sic] was marked by Divine benefactions--every day alike
                    a season of  prayer and joy." (Eadie, 177)
               d. The ritual was just a mean picture of  that which was to come.
          2. Christ is the reality.
               a. The idea here is that in contrast to the shadow is the substance, which is Christ.
               b. Today, people often chase after the shadows and do not cling to the Substance.
               c. "Observe the advantages we have under the gospel, above what they had under the law; they had the
                    shadows, we have the substance." (Henry, VI:760)
     B. The Separation from Gnosticism--vv. 18, 19
          1. Gnosticism
               a. A philosophy which claimed a higher knowledge of  the mystery of  God, but which resulted in an enslavement
                    to a Christ-dishonoring system.
               b. A philosophy consisting of  a mixture of  Christianity, Judaism, and paganism.
               c. Here the separation is primarily from the practices of  it.
                    (I) False humility (Humility has been defined as when you think you have it, you don't.)
                    (II) Worship of  angels--John tried it (Revelation 22:8, 9)
                    (III) Spiritual pride--often accompanies false humility
                    (IV) Carnal mind
          2. They were "pretending to describe the order of  angels, and their respective ministries, which God has hidden
               from us; and therefore, though there was a show of  humility in the practice, there was   a real pride in the
               principle.  They advanced those notions to gratify their own carnal fancy, and were fond of  being thought wiser
               than other people.  Pride is at the bottom of  a great many errors and corruptions, and even of  many evil
               practices, which have a great show and appearance of  humility." (Ibid.)
               a. Example--During middle ages they argued over how many angels could set on the head of  a pin.
               b. God has revealed some things about angels--Cf. Hebrews 1:13, 14
               c. Cf. Isaiah 8:20
          3. The reason for failure of  false teachers--v. 19
               a. Failure to hold fast continually to the Head of  Church, Jesus Christ.
               b. Detached from the Source of  life
               c. Spiritual growth is dependent on "healthy contact" with our living Head--Cf. John 15:4, 5
               d. Joints and bands
                    (I) Not defined here
                    (II) Ephesians 4:7-16 suggests that they are believers in the church who are to exercise spiritual gifts.
     C. Freedom from Asceticism--vv. 20-23
          1. Asceticism as used here
               a. Severe or extreme self-denial
               b. Particularly self-denial to merit God's favor (such as beating oneself, or hanging oneself on a cross)
               c. Not a reference to self-denial for God's glory, but rather ultimately for self-glorification
          2. Asceticism as to nature
               a. It is faithless--vv. 20, 21
                    (I) Ignores the work of  the cross--remember when Christ died you and I as believers died.
                    (II) The if is a simple condition which assumes the reality of  their death with Him.
                    (III) The verb signifies a past event done once for all.
                    (IV) The preposition from speaks of  separation from human ordinances that was accomplished by the
                         believer's death with Him.
                    (V) Verse 21 shows some of  the Gnostic prohibitions.
                         (A) It was a system of  don'ts.
                         (B) Christianity is a do system.
                    (VI) "Under the law there was a ceremonial pollution contracting by touching a dead body offered to an idol;
                         or by tasting forbidden meats &c., which all are to perish with the using, having no intrinsic worth in
                         themselves to support them, and those who used them saw them perishing and passing away; or which
                         tend to corrupt the Christian faith, having no other authority than the traditions and in junctions of men.
                         (Ibid.; italics are his.)
                    (VII) This is exactly what happened within a hundred years or so of  the age of  the apostles; men tried to
                         joined human philosophy with Christianity resulting in the corruption that developed in Romanism and
                         Greek (and/or) Russian Orthodoxy.
                    (VIII) The order of  the prohibitions is not important here.                          
                         (A) Some say that the Authorized Version has the prohibitions reversed, and that the Greek order has the                               order of  increasing superstition.
                         (B) To this writer, however, the King James Version order actually has the order in ascending superstition;                               one can merely touch without any ceremonial or other uncleaness; tasting requires a greater degree of
                              contact; whereas handling requires a great amount of  contact.
                    (IX) In more recent days, the same thing has happened in evangelical circles.
               b. It is futile--vv. 22, 23
                    (I) Because such things--probably foods are in view--are to be consumed, and thus, their prohibitions are
                         libel upon Providence.
                    (II) Because such things are of  the flesh--v. 23a
                    (III) This asceticism "degrades Christianity to make it a system physical or ascetic distinction. Spirituality is not
                         based on such external and ceremonial forms.  The error, as Olehausen says, 'was in looking for holiness
                         in the outward rather than the inward.'  Such an error has been alas! [sic] too common in the church, and
                         is the result of  superstitious indolence and vanity." (Eadie, 202; The quotation from Olehausen is not
                         further identified.)
                    (IV) Some Christians use this to do away with all rules and regulations in a given local church.  They cry
                         "legalism."
                    (V) However, as Robertson aptly observes, "it is true that mere rules do not carry us very far in human
                         conduct as every father or mother knows, though we must have some regulations in family and state and
                         church.  But they are not enough of  themselves." (Robertson, IV:499)
                    (VI) Cf. 1 Corinthians 14:40--"decently and in order"; notice that this was in a church that had some grave
                         disorders; Paul was setting downs some rules here; yet no one could accuse him of  legalism.

II. THE POSITIVES--3:1-4
     A. The Exhortation to Heavenly Aspirations--vv.1, 2
          1. The cross in relation to the believer is two-sided.
               a. A death and a resurrection
               b. The death--severs the believer from his past; praise God!
               c. The resurrection--introduces him to the new life in Christ.
          2. Raised together with Christ
               a. Again the if assumes the fact presented.
               b. This looks at an event--when Christ arose, the believer was raised with Him.
          3. The exhortation is based on the believer's resurrection with Him.
               a. Seek
                    (I) Continually be seeking--stresses the inward bent of  life
                    (II) Things above--our hearts, our minds, our very lives should be centered on heavenly things
                    (III) The reason--Christ, our Head, is standing at God's right hand dispensing blessings.
               b. Set your affections
                    (I) Continually set you mind--stresses the outward practical pursuits of life.
                    (II) Things above--all our actions are to be God-centered.
                    (III) Not on earthly things--includes the legalistic and ascetic matters previous mentioned.
                    (IV) This will affect what we read; watch on TV; what music we listen to, play, or sing.
     B. The Reason for Heavenly Aspirations--v. 3, 4
          1. The word for of  verse 3 introduces the reason.
          2. The believer's death with Christ
               a. Walking properly as a Christian is not a matter of  rules and regulations, but rather a matter of  death.
               b. Dead people are not walking our streets.
               c. You are dead to the world; so why keep on living as an unsaved person?
              d. Romans 6:11
          3. The believer's life is hid with Christ in God.
               a. Suggests secrecy
                    (I) The Christian life is nourished invisibly by the Holy Spirit using the Word of  God.
                    (II) 1 Corinthians 2:9, 10
               b. Suggests safety
                    (I) Believers have double protection in the Lord.
                    (II) The Lord Himself stated this fact--John 10:28, 29
               c. Suggests sameness
                    (I) Believers are identified with Christ.
                    (II) As such believers are Christ-bearers.
          4. Christ is coming again.
               a. Christ is the believer's life (Cf. 1 John 5:11).
               b. When He comes in His glory, believers will be with Him to share His glory.
               c. Hebrews 2:10
               d. "Lift up your heads, pilgrims aweary, See day's approach now crimson the sky; Night shadows flee, and your
                    Beloved, Awaited with longing, at last draweth nigh.
                    "Dark was the night, sin warred against us; Heavy the load of  sorrow we bore; But now we see signs of  His
                    coming; Our hearts glow within us, joy's cup runneth o'er!
                    "O blessed hope!  O blissful promise!  Filling our hearts with rapture divine; O day of  days! hail Thy
                    appearing!  Thy transcendent glory forever shall shine!
                    "He is coming again, He is coming again, The very same Jesus rejected of  men; He is coming again, He is
                    coming again, With pow'r and great glory, He is coming again!" (Worship and Service Hymnal, 89, s1-3
                    and chorus)

     The Body of  Christ, the Church, has obligations based on the believers' union with Him.  There are the negatives: Separation from legalism, Separation from Gnosticism, Freedom from asceticism.  There are also the positives:  The exhortation to Heavenly aspirations and The reasons for heavenly aspirations--Death with Christ, Hid with Christ, Coming of  Christ.
     What has been said here of  the Body of  Christ, the Church, is true of  individuals, for the Body is made up of  many members.  Thus, you and I are so obligated to the negatives. Thus, you and I are also obligated to the positives.
     Jesus is coming again; therefore, set you heart, mind, and entire being on the heavenly things.  The apostle presented the church's union to its Head is a threefold aspect: he warned of  the philosophy opposed to the Body of  Christ in its union with Him, he set forth the teaching of  the believer's union with Christ, he submitted the obligations of  the believer's union with Christ.
     The believer’s identification with Jesus Christ strikes at the very heart of  legalism, asceticism, and any thing else that would try to hinder our Christian lives from being conformed to His.  O that believers might come to grasp and appreciate our death, burial, resurrection and even our glorification with Jesus Christ, our Lord and glorious Head.

     "Now are we free--there's no condemnation, Jesus provides a perfect salvation; 'Come unto Me,' O hear His sweet call, Come and He saves us once for all.
     "'Children of God,' O glorious calling, Surely His grace will keep us from falling; Passing from death to life at His call, Blessed salvation once for all." (op. cit., 187, s2, 3)