Verses 1-7. “For I would have you know what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh.”
The Apostle’s great desire was that they might realize their union with Christ. He had not seen them, but had heard of them, and understood the dangers that beset them through false teachers, and he sought to put Christ before them as the object of their hearts, so that each believer by the truth presented them, should be a reflection of Christ, and grow up in His likeness. He desired that their hearts might be encouraged and united together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the full knowledge of the mystery God, in which are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
He knew that union with Christ, realized in their hearts, would keep them from the wiles of the enemy of their souls. He labored in prayer, for this, that they might realize their union with their glorified Head on high, and thus see that He was all they needed, and that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge were found in this wondrous truth—that they with Christ were one.
They did not need to look beyond Christ. He was enough without anything that man might try to add by science falsely so-called, using enticing words to beguile them.
Though the Apostle was absent from them, yet in spirit he was with them, joying and beholding their order, and the steadfastness of their faith in Christ, and taking advantage of this, before such evils could enter, he exhorts them,
“As ye therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, walk ye in Him; rooted and built up in Him and established, or (confirmed) in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.”
That is, they were to go on learning more of what they had in Him. It is by cleaving to Christ and His truth alone, that genuine progress is made.
Verse 8. They were to beware of men’s theories of advancement, philosophies and vain deceit; these would lead them away from Christ; they can only bring in the religion of the flesh, which is ever against God and Christ.
Verses 9-12. “For in Him dwelleth all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” Here we have one who is a real man, and yet God, in all His fullness, dwells in Him. And in Him is our completeness. We need nothing more. He is the head of all principality and power. In Him we are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands in putting off the body of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: buried with Him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised Him from the dead. In these verses they were to see themselves dead with Christ, buried with Christ, risen with Christ.
Verse 13. They had been dead in their sins as Gentiles, and in the circumcision of their flesh, but were now quickened together with Him, and all their sins were forgiven.
Verse 14 settles everything for the Jew by the same death of Christ.
Verse 15. Christ has vanquished all principalities and powers on the, cross, made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. All that was against the believer, He has put aside to introduce us, entirely set free into our new position.
Verses 16, 17. The believer is therefore set free from all religious ordinances of the law, which are shadows of things to come. We have now the reality of it all in Christ.
Verse 18. All pretentions and imaginations connected with the unseen world, as worshiping angels or saints, is therefore set aside; such belongs only to the pride of man’s heart, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head. Man’s fleshly thoughts lead away from Christ. It denies the work of the cross; denies the believer’s position as dead and risen with Christ; denies the Godhead glory of Christ the Son of God.
Verse 19. “And not holding the head, from which all the body by joints and bands, having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.”
How important it is therefore that each individual should hold the head, should endeavor to realize and walk in the strength of communion with Christ our head in glory, though we are still here on earth.
Verses 20-23. “Wherefore, if ye be (it has been proved that we are) dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living (alive) in the world, are ye subject to ordinances?” A dead man is freed from such. “Touch not, taste not, handle not.” Such injunctions are only men’s rules. They may appear good in their eyes, but death with Christ, and being risen with Christ has put the believer out of their application to him.
Religious ordinances are imposed to satisfy the flesh; they have an appearance of wisdom in voluntary worship, and humility, but it is all at the best, the filthy rags of man’s efforts at righteousness.