Before we begin, here's a thought for contemplation: Why is it that
most Christians consider the TEN COMMANDMENTS nailed to the cross - yet
they really ONLY MEAN THE FOURTH COMMANDMENT... After all, we'd all
still agree that we shouldn't murder, swear, steal, commit adultry, etc...
So, oddly enough, when the Christian world talks about the ten commandments
being done away with - they really mean that only ONE of the ten
was nailed to the cross... The Sabbath commandment.
While we mull that thought around, perhaps we need to ask, was anything done away with? Why
would Paul present one Scripture which contradicts all the others we've
read? How can we consider the Bible credable if it gives conflicting
messages? Let's find out what the Bible says without jumping to any
conclusions.
COLOSSIANS 2:14-17
"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which
was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a show of
them openly, triumphing over them in it. Let no man therefore judge you
in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a holy day, or of the new moon,
or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to
come, but the the body is of Christ."
NOTE: The italicized words in the above Scripture text are also italicized
in the King James Version. When you see italicized words in the KJV,
these are ADDED words by the people who put the KJV Bible canon together.
These words DO NOT APPEAR IN THE ORIGINAL GREEK TEXT.
In this particular study, these added words are highly significant in
changing the meaning of the verse... But we will get to that later.
In Paul's day, the Early Christian Church had two groups: those who
were the Bible-believing, commandment keepers; and those who were the
trouble-makers. To begin understanding Colossians, we must first
gain some background understanding. First, Paul was writing a LETTER
to the Colossians... Chapter 1 might correspond to page 1 in a letter
of today. It was ALL a TOTAL message. Therefore information found
in one chapter can shed light on something mentioned in another chapter.
Paul is writing a letter of exhortation to the Colossians. The faction
he writes to is the Bible-believing, commandment keeping group. These
he WARNS about the troublemaking group:
GROUP I: THE TROUBLEMAKERS
Paul uses tact when referring to the troublemakers. He refers to them
with "lest any man" (Col 2:4 & 8) or "let no man" (Col 2:16 & 18)
1) In what two ways can "any man" SPOIL the true church?
(
Colossians 2:8)
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2) Paul gives us quite a list of characteristics of these troublemakers
he diplomatically calls "any man". To warn God's people in the
true Colossian church he lists the following troublemaker traits:
Trait 1) They follow human philosophy insead of God's Word.
Trait 2) Whose traditions do they follow?
(Col. 2:8)
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Trait 3) They do not follow Whom?
(Col. 2:8)
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Trait 4) They are judgemental (see verse 16)
Trait 5) They follow after the world.
Trait 6) They teach "works" and self-denial to gain holiness (Col. 2:20-22)
Trait 7) They teach the commandments and doctrines of whom? (see verse 22)
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GROUP II: THE TRUE CHURCH
Paul is writing to BUILD UP the true church. The reason his writings
are so commonly misunderstood is that he verbally builds them up using
metaphors. Naturally, we can only understand a metaphor if we are part
of the society that created it. For example: the metaphors "rolling
in dough" or "swimming in money" (which both refer to being wealthy)
would be completely misconstrued if taken literally - and not as
metaphor.
Paul uses several metaphors, all of which were clear to the Colossian
society, in Colossians 2. Let's list some and reveal their meanings:
1) The true church has been "circumcised without hands" (vs. 11)
This refers to the idea that the people of God must walk away from
sin - no matter how hard or painful (like circumcision) it is to leave
the cherished sin.
2) The true church must "put off the body of flesh" (vs. 11)
This doesn't mean that you must scratch off your flesh - rather you
must surrender to God's Spirit, allowing Him to create in you a new
way of thinking and living, fully surrendered to the will of God.
3) The true church is "buried with Christ in baptism" (vs. 12)
Meaning that they allow their old, sinful way of thinking and living
to "die" and be "buried" - showing how permanently it has been removed.
The last of these metaphors is the one upon which many churches base
their idea that the Seventh-day Sabbath is no longer important to God.
It says:
4) "Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us."
(Col. 2:14)
This text contains the Greek word "Kyrogrophon". This word appears ONLY ONCE in
all of Scripture. It is hardly likely that such a one-time appearance
could refer to the law of God.
What are the "handwriting of the ordinances" (the "Kyrogrophon") if
not the ten commandments?
Let's read this text in a couple more Bible versions for clarity:
JEWISH NEW TESTAMENT (Col 2:14)
"He wiped away the BILL OF CHARGES against us, because of the regulations
it stood as a testimony against us; but he removed it by nailing it
to the execution stake."
NEW AMERICAN STANDARD VERSION (Col 2:14)
"Having canceled out the CERTIFICATE OF DEBT consisting of decrees
against us (every time we rack up a debt, there is a decree against
us) which was hostile to us; and he had taken it out of the way,
having nailed it to the cross."
Paul was making the Colossian church feel good by reminding them what
Christ had done.
If someone pays off a huge credit debt for you, what is removed -
the debt or the credit card company?
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In the same way, Christ removes our bill of charges - NOT THE TEN
COMMANDMENTS.
There is another important Greek word in this text. It is "Mesos"
meaning - WAY. "He took it out of the way". This is literally translated
to mean: midst, middle, in between... "He took it out of the middle" -
the middle of what (you probably ask)?
Dr. Samuel Bacchiocchi addresses
If someone pays off a huge credit debt for you, what is removed -
the debt or the credit card company?
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