1.  A tale of two kingdoms (1:12-14).  The first kingdom is “the domain of darkness.”  This is a land characterized by evil, blindness, and hiddenness, where we neither see God nor wish to be seen by Him.  The king of this domain is the devil; he was our king, and his fate was ours as well.  The second kingdom is “the kingdom of [the Father's] beloved Son,” characterized by light.  This kingdom is one of righteousness, vision, and openness.  Our King is Jesus Christ, who is loved by God as His Son.  His blessing is our blessing, and the present and future prosperity of His kingdom is our inheritance as well.  We must remember how we came from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of light.  God qualified us, delivered us, and transferred us to the new kingdom.  This was all His work—to Him alone be all glory and honor for this marvelous act of grace!
2. Dead or alive (2:13-14).  Once, we were dead.  We were living in our trespasses; we had not been circumcised from our flesh (the sinful nature which once dominated us and lay at the core of our being, see v. 11).  We were dead to God, rejecting Him and His glory, preferring our own sins.  Now, we are alive, together with Christ.  Sin’s condemning power has ended.  We have been made new, “raised with him through faith in the powerful working of God, who raised him from the dead” (v. 12).  We should take more time to rejoice in this—simply to enjoy being alive with our Savior, Jesus Christ!
3. Heaven and earth (3:1-2).  We have been resurrected with Christ.  Therefore, our thoughts should be fixed on “things that are above”—things of heaven, where the will of God is being done.  Our minds should be captivated by the victorious Christ, approved and loved by His Father.  To delight in “things that are on earth”—the sins of the present domain of darkness—is to be satisfied in pathetic, wretched treasures.  To glory in earthly things is to glory in a field of…well, cow pies (see Philippians 3:8).  How much greater, how much richer, how eternal is our life, “hidden with Christ in God” (v. 3)!  Jesus is our priceless treasure, our source of purest pleasure.
4. Old man and new man (3:9-10).  The old self—literally, the “old man”—is something we have rejected; it is to be replaced with the new man.  We are new people when we become Christians!  Moreover, the renewal doesn’t stop there.  The new man is “being renewed in knowledge after the image of its creator.”  Those who are truly believers grow more like Christ, reflecting His glory, equipped by His knowledge to live a new life. 

• Christ has authority over them (1:16-17).  Even though title upon title is stacked up to emphasize their power and authority, these beings are subject to Jesus Christ.  Why?  Because He created them, and He created them for Himself—for His glory.  He is before all of them in glory and might, and He alone is their source of authority.  If even angelic and demonic rulers are subject to Christ, how much more are we!
• They promote false teachings (2:8).  This reference to “elemental spirits” is debatable—the NIV translates it as “elementary principles”—but the context of the book, especially the next two verses, seem to support the ESV’s rendering.  What a small but shocking glimpse into the spirit world!  Here, we see demonic powers leading people astray by inventing and promoting false teachings which rely on human wisdom and philosophy.  These teachings are used by demons to take people captive to “the domain of darkness” (1:13).  When we see falsehoods taught by the world or even in the church, we must remember that these teachings are not merely misguided—they are demonic.  We must be wary not to fall into the devil’s schemes.
• Their false teachings are inferior to the truth of Christ (2:9-10).  In contrast to the “philosophy and empty deceit” based on the cooperative teaching of humans and demons, the truth of the Bible owes its authority to Christ, who is Himself God.  He is “the head of all rule and authority”—again we see angelic powers in submission to Christ.  If their glory, wisdom, and power pales in comparison to Christ’s, should we not be bold in proclaiming and believing His teaching?  It may look like foolishness to the world, but it is the truth of “the whole fullness of deity.”
• Christ has defeated and shamed them (2:13-14).  Before we were saved, demonic authorities held us captive because of our sins and our “record of debt”; the devil had a basis for accusing us of sin.  Christ changed all that.  Because He bore our sin on the cross, we are free from the debt.  In one stroke, Jesus Christ disarmed the devil and his angels, removing any grounds for accusation against God’s people.  Though we lived in shame as sinners, Christ bore our shame.  Now it is the rulers and the authorities who are shamed!  They have been defeated by a triumphant Christ, sent by God to show His power to save.
• They are not to be worshiped (2:18-19).  Apparently, the Gnostics of Paul’s day were obsessed with angels to the point of worship.  We must be careful not to repeat their error, as many in our culture do.  While angels are real and presently active all around us, they are not the source of our life—Christ is.  He is the Head, “from whom the whole body…grows with a growth that is from God” (2:19).  Rather than seeking sensational spiritual experiences and visions (2:18), we should seek growth in Christ as part of the everyday life of His body, the church.
• We are dead to their kingdom (2:20-22).  Our home is no longer “the domain of darkness” (1:13), and our king is no longer Satan.  We died to this worldly kingdom and its “elemental spirits.”  Since we are no longer a part of this kingdom, we are not subject to its laws.  Yet when we occupy ourselves with submission to merely human regulations, precepts, and teachings, we revert back to the “old self with its practices” (3:9).  We are to set our minds “on things that are above, not on things that are on earth” (3:2).  The demonic authorities love nothing more than to ensnare people in “self-made religion” (2:23), hiding the true life and grace found in the gospel of Jesus Christ.

When a criminal was crucified, an inscription was written on his cross detailing the charge against him (Mark 15:26). His crucifixion was the repayment of his debt to society—the government was punishing him for the crimes he had committed.

In the same way, we stood guilty before God, having sinned against him. The “legal demands” (v. 14) that we had failed to meet condemned us before our holy God. The repayment of our debt was death and eternal fire (Romans 6:23, Matthew 18:8).

So in his crucifixion, Jesus Christ took our record of debt on himself. Our record was nailed to his cross, where he bore the punishment for our sin. Our debts were canceled, we were forgiven, and now we are alive with Jesus Christ!

If that’s not a cause for rejoicing, I don’t know what is.

My sin, oh, the bliss of this glorious thought!
My sin, not in part but the whole,
Is nailed to the cross, and I bear it no more,
Praise the Lord, praise the Lord, O my soul!

Colossians 2:8-10
8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.

I like that…not just the fullness, but “the whole fullness of deity” (v. 9). Not a subtle guy, are ya, Paul?

The beloved apostle contrasts “philosophy and empty deceit” (v. 8 ) with “the whole fullness of deity” and our having been “filled in [Christ]“ (vv. 9-10). Once again, we are reminded not to be held captive by reasoning that is “not according to Christ” (v. 8). We should not be enamored by philosophy that leads us away from the revelation of Christ in the Bible. If we truly are captivated by Christ, then why would we be hoping to gain answers or beliefs from these human teachings? They are deceiving, and they are empty of truth. But we have been filled in Christ, to whom all earthly authority and reasoning must submit.

Often, I find the latest academic trends regarding creation, man, and God to be intellectually tempting. They usually make so much sense! Yet they will in short order be replaced by the next great thing, while Christ will remain steadfast, a solid rock.

The “growing and bearing fruit” metaphor returns!  (See 1:6, 10.)  Now, we understand where our growth comes from—Jesus Christ.  Obviously.  It’s necessary to be “rooted” in the good soil of Christ, to draw our nourishment from him, and to anchor ourselves in him.  It is in him that we are to be built up.  If we rely on the knowledge and wisdom of the world (see v. 8), we will not remain healthy in our walk for long—we will not be “established in the faith” as we were first taught (v. 7).  But if we rest in the knowledge of Christ, we will abound in thanksgiving.

This passage made me stop to consider how often thanksgiving is mentioned in Colossians.  (Several times in a such a short book.)  Our gratitude to God flows from a strong and steady walk which requires the nourishment of Christ.  I need to thank God more for how he’s blessed me—adopted me as his son, delivered me from sin and its power, accounted the righteousness of Christ to me, made me a part of his kingdom, brought friends and mentors into my life, and used me to point others toward his glory.  What a great God we serve!

Colossians 2:6-10, 15
6 Therefore, as you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, 7 rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving. 8 See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. 9 For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, 10 and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority…. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and put them to open shame, by triumphing over them in him.

We are not to try to adapt the gospel to human philosophical systems (à la liberal and Emergent theology); rather, we are to recognize that Christ defeated the spiritual rulers and authorities who are responsible for these systems.  We should never be afraid that others will think we are foolish; instead, we are to remember that God has declared the wisdom of this world to be foolish (1 Corinthians 1:25).

Unfortunately, well-intentioned Christians sometimes fall into the trap of trying to conform God to societal values.  They see something in the Bible that offends them, and so they build a philosophical system to make God’s actions more palatable.  A couple examples I’ve run across:

1. Claiming that God’s wrath comes from his love, i.e. God is wrathful only because he is loving.  I’ve heard this traced back to the love between members of the Trinity, but quite frankly, this is just a way to make God’s wrath seem less offensive.  Biblically, God’s wrath is traced to his holiness—he cannot stand the sight of sin and has promised to punish evildoers.
2. Claiming that the reason evil exists in the world is that God values man’s free will.  That is, it’s so important to God that people will choose him freely and unrobotically that he’s willing to allow people to do evil things.  Of course, this is nothing more than speculation—there is nothing in the Bible that says God allowed sin to enter the world because he wanted people to love him out of their own free will.  In fact, it’s clear from the Bible that it is by God’s sovereign decree or plan that evil takes place.

In the past, I’ve definitely valued many theodicies attempting to defend God that are based on human speculation and philosophy, not on the Bible.  In fact, I probably still do.  May we heed the words of Solomon, who warned us to “beware of anything beyond” the words of the wise, “given by one Shepherd” (Ecclesiastes 12:11-12).

In those instances, the king’s sin was bad news for his people.  However, we have a King who is without guilt and perfect in righteousness:   “He [God] has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:13-14).

Jesus Christ is our King.  As people of his kingdom, we are represented by one whom God calls “beloved.”  Our King is loved by God the Father, and so we too are loved by God.  While once we were “following the prince of the power of the air” (Ephesians 2:2), now God has transferred us into a kingdom of redemption and forgiveness.  May we remember each day that we are citizens of this kingdom, freed from sin and no longer subject to the wrath of God!  Rather, we are loved by God and are being conformed to the image of Jesus Christ, our King.

Colossians 1:28-2:4
28 Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. 29 For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. 2:1 For I want you to know how great a struggle I have for you and for those at Laodicea and for all who have not seen me face to face, 2 that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together in love, to reach all the riches of full assurance of understanding and the knowledge of God’s mystery, which is Christ, 3 in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. 4 I say this in order that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.

Sanctification is a group effort.  It takes a lot of work, and the energy for this work comes from Jesus Christ (1:29).  Without the wisdom, strength, love, and understanding of Christ, it’s a lost cause.  But with these, we can work to build up the church by our involvement in one another’s lives.  Just as Paul and the apostles warned (admonished) and taught the churches through the proclamation of the gospel (1:28), so our church leaders admonish and teach us.  We are called to “be knit together in love” (2:2) so that we may be encouraged to understand and know Christ, our priceless treasure.  We need to watch one another’s doctrine closely so that no one is deluded “with plausible arguments” (2:4).  False teaching rarely announces its presence; rather, it is much more subtle.  It requires discernment to pick out.  This is one of many reasons why we need the church—to call each other out on our wayward doctrine that will lead us to an unfruitful life.

I’m grateful for the many times in which pastors and friends have corrected my wrong patterns of thinking.  Our theology drives our delight in God and our attitude toward life.  I know I have a long way to go, but I’m thankful that even now, God is using me to help others just as he has used others in my own life.

Colossians 1:15-23
15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. 16 For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. 17 And he is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church. He is the beginning, the firstborn from the dead, that in everything he might be preeminent. 19 For in him all the fullness of God was pleased to dwell, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether on earth or in heaven, making peace by the blood of his cross. 21 And you, who once were alienated and hostile in mind, doing evil deeds, 22 he has now reconciled in his body of flesh by his death, in order to present you holy and blameless and above reproach before him, 23 if indeed you continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel that you heard, which has been proclaimed in all creation under heaven, and of which I, Paul, became a minister.

I love this passage of scripture…what a great reminder that Christ is preeminent over all of creation.  Everything was made by him, and everything was made for him.  So it’s no wonder that Paul’s focus here is on reconciliation.  The world at present is under a curse and is at odds with its creator; marred by man’s rebellion, it is “subjected to futility” and in “bondage to decay” (Romans 8:20).  But from eternity past, God had declared that Christ would reconcile the creation to himself, “making peace by the blood of his cross” (v. 20).  God has promised that one day, he will make “all things new” (Revelation 21:5).  The new heaven and the new earth—and all those who live in them—will once again enjoy unbroken fellowship with their Creator.

Even now, we have been reconciled to Christ (vv. 21-22).  We can enjoy the first taste of what is to come!  How foolish it is for me to forget the God who has reconciled us…in doing this, I spurn the beauty of the new life that he has called us to, both in the present and in the age to come.  May we “continue in the faith, stable and steadfast, not shifting from the hope of the gospel” (v. 23), so that we may presented as “holy and blameless and above reproach before him” (v. 22)!

Colossians 1:5-6
5 …Of this you have heard before in the word of truth, the gospel, 6 which has come to you, as indeed in the whole world it is bearing fruit and growing—as it also does among you, since the day you heard it and understood the grace of God in truth.

Colossians 1:9-10
9 And so, from the day we heard, we have not ceased to pray for you, asking that you may be filled with the knowledge of his will in all spiritual wisdom and understanding, 10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him, bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God.

The phrases “bearing fruit and growing” in v. 6 and “bearing fruit…and increasing” in v. 10 are actually the same words in Greek.  The gospel, by its very nature, produces results on both a worldwide and an individual level.

The analogy here is that the gospel is like a tree.  It grows as the worldwide church increases in number and as each Christian increases in the knowledge of God.  It bears fruit as each believer devotes himself to doing good works for the glory of God, and as the church is united in doing good for the sake of Jesus Christ.

The gospel is a seed that, when planted in a fertile heart, grows into something great.  May God soften our hearts and cause us to grow in knowledge and bear fruit for His kingdom.