Col 2:3 | KingComments | STEP | . For Paul it is important that the Colossians knew that he is fighting a great spiritual struggle for them and neighboring Laodicea. He adds: “And for all those who have not personally seen my face.” He expands the circle to all the children of God through the centuries. He wants everyone, including you, to realize that he has a great struggle for every believer. He struggles to make the believers understand that the church is one with the Head in glory. He desires that this full awareness works in their hearts. He struggles for them because he saw the danger of false teachers, and as a result the Colossians could lose this awareness. He struggles in prayer for this in his imprisonment. He is not struggling against the heretics but for the believers. If believers live in accordance with what they have become and what they have received in Christ, false teachers cannot gain control over them. We should not underestimate the importance of prayer for each other as we struggle along with Paul. . It is good to tell someone that you are praying for him or her. It is an encouragement, a blessing for the heart of the other. They feel supported. Thus prayer is a great tool that God has given to us to comfort others. Even if you are someone who perhaps does not have a public service in the church you can be an instrument of comfort and encouragement. This service is open to every child of God, and can be done anywhere. Paul did it while he was imprisoned; you can do it in your room ( ). You should not think little of comforting a heart as if it were something trivial. It is the fruit of a prayer struggle. Encouragement is needed when fear and discord arise due to emerging heresies, for encouragement provides the heart with strength and resistance. When someone’s heart is encouraged, it affects all aspects of his life, “for from it [flow] the springs of life” ( ). There is one more fruit of this prayer struggle. The believers will be united against the upcoming enemies with their heresies. They will be firmly knit together, with the bond of “love” indeed. Interconnected believers who love each other form an impregnable fortress. Note that it is about a fellowship experience. We cannot experience this individually. If you isolate yourself you can study the Bible and get spiritual insight, but it will not be possible for you to be strengthened by experience. Maybe you can explain what it means to be united in love, but it is quite different to experience it. You can never really understand something if you do not experience what it means. For example if you are not married you can know about it, but you can only really know it if you are married. Believers who are knit together are not only protected from evil but they are also open to what is good. Paul comes still closer to the heart of this struggle. He wants to take the believers to the treasury of faith. That treasury is the Person of Christ. All the riches are to be found in Him. Paul wants them to understand this. If you understand the mystery of God, you have complete security and you know for sure that nothing further can be added. But as long as there is a propensity for pagan philosophy or Jewish traditions, you lack the complete security. You are wronging yourself and above all you are wronging Christ. He is everything. He wants to be everything to you and He is not happy with anything less than that; neither are you, are you? That is why Paul is anxious that you come to the knowledge of the mystery of God. . And where can this knowledge be found? In Christ. For in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. Christ is the great treasury of Divine riches. There is nothing apart from Him that can be complementary to this. Nobody can add something to Him. Everything is hidden in Him, which at the same time is inviting all to search for these treasures. All these treasures are accessible to all believers. This however requires exertion. Treasures are hidden for their high value. They do not lie on the surface. You know however where you must dig: in Christ. The big question is: ‘How much is this treasure worth to you?’ Your appreciation will be determined by your efforts. Do you doubt its value? Look again closely: all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The word ‘all’ does not allow any exception. Job makes an impressive comparison of wisdom with the finest metals which can be obtained only with much strenuous effort, and concludes that even all these treasures are eclipsed by wisdom ( ). Job wondered: “But where can wisdom be found?” ( ). Here is the answer: in Christ. The wisdom of God in Christ is revealed in a special way by the existence of the church. The manifold wisdom of God is seen in the church ( ). That Christ would connect Himself with people who are sinners by nature and let them share in His glory, only the wisdom of God could have thought of that. In Christ you can know all that can be known of God. There is no true knowledge outside of Christ. People can have interesting ideas or express assumptions both about the origin of creation and about how man can come into contact with God. But whether it is about the origin of heaven and earth or about the church, only in Christ will you get to know both the one and the other. . Paul says all this because the right view is the great protection against misleading teachings. Knowledge of the mystery will keep you from being receptive to errors. You will not be impressed when people approach you with persuasive argument and give the best of their nice rhetoric. A beautiful and fluent argument and a glowing speech are no guarantee that the truth is spoken. Paul himself did not make use of persuasive argument. The power of God was perceivable in him ( ). What is notable with people who want to undermine your faith is that they build their arguments on probabilities, and that their learning system is based on derivations of assumptions. But the truth does not require arguments. One does not need to defend the truth. Speak the truth and the truth will defend itself. . Although Paul and the Colossians had never seen each other, Paul was always busy with these believers. He took upon himself the responsibility for them because they belonged to the church and he was a minister of the church. His deep concern for the churches came on him daily ( ). The evidence of this concern is seen first in the fact that he constantly prayed for them, second that he wrote this letter, and third that he sent Tychicus to them. Yet there is not only worry. Before speaking further about the seducers, he points out some things that he saw in the Colossians he was happy about. Their good discipline and the stability of their faith in Christ were presented to him so alive that he could see them with his spiritual eyes. Besides their outward order there was also an inner steadfastness which consisted of faith in Christ. Christ was the object of their faith. Outer order and inner stability are mutually reinforcing. They are both necessary to prevent your faith from being taken away from you. But be on your guard! The enemy can also try other ways to undermine the stability of your faith. When he cannot take away anything from you he would like to add something that apparently deepens your faith. In reality however he wants to scoop out your faith and make it powerless. This is illustrated by the verses following. Now read Colossians 2:1-5 again. Reflection: What treasures have you discovered in Christ?

‏ Colossians 2:3

All the Treasures of Wisdom and Knowledge

Col 2:1. For Paul it is important that the Colossians knew that he is fighting a great spiritual struggle for them and neighboring Laodicea. He adds: “And for all those who have not personally seen my face.” He expands the circle to all the children of God through the centuries. He wants everyone, including you, to realize that he has a great struggle for every believer. He struggles to make the believers understand that the church is one with the Head in glory. He desires that this full awareness works in their hearts.

He struggles for them because he saw the danger of false teachers, and as a result the Colossians could lose this awareness. He struggles in prayer for this in his imprisonment. He is not struggling against the heretics but for the believers. If believers live in accordance with what they have become and what they have received in Christ, false teachers cannot gain control over them. We should not underestimate the importance of prayer for each other as we struggle along with Paul.

Col 2:2. It is good to tell someone that you are praying for him or her. It is an encouragement, a blessing for the heart of the other. They feel supported. Thus prayer is a great tool that God has given to us to comfort others. Even if you are someone who perhaps does not have a public service in the church you can be an instrument of comfort and encouragement. This service is open to every child of God, and can be done anywhere. Paul did it while he was imprisoned; you can do it in your room (Mt 6:6). You should not think little of comforting a heart as if it were something trivial. It is the fruit of a prayer struggle.

Encouragement is needed when fear and discord arise due to emerging heresies, for encouragement provides the heart with strength and resistance. When someone’s heart is encouraged, it affects all aspects of his life, “for from it [flow] the springs of life” (Pro 4:23).

There is one more fruit of this prayer struggle. The believers will be united against the upcoming enemies with their heresies. They will be firmly knit together, with the bond of “love” indeed. Interconnected believers who love each other form an impregnable fortress. Note that it is about a fellowship experience. We cannot experience this individually.

If you isolate yourself you can study the Bible and get spiritual insight, but it will not be possible for you to be strengthened by experience. Maybe you can explain what it means to be united in love, but it is quite different to experience it. You can never really understand something if you do not experience what it means. For example if you are not married you can know about it, but you can only really know it if you are married.

Believers who are knit together are not only protected from evil but they are also open to what is good. Paul comes still closer to the heart of this struggle. He wants to take the believers to the treasury of faith. That treasury is the Person of Christ. All the riches are to be found in Him. Paul wants them to understand this.

If you understand the mystery of God, you have complete security and you know for sure that nothing further can be added. But as long as there is a propensity for pagan philosophy or Jewish traditions, you lack the complete security. You are wronging yourself and above all you are wronging Christ. He is everything. He wants to be everything to you and He is not happy with anything less than that; neither are you, are you? That is why Paul is anxious that you come to the knowledge of the mystery of God.

Col 2:3. And where can this knowledge be found? In Christ. For in Him “are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge”. Christ is the great treasury of Divine riches. There is nothing apart from Him that can be complementary to this. Nobody can add something to Him. Everything is hidden in Him, which at the same time is inviting all to search for these treasures. All these treasures are accessible to all believers.

This however requires exertion. Treasures are hidden for their high value. They do not lie on the surface. You know however where you must dig: in Christ. The big question is: ‘How much is this treasure worth to you?’ Your appreciation will be determined by your efforts. Do you doubt its value? Look again closely: all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. The word ‘all’ does not allow any exception.

Job makes an impressive comparison of wisdom with the finest metals which can be obtained only with much strenuous effort, and concludes that even all these treasures are eclipsed by wisdom (Job 28:1-28). Job wondered: “But where can wisdom be found?” (Job 28:12). Here is the answer: in Christ.

The wisdom of God in Christ is revealed in a special way by the existence of the church. The manifold wisdom of God is seen in the church (Eph 3:10). That Christ would connect Himself with people who are sinners by nature and let them share in His glory, only the wisdom of God could have thought of that.

In Christ you can know all that can be known of God. There is no true knowledge outside of Christ. People can have interesting ideas or express assumptions both about the origin of creation and about how man can come into contact with God. But whether it is about the origin of heaven and earth or about the church, only in Christ will you get to know both the one and the other.

Col 2:4. Paul says all this because the right view is the great protection against misleading teachings. Knowledge of the mystery will keep you from being receptive to errors. You will not be impressed when people approach you with persuasive argument and give the best of their nice rhetoric. A beautiful and fluent argument and a glowing speech are no guarantee that the truth is spoken. Paul himself did not make use of persuasive argument. The power of God was perceivable in him (1Cor 2:4-5).

What is notable with people who want to undermine your faith is that they build their arguments on probabilities, and that their learning system is based on derivations of assumptions. But the truth does not require arguments. One does not need to defend the truth. Speak the truth and the truth will defend itself.

Col 2:5. Although Paul and the Colossians had never seen each other, Paul was always busy with these believers. He took upon himself the responsibility for them because they belonged to the church and he was a minister of the church. His deep concern for the churches came on him daily (2Cor 11:28). The evidence of this concern is seen first in the fact that he constantly prayed for them, second that he wrote this letter, and third that he sent Tychicus to them.

Yet there is not only worry. Before speaking further about the seducers, he points out some things that he saw in the Colossians he was happy about. Their good discipline and the stability of their faith in Christ were presented to him so alive that he could see them with his spiritual eyes. Besides their outward order there was also an inner steadfastness which consisted of faith in Christ. Christ was the object of their faith. Outer order and inner stability are mutually reinforcing. They are both necessary to prevent your faith from being taken away from you.

But be on your guard! The enemy can also try other ways to undermine the stability of your faith. When he cannot take away anything from you he would like to add something that apparently deepens your faith. In reality however he wants to scoop out your faith and make it powerless. This is illustrated by the verses following.

Now read Colossians 2:1-5 again.

Reflection: What treasures have you discovered in Christ?