Homilies on Colossians

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Colossians 2:16-19

“Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day, or a new moon, or a sabbath day: which are a shadow of the things to come; but the body is Christ's. Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the Angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast the Head, from whom all the body being supplied and knit together, through the joints and bands, increases with the increase of God.”

Having first said darkly, “Take heed lest there shall be any one that makes spoil of you after the tradition of men”; and again, further back, “This, I say, that no one may delude you with persuasiveness of speech”; thus preoccupying their soul, and working in it anxious thoughts; next, having inserted those benefits, and increased this effect, he then brings in his reproof last, and says, “Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of a feast day, or a new moon, or a sabbath day.” Do you see how he depreciates them? If you have obtained such things, he says, why make yourselves accountable for these petty matters? And he makes light of them, saying, “or in the part of a feast day,” for in truth they did not retain the whole of the former rule, “or a new moon, or a sabbath day.” He said not, “Do not then observe them,” but, “let no man judge you.” He showed that they were transgressing, and undoing, but he brought his charge against others. Endure not those that judge you, he says, nay, not so much as this either, but he argues with those persons, almost stopping their mouths, and saying, You ought not to judge. But he would not have reflected on these. He said not “in clean and unclean,” nor yet “in feasts of Tabernacles, and unleavened bread, and Pentecost,” but “in part of a feast”: for they ventured not to keep the whole; and if they did observe it, yet not so as to celebrate the feast. “In part,” he says, showing that the greater part is done away. For even if they did keep sabbath, they did not do so with precision. “Which are a shadow of the things to come”; he means, of the New Covenant; “but the body” is “Christ's.” Some persons here punctuate thus, “but the body” is “of Christ,” i.e. the truth has come in with Christ: others thus; “The Body of Christ let no man adjudge away from you,” that is, thwart you of it. The term καταβραβευθῆναι, is employed when the victory is with one party, and the prize with another, when though a victor you are thwarted. You stand above the devil and sin; why do you again subject yourself to sin? Therefore he said that “he is a debtor to fulfill the whole law”; and again, “Is Christ” found to be “the minister of sin”? Which he said when writing to the Galatians. When he had filled them with anger through saying, “adjudge away from you,” then he begins; “being a voluntary,” he says, “in humility and worshiping of Angels, intruding into things he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” How “in humility,” or how “puffed up”? He shows that the whole arose out of vainglory. But what is on the whole the drift of what is said? There are some who maintain that we must be brought near by Angels, not by Christ, that were too great a thing for us. Therefore it is that he turns over and over again what has been done by Christ, “through the Blood of His Cross”; on this account he says that “He suffered for us”; that “He loved us.” And besides in this very same thing, moreover, they were elevated afresh. And he said not “introduction by,” but “worshiping of” Angels. “Intruding into things he has not seen.” For he has not seen Angels, and yet is affected as though he had. Therefore he says, “Puffed up by his fleshly mind vainly,” not about any true fact. About this doctrine, he is puffed up, and puts forward a show of humility. By his carnal mind, not spiritual; his reasoning is of man. “And not holding fast the Head,” he says, “from whom all the body.” All the body thence has its being, and its well-being. Why, letting go the Head, do you cling to the members? If you are fallen off from it, you are lost. “From whom all the body.” Every one, be he who he may, thence has not life only, but also even connection. All the Church, so long as she holds The Head, increases; because here is no more passion of pride and vainglory, nor invention of human fancy.

Mark that “from whom,” meaning the Son. “Through the joints and bands,” he says, “being supplied, and knit together, increases with the increase of God”; he means, that which is according to God, that of the best life.

Ver. 20. “If you died with Christ.”

He puts that in the middle, and on either side, expressions of greater vehemence. “If you died with Christ from the elements of the world,” he says, “why as though living in the world do ye subject yourselves to ordinances?” This is not the consequence, for what ought to have been said is, “how as though living are you subject to those elements?” But letting this pass, what says he?

<!--<span class="stiki"></span>-->Ver. 21, 22. “Handle not, nor taste, nor touch; all which things are to perish with the using; after the precepts and doctrines of men.”

You are not in the world, he says, how is it you are subject to its elements? How to its observances? And mark how he makes sport of them, “touch not, handle not, taste not,” as though they were cowards and keeping themselves clear of some great matters, “all which things are to perish with the using.” He has taken down the swollenness of the many, and added, “after the precepts and doctrines of men.” What do you say? Do you speak even of the Law? Henceforth it is but a doctrine of men, after the time has come. Or, because they adulterated it, or else, he alludes to the Gentile institutions. The doctrine, he says, is altogether of man.

Ver. 23. “Which things have indeed a show of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and severity to the body; but are not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.”

“Show,” he says; not power, not truth. So that even though they have a show of wisdom, let us turn away from them. For he may seem to be a religious person, and modest, and to have a contempt for the body.

“Not of any value against the indulgence of the flesh.” For God has given it honor, but they use it not with honor. Thus, when it is a doctrine, he knows how to call it honor. They dishonor the flesh, he says, depriving it, and stripping it of its liberty, not giving leave to rule it with its will. God has honored the flesh.

Chap. iii. ver. 1. “If then you were raised together with Christ.”

He brings them together, having above established that He died. Therefore he says, “If then you were raised together with Christ, seek the things that are above.” No observances are there. “Where Christ is seated on the right hand of God.” Wonderful! Whither has he led our minds aloft! How has he filled them with mighty aspiration! It was not enough to say, “the things that are above,” nor yet, “where Christ is,” but what? “seated on the right hand of God.” From that point he was preparing them henceforward to see the earth.

Ver. 2, 3, 4. “Set your mind on the things that are above, not on the things that are upon the earth. For you died, and your life is hid with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life shall be manifested, then shall you also with Him be manifested in glory.”

This is not your life, he says, it is some other one. He is now urgent to remove them, and insists upon showing that they are seated above, and are dead; from both considerations establishing the position, that they are not to seek the things which are here. For whether ye be dead, you ought not to seek them; or Whether ye be above, you ought not to seek them. Does Christ appear? Neither does your life. It is in God, above. What then? When shall we live? When Christ shall be manifested, who is your life; then seek ye glory, then life, then enjoyment.