(Col. 2:20-23.)

(Continued from p. 240.)

In closing our last study we mentioned that the next two sections (2:20-23 and 3:1-4) bear a relation to the two preceding, namely, vers. 16,17 and 18,19. The first of these teaches us that Christians possess the substance in Christ, and deals chiefly with error in practice, the rigid observances enforced by the errorists against whom Paul was writing. He warned the Colossians not to be influenced by the judgment of those who taught and insisted upon excessive ritualism and ascetic rigor, for some at least, largely built up around the Mosaic law. This formed the occupation of those who were attached to a form of religiousness suitable to the fleshly mind, and so of the world. In this the truth of Christ was given little place, and the tendency was to exclude it altogether. In Christ alone reality was found. In Him alone every type of the past found its fulfilment. The second (vers. 18,19) deals chiefly with error in doctrine regarding spiritual agencies, leading, among other things, to minimizing or rejecting Christ's headship.

The apostle was contending against a combination of Judaistic and Gnostic teaching, the former having to do with an earthly, worldly system of fleshly observances, and the latter consisting of vain speculations as to heavenly spheres of being and man's relation to such.

Over against the former evil we may set vers. 20-23, in which the believer's identification with Christ's death means a complete end to all relation with such things. They are of the character of this world. An answer to the evil of the speculations as to angelic orders of being, by which the proper, distinctive glory of Christ, and consequently our own place of blessing, was seriously affected, we find in ch. 3:1-4, in our identification with Christ in resurrection, who is sitting at God's right hand. There He fills a place of absolute supremacy over every order of created being.

To these two aspects of truth the apostle attaches the order and development of Christian life, even the essence of its morality in whole and in detail. This is set forth in the remainder of the epistle (3:5-4:18).

Let us consider vers. 20-23 in more detail.

Here the death of Christ, and our identification with Him in it, is not viewed in relation to the forgiveness of sins, but rather as involving separation from the world, particularly in respect to its religious character.

In His death Christ died to the things into which He came as Man, for He came of woman, came under the law, that system of religion then having its place and purpose according to God's will. Man was still on trial, so that the law suited his condition as standing in the flesh; but having utterly failed, the law proved he was ungodly and without strength, unable to fulfil its requirements. It gave the knowledge of sin, and brought in the curse. The death of Christ ended this state of things for the believer, and faith is now attached to what is outside of this and new in character, in Christ in resurrection.

The law-system taught its lessons, but could not bring man into blessing because of what he is in himself. This the law fully manifested, while its form of observances and ritual suited the flesh, and so pertained to the world. The systems of religion introduced by man have characteristics similar to Israel's legal system, the great difference being that the latter was of God's establishment, and set up His standard of righteousness and holiness for man. It was the divine testing of man along the lines of his own fleshly and worldly ideas as to what suited God in regard to meeting his own need and bringing himself into God's favor. Now the view of the death of Christ here given is that it ends all of this character of things, such being only the rudiments or elements of the world; and the believer is identified with Him in His death. The consequence is very strongly stated. "Why, as if alive in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances?" This implies that the believer is not to view himself as alive in the world. Let us keep in mind that this has to do with any religious system of things of the character referred to here, and which, as being such, is concerned with our approach to God and service for Him.

In another way we have to do with what is of the world, in the natural relationships fully owned in Scripture, and necessary occupations which our responsibilities entail. Yet it remains true, and must not be forgotten, we are not of this world though in it and doing many things which those do who are of it. The point is that our relation to all has been changed because by faith we are sanctified in Christ Jesus and called saints. For faith it is as though we had been taken out of the world, and sent back into it to live amid its conditions and as passing through its circumstances, but as now occupying an entirely different and heavenly position and relation, so that the mind and spirit of Christ are to be seen animating all our activities. We are not to be carried away with the spirit manifest in the world, nor be under the rule of its influences and principles. Christ was not when here. In His death the world's judgment stands recorded. We are identified with Him, so that in the specific connection mentioned in our verses we are viewed as separated from the world, hence, "Why, as if alive in the world, do ye subject yourselves to ordinances?"

Such ordinances as here referred to constitute what is called "the elements of the world." It is well to consider the force of this phrase. The word rendered "elements" signifies primarily the letters of the alphabet, and secondarily denotes rudimentary instruction. "Of the world" refers to the sphere of material and external things, to what is sensuous. This implies that such religiousness is not only of worldly character and spirit, but instead of being the high development of spiritual attainment in humility and wisdom, bringing that full knowledge conveyed only in esoteric teaching, it was merely rudimentary, of a childish rather than mature character. That which these errorists sought to dignify as the higher and fuller knowledge, Paul calls by a name which lowers it to the level of child-instruction on the one hand, while on the other it is of the world. Thus he disparages these forms of supposed humility and advanced spirituality in which these fleshly religionists boasted.

Similar expressions occur in Gal. 4:3, 9, where the same word is used which is rendered "elements" in our verse. The connection of these passages will help to make the meaning clear. Ver. 3 reads, "So we also, when we were children, were held in bondage under the principles [or, elements] of the world." Here, plainly, the reference is to the law-system, that, indeed, under which also the Son came (ver. 4); in this connection ver. 5 states the object of His coming, even that of redeeming those under law (and thus in bondage), that they might receive sonship. This, of course, specifically referred to Jews, but all now, believing Jew and Gentile alike, are sons of God by faith in Christ Jesus (Gal. 3:26). To the Gentile Galatians the apostle says, "Ye were in bondage to those who by nature are not gods" (ver. 8); and they were now turning from the liberty and fulness of Christianity to take up with the law-system as it was being pressed by Judaizing teachers. So Paul says, "How do ye turn again to the weak and beggarly principles [or, elements] to which ye desire to be again anew in bondage? Ye observe days, and months, and times, and years." They had been in bondage to heathen religious practices and teaching. They were now turning to the system of the law. The apostle defines this as being on the same level, as a return to a similar bondage under which they had been when idolaters (ver. 8). This shows how serious it must be in God's mind to attempt to graft such a system of religiousness upon the truth of Christianity.

Again in Col. 2:8 these principles are mentioned, and here with reference to philosophy and vain deceit.

It is evident, therefore, that to be viewed as having died with Christ means separation from the spirit of the world and from every form of religiousness suited to it or found in it-even the law-system itself, which, though in its proper place was divine, when out of its place could only be considered of the world. Philosophy, Gnostic speculations, idolatry-all are now classed together as being the elements of the world. The substance has come in Christ. It follows that to take up with things which have such a character is a practical denial of what our identification with Christ in death really means. It is again living in the world. All that man is by nature, all that the world is, as the system, comes to an end for faith in that death, and the believer's association is now with the same Person who died, in His new position as raised from the dead. Thus we are also viewed as raised with Christ. We come to this in ch. 3.

Our having died with Christ, therefore, is here viewed as ending our connection with all that is of nature and the world in respect to the things of God, whether as to acceptance, access, worship, or service. We have died with Christ-we are identified with Him in His death- from (that is, in the sense of being taken away from) the rudiments of the world. Death means separation.

As this truth is maintained in our souls, we have power and spiritual discernment, and are safeguarded from entanglements which compromise our testimony to the truth. John Bloore

(To be continued, D. V.)