Colossians 2:13-19

¹³ “And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, ¹⁴ having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. ¹⁵ When He had disarmed the rulers and authorities, He made a public display of them, having triumphed over them through Him. ¹⁶ Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— ¹⁷ things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. ¹⁸ Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, ¹⁹ and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God.”

Verse 13: Paul reminds the believers in Colossae of their previous state of spiritual death and separation from God due to their sins. However, he emphasizes the transformative work of God in making them alive with Christ. Through His grace and forgiveness, all their sins have been completely forgiven. But being made alive is more than just being forgiven: We are also given a brand new nature that longs to live for God.

Verse 14: Paul highlights the incredible truth that through Christ’s death on the cross, God has canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness: The law. The law, which once stood against us and condemned us, has been taken away and nailed to the cross. This speaks to the finished work of Christ, who fulfilled the requirements of the law on our behalf. As a result, we are no longer under the condemnation of the law but are set free in Christ. Notice the contrast between freedom in Christ and condemnation of the law: Paul does not want believers engaging in rules based religion because it only results in failed morality and condemnation.

Verse 15: Christ’s finished work disarmed the religious leaders by setting aside the Old Covenant law. Because Jesus began the New Covenant, the Old Covenant became obsolete. The Jewish religious system, therefore, also became obsolete. As believers, we can rest in the assurance that Christ has overcome all spiritual powers and authorities, and we share in His victory.

Verse 16: Paul addresses the issue of legalistic judgments and religious observances. He encourages the believers not to allow others to judge them based on external religious practices that these false teachers may deem to be necessary. Rather, the believers were to hold fast to Christ.

Verse 17: Paul reminds the believers that the religious practices and rituals of the Old Covenant were a shadow of the reality found in Christ. They were never meant to continue into the time of Christ. The New Covenant brings the fulfillment and substance of what those shadows pointed to. Believers are to trust in the reality, not the shadow.

Verse 18: Paul warns the believers against being deceived by those who promote false humility and the worship of angels. He cautions them against being led astray by those who rely on their own experiences and human wisdom rather than the truth of the gospel. The gospel is a prize and ought to be guarded. Paul did not want people to pollute the gospel through self-abasement. These types of practices have an appearance of wisdom, but actually have nothing to do with the gospel. This means that reality does not always match our experiences such as visions and other spiritual encounters. We may experience something that makes us think that we need more of God. But this does not mean we are witnessing truth. Jesus is our truth and when we believe in him, we have everything we need for life and godliness (2 Peter 1:3-4).

Verse 19: Spiritual growth does not come from observing laws and spiritual rules such as those mentioned in this chapter. Rather, spiritual growth comes from God. God causes us to grow. Our place is to rest in the finished work of Christ and know him.