THE FALSE TEACHING AND ITS REFUTATION 4-15. Hold fast to Christ the All-sufficient Saviour. PARAPHRASE. '(4) I emphasise these truths about Christ lest you should be beguiled by plausible persuasions. (5) While I am physically absent from you, I am with you in spirit, rejoicing with you and beholdi... [ Continue Reading ]
Paul is not condemning philosophy properly so called, but the empty doctrines which the false teachers dignified by that name. SPOIL] RV 'maketh spoil of you'; the word means to lead away as prey. THE RUDIMENTS OF THE WORLD] better, as mg., 'the elements of the world.' This cannot be the first princ... [ Continue Reading ]
The reference is to the exalted Christ. BODILY] usually explained to mean in bodily fashion. Probably we should render 'in the form of a body,' and explain it to mean as an organic whole. The fulness of the Godhead is not distributed among the angels, but exists in all its completeness in Christ.... [ Continue Reading ]
THE BODY OF THE SINS OF THE FLESH] RV 'the body of the flesh.' The carnal nature, the old self, is meant. THE CIRCUMCISION OF CHRIST] probably an expression for the death of Christ, in which the Christian ideally died to sin.... [ Continue Reading ]
RV 'Through faith in the working of God.'... [ Continue Reading ]
THE UNCIRCUMCISION OF YOUR FLESH] not physical, as if he meant, 'because you were uncircumcised Gentiles,' for the circumcised Jews also were, in Paul's judgment, spiritually dead. He means the spiritual uncircumcision, which consisted in the possession of a carnal nature. FORGIVEN YOU] RV 'forgive... [ Continue Reading ]
HANDWRITING OF ORDINANCES, THAT WAS AGAINST US] RM 'the bond that was against us by its ordinances.'... [ Continue Reading ]
PRINCIPALITIES AND POWER] mean here precisely what they mean elsewhere in this Epistle. They are not evil spirits, but the angels who gave the LAW that brought Christ to His death, and that rule over the material elements. God is the subject throughout the passage. 16-23. Hold fast the treasure of... [ Continue Reading ]
The Jewish character of the false teaching comes very plainly into view here.... [ Continue Reading ]
In Christ they have all in reality which they think they have in Judaism. This v. might almost serve as a text for the Epistle to the Hebrews, which sees in Christianity the religion of eternity realised in time in the person and work of Jesus, but casting its shadow before it into the world in the... [ Continue Reading ]
Text and translation are alike very uncertain. We should probably correct the text and render: 'Let no one give judgment against you in voluntary humility and worship of the angels, treading the void of air, groundlessly puffed up by the mind of his flesh.' INTRUDING INTO] If the text is right, 'inv... [ Continue Reading ]
Severance from the Head cuts off the supply of spiritual life.... [ Continue Reading ]
Death with Christ is death to the old order of things, to the world and the Law and the angels who ruled them both. The false teachers would have them revert to a stage they have left below them. 21. Precepts of the false teachers.... [ Continue Reading ]
SHEW OF WISDOM] better, 'reputation for wisdom.' WILL WORSHIP] a worship not required of them, the worship of angels. NEGLECTING OF] RV 'severity to.' NOT IN ANY HONOUR, etc.] This clause is extremely dificult, and no satisfactory explanation has been given. The RV rendering, 'but are not of any val... [ Continue Reading ]