The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:16-23
SECTION VI . THE CLAIMS OF THE FALSE TEACHER . read more
Colossians 2:16-23 Nlt
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:16-23
Legalism exposed. The apostle, having shown in the last section how much Christ is to the believer, proceeds in the verses now before us to expose the false use of ceremonies, or, in modem phraseology, ritualism. The false teachers were anxious to entangle the Gentile converts in a tedious round of ceremonies—to make them, in fact, Old Testament ritualists. They could even adduce what seemed to them philosophic reasons for such practice. But Paul scatters their false philosophy to the... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:16-23
Three errors. I. LEGALISM . "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." There is a detailed reference here to Jewish institutions. Eating (rather than meat) was encompassed with regulations. There was a distinction drawn between clean and unclean animals. Certain parts of animals (the fat, the blood) were not to be eaten. God's rights (firstborn,... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:17
Which are a shadow of the things to come, but the body is of Christ ( Galatians 3:23-25 ; Galatians 4:4 ; 2 Corinthians 3:11 , 2 Corinthians 3:13 ; Hebrews 7:18 , Hebrews 7:19 ; Hebrews 9:11-14 ; Hebrews 10:1-4 ). The apostle's opponents, we imagine, taught in Platonic fashion that these things were shadows of ideal truth and of the invisible world (comp. Heb8:5), forms necessary to our apprehension of spiritual things. With St. Paul, they shadow forth prophetically the... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:18
Let no one defraud you of your prize ( Colossians 1:5 , Colossians 1:23 ; Colossians 3:15 ; Philippians 3:14 ; Ga:7; 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 ; 2 Timothy 4:7 , 2 Timothy 4:8 ; James 1:12 ; 1 Peter 5:4 ; Revelation 2:10 ; Revelation 3:11 ). These eight words represent but three in the Greek. (On καταβραβεύω , see Meyer's elaborate note.) βραβούω is used again in Colossians 3:15 (see note), meaning primarily" to act as βραβεύς ," arbiter of the prize in the... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:18-19
A warning against angel worship. The apostle now notices the theological error of the false teachers, which was the interposition of angelic mediators between God and man. "Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, dwelling in the things he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." I. ANGEL WORSHIP IS CLEARLY CONDEMNED . 1 . The angel whom John would have worshipped, said, "See thou do it not, for I am thy fellow... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:19
And not holding fast the Head ( Colossians 2:6 , Colossians 2:8 ; Colossians 1:15-20 ; Ephesians 1:20-23 ; Philippians 2:9-11 ; Romans 9:5 ; Romans 14:9 ; 1 Corinthians 8:6 ; Revelations 19:16). In the last verse the errorist was judged "out of his own mouth," and the intrinsic hollowness of his pretensions was exposed. Now" he appears before the judgment seat of Christ," charged with high treason against him, the Lord alike of the kingdoms of nature and of grace. So the... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:20
If ye died with Christ from the rudiments of the world ( Colossians 2:8 , Colossians 2:10-13 ; Colossians 3:3 ; Romans 6:1-11 ; Romans 7:1-6 ; 2 Corinthians 5:14-17 ). "Therefore" is struck out by the Revisers on the best authority. It would imply a logical dependence of this verse upon the last, which does not exist. This warning, like those of Colossians 2:16 , Colossians 2:18 , looks back to the previous section, and especially to Colossians 2:8 , Colossians 2:10 , ... read more
Spence, H. D. M., etc.
The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:20-23
The apostle's fourth and last warning is directed against ascetic rules of life. read more
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The Pulpit Commentary - Colossians 2:16-19
Two dangers to be avoided. We find here two notes of warning—"Let no man judge you;" "Let no man rob you." Two dangers need to be guarded against. I. THE INFLUENCE OF UNJUST JUDGMENTS . The apostle has here in view the practical error of Judaizing ritualists. They had received from Moses regulations respecting meats and drinks and feasts, which they endeavoured to enforce on Gentile converts as necessary to salvation ( Acts 15:1 ). If they did not always proceed to this... read more