Bible Questions #5836– 5840

By Joyce Webb

Colossians   Chp. 2 Vs. 8-23

5836. Verse 8 Paul is talking to the believers in Colosse.

He told them “Beware”—meaning watch out for.

Watch out for—-any man who tries to “spoil” you—by teaching you “traditions of men”. Meaning—man’s rules. These are not of Christ.

What was one rule some of the Jewish teachers were saying new believers had to do? __________________________________

5837. Verse 9 In Christ dwells (lives) the fullness of God in Jesus body.

How did Jesus in his human life here show the “fullness of God” ?

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Verse 10 You are compete in him (Christ). He is the head of all principality (authority, rulers) and power. (This can mean kings and rulers and it can mean evil powers)

5838. Verse 11 In him—you are circumcised. This is a “circumcision” done without hands. No one touches the body. We put away our sins, by the circumcision of Christ.

Meaning: The spiritual work Christ does in our heart and mind. He cuts away our sin and our desire to sin.

We are “buried” with him in baptism. When we are baptized in water—we go down under the water and then come back up.

Like Christ was buried and then came alive again—-like a resurrection —coming back to life after being buried.

We are “risen”—with Christ—because we believe in him and trust in him. It is through our faith.

It is the work of God who raised Christ from the dead.

Have you been baptized since you have become a believer? _______________________________

How does baptism in water become a “picture” of Christ’s death and resurrection? ___________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

5839. Verse 3   You were (before) —“dead” —in your sins —-”uncircimcised”.e 1

God has “quicken” you —made you alive— by forgiving all your trespasses (breaking God’s laws)–and sins.

What does the word “quicken” mean? ___________

Verse 14 All the sins written against us — God blotted out—marked them out—crossed them out. He took it away. He nailed it to the cross.

Verse 15 He “spoiled”—won over—took control over. When an army won in battle—-they took things from the people of the town—-they took food, money, anything they wanted—-these things were called “the spoil”.  They took the people’s things that were valuable.   

Jesus took from Satan ——-things that were valuable to Satan—Jesus won over Satan.  Jesus’ death would take away the sins of the people.  His resurrection would give them life forever.   Jesus “spoiled” Satan’s goal for people. Satan wanted the people to go to hell with him.

Jesus “spoiled” what the powers of darkness—evil sprints wanted to do.

Principalities and powers. (Principalities can mean rulers of a city or country and it can mean powers of darkness, demons, evil ones)

He triumphed (beat them, won, conquered) over them.  

Verse 16 Do not let any man judge you in “meat”—in what you eat or drink.

Do not let them judge you in what day you keep as a “holy” day.

Or of the “new moon” or of the sabbath days—-these are “holy” days for the Jewish people.

Verse 17 These “holy” days are a “shadow of things to come”—they are like a “picture” or “drawing” of things that will happen in the future.

Our body belongs to Christ.

5840. Verse 18- Do not let men deceive (fool, trick) you into believing in

“voluntary (or false) humility”— doing things to punish your body, such as beating oneself , crawling on knees a long way, etc.

or—the worship of angels—-we are to worship only God/Jesus.—angels are created beings to be helpers, carry messages, etc. for God. They are not God.

Some of the teachers talk about things they have never seen—–making people think they have seen visions or dreams—when they have not seen these things.

Some teachers/preachers say that God spoke to them and told them special things or secret things—when that is not true.

They want people to think they are special and more spiritual and holy.

What is an example of “false humility” ______________________________________________________

Are we to worship angels? ___________

As believers in Christ are we to follow the Jewish rules and “holy” days? _________   

Verse 19 Christ is the Head of the church. He is the Head of us as believers. Just as all parts of the body move by what the head (brain) tells them to do—-so we are under control by our head—Christ.

Verse 20 Christ has made you free from the sins of this world. So do not follow man’s rules about not touching some things, not eating some things, etc.

Verse 21, 22 The rules of “Touch not, eat not”—are rules that will be gone and pass away—along with other man made rules.

Verse 23 These rules —doing things to punish yourself to show you are humble—-rules about worship—may make people feel “holy”—-but they do nothing in your spirit to give you power over sin and wrong desires.

(There were some things about eating that the church leaders in Jerusalem thought should be told to new believers. Acts 13:28.29  

These were not “rules” exactly—-but the leaders thought it would be wise for believers to do them.

Not to eat meat offered to idols.

Paul talks about this in several of his letters. He talks about when a person may not know if the meat has been offered to idols—so he said it is better not to ask—just eat it.

Read I Corinthians chp. 8 and I Corinthians chp 10 and Romans 14

Not to eat the blood. Which meant not eating animals that were strangled to kill them—because the blood would still be in the meat.

The animals were to be killed and the blood let to drain out.

Jewish people still today eat only meat that the animal’s throat is cut and the blood is drained. This type of killing makes the meat “kosher” or “clean”.

There is always some blood still in the meat—but most of the animal’s blood has been drained out.

Leviticus 17:11 says do not eat the blood—”the life is in the blood”.

The verses before 11 explain some of the reason.

Today we understand more about the blood. The life is in the blood —– and that is why the doctors have us go to a lab and have blood drawn —so that they can test it and see all kinds of things by looking at the blood.

We also know that if too much blood bleeds out of us—we will die. Blood keeps us alive.