Christ Preeminence is Detailed to the Colossians Volume 17

Paul Exhorts the Colossian Believers to Continue their Steadfast Faith in Christ

Colossians 2:4-7 And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in Him: Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. KJV

All of Paul’s words up to now written to them, all his struggles, fights, and wrestling with the devil and his principalities and powers in prayer for them was done for the very reason Paul now writes here, “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.” (Colossians 2:4) (KJV). Paul had been in many battles with the devil and saw his method of attack often and he knew that one of his most successful battle strategies used by his emissaries was that of great swelling speech and language that sounds very spiritual, spurious, and even special, but was very false, fraudulent, and foolish as it was spewed out by those who taught error and lies on his behalf. Also, one of the chief weapons these people would use to gain the confidence of their hearers was flattery or praise that was very excessive, yet highly insincere (beware of those who are always praising what you say or do). Flattery is one of the quickest ways the enemy gets into the head of unsuspecting sinners and even true believers in Christ to soften them up, so that he then can draw them away from the simplicity of the Gospel of Grace, the Gospel of Christ and lead people into believing in and worshipping angels like their Guardian angel again drawing them away from Jesus Christ. The English phrase Paul uses here in this verse ‘should beguile’ is translated by one Greek word paralogizomai meaning to misreckon, that is, delude: - beguile, deceive. The English phrase ‘enticing words’ Paul uses here is translated by one Greek word pithanologia (used here this one time in the New Testament) meaning convincing speech or persuasive language.

Therefore, to combat this from occurring in the heart and minds of these believers in Colosse Paul fought in prayer and is now fighting by virtue of this letter to warn these believers and keep them from being enticed by the enemy and his lies just as he likewise warned the believers in Rome at the end of his letter to them with these words, “I appeal to you, brethren, to be on your guard concerning those who create dissensions and difficulties {and} cause divisions, in opposition to the doctrine (the teaching) which you have been taught. [I warn you to turn aside from them, to] avoid them. For such persons do not serve our Lord Christ but their own appetites {and} base desires, and by ingratiating and flattering speech, they beguile the hearts of the unsuspecting {and} simpleminded [people]. For while your loyalty {and} obedience is known to all, so that I rejoice over you, I would have you well versed {and} wise as to what is good and innocent {and} guileless as to what is evil. And the God of peace will soon crush Satan under your feet. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ (the Messiah) be with you.” (Romans 16:17-20) (Amplified Bible).

Paul now encourages them to continue on in their faith in Christ knowing that he is with them ‘in spirit’ to help them along this ‘narrow way’ that is life in Christ Jesus our Lord as he says with these words, “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.” (Colossians 2:5) (KJV). The English word ‘beholding’ is translated by the Greek word blepo a primary verb; to look at (literally or figuratively): to regard, to see, or to take heed. The English word ‘order’ is translated by the Greek word taxis meaning to arrange in an orderly manner; regular arrangement, that is, (in time) fixed succession (of rank or character); the idea of a military line that is unbroken and intact. The English word ‘steadfastness’ is translated by the Greek word stereoma (used this one time only here in the New Testament) meaning something established, that is, (abstractly) confirmation (stability): - steadfastness; to solidify or make strong. Therefore, we see then that Paul saw this Church as he looked on in the spirit at them through the testimony of Epaphras and others that despite the attacks from the enemy through his false teachers they were like a well regimented military platoon in order and intact solid and established in their faith in Christ.

So, then Paul now reminds, reiterates, and reinforces for them what their faith is based upon and that is Christ only or Christ alone as He was, is, and forever will be so Paul says, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:” (Colossian 2:6) (KJV). This is one of the few times in the Entire New Testament that ‘Christ Jesus the Lord’ has been used. Paul uses it in this manner to speak of Christ as (the Messiah) and Jesus the Lord as who He is as the One True God, the Lord God so frequently referenced in the Old Testament. Paul is here speaking of the Person whom these sinners in Colosse (saved by grace) received in their inner man or inner woman is their Messiah, but He is the One and Only God who created them and us and everything else in His vast universes. They and we are to walk or live in Him or by His grace freely given to them/us so that we would avoid the enticing words and the deceptive flattering speech spewed out all over the land on radio, television, magazines, the internet, and other places speaking of the feel good gospel, the health, wealth, and prosperity gospel and the inclusive gospel of tolerance declaring that all ways of religion and spirituality will lead people to heaven, this is what Paul wanted to warn these believers in Colosse from taking the bait and he was at the same time warning we believers today and of every era (without him knowing at the time).

When these Colossian sinners and we sinners today received Christ Jesus the Lord, He became our Lord, Master, and Savior and therefore, everyone with this testimony cannot ever believe that any sinner whether he or she is Buddhist, Muslim, Hindu, or any other man-made religion will go to heaven without faith in Jesus Christ. Paul wants them/us to be well, “Rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” (Colossians 2:7) (KJV). When Paul says here be ‘rooted and built up in Christ’, he is using human language that any farmer or gardener would quickly understand, seeing that when a seed is planted in the ground and nourished by the sun and water, the roots begin to grow down deep into the soil creating a firm stable base for the leaves to sprout and then the fruit to bud on the tree, so it must be with these Colossian believers and we believers today to be like a tree planted by the rivers of living water (Psalm 1:3) (Christ) and “that we should no longer be children, tossed to and fro and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the trickery of men, in the cunning craftiness of deceitful plotting” (Ephesians 4:14) (NKJV).

“The very fact that these Colossian sinners and we sinners today who have been allowed the privilege of trusting Jesus Christ for salvation, should only cause us to swell up in thanksgiving to God the Father for snatching us out of the fire of His Judgement and adopting such filthy dirty sinners (as we are) as sons and daughters. Can you imagine such love and grace better than this?” Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

“Built up is an architectural term. It is in the present tense: ‘being built up.’ When we trust Christ to save us, we are put on the foundation; from then on, we grow in grace. The word ‘edify’ found often in Paul’s letters simply means to ‘build up.’ To make spiritual progress means to keep adding to the temple to the glory of God.” Warren W. Wiersbe

“It is not usual with the Apostle to employ this double metaphor, taken partly from the growth of a tree and the increase of a building. They are to be rooted; as the good seed had been already sown, it is to take root, and the roots are to spread far, wide, and deep. They are to be grounded; as the foundation has already been laid, they are to build thereon. In the one case, they are to bear much fruit; in the other, they are to grow up to be a habitation of God through the Spirit. Adam Clarke

If you do not know the Lord Jesus Christ and His amazing healing power, pray this from your heart to the Lord Jesus Christ (you speaking directly to Him), Dear Lord Jesus, I confess to You that I am a sinner and I need Your forgiveness. I believe You shed Your Blood and died for my sins. I believe that You rose from the dead proving that You alone are God. I repent of my sins. I want to turn from my sins. I ask You Dear Lord Jesus to come into my heart and take control of my life. I want You to be my Lord, Savior, and my God. Amen...


Sincerely in Christ,


Clifford D. Tate, Sr.

Author of “Silent Assassins of the Soul - Are you Broken by Pornography and Masturbation? You can be Restored by the Lord Jesus Christ and brought into Deliverance, Freedom, and Victory! A Guide for Men and Women in the Enemy’s Crosshairs” e-book available now @ Amazon Kindle, @ Apple I Bookstore for IPod, Barnes and Noble for Nook, Reader Store for Sony Reade, Kobo, Copia, Gardners, Baker and Taylor, and eBookPie…