Col. 2:2-3 That their hearts may be comforted, they being knit together in love and unto all the riches of the full assurance of understanding, unto the full knowledge of the mystery of God, Christ, in whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden
To be knit together in love involves the emotion, whereas to have the riches of the full assurance of understanding involves the mind. When our hearts have been comforted, we being knit together in love, and our minds function properly, we will have the full knowledge of Christ as the mystery of God. (Col
2:2, footnote 4) The book of Ephesians concerns the mystery of Christ, which is the church, the Body (3:4). Colossians concerns the mystery of God, which is Christ, the Head. (Col. 2:2, footnote 5) The apostle told the Colossians that all the treasures of genuine wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ. This is the spiritual wisdom and knowledge of the divine economy concerning Christ and the church. Wisdom is related to our spirit, and knowledge is related to our mind (Eph. 1:8, 17). (Col. 2:3, footnote 1)
Today’s Reading
Colossians 1:19 says that all the fullness was pleased to dwell in Christ
This thought is echoed in 2:9, where Paul says, “In Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily.” The fullness both in the old creation and in the new creation dwells in Christ. This fullness refers not to the riches of God but to the expression of these riches. The expression of God’s riches dwells in Christ
(Life-study of Colossians, second edition, p. 123) [The fullness of the Godhead dwelling in Christ bodily] points to the physical body that Christ put on in His humanity, indicating that all the fullness of the Godhead dwells in Christ as One who has a human body. Before Christ’s incarnation, the fullness of the Godhead dwelt in Him as the eternal Word, but not bodily. From the time that Christ became incarnate, clothed with a human body, the fullness of the Godhead began to dwell in Him in a bodily way; and in His glorified body (Phil. 3:21) now and forever it dwells
(Col. 2:9, footnote 3) The Greek word [translated “full” in Colossians 2:10] implies completion, perfection. Because all the fullness dwells in Him, after we have been put into Christ (1 Cor. 1:30), we are made full, filled up, with all the divine riches. Hence, we need no other source. Because Christ is our perfection and completion, we do not need other rules and authorities as objects of adoration, for He is the Head of all these. (Col. 2:10, footnote 1) Colossians 3:1-4 implies that with Christ we have one position, one life, one living, one destiny, and one glory. Because we and Christ have one position, we are where He is…The life He has we have also. Moreover, we have one living with Christ…If we have one living with Christ in a practical way day by day, then whatever we do, He does also. This means that when we talk, He talks…If we become angry and Christ is not angry, we do not have one living with Him at that particular time. In such a case, our living is not His living. We should refrain from losing our temper not because we are trying to obey a biblical command but because we sense that the Christ who lives in us is not losing His temper. If we simply try to control our temper, we are religious. But if we do not lose our temper because we are living with Christ, then we are one with Him in life and in living
We also have one glory and destiny with Christ. Glory is our future and our destination. The Lord Jesus is now in glory. However, He is in glory in a way that is hidden from mankind…One day Christ will be in glory no longer in a hidden way but in an open way, in the way of manifestation. Then everyone on earth will know that the Lord Jesus is in glory. Christ’s destiny is to be openly in glory
This is our destiny as well. (Life-study of Colossians, second edition, pp. 509- 510)