COLOSSIANS: OVERCOMING SYNCRETISM THRU CHRIST

Part II: Presenting Christ Who Overwhelms Syncretism

(Colossians 1:15-23)

I. Introduction

A. Recent research indicates that the average American adopts beliefs and practices from approximately nine distinct worldviews, what produces a jumble of often contradictory philosophies known as syncretism.

B. The epistle to the Colossians handled a mixture of Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1690, “The Colossian Heresy”), so it applies to the syncretism we face.

C. Colossians 1:15-23 presents Christ Who overwhelms syncretism, and we study this passage for our insight.

II. Presenting Christ Who Overwhelms Syncretism, Colossians 1:15-23.

A. All man-made religions are “oriented primarily with respect to man,” and suppose “that man is inherently capable of acquiring by his own efforts all he needs in this present life and in any possible life to come. The emphasis is always on man’s own works or his reason or his religious duties or something else that he does to bring about his own improvement and ultimate salvation.” (Henry M. Morris & John C. Whitcomb, The Genesis Flood, 1978, p. 440-441)

B. Thus, since syncretism is a mix of man-made religions or a mix of such religions with elements of the true faith, syncretism leads one to some or to a complete exaltation of man for his fulfillment.

C. The Biblical faith “is oriented primarily with respect to God, the Creator, of Whom and by Whom and for Whom are all things. Man is a creature of God . . . dependent upon and responsible to Him,” Ibid., p. 440.

D. Accordingly, in preparing to counter syncretism, the Apostle Paul in Colossians 1:15-20 provided an exalted view of Jesus Christ, Who in His very Person and works completely overwhelms syncretism (as follows):

1. Christ is the image of the invisible God, the “Firstborn” over all creation, Col. 1:15. The term “Firstborn” in this verse does not mean that He was ever created or born, for He is the Eternal God (John 1:1-3), but “Firstborn” here means He has all the rights of the firstborn in the Hebrew cultural sense due to His preeminent position over all creation as its Creator. (Colossians 1:16; Ryrie, op. cit., ftn. to Col. 1:15)

2. All things in creation were created by, through and for Christ, be they things in heaven or on earth, visible or invisible, and be they thrones, powers, rulers or authorities, Colossians 1:16a,b.c.

3. Christ as God preceded in time (pro; Arndt & Gingrich, A Grk.-Eng. Lex. of the N. T., 1967, p. 708) all created things and in Him all things hold together in unity, Col. 1:17. (Ryrie, op. cit.,. ftn. to Col. 1:17)

4. Christ is also the Head of the Body of the Church, the Beginning and the “Firstborn” as to preeminence from the dead, that in everything relative to the Church He might have the supremacy, Colossians 1:18.

5. For it pleased God the Father to have all the full essence of divine powers and attributes to dwell in Christ as God Incarnate (Col. 1:19; 2:9), and through Him to reconcile to Himself all things, whether they be things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through His shed blood (death on the cross), v. 20.

E. Paul then applied Christ’s All-Sufficiency and Preeminence to his readers who faced syncretism, v. 21-23:

1. Paul’s readers were once alienated from God as His enemies in mind due to their evil behavior, v. 21.

2. However, God had since reconciled them by Christ’s physical body through His death to present them positionally holy in God’s viewpoint, without blemish and free from accusation of sin, Colossians 1:22.

3. “This reconciliation in Christ comes only by an abiding faith” since Paul wrote “if you continue in your faith,” Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 674; Col. 1:23a NIV. The phrase “if you continue” is written as a first class condition in the Greek text (ei in the protasis [if clause] with “continue” in the indicative mood; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 695; Dana & Mantey, A Man. Gram. of the Grk. N. T., 1957, p. 289), what can be rendered “since you continue,” what assumes the reality of the condition stated. Paul believed that his readers had truly trusted in Christ to be saved, that their belief in the Gospel left them established and firm.

4. Paul added that this same Gospel his readers had heard and believed had been proclaimed to every creature under heaven, and Paul had become a servant to the proclamation of that Gospel, Colossians 1:23b NIV.

Lesson: Though all man-made religions suppose man is capable in his own effort or merit to acquire fulfillment so that the mixture of such religions leads to dependence on man’s effort, the Biblical faith holds that by faith alone in Christ alone apart from any effort or merit by man one finds complete fulfillment. Thus, Paul wrote of the supremacy and all-sufficiency of Jesus Christ Who thus overwhelms all religious syncretism.

Application: May we cleave to the all-sufficiency and supremacy of Jesus Christ for true spiritual fulfillment.