11 In whom you had a circumcision not made with hands, in the putting off of the body of the flesh, in the circumcision of Christ;
But he is a Jew who is a secret one, whose circumcision is of the heart, in the spirit and not in the letter; whose praise is not from men, but from God.
Being conscious that our old man was put to death on the cross with him, so that the body of sin might be put away, and we might no longer be servants to sin.
That you are to put away, in relation to your earlier way of life, the old man, which has become evil by love of deceit;
So if any man is in Christ, he is in a new world: the old things have come to an end; they have truly become new.
But now Christ has come as the high priest of the good things of the future, through this greater and better Tent, not made with hands, that is to say, not of this world,
But now it is right for you to put away all these things; wrath, passion, bad feeling, curses, unclean talk; Do not make false statements to one another; because you have put away the old man with all his doings,
I have been put to death on the cross with Christ; still I am living; no longer I, but Christ is living in me; and that life which I now am living in the flesh I am living by faith, the faith of the Son of God, who in love for me, gave himself up for me.
For we are conscious that if this our tent of flesh is taken down, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal, in heaven.
But still, the Most High has not his resting-place in houses made with hands, as the prophet says,
And when, after eight days, the time came for his circumcision, he was named Jesus, the name which the angel had given to him before his birth.
Undergo a circumcision of the heart, you men of Judah and people of Jerusalem: or my wrath may come out like fire, burning so that no one is able to put it out, because of the evil of your doings.
And the Lord your God will give to you and to your seed a circumcision of the heart, so that, loving him with all your heart and all your soul, you may have life.
But when the time had come, God sent out his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, That he might make them free who were under the law, and that we might be given the place of sons.
For by his act we were given existence in Christ Jesus to do those good works which God before made ready for us so that we might do them. For this reason keep it in mind that in the past you, the Gentiles in the flesh, who are looked on as being outside the circumcision by those who have circumcision, in the flesh, made by hands; That you were at that time without Christ, being cut off from any part in Israel's rights as a nation, having no part in God's agreement, having no hope, and without God in the world. But now in Christ Jesus you who at one time were far off are made near in the blood of Christ. For he is our peace, who has made the two into one, and by whom the middle wall of division has been broken down, Having in his flesh put an end to that which made the division between us, even the law with its rules and orders, so that he might make in himself, of the two, one new man, so making peace; And that the two might come into agreement with God in one body through the cross, so putting an end to that division. And he came preaching peace to you who were far off, and to those who were near; Because through him the two of us are able to come near in one Spirit to the Father.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Colossians 2
Commentary on Colossians 2 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 2
Col 2:1-3
We may observe here the great concern which Paul had for these Colossians and the other churches which he had not any personal knowledge of. The apostle had never been at Colosse, and the church planted there was not of his planting; and yet he had as tender a care of it as if it had been the only people of his charge (v. 1): For I would that you knew what great conflict I have for you, and for those at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh. Observe,
Col 2:4-12
The apostle cautions the Colossians against deceivers (v. 4): And this I say lest any man beguile you with enticing words; and v. 8, Lest any man spoil you. He insists so much upon the perfection of Christ and the gospel revelation, to preserve them from the ensnaring insinuations of those who would corrupt their principles. Note,
Col 2:13-15
The apostle here represents the privileges we Christians have above the Jews, which are very great.
Col 2:16-23
The apostle concludes the chapter with exhortations to proper duty, which he infers from the foregoing discourse.