Colossians 2:1-5 (NIV)
I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
Paul knew that there were many charlatans going around throughout the various churches in the empire, pushing a legalistic form of righteousness, a do-it-yourself kind of faith that relied on strict adherence to the ceremonial aspects of the law of Moses, and they were deceiving many. The Colossians had begun well, and Paul didn’t want them to be deceived and sidetracked.
Laodicea and Colossae were very near each other, southeast of Philadelphia in a broad Valley, and there was much dealing between these two. So, Paul is letting the Colossians know that he is praying and working for the good of the Churches in both cities. At the end of this letter, he urges the Colossians to share it with the church at Laodicea, and to read the letter that he had written to them as well (Colossians 4:16).
Paul is working to turn them away from the so-called mysteries and secret knowledge that was peddled by groups like the Judaizers and other charlatans. The true mystery was actually very simple, and had nothing to do with numerology, secret gospels, or ancient mystical secrets. It was, and is, simply Christ. When people receive Jesus as their Savior and Lord, the Holy Spirit immediately comes to live in their hearts, working a transformation of their whole lives, and communicating the living presence of the triune God to the very core of their lives.
The Colossians had been shown this “mystery” and had experienced its power and life-transforming effect for themselves. The results were powerfully changed and orderly lives, and a firm faith in Jesus that would enable them to stand firm, no matter what happened.
Father, we still have those today who tried to turn Christians away from the simple and powerful truth of “Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27b). They tried to sell their own “secrets” of spiritual vitality and power, things like praying in a in certain ways with specific words, secret rituals, and so-called secret knowledge. But you made it simple for us. All we need to do is to repent, believe in Jesus and in his once-for-all sacrifice, and commit to following him as our Lord, and we will not only be saved, we will receive the Holy Spirit, which makes real transformation and power available to each of us. Thank you, Lord, for keeping it simple. And help us to not try to make it more complicated by adding in stuff that you never intended. Amen.