#85 -- Gospel and Spiritual Growth

Valley – April 27, 2003 p.m.

THE TEACHING OF THE WORLD SYSTEM VERSUS GOD'S TEACHING -- III

This message concludes studies in the last verses of Colossians two in relation to the doctrine or teaching of the world system in its education and religion. The passage emphasizes that the world system and its teaching (in realms secular or religious) attempt to destroy or disannul the importance of positional truth for the Christian. The whole theme of Colossians two and three is what the believer has in Christ in the right hand of the Father. The world offers its things which contradict and attempt to replace the things at the Father's right hand – the elements of one's position in Christ.

I. addresses the last clause in Colossians 2:20. ". . .Why, as ones living in the world system do you dogmatize yourselves. . . (my translation)?" Even though a Christian is living in the world system, there is no need for him or her to be a voluntary partaker in its dogma. "Dogma" in English means "an opinion, belief, principle, tenet or a body of opinion formulated or authoritatively held." The verb is only found in Col. 2:10 in the N.T. It is directly related to the verb dokeo which means to be of an opinion, think or suppose. The word "glory" (doxa) is directly related to this word and means "to show one's opinion of oneself" or "to give one's full weight." The verb in verse 20 is in the present tense indicating continuous action in present time. There is an ongoing discussion among lexicographers and commentators concerning the voice of the verb since it may be either middle or passive by form. The passive voice would give it the idea of "permitting dogma to be imposed upon oneself." Someone else dogmatizes. The middle voice means "to place oneself under dogma." The person volunteers to accept and be influenced by the dogma. I believe that the form is middle in this context. The mood of the verb is subjunctive meaning that it is a possibility that this may be so or happen. The noun "dogma" is found five times in the N. T. (Lu. 2:1; Acts 16:4; 17:7; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14). It is a neuter noun. D. gives an overview of the five occurrences. In 2:14 it is translated "ordinances" in the AV. It is the "law of the commandments in dogmas" in Eph. 2:15 clearly referring to the Mosaic Law. In Col. 2:14 the work of Christ is seen as "wiping out the handwriting the one against us of the dogma that continually was contrary to us and having taken it out of the midst, nailing it to the cross." The Mosaic Law was that which was written. The neuter noun "dogma" in 2:14 also relates to the neuter "commandments" or injunctions in 2:22. The dogma of the educational system of the world system involves the Mosaic Law and its modification. External elements of the Law are overemphasized and elaborated on to the extent that the core content of the Law was no longer of importance. Let me illustrate. I have 13 volumes of the Talmud in my library – only a small part. If I put a copy of the Hebrew Bible (i. e. our Old Testament) on a table and began to stack the volumes of the Talmud on top of it, it would become an obscure volume under the stack. That is exactly what Judaism and the manifestation of the education and religion of the world system did in relation to the Bible. They buried the Bible in tradition and it is of little importance except as it supports the traditions. Today many adherents to Judaism study Talmud in their yeshivas and rarely study the Bible itself. They have a set of traditions for practice and for faith. They keep feasts, monthly days and Sabbaths (2:16). Some modify the dietary Law to go beyond the types of food permitted and avoided and extend it to abstinence with a minimalist diet of food and drink and a form of asceticism (2:16). These are dogma. These are philosophical, religious, educational things.

II. looks directly at the substance of the teaching of the world system and its religious adaptations. Three examples of this are given in verse 21: Touch not, taste not, handle not. These are prohibitions that comprise a part of the dogma. The law limited what could be touched. Touching could bring ceremonial uncleanness that prevented access to the priesthood and the temple. The list was further enlarged in the world system of Judaism. They added many things that they could not traditionally teach. There were certain foods that were prohibited under the Law in its dietary regulations. Judaism expanded those regulations with extensive traditions that came from the influence of the world system. The Law prohibited the superficial treatment or transitory touching of some things to a very limited degree. Tradition expanded this teaching which is represented in sections of the Talmud. Paul says that they all decay, rot, decompose with the using. The last line of verse 22 says that the dogma are according to the injunctions [neut.] even doctrines or teachings for faith but not for practice of men. The answer is that the things of a philosophical nature that were never for Christian practice but came from Israel's doctrine for practice are commandments and doctrine from men. The world system and its educational system had taken biblical Judaism and had added human dogma that became injunctions and teachings that were neither appropriate for Israel under Law nor for Christians in grace. The source is men who have been influenced and trained in the secular educational system of the world system with a Jewish spin.

"These things (neuter) indeed have a reputation (or word) for wisdom in will worship, and false humility, and unsparingness of the body; not in honor for the gratification of the flesh (2:23)." The last section (III.) covers the multitude of neuters in Colossians 2 & 3. Few places in the N. T. come near this section for the number of neuter grammatical forms. It is important to understand them as spiritual, philosophical things. Chapter one has a cluster of neuters. Chapter two has a list of neuters that relate to philosophical, doctrinal, moral things. These are not physical things. They involve what one obeys, believes and practices. This is true in chapter three as well. There the things that the believer reflectively thinks about are the spiritual, mental elements of one's position in Christ. These are the dogma or injunctions and teachings from men in chapter two are not physical. My generation often identified the things of the world system primarily as physical things: houses, lands, cars, boats, clothes etc. Too often the most subtle elements of the appeal were ignored. The way the world system thinks and trains people to think is far subtler. 1 John 2:15, 16 says: "Stop loving the world system and the things in the world system. If anyone happens to love the world system, the love for the Father is not in him; Because all that thing which is in the world system, the strong desire of the flesh and the strong desire of the eyes and the vainglory of biological life, is not out of the Father as to source, but is out of the world system as to source." The things here include physical things that can be seen and support biological life. They also include the way of thinking that appeals to the strong desires of the flesh.

The doctrine or teaching of the world system coming from its secular education and way of thinking will completely distract the grace believer from his or her position in Christ. Its concepts take one's frame of mind and turn it to the philosophy of the system and the age. It makes saints susceptible to the lusts from the flesh that can lead to carnality.

Happy in the happy hope,

DKS

THE TEACHING OF THE WORLD SYSTEM VERSUS GOD'S TEACHING -- III

Col. 2:22; 1 John 2:15

Proposition: To demonstrate that teaching from the secular education of the world system will replace one's position in Christ with things of a philosophical, spiritual nature from the world system.

Introduction

A. The Confrontation of Education of the World System with "in Christ" Truth

B. The Context of "in Christ" truth in Colossians Two and Three

C. The Confusion from the Chapter Division Between Colossians Two and Three

D. The Comparison of Things in the Context

E. The Concentration on Elements of One's Position in the Right Hand

TRANS: Certain opinions have been developed by the educational system of the world system which are the basic tenets of its function. Some of these have been illustrated in its perversion of the tenets of Judaism seen in the previous verses and will again be illustrated in the following verse.

I. THE RECOGNITION OF CERTAIN DOGMA IN THE WORLD SYSTEM THAT ARE NOT A PART OF THE CHRISTIAN'S LIFE – A CHRISTIAN HAS NO REASON TO BE "DOGMATIZED" BY THE WORLD SYSTEM – DIRECT ASKING WHY A CHRISTIAN SHOULD BE INFLUENCED BY THE DOGMA OF THE SYSTEM – Colossians 2:20

A. The Continuation of Life in the World System – present participle

B. The Condition of the Believer Possible in the World System – "Dogmatize"

1. The Progression of Accepting Dogma –present tense

2. The Problems with the Voice of the Verb

a. "To Permit Dogma to Be Imposed on Oneself" – passive voice

b. "To Place Oneself Under Dogma" – middle voice

3. The Potential for Being Involved with Dogma -- subjunctive

C. The Character of the Noun – neuter noun

D. The Contents of the "Dogma" in the New Testament

1. The Decrees of Caesar – Luke 2:1; Acts 17:7

2. The Decrees of the Apostles and Elders in Jerusalem – Acts 16:4

3. The Dogma Contained in the Law of Commandments Through Moses—Eph. 2:15

4. The Dogma of the Mosaic Law and Its Perversion by the World System – Col. 2:14

E. The Connection to the Word doke,w (dokeo)

1. Occurs 63 times in the New Testament

2. Meanings:

a. To Have an Opinion, Think, Suppose, imagine – Gal. 6:3; Phil. 3:4

b. To Seem, Be Accounted; Appear to Be – Gal. 2:9; Heb. 12:11

TRANS: An illustration of the elements of the world system's education is noted in verses 21 and 22. The system takes information that is for faith for different people at different times and tries to make it apply to Christians in the present dispensation.

II. THE SUBSTANCE OF THE INJUNCTIONS AND TEACHINGS OF MEN IN THE WORLD SYSTEM ILLUSTRATED – A CHRISTIAN SHOULD SEE HOW THE DOGMA OF SECULAR EDUCATION IS OF HUMAN ORIGIN – DISTINCT ATTEMPTS TO DISTRACT PEOPLE FROM GOD AND HIS PROVISIONS – Colossians 2:21, 22 (didaskali,a)

A. The Examples of the Teaching for Faith of the World System – vs. 21

1. Touch Not

2. Taste Not

3. Handle Not

B. The Evidence of Inherent Decay from the Use – vs. 22

C. The Evaluation of the Source of the Secular Education of the World System

1. In Conformity to – kata,

2. The Injunctions and Teachings for Faith

a. Granville Sharp Rule

b. Injunctions = Result of Process of Directing or Commanding

c. Teachings = Believed But Not Practiced

3. The Source Is Men

TRANS: The world system provides things that replace the things that the Christian is to focus his or her thinking on. The assault involves the replacing of spiritual things with spiritual and emotional things.

III. THE THINGS THAT REPLACE THE THINGS IN CHRIST PREVENTING SPIRITUALITY – A CHRISTIAN CAN REPLACE HIS POSITION IN CHRIST WITH THINGS FROM THE SECULAR EDUCATION OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – DECEPTIVE ATTRACTION OF THE THINGS OF THE WORLD SYSTEM – Colossians 2:23

A. The Things Are a Reputation or Word of Wisdom

B. The Characteristics of the Things of the World System

1. Self Devised Worship = qelw + qrhskeia

2. Humility = Lowliness of Frame of Mind

3. Unsparingness or Severity of the Body

4. Not in Honor for the Gratification of the Flesh

C. The Contrast of Things in the Context

1. Which Things -- 2:17, 18, 22 (a[ – neuter relative pronoun)

2. Which Things – 2:23 (a[tina, -- neuter relative pronoun with indefinite pronoun)

3. The Things – 3:1, 2 [2x], 5 (ta, -- neuter plural article)

4. Because of Which Things – 3:6 (a[ -- neuter relative pronoun)

5. In These Things – 3:7 (tou,toij – neuter plural demonstrative pronoun)

6. All These Things – 3:8 (ta. pa,nta -- neuter noun form)

7. Christ is All Things – 3:11 (pa,nta -- neuter noun form)

D. The Connection with the "Things" in 1 John 2:15, 16

TRANS: The world system subtly approaches the believer with a philosophy for living that replaced his or her utilization of one's position in Christ. It takes his or her mind from

His or her position in the Right Hand of the Father where he or she is dead to the elements of the world system.

© by David K. Spurbeck

Valley Baptist Church

P. O. Box 99, Gaston, OR 97119