Corinthians 2: 1-7
(1) For I want you to know how great a struggle I have on your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face,
We saw yesterday in Chapter 1 how Paul said that his sufferings were helping to fill in what was still lacking in Christ's body, and now he wants them to know the pressure he was under in his concern for them. These Christians have never met Paul, yet he struggles in his prayers for them.
(2) that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love,
Being knit together is an idea expressed in Psalm 139: 14-16 where David writes that he was curiously wrought, "intricately embroidered," in his mother's womb.
This refers to how God not only forms our bodies as we are growing in the womb, but also describes how God is intricately working all of Christ's body parts together into a single organism.
So, our hearts should all be attuned to one another in love, as though all beating together as one in the body.
and attaining to all the wealth that comes from the full assurance of understanding, resulting in a true knowledge of God's mystery, that is, Christ Himself,
This will result in an accurate concept of how Christ is in each of us, and how we together form His body, which is the Big Mystery that no one knew until now. This gives us all the wealth, all the riches of Christ's glory that He shared with His Father before creating anything (John 17: 5).
(3) in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.
Christ Jesus is God the Son, and He is the Owner of all the great wealth, not only in all of creation, but also in heaven itself, as the Father placed all Lordship into the Son's hand. In Christ we also possess all this wealth. It is wisdom and knowledge that opens all the doors.
(4) I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.
The KJV uses the word "beguile" here, which is paralogizomai, which is "to miscalculate," to deliberately mis-understand what God is actually saying in His written Word in order to deceive.
Paul does not want any of the false teachers to manipulate these dear brothers and sisters with any seductive theories that actually come from the world and the devil, as though they are in the Bible when they're not.
(5) For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.
Even though Paul is not there with them, he has heard of their faith and how it has led them to show love for one another and for all Christians everywhere (1: 4), which gave them discipline and stability in their faith.
(6) Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,
They have made a good start, now he encourages them to continue to live their lives according to the truth they learned when they first were saved, and not be turned away from it.
(7) having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.
They learned the truth at the beginning, which formed their foundation (roots), now they need to build their lives on that base, just as Epaphras taught them (1: 7), growing up in the faith into overflowing gratitude for all that God is doing in and for them in Christ.
And we also need to remain true to the roots, the foundation, that God had the apostles lay on the base of Christ Jesus having fulfilled the Scriptures in dying and being resurrected. He finished all the work of our Redemption and Salvation from sin, and any other requirement that anyone would put on that is "another gospel" (Galatians 1: 8-9).
Paul wrote to these Colossians to warn them about teachers that had come in to that congregation, and also in Laodicea, to try to put more requirements on the simple gospel. To warn them not to be ensnared by any slick salesmen promulgating any seductive theories.
And we also, today in the church, are not to be led away from the simplicity of the gospel of Christ. Many who are considering themselves to be Christians today I fear have never heard a clear message of the good news that they could believe. Many of these dear people are trapped in churches that do not teach the Truth. They have been convinced that they already are Christians, so they don't need to be saved.
I pray for these precious humans, that God would open their hearts to be able to accept His Truth, and enter into that spiritual body of Christ.
And I pray for my brothers and sisters in Christ, that they would not be led away from His Truth by any seducing spirit that would destroy their testimony.
O my Father, please keep in Your faithfulness all of Your children, that we may not be tempted above what You will enable us to overcome. You always provide a way to escape, because You want us all to grow up as Your Son's body.
Father, continue to strengthen us, and send us out to storm the very gates of hell, to snatch out of the flames those who are falling into them, to rescue them, and draw them into the peace and safety of Your one fold with one Shepherd.
And every eye shall see, every knee will bow, every tongue will proclaim that Jesus is our Christ, the Lord God Almighty, sovereign King over all Creation, to the everlasting glory of Almighty God the Father, for ever and ever. Amen.
Even so, come swiftly, Lord Jesus!
