For I want you to know how great a struggle I have in your behalf and for those who are at Laodicea, and for all those who have not personally seen my face, that their hearts may be encouraged, having been knit together in love, and that they would attain 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, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. (vv. 1-3)

I have mentioned a few times that our understanding of righteousness depends on our knowledge of Christ’s person. Theologians and ministers often emphasize Christ’s person and work. But most of them follow the Active Obedience of Christ. This means they do not understand who Christ is. If we do not know who Christ is, there is no salvation. It is because the Holy Spirit gives us the knowledge. Without the Holy Spirit, we are not the children of God. For this reason, I consider the doctrine of the Trinity the most important doctrine in Christianity. It may appear that all Christian denominations are the same but they are different because of their understanding of the Trinity. For example, the Eastern Orthodox or the Jewish religion do not accept our God as their God.

Paul builds up his arguments starting from the basic, the person of Christ, in chapter 1. And he talks about Christ’s work directly related to our salvation and adoption.

And when you were dead in your wrongdoings and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He made you alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our wrongdoings, having canceled the certificate of debt consisting of decrees against us, which was hostile to us; and He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross. (vv. 13-14)

We became righteous not because Christ kept the law perfectly but because He died for us and resurrected us with Him. Those ministers and theologians who strongly support the Active Obedience of Christ (AOC) typically talk about books and articles written by other theologians and even Greek philosophers. But we simply do not need to because Paul is against the doctrine. By supporting the AOC, many theologians and ministers try to oppress us. They typically throw away predestination and justification by faith at the end of their life. It is because the AOC is based on lies about God. Paul warns us here that these people will try to take us back to Egypt. They say that we are free. But they use their freedom as an excuse for their evil deeds. So their own actions speak against them.

If you have died with Christ to the elementary principles of the world, why, as if you were living in the world, do you submit yourself to decrees, such as, “Do not handle, do not taste, do not touch!” (which all refer to things destined to perish with use)—in accordance with the commandments and teachings of man? These are matters which do have the appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and humility and severe treatment of the body, but are of no value against fleshly indulgence. (vv. 20-23)

True Christianity is not about dos or don’ts. It is about knowledge of God. True Christianity does not lead us to sins as some false Christians claim. We must not add anything to the cross of Christ.

Therefore, no one is to act as your judge in regard to food and drink, or in respect to a festival or a new moon, or a Sabbath day— things which are only a shadow of what is to come; but the substance belongs to Christ. Take care that no one keeps defrauding you of your prize by delighting in humility and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind, and not holding firmly to the head, from whom the entire body, being supplied and held together by the joints and ligaments, grows with a growth which is from God. (vv. 16-19)