Colossians 2:20-22
If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—according to human precepts and teachings?
English Standard Version (ESV)
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The verse powerfully contrasts our spiritual reality with our behavior. It points out the absurdity of following worldly "regulations" when, in Christ, we've already died to the very "elements" or foundational principles that govern the world, rendering those rules obsolete for us.
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Paul asks, 'If you died with Christ, why do you still live by worldly rules?' What does it mean to be 'dead with Christ,' and when did this happen?
The Apostle Paul uses a powerful image here: believers have died with Christ. Notice the tense in the original language: it points to a completed event in the past.
A Definitive Break
When we put our faith in Christ's sacrifice, we didn't just agree with Him; we entered into a spiritual union with His death. This wasn't a gradual process, but a decisive moment where our old way of life was cut off.
Freed from Worldly Elements
This 'death' means we are no longer bound by the 'rudiments of the world.' These are the basic, often worldly, principles and practices that govern life apart from God. Think of them as the elementary school subjects of spiritual life – things you grow out of.
Our union with Christ's death means we have passed out of that realm. We are 'dead from' those things, meaning they no longer have claim over us.
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Paul contrasts the believer's death with Christ against submitting to 'ordinances.' What are these rules, and why are they so problematic after our spiritual death?
The word for 'ordinances' here (dogmatizesthe) refers to decrees or pronouncements, often human-made rules and regulations. The false teachers at Colossae were imposing these on believers.
The Problem with Human Rules
These 'ordinances' were often focused on external practices – like dietary restrictions or specific rituals ('handle not, taste not, touch not'). They carried a show of wisdom, humility, and self-discipline, but Paul argues they were ultimately empty.
A Conflict with Our New Identity
Submitting to these human rules after dying with Christ is like a dead person trying to follow the rules of the living. It's a fundamental inconsistency. Our new life in Christ means we are no longer bound by the elementary principles of the world or the dictates of human tradition that try to control our behavior from the outside in.
Understand the original words
stoicheia · Greek Noun
The fundamental principles or basic, rudimentary teachings of the world; often used to describe human religious systems or legalistic structures that are devoid of the power of the Gospel.
dogmatizesthe · Greek Verb
In the context of religion, these are human-made rules, commandments, or ritualistic requirements imposed upon believers as a means of gaining spiritual standing or control.
haptē · Greek Verb
To handle refers to physical contact, often in a ritualistic or ceremonial sense. In this context, it refers to the rigid, external regulations imposed by false teachers regarding physical interactions with certain objects or foods.
geusē · Greek Verb
To taste refers to the act of eating or consuming, specifically relating to dietary restrictions. Biblically, this relates to the idea that external regulations concerning food cannot affect a person's standing before God.
thigēs · Greek Verb
A general term for physical contact or manipulation. The prohibition here highlights the futility of using physical abstinence to achieve spiritual maturity.
phthoran · Greek Noun
Refers to the temporal, transient nature of material things. Scripture contrasts these decaying physical elements with the eternal realities of the kingdom of God.
entalmata · Greek Noun
Refers to rules or traditions established by people rather than those ordained by God. In the New Testament, these are often contrasted with the authoritative commands of Christ and the revelation of the Holy Spirit.
The false teachings Paul combats in Colossae were a complex mix of Jewish legalism, early Gnostic ideas about spiritual intermediaries, and ascetic practices, all of which he argues are irrelevant now that believers have died and risen with Christ.
c. 50-60 AD— this verse
Paul writes to the Colossians
Paul, likely imprisoned in Rome, writes to the church in Colossae, addressing a syncretistic heresy blending Jewish regulations, Gnostic speculation, and pagan philosophies.
c. 45-55 AD
Rise of Gnostic Ideas
Early Gnostic-like beliefs, emphasizing secret knowledge and spiritual hierarchies, began to influence some religious communities, potentially affecting the Colossian church.
c. 40-70 AD
Jewish Sectarianism and Rituals
Various Jewish sects emphasized adherence to the Law and specific rituals. Some within the Colossian church may have been pushing these, or similar, regulations.
c. 50-70 AD
Spread of Ascetic Practices
The region saw the rise of ascetic practices, focusing on self-denial and severe treatment of the body, often intertwined with philosophical or religious systems.
This passage directly echoes the idea of dying with Christ, explaining that believers are baptized into His death, symbolizing a definitive break from sin's dominion.
Galatians 2:19Paul speaks of 'dying to the law' through Christ, reinforcing the concept that spiritual union with Christ liberates believers from external regulations and legalistic demands.
Romans 14:17This verse powerfully states that 'the kingdom of God is not a matter of eating and drinking, but of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit,' directly challenging the focus on external ordinances over internal spiritual reality.
Matthew 15:11Jesus declares that 'it is not what goes into the mouth that defiles a person, but what comes out of the mouth that defiles,' providing a foundational teaching that true defilement comes from within, not from external food regulations.
1 Timothy 4:3This passage warns against those who 'forbid marriage and demand abstinence from food that God created to be received with thanksgiving,' directly condemning ascetic rules that Paul saw as 'doctrines of demons'.
henryColossians 2:18-23: "Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,"
2:18-23 It looked like humility to apply to angels, as if men were conscious of their unworthiness to speak directly to God. But it is not warrantable; it is taking that honour which is due to Christ only, and giving it to a creature. There really was pride in this seeming humility. Those who wors…
calvinColossians 2:20-23: "Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,"
- If ye are dead. He had previously said, that the ordinances were fastened to the cross of Christ. (Colossians 2:14.) He now employs another figure of speech -- that we are dead to them, as he teaches us elsewhere, that we are dead to the law, and the law, on the other hand, to us. (Galatians 2:19.) The term death means abrogation, [416]…
The verse powerfully contrasts our spiritual reality with our behavior. It points out the absurdity of following worldly "regulations" when, in Christ, we've already died to the very "elements" or foundational principles that govern the world, rendering those rules obsolete for us.
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{ "hasHistoricalBackground": true, "events": [ { "date": "c. 1st century AD", "title": "Rise of Ascetic and Syncretistic Heresies", "description": "In the early church, particularly in areas like Colossae, various religious and philosophical ideas mixed with Christian teaching. This led to movements emphasizing ascetic practices, angel veneration, and strict regulations, which Paul combats.", "isCurrentContext": true }, { "date": "c. AD 60-62", "title": "Paul's Imprisonment and Letter to the Colossians", "description": "The Apostle Paul, while imprisoned (likely in Rome), writes this letter to the church in Colossae. He addresses specific theological errors and practical issues present in that community.", "isCurrentContext": false } ] }
"If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations— “Do not handle, Do not taste, Do not touch” (referring to things that all perish as they are used)—a…" — The verse powerfully contrasts our spiritual reality with our behavior. It points out the absurdity of following worldly "regulations" when, in Christ, we've already died to the very "elements" or fo…
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