Commentary - Colossians 2:6-7

Bird's-eye view

In this brief but potent exhortation, Paul lays down a foundational principle for the entire Christian life. The way we begin our life in Christ is the very same way we are to continue it. There is no bait and switch in the gospel. You received Christ Jesus the Lord by grace through faith, and you are to walk in Him by that same grace through faith. Paul is combating a subtle but deadly error, one that suggests we are saved by grace but sanctified by our own grit, our own bootstrap-pulling, our own adherence to man-made regulations. The apostle will have none of it.

He uses a series of rich metaphors to describe this ongoing walk. We are to be "firmly rooted," like a great oak tree drawing its life from the soil of Christ. We are to be "built up in Him," like a temple constructed on the cornerstone of Christ. We are to be "established in your faith," solid and steadfast. And the inevitable result, the fragrant bloom of this rooted, established, built-up life, is an overflowing, abounding thankfulness. Gratitude is the barometer of a healthy Christian life. Where there is true faith, there will be true thanksgiving.

Outline

Context In Colossians

Paul has just spent the first chapter magnificently laying out the absolute supremacy and sufficiency of Jesus Christ. He is the image of the invisible God, the creator of all things, the head of the church, the reconciler of all things. Now, in chapter 2, Paul begins to apply this high Christology to the specific threats facing the Colossian church. He warns them against being taken captive by "philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition" (Col. 2:8). Verses 6 and 7, therefore, serve as the positive exhortation that grounds the warnings that follow. Before he tells them what to avoid, he tells them what to do. The best defense against error is a robust and flourishing life in Christ. The way to avoid being led astray by enticing words is to be so thoroughly rooted and established in the truth of the gospel that you cannot be moved.

Key Issues

Clause-by-Clause Commentary

v. 6 Therefore as you received Christ Jesus the Lord,

The "therefore" connects us back to everything Paul has just said about the majesty and all-sufficiency of Christ. Because Christ is who He is, this is how you must live. The foundation of Christian ethics is Christian doctrine. Now, how did they receive Him? Not as a good teacher, not as a moral example, not as a spiritual guru to add to their collection. They received Him as "Christ Jesus the Lord." Christ, the Messiah, the anointed King. Jesus, the historical man who died and rose again. Lord, the sovereign ruler of all creation. This is the package deal. You cannot receive a portion of Christ. You receive all of Him, or you receive none of Him. And this reception was an act of faith, a gift of grace. They didn't earn Him or achieve Him; they received Him.

v. 6b so walk in Him,

Here is the central command. The Christian life is a walk. It is not a one-time decision followed by spiritual stagnation. It is a continuous, moment-by-moment progression. And where does this walk take place? "In Him." Christ is not just the starting gate; He is the entire racetrack. He is the path, the environment, the very air we breathe. The manner of this walk is to be consistent with the manner of our reception. "So walk." Just as you received Him by faith, you are to walk in Him by faith. Just as you received Him as Lord, you are to walk in submission to His lordship. There is no gear-shifting from grace to works. The engine of the Christian life, from start to finish, is the grace of God received by faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

v. 7a having been firmly rooted

Paul now shifts to a series of metaphors to illustrate this walk. The first is agricultural. The believer has been "firmly rooted." This is a perfect passive participle, meaning it's a past action with ongoing results. At the moment of conversion, you were planted in Christ. Your roots went down deep into the soil of His finished work. This is not something you do to maintain your salvation; it is a description of what has been done to you. You are a tree, and Christ is your soil. All your stability, all your nourishment, all your life comes from being rooted in Him. A tree that is not firmly rooted will be blown over by the first strong wind of false doctrine or worldly trial.

v. 7b and being built up in Him,

The second metaphor is architectural. We are "being built up." This is a present passive participle, indicating a continuous process. While our rooting is a settled reality, our construction is ongoing. We are a building, a temple, and Christ is both the foundation and the chief cornerstone. The Holy Spirit is the master builder, continually adding to the structure, making us more and more into the image of Christ. This is the process of sanctification. It is something being done to us, yet we are called to participate in it. We are living stones being built into a spiritual house (1 Peter 2:5). This building process happens as we walk in Him, as we abide in the truth.

v. 7c and having been established in your faith, just as you were instructed,

The third description returns to the idea of stability. We are "having been established in your faith." This speaks of confirmation, of being made solid and steadfast. And notice the means of this establishment: "just as you were instructed." Sound doctrine, faithful teaching, is not an optional extra for the Christian life. It is the very means God uses to establish us. The Colossians had been taught the true gospel by Epaphras, and Paul is urging them to stick with that teaching. The faith here is not just our subjective act of believing, but the objective body of truth that we believe: the faith once for all delivered to the saints. A Christian who is not being continually instructed in the Word will be an unstable Christian, an unestablished Christian.

v. 7d and abounding with thanksgiving.

This is the capstone, the beautiful and necessary result of the whole process. A life that is rooted in Christ, being built up in Him, and established in the faith will inevitably overflow, bubble up, and abound with thanksgiving. Gratitude is not something we have to tack on at the end of our prayers if we remember. It is the very atmosphere of the Christian life. An ungrateful Christian is a contradiction in terms. Why? Because to be rooted in Christ is to understand the magnitude of the grace we have received. To be built up in Him is to see His daily faithfulness. To be established in the faith is to know the goodness of our God. Thanksgiving is the logical, emotional, and spiritual response to the gospel. It is the great enemy of covetousness, grumbling, and all the philosophies that would lead us away from the simplicity of Christ. When thanksgiving is abounding, you can be sure that the roots are deep and the foundation is solid.

Application

The central application of this passage is to ensure that the way you are living your Christian life matches the way you began it. Did you begin by trusting in the finished work of Christ? Then you must continue by trusting in the finished work of Christ. Any addition to this, whether it be mystical experiences, ascetic practices, or intellectual pride, is a departure from the gospel. We must reject the subtle lie that we are saved by grace but perfected by our own efforts.

We are called to be students of the Word. Our stability depends on it. We cannot be "established in the faith" if we do not know what the faith is. This requires diligent, prayerful study, and sitting under faithful preaching and teaching. We are not to be tossed to and fro by every wind of doctrine that blows through the evangelical world.

Finally, we must cultivate a spirit of gratitude. Take inventory of your heart. Is it characterized by thanksgiving? Or is it marked by complaining, anxiety, or a critical spirit? A lack of gratitude is a spiritual warning light. It indicates that our roots are not drawing deeply from Christ, that we are looking to other sources for our life and stability. The solution is not to simply try harder to be thankful. The solution is to go back to the beginning, to remember how you received Christ Jesus the Lord, and to begin walking in Him again, abounding with thanksgiving.