The wonderful truth that the Apostle Paul taught in the first chapter raises our hearts up to heights which our minds can hardly fathom. But the enemy is ever active to rob Christ of His glory and to rob our souls of the enjoyment of it. So the Apostle must warn us of all those inventions of the human mind which attempt to hinder us from entering into our true place in Christ.
1. The ultimate safeguard from going astray after other ideas is to assure our hearts that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are hidden in Christ and nowhere else (vss. 2-3). What did the Apostle Peter encourage the saints to grow in, so that they would not be led away by error? 2 Peter 3:___
2. As a tree receives its vital nutrients through its roots, so we are to have our roots firmly fixed in Christ (vss. 6-7). What is the result of drawing a fresh, continual supply of nourishment from “the rivers of water” - the Holy Spirit and the Word of God? Psalm 1:___
3. One of the snares of the devil is philosophy, which comes from the teaching of men and is according to the elements of the world but not in any way from Christ (vs. 8). What should we do with all of the thoughts and imaginations that come from our natural minds and hearts? 2 Corinthians 10:___
4. Another snare is the false notion that we should live under legal ordinances, such as the children of Israel did under the law (vss. 20-23). God put an end to such a system of righteousness by the cross of Christ, for man had proven up to that point that he was incapable of attaining God’s righteousness by his own efforts. On what basis is God’s righteousness now available to all mankind? Romans 3:___
5. In the first chapter we learned that Christ is the head of the body, of which all believers are members. Now we learn that going after the various ideas of men comes from “not holding the Head” (vs. 19) - that is, not looking to Him to teach us and to form all of our thoughts. What is the purpose for which the ascended Head has given gifts to every joint of His body? Ephesians 4:___