Summary:
Paul explains that the fullness of Deity dwells bodily in Christ, and believers have been made complete in Him. Christ is above every ruler and authority, so those who belong to Him do not lack what is necessary for salvation and life before God.
Paul then describes what has happened to believers in Christ. They have received a circumcision not performed by human hands, but one accomplished through Christ - the removal of the body of flesh. Through baptism, they were buried with Him, and through faith in the working of God, they were also raised with Him, just as God raised Christ from the dead.
The passage also shows the believer’s former condition and new life. They were once dead in their wrongdoings and in the uncircumcision of their flesh, but God made them alive together with Christ. He forgave all their wrongdoings and canceled the certificate of debt that stood against them with its decrees. This hostile record was taken out of the way, having been nailed to the cross.
Finally, Paul declares Christ’s victory. Through the cross, God disarmed the rulers and authorities, made a public display of them, and triumphed over them in Christ. The passage presents Christ as fully divine, believers as complete in Him, their old life as removed, their sins as forgiven, and the powers opposed to them as defeated through His cross.
Teaching:
The mystery of God is fully present in Jesus, and it says that we also have been made full in Him. All the fullness of Christ has become fullness for us. Therefore, believing in Jesus is truly a special and remarkable event.
Simply attending church is not enough to understand this; as we attend church, we must come to know Jesus more and more.
Because Jesus was raised from the dead, He disarmed the spirits that deceive us and exposed what they truly are. Through His resurrection, He showed that their works are empty and futile. He nullified the actions of the rulers and authorities of this world, and He also exposed the unseen rulers and authorities, putting them to shame.
The cross is the victory of Christ Jesus. And the meaning of “victory” here is not merely winning, but a triumphal procession after the victory has been won. In other words, it is a triumph.
Jesus has won the victory, and He allows us to participate in that triumphal procession.
Excerpt from the sermon by Pastor Lee, June 12, 2026
Colossians 2:9-15