Colossians 2:1-3:
2:1for I intend you to have known2 how-great a contest I have on your behalf, and the (holy-people) in Laodicea, and as-many-as did not see2 my face in flesh, .2in order that their hearts may be encouraged having been compacted-together in love1 and into all wealth of the full-assurance of understanding into full-knowledge of the mystery of God: (which is) Christ .3in whom are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge.
Paul continues: for I intend (will, with active volition and desire) you to have already known and to still know (perceive, see) the extraordinarily great contest (what a great size or degree of contest)…. The word “contest” means: being in a place of contest where there are two opposing parties conflicting against each other in order to be the one to gain the prize at the end of the contest. Again, the usage of athletic terminology draws attention to holy-people and the truth of being together moving in the direction of the same objective, on the same team in the same contest, not a different one or on a different team.
For I intend you to have known and continue to know how-great a contest I have in the interests of all of you holy-people to whom I am writing, and the holy-people in Laodicea (the sanctified-people, Christians, saints, children of God in Laodicea, a city close to Colosse), and as many holy-people as did not see and still do not see my face in flesh (not physically perceived me in the flesh with their eyes).
Why does Paul intend all of them to know what great a contest he has on their behalf? He writes: for the purpose and result that their hearts (the center/core of their beings, the seat of their whole personal selves and life – the word translated "their" in this context includes all three categories of people referred to in verse 1 above – that their hearts) would be encouraged (exhorted – called-beside as a father and mother invite their children near them to help them to do that-which is right), after you all have been compacted-together (brought or caused to come in conjunction as knitting and so uniting yourselves):
God's mystery/secret is Christ (refer to Colossians 1:27).
The word “mystery” throughout Paul’s letters means “secret.” A mystery contains the details that are known and can be understood by those involved in it and by those to whom it has been revealed – it is not inexplicable to those involved in it.
Paul did not write that they had to understand the internet, web-design, or how the physical body works, or the environment, or the intricacies of math or business – no! By revelation he wrote: ….2in order that their hearts may be encouraged having been compacted-together in love1 and into all wealth of the full-assurance of understanding into full-knowledge of the mystery of God: (which is) Christ .3in whom are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge.
The mystery of God is His son – Christ. The secret has been revealed to us and therefore it is available for all to know it. Paul has already written in chapter one that the mystery relates to Christ and again here he repeats it, not because his memory was failing but in order to emphasize to the holy-people who read this letter the fullness of the resurrected Christ!
All the hidden-away treasures (every one of the treasures which are adjectively described as cryptic or concealed away from perception by others; treasures refers to things laid-up in store, stored-up as in a thesaurus, in-storage – all the hidden-away treasures) of, consisting-of and pertaining-to wisdom (the skillful and expert application of personal-knowledge) and knowledge (personal knowledge, the truly active and relative knowing) presently and actively are in him (within Christ, the resurrected son of God).
In Christ are all the hidden-away treasures of the wisdom and knowledge. If any person wants to have wisdom and knowledge regarding God's mystery which He has revealed, he/she must look to Christ in order to be able to obtain this information, like going to a thesaurus to find out what it says, or going to the storage facility to get the things that are held there until you come to take and use it.
[Reference: Acts 9:22; I Corinthians 1:24 and 30; Ephesians 6:10-12; Philippians 1:30; Colossians 1:26-29, 4:3, 13, 15 and 16; I Thessalonians 1:5; Hebrews 6:11; Revelation 3:14. Note: verbs with a superscript 2 (2) immediately following them indicate the "perfect" tense - details are provided in the "Relevant Notes" link of this study.]
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True Bible Study - Colossians and Philemon
