«　WEEK 2　DAY 5　»

　　Col. 2:12-14 Buried together with Him in baptism, in which also you were raised together with Him through the faith of the operation of God, who raised Him from the dead. And you...He made alive together with Him, having forgiven us all our offenses; wiping out the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us;...and He has taken it out of the way, nailing it to the cross.

　　In Colossians 2:11 through 15 we find more elements [of the soil]....The soil also includes the circumcision of Christ [v. 11], which denotes cutting and killing. In the soil there is, therefore, a killing element. Verse 12, which says that we were buried together with Christ in baptism, indicates that the soil also contains the element of burial. In Christ as the soil there is a substance which causes us to be buried. After burial, we are raised up. In verse 12 Paul speaks of God who raised Christ from among the dead. This expression indicates that in Christ as the soil there is an element which causes us to be raised up. According to verse 13, we also are made alive. There is an element in the soil which gives us life, enlivens us. In 1 Corinthians 15:45 Paul speaks of the life-giving Spirit. In Colossians 2:13 he uses the same Greek term for life-giving, only in the past tense. As the soil, Christ has made us alive; He has given us life. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 462-463)

　　In Colossians 2:14 and 15...we have more elements that are found in Christ as the soil. The wiping out of the handwriting in ordinances is an element in the soil. The same is true of the stripping off of the rulers and the authorities, the making of a display of them openly, and the triumphing over them in the cross. As the soil, Christ includes all these marvelous elements. Praise Him that He is such a rich soil! We have been rooted in this soil. Day by day, our roots need to sink deeper into Christ as the unique soil.

　　On the negative side, however, as 2:11-15 indicates, we have the flesh, the ordinances, and the rulers and authorities. Young and old, male and female, cultured and uncultured—we all are troubled by these three categories of negative things. We all have the flesh, we all have some type of ordinances, and we all are subject to the evil authorities in the atmosphere. Sin, worldliness, and offenses have their source in these negative things. Praise the Lord that in Christ as the soil we have the element of circumcision which puts the flesh to death! In Christ as the soil there is killing power. This killing element can be compared to salt, which when added to soil can kill corruption. In the soil of the good land in which we are rooted is the “salt” of circumcision. This element does not cause anything to grow, but it is effective in killing germs. It cuts the flesh and kills it. After the killing, we have burial. In Christ as the soil there is an element which causes us to be buried. Furthermore, there is another element which raises us up. Thus, first the elements in Christ as the soil bury us; then they raise us up...and make us living.

　　According to 2:14, the handwriting in ordinances, which was against us and contrary to us, has been wiped out. It has been nailed to the cross. In the soil there is also the element of the wiping out of the ordinances.

　　We all have certain kinds of ordinances concerning the way we conduct our daily life. These ordinances may not be in writing, but they are inscribed in our mentality. Perhaps you have never realized this, but ordinances hinder your growth in life. In order for you to grow properly, they need to be wiped out, nailed to the cross....Today we do not need ordinances. We simply need to assimilate the riches from the soil that we may grow and be built up. (Life-study of Colossians, pp. 463, 465-466)

　　Further Reading: Life-study of Colossians, msgs. 52-53