The book of Colossians reveals Christ in a very extensive way. This extensive revelation is much greater than all that most Christians have seen of Christ. Christians realize that Christ is God and that He became a man, lived on earth, died on the cross for our sins as our Redeemer, was buried, was resurrected on the third day, ascended to heaven, and has been enthroned as the Lord and Head of all. Now Christ is the sovereign Lord of lords and King of kings. One day He will come back to rule over the earth and to set up His kingdom. A great many books have been written concerning all these points. Of course, such a general revelation of Christ is true, but it is narrow. It does not match the extensive revelation of Christ found in Colossians.
According to the Bible, Christ is extensive, and the revelation of Christ is also extensive. Like the universe, Christ is immeasurable. For this reason, the revelation regarding Christ is without limit. In Ephesians 3 Paul speaks of the breadth, length, height, and depth. Christ is the breadth, length, height, and depth of the universe. Since He is so extensive, how could we be content with a narrow revelation of Him? We are foolish if we limit ourselves to a narrow revelation of Christ.
Certain people have advised me not to go beyond the general theology of today’s Christianity. They recommend that I simply preach and teach in a general way. More than thirty years ago, I saw that Christ is the life-giving Spirit, and I was burdened to minister this to others. Some intimate friends were offended and began to warn me in love and eventually to oppose me. Some admitted that the Bible reveals that Christ is the Spirit. Nevertheless, they told me that I should not teach this, in order to keep from offending other Christians. I replied, “Since you admit that the Bible reveals that Christ is the Spirit, please give me the liberty to minister on this matter. You may be afraid of Christianity, but I am not. If Martin Luther had maintained an attitude like yours, how could the Reformation have taken place? The Catholic Church held the concept of salvation by works. Luther, however, saw that salvation is not by works, but by faith. And he was bold to declare this according to the Bible.”
We should not be held back by the narrow view of Christ held by many Christians. Christ is exceedingly extensive; He is unlimited. The Bible even speaks of “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph. 3:8). Although Christ’s riches are unsearchable, many Christians limit Him by their theology and teachings. They have only an elementary understanding of Him. Christ, the Savior in whom we believe, is not limited. He is inexhaustible, all-inclusive, limitless. No one can say how great He is. Since He is without limitation, the revelation concerning Him must also be without limit. In this matter the book of Colossians is crucial. Without this book, it would be difficult to realize that the revelation of Christ is unlimited and extensive.
In 1970 some opposing ones in Hong Kong rose up to declare that the Christ in whom we believe is the Creator, but to deny that He is also a creature. They were confident that they were right, and they condemned us for saying that Christ is both the Creator and the first among the creatures. I asked them how Christ could be a man if He were not a creature. Is man not a creature? If Christ were not a creature, how could He have a body of flesh and blood? How could He have been nailed to the cross if He were only the divine, spiritual Creator? It is very dangerous to have just a little knowledge. It keeps us from seeing the extensive revelation of Christ in the Scriptures. One reason the book of Colossians was written was to present such an extensive revelation of Christ.
When the book of Colossians was written, Asia Minor was a cultural melting pot. In Asia Minor there was a blending of Greek culture and Jewish culture, in particular of Greek philosophy and Jewish religion. Through Paul’s ministry, churches had been established in that region. It was very difficult for these churches to withstand the invasion of Jewish religion and Greek philosophy. The church in Colosse was like an island in the ocean of Jewish and Greek culture. Eventually, the cultural tide swept into the church and pervaded the church life. Hence, the church was permeated with Jewish concepts and Greek philosophical ideas. In particular, a form of Gnosticism was brought into the church life. According to Gnosticism, material things are intrinsically evil. There were various regulations concerning the handling of material things. Because the church in Colosse was pervaded by such philosophical ideas, Christ was replaced, and the saints did not live by Him. Instead, they lived by their philosophical concepts.