October 25th, 2026

Published October 26, 2026

October 25, 2026

Complete in Christ - Nothing to Add

Colossians 2:8-23

There is an effective marketing strategy that depends upon us feeling like what we have is never enough. We are always being invited to add extras onto the already perfectly fine things that we have, and often we look back with buyer’s remorse at the unnecessary purchases we’ve made. Paul, having laid the groundwork with the church in Colossae about the foundation of their faith - which is simply ‘Christ in you, the hope of glory’ - gets specific about ‘add ons’. In the original context, it seems to be a cultural temptation to add on some elements of Jewish practice or mysticism in an attempt to be even more sure of what they’ve already received through Jesus. Scripture encourages us to only build our lives on things that draw us deeper into faith with Christ, and that empty spiritual add-ons may uproot us from our new freedom. Be filled with Christ, and beware things that have the appearance of freedom but are in fact empty promises that, if allowed to take hold of our lives, may disqualify us from our new identity and freedom! 

Read through Colossians 2:8-23 a couple of times, perhaps in another translation to get a few different perspectives. Then, discuss: 

  1. Can you describe a particular time when you were really excited about a purchase or opportunity, only to recognize afterwards that it was entirely unnecessary and not as incredible as thought? What kinds of things do we tell ourselves when something like that happens?

  2. Given what we’ve read so far in Colossians, what does Paul mean when he tells us that we’ve been ‘filled in him’? 

  3. What might be some qualifying markers that would help us identify whether a tradition or philosophy is empty or helpful?

  4. Living in a time when personal expression and freedom of choice are such high cultural values, how might Paul’s words against judgment and disqualification be helpful to someone new to faith? Consider reading through Galatians 5 and Romans 6:15-23. How do these passages contribute to Paul’s appeal in Colossians?

  5. Examine yourselves. Have you been taken in by any empty traditions? What might you need to ask God to be released from or have subtracted from your life in order to remain in the fullness of faith in Jesus?