Colossians 2:19

Not holding fast the Head (ou kratwn thn kepalhn). Note negative ou, not mh, actual case of deserting Christ as the Head. The Gnostics dethroned Christ from his primacy ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 ) and placed him below a long line of aeons or angels. They did it with words of praise for Christ as those do now who teach Christ as only the noblest of men. The headship of Christ is the keynote of this Epistle to the Colossians and the heart of Paul's Christology. From whom (ex ou). Masculine ablative rather than ex h (kepalh) because Christ is the Head. He develops the figure of the body of which Christ is Head ( 1 Corinthians 1:18 1 Corinthians 1:24 ). Being supplied (epicorhgoumenon). Present passive participle (continuous action) of epicorhgew, for which interesting verb see already 2 Corinthians 9:10 ; Galatians 3:5 and further 2 Peter 1:5 . Knit together (sunbibazomenon). Present passive participle also (continuous action) of sunbibazw, for which see Colossians 2:2 . Through the joints (dia twn apwn). Late word aph (from aptw, to fasten together), connections (junctura and nexus in the Vulgate). And bonds (kai sundesmwn). Old word from sundew, to bind together. Aristotle and Galen use it of the human body. Both words picture well the wonderful unity in the body by cells, muscles, arteries, veins, nerves, skin, glands, etc. It is a marvellous machine working together under the direction of the head. Increaseth with the increase of God (auxei thn auxhsin tou qeou). Cognate accusative (auxhsin) with the old verb auxei.