‘As therefore you received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith (or ‘your faith'), even as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.'
Paul's usual term for Jesus Christ in Colossians is ‘Christ'. In Colossians 1:1 he opened by calling Him ‘Christ Jesus', followed by ‘Christ' (Colossians 1:2), ‘our Lord Jesus Christ' (Colossians 1:3) and ‘Christ Jesus' in Colossians 1:4. These have established identification and position. Then there are references to Him as ‘the Lord' in Colossians 1:10 and ‘the Son' in Colossians 1:13. But otherwise (until Colossians 3:17) He is ‘Christ' (Colossians 1:2; Colossians 1:7; Colossians 1:24; Colossians 1:27-28; Colossians 2:2; Colossians 2:5; Colossians 2:8; Colossians 2:11; Colossians 2:17; Colossians 2:20; Colossians 3:1; Colossians 3:3-4; Colossians 3:11). This means that the change here to ‘the Christ, Jesus the Lord' is intended to be significant. He is saying, “consider Who it is that you have received, it is THE CHRIST, JESUS, THE LORD, the One Whose glory is above the heavens and who is pre-eminent over all things”.
‘As -- you received.' The word for ‘received' is regularly used for the receiving of tradition and teaching (consider the reference to tradition in Colossians 3:8). Compare 1 Corinthians 15:1; 1 Corinthians 15:3; Galatians 1:9; Philippians 4:9; 1Th 2:13; 1 Thessalonians 4:1-2; 2 Thessalonians 3:6. Thus he is stressing that rather than receiving a body of tradition they have received the living Lord along with all that He is (compare Ephesians 4:20 - ‘you did not so learn Christ'). He is ‘in them' (Colossians 1:27), and in Him are all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Colossians 2:3). Thus they are to ‘go on walking in Him' (present imperative), concentrating their attention on Him, rooted in Him and built up in Him in accordance with what they have been taught. Let them look to Him with joyful thanksgiving. They need look nowhere else. They need no one else and nothing else. ‘Christ Jesus the Lord' is totally sufficient.
‘The Christ, Jesus the Lord.' Here ‘Christon' has the article. Elsewhere in Colossians, apart from in Colossians 3:1-4 where every use has the article, Christos is used without the article except when in the genitive. In Colossians 3:1-4 the reference is to Christ as risen and exalted. It would seem then that the article is being used to further draw attention to His exalted state. (See on Colossians 1:3 a for the significance of the full name, but there Christos is without the article and not so prominent). With the article the title is unique in the New Testament apart from its use in Ephesians 3:11 with ‘our', where it speaks of ‘the Christ Jesus our Lord' when speaking of God's eternal purpose in Him. The inclusion of the personal name Jesus (contrast Ephesians 4:24) stresses the true humanity of ‘the Christ, the Lord'.
‘Walk in Him.' In their daily walk they are to be totally taken up with Him. He is to be the sphere in which they life their lives.
‘Rooted and being built up in Him.' Compare Ephesians 3:17 ‘rooted and grounded in love'. There the emphasis is on the love of Christ which is the sphere in which the church flourishes. Here the emphasis is more on the person of Christ. The metaphors are mixed, ‘rooted' referring to being firmly planted and growing strongly, ‘built up' referring to the building of a firm structure. ‘Rooted' is in the perfect tense, something done in the past the benefit of which continues, ‘built up' is in the present, a continuing process.
‘Being established in your faith.' Again in the present, a continuing process. The idea of the Greek word used is being ‘established, strengthened, confirmed' in the faith that they have been taught. We could translate ‘in (or by) your faith' referring to the strengthening of their personal faith (compare the use of the dative in Hebrews 13:9), but ‘even as you were taught suggests an emphasis on the taught faith.
‘Abounding in thanksgiving.' Thanksgiving (eucharistia) is a theme of Colossians. See Colossians 1:12 ‘giving thanks', Colossians 3:15 ‘be thankful', Colossians 3:17 ‘giving thanks', Colossians 4:2 ‘with thanksgiving'. Continual gratitude of heart towards God should be expressed in words, and should abound, for so we reveal our true attitude of heart and are built up and strengthened. Doctrine when rightly taught should be personalised and should produce worship.