Posted by Lisa Laree to Beer Lahai Roi
Now, Paul gets to one of his main objectives in writing to the believers at Colosse...recognizing and rejecting false teaching.
I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. -- Col. 2::4 (from last week).
From the very beginning of the church, there were those who were going around with their own version of the gospel. Some were genuinely mistaken (like Apollos, who was corrected by Aquilla and Priscilla -- Acts 1:24- 26); some came with a law-based gospel that required Gentile believers to observe the Jewish law; it was a pride issue with them (Gal. 6:12-13). Some were teaching that Messiah wasn't an actual person...rebuked by John's eyewitness testimony (1 John 1:1-2) and, as Paul later discusses, some were basing their teaching on visions and special revelations they claimed to have had...but the significant thing about Paul's introductory statement is that, even then, there were 'fine-sounding arguments' against the gospel that the apostles were teaching.
Paul gives them instruction on resisting the fine-sounding arguments... step one...
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. (2: 6- 7).
The first defense against false teaching is to put down roots into the truth. This is kinda obvious, but it is so overlooked. The best example I've heard is about folks who are trained to detect counterfeit currency. They don't spend hours learning all the details of making fake money, or the variations it could have...no, they study actual currency so they know, down to the tiniest details, what real money looks, feels, and smells like. Then when something bogus crosses their path, they recognize it immediately...not because it has XYZ characteristics of bad money, but just because it is noticeably NOT the same as the real thing; and it doesn't matter how much it has in common with the actual currency. If it's bogus in any detail...it's bogus, period. If believers drill down into the Scriptures...and not someone's idea of what the scripture says but what the Bible actually says...it will be obvious to them when they encounter someone who's half a bubble off plumb....either teaching something out of context, or adding some kind of additional requirements or doctrine to what is consistently taught throughout the Scripture.
See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ. (v.8)
Holey Moley, there is a lot of depth in that verse. It covers both 'human tradition' and 'principles of this world'. Stop and think of all the skewed theology you can remember. I'm thinking of all the oddball stuff I've heard and it easily falls under one of those two categories..."Human Tradition" or "Principles of the World". It ranges from the stuff that doesn't matter much (...the Human Tradition of celebrating Jesus' birthday on Dec. 25, for instance...with three Wise Men...who came to the stable...) to "Principles of the World" that say God is ok with whatever makes you happy....which can really mess someone up.
Hollow. Deceptive. Captive-making. Might I even say...reasonable, alluring, popular? Principles of the world would be, well, approved-of by worldly folks. Human traditions have years of acceptance backing them. Paul says...it's no good.
Wow. I've made it through all of three out of eighteen verses. Gonna need to step it up or this is going to be a book...
Well, anyway, Paul next addresses the more common errors of his day... the idea that Jesus wasn't really God...or, rather, the 'Messiah' wasn't actually Jesus but just a spirit that came upon him or some such thing, the idea that the Gentiles needed to be circumcised Law-followers to be true followers of Christ; and folks who were apparently basing their teachings not on scripture but on some kind of mystical personal experience.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form (v.9). This is the THIRD time Paul has mentioned this concept. Just in case anyone had any questions about the actual existence and humanity of Jesus, the Christ.
He also describes the 'circumcision' that marks Gentile believers...
In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature, not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead. When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. (2:11-13a) . Not a process done in the body by people, but an action done in the heart by God. And that written code? Paul says Jesus took it to the cross with him and nailed it there (vs. 14-15), so no one should judge the Gentile believers according to their observation of the written Law.
He then warns them against teachers who talk about mystical experiences that they have had, who go into great details about those things and are full of idle notions (v. 18). This person, Paul says, has lost connection with the head, from whom the whole body grows. I don't think this is meant to say people don't have visions or mystical experiences...Paul himself had a few. I think he's warning them against folks who put more emphasis on their unique experience than on the Gospel. Paul didn't make a big deal out of his experiences...in fact, folks think he may have downplayed at least one with the inference that it happened to someone he knew. But if there's someone who's going around with a book tour and speaking engagements talking about their big incredible visitation with just a side mention of God and Jesus, then...be wary.
Finally, Paul returns to the biggest issue he was having with false teachers, Gentiles who were guilted into keeping the Jewish law....'If you have died to the world in Jesus, why submit to rule-based religion, which is what makes sense to worldly folks?' (My paraphrase of the last bit of verse 20).
Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence. (v. 23).
As if, by a sheer act of will, we could keep all those rules...especially when Jesus said that even thinking about indulging in such things was as bad for the body as actually doing them (Matt. 5:27-28). We can't. We can't stop ourselves and we can't atone for ourselves. Only Jesus, through the Spirit, can give us the power to overcome whatEVER sensual indulgence might be a tripping point.
Be rooted. Be grounded. Be strengthened in the faith...and be thankful.
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