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Blind Alleys of False Faith

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Blind Alleys of False Faith 6 must hold first to two core convictions that the philosophy gaining ground in Colosse did not embrace. !ese convic- BLIND ALLEYS OF tions are (1) Christ is the complete revela- FALSE FAITH tion of God within human history (2:9–10); and (2) Christ rules over all Colossians 2:8–23 powers within God’s created order (2:10–15). Accordingly, Paul’s warnings are rooted in his central assumption that Paul writes to Colosse as a concerned the person and work of Jesus Christ are sufficient for human salvation from sin elder and loving shepherd caring for an and for vital growth in spiritual life. endangered flock of young Christians. He 1. Being Carried Away by False Teachers already has explained his view of the 2:8–10 supremacy of God in Jesus Christ and how this ought to be considered absolute Paul’s Colossian le#er is filled with for Christian thought and life. Now it is allusions to the dangerous teaching in time for him to address forthrightly a question. While the references to it would major challenge to this view. have been quite clear to the Colossian !e Colossian church was in danger of readers, they are less so now. !e general being taken captive (2:8) by false teachers landscape is visible; some of the details, and carried off as a prize of war. !e however, are ma#ers of speculation only. a#acker was a deceptive philosophy What is clear is that some new teachers (2:8) that was degrading the Colossians’ were endangering the believers with hol- view of the person and authority of Jesus low and deceptive ideas rooted in this Christ. While philosophy—the pursuit world and not in Jesus Christ (2:8). !ey and love of wisdom—can be a noble were saying that Christians have to go thing, in this case it was acting as a decep- through certain “spiritual powers” to tive alternative to the Christian faith as reach the Christ. Going this way meant preached by Paul and the other original recognizing, appeasing, and maybe even apostles of the Christ. worshiping various powers. In response, To participate with Christ in the full- Paul argues vigorously that Christ is the ness of God’s salvation, insists Paul, one head over every power and authority Earle L. Wilson, Alex R. G. Deasley, and Barry L. Callen, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007). Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:46 PM July 16, 2019. 1 (2:10). !e false teachers may think that !e pa$ern of false teaching in ques- God’s rule over the church is mediated by tion was removing Jesus Christ as sole angelic agents; in fact, the Lord himself occupant of the divine throne. !e new mediates the divine human relationship, thought was that Christ is not sufficient, is directly accessible to believers, and not unique, only one among many mani- alone deserves worship. festations of God, and that it is necessary In a few generations this doctrinal to know and to serve other divine powers. danger in Colosse would be widespread How contemporary this sounds! It was a and formalized into what we now call philosophy that was difficult for the aver- Gnosticism. By then the Christian move- age believer to understand. Apparently it ment would have developed three main included elements of astrology. People lines of defense against it not available to were assumed to be under the influence Paul. !ey would be (1) established of stars, planets, and angels. !us, people creedal statements to fight off false doc- need a special knowledge beyond that of trine; (2) the official listing of recognized Jesus to be liberated from these influ- books of the Bible (closed canon), an ences. Since some were saying that Jesus assured source for identifying apostolic is not the only link between the believer teaching; and (3) the episcopal office, and God, it may be necessary to honor recognized and authoritative leadership and even worship angels (2:18). to control church life. Lacking these, at Paul rejects this teaching as a funda- least in their later forms, Paul used per- mental danger to the integrity of Chris- sonal influence and careful reasoning to tian faith. For those ancient Asians who block the great danger as it was already were surrounded by a diversity of pagan appearing in his day. Having reminded religions and for we “moderns” who seem his readers of the central elements of the li$le changed in many ways, he insists gospel (1:12–23) and defended his author- that Christ is the key to all wisdom and ity to teach and admonish his readers in knowledge and the source of all needed light of the gospel (1:24–2:3), he now spiritual liberation. Only by being fully addresses the problem head on. For him, “the problem with bad ideas is that they 1 Robert W. Wall, Colossians and Philemon, result in distorted notions of Christ and !e IVP New Testament Commentary Series what it means to follow him.”1 (Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press, 1993), p. 98. Earle L. Wilson, Alex R. G. Deasley, and Barry L. Callen, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007). Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:46 PM July 16, 2019. 2 grounded in Jesus Christ will the Colos- believers who hope to make a dif- sians or we be able to resist the allure of ference for Christ in the realities of futile speculation and humanly devised our time. belief systems. Some of the Colossians, According to Paul, salvation must not however, were relying on human imagi- be thought of as something to be gained nation and the basic principles of this by what we do, but something that by world (2:8). !e word principles sheer grace God offers in Jesus Christ. (stoicheia) likely is be"er translated ele- Salvation originates from who God is, not ments, referring to the classic four (earth, from who we are or what we do. !e water, air, and fire). !ese were com- Jewish tradition apparently tended in the monly considered frivolous and profane doing direction in Colosse. !is tendency in Greek thought, misleading Christians was a problem to the Christian commu- into an ascetic lifestyle with strict injunc- nity since it was being mixed with a Greek tions against involvement with the mate- idea to form an unholy alliance. !is idea rial world that was being judged unspiri- loathed the human body as the seat of sin. tual. Ma"er was said to be inherently evil and LIFE CHANGE to be distinguished sharply from the purity of God. Many layers or grades of Only by being fully grounded in spiritual beings were said to exist Jesus Christ would the Colossians between God and our material existence. or will we be able to resist the !e material must be disciplined vigor- allurement of humanly devised ously. Degrading the body and reaching belief systems. Given the numer- to these heavenly beings were thought ous allurements surrounding essential doings of true faith. Rather than believers today, how can churches God’s free grace having arrived directly in be"er ground their members in the flesh of Jesus Christ, said the false Jesus Christ? Is it too much to say teachers, we must find our way to God that it is as important to encourage through intense and dematerialized mature discipleship as it is to get a visions of a complex spiritual world. person saved in the first place? Why was Paul so concerned about such Learning how to be in the world thinking in Colosse? First, it brought into without being of it is essential for question the actual incarnation (fleshing) Earle L. Wilson, Alex R. G. Deasley, and Barry L. Callen, Galatians, Philippians, Colossians: A Commentary for Bible Students (Indianapolis, IN: Wesleyan Publishing House, 2007). Exported from Logos Bible Software, 9:46 PM July 16, 2019. 3 question the actual incarnation (fleshing) ers must resist all those who would of God in Jesus. John elsewhere identifies deceive you with fine-sounding argu- as antichrist any thought that Jesus ments (2:4). True Christian life is not Christ had not come in the flesh (1 John primarily affirming doctrinal proposi- 4:1–3; 2 John 7). Next, assuming that the tions, achieving intense spiritual visions, body is inherently evil usually leads either or gaining some specialized religious to immorality (it ma!ers li!le how one knowledge. It is knowing Jesus Christ as uses what is of no inherent value) or to Lord of all, including oneself, and coming the opposite, a rigid asceticism that to fullness in Christ (2:10). $is does not denies normal satisfaction to natural mean that we can “be sloppy in our think- physical desires. Honor is granted to the ing.… Right thinking [however] does not most restrictive people who think they make us righteous, only the cross can do are gaining by doing. Finally, the usual that; but right thinking—right in the outcome is a fractured fellowship, a sense of being hard, honest, clear, disci- church with many common believers and plined—is essential if we are going to a few who think they are the spiritually communicate the gospel effectively to a elite. To the contrary, Paul insisted that huge segment of the world.”2 mature Christian faith is available to all $e Colossian heresy was especially (Col. 1:28) and that divisive differences tempting to sensitive believers who among Christians have been wiped out in wished to go on “to perfection” in their Jesus Christ (3:11).
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