Colossians 2:6-23, Part 1
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.
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.
For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 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. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.
Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 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.
This chapter covers a large section because of the close relationship between the verses. Although this passage includes many verses, because of our extensive discussions on the previous passages, there is nothing central here that we have not already considered in some way. This is especially true of verses 9-15, which should now seem easy to understand.
Paul is continuing to write out of the concern he expressed in 2:4, namely, "I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." The "this" refers to the truth that the fullness of wisdom is in Christ, and sophistries and deceptions are intended by "fine-sounding arguments." These can indeed come from a specific source, such as a group of false teachers attempting to indoctrinate the Colossians, but there is no decisive reason to rule out the possibility that Paul could be providing a general warning, perhaps against false ideas that are popular in the culture of the Colossians.
He continues this approach in verses 6-23. Positively, he states the truths that his readers need to know in this context, and negatively, he applies them against the errors that his readers must avoid. Paul summarizes his presentation in this section in verses 6-8 before going into details in verses 9-23. So verses 6-7 introduces a positive perspective, while verse 8 turns to the negative.
Verses 6 and 7 direct Christians to both maintain and advance in their faith. And the basis for maintaining and advancing their faith is that which they have "received" (v. 6), or that which they have been "taught" (v. 7). In other words, Christians must maintain and advance in their faith, and the way to do that is to go back to and go deeper into the teachings – the doctrine, the theology – that they have received concerning Jesus Christ and the Christian faith. This would include maintaining and advancing in obedience of these teachings.
Verse 8 then turns to the negative. The content of the verse demands a more lengthy treatment.
The "philosophy" that Paul warns against is "hollow and deceptive." It is "hollow" in that it is devoid of truth, wisdom, and reason, but it tries to convince people that it possesses these qualities by using methods and arguments that are "deceptive." In other words, this philosophy can appear wise to foolish people, such as non-Christians, or to Christians who at the moment fail to maintain their focus on the sound doctrines referred to in verses 6 and 7.
This philosophy is doomed to failure from the start because it is based on "human tradition" and "the basic principles of this world" rather than on Christ. It begins from the speculation of man, rather than the revelation of Christ. It is not a Christian philosophy. A tradition consists of a belief or practice, or a system of such, that is affirmed and guarded, and that is handed down to others. By this definition, there is nothing inherently wrong with tradition, and it is not something that necessarily lacks rational justification. In fact, a true system of belief ought to become a tradition that is embraced by all. And in this sense, the Christian faith itself can be a tradition, a revealed tradition. What Paul opposes is not tradition itself, but human tradition, or beliefs and practices that have been invented by men. It does not teach a true system of belief, but it gains acceptance by the use of deceptive appearances and arguments.
There is some question about the meaning of "the basic principles of this world." The two major interpretations understand Paul to be referring to either "elements" or "rudiments." The former could refer to the earthly elements of ancient science (as in earth, water, fire, and air), or it could even refer to "elemental spirits of the universe" (RSV), including pagan deities that supposedly exercise power over peoples and nations. "Rudiments," on the other hand, would refer to the first principles of a philosophy, that is, the basic principles, teachings, and assumptions of a system of thought.
Several considerations, including the context, favor the latter interpretation, so that the meaning should be "rudiments," as in basic principles or teachings. Paul refers to the rudiments of "the world," which in a context that chides the traditions of men, should be taken in the ethical sense. The content of the rest of the passage is consistent with this understanding. In particular, 2:20 calls attention again to "the basic principles of this world" and cites "its rules" as "Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!" He says that these are "human commands and teachings…regulations." For this reason Calvin thinks the basic principles refer to "ceremonies." But it is more precise to say that Paul is referring to the teachings about these ceremonies.
In any case, even if some insist that Paul has in mind elements or elemental spirits, it makes no pivotal difference in interpretation and application, since the meaning still reduces to a set of intellectual principles. This is because he is talking about a "philosophy," so that even if the reference directly concerns elements or spirits, he is in fact referring to the intellectual principles and assumptions associated with them.
These principles are false, Paul explains, because they are based on men's ideas and not based on Christ. This point is significant because it universalizes the application of the statement. The false philosophy is hollow and deceptive not just because it is based on some particular human inventions. If this is as far as Paul goes, then this verse might leave room for other human inventions to be correct, or at least they would have to be individually considered. But Paul says that the philosophy is false because it is not based on Christ, the Christ that the Colossians received and were taught (v. 6-7). In other words, any philosophy that is not based on the Christian faith as delivered by the apostles is a false philosophy.
A hollow and deceptive philosophy consists of the traditions and principles of men – things that they invented or deduced from their speculations and superstitions. These false principles pervade all non-Christian religions and philosophies. The natural sciences, including modern cosmology, physics, biology, and so on, are not exempted from this charge. Man-made philosophies are not only hollow, but also deceptive, and many Christians have been deceived into thinking that science is rational and authoritative. This is what it claims, and this is what it wants us to believe, but it cannot withstand even the most basic logical scrutiny in its assumptions, methods, and conclusions. They are after all the traditions and principles of men, nothing more. On the other hand, true philosophy consists of Christian traditions and principles, things that God has revealed to us through the Scripture.
Attempts to destroy the Christian faith sometimes come from unexpected sources. Consider the case of pseudo-presuppositionalism. Some might be surprised that so many professing Christians would rise up to violently defend an anti-biblical epistemology, one that makes man's own sensation the precondition for any contact with biblical revelation, thus subjugating the entire Christian faith under subjective and unreliable human perception. And then this foolishness is integrated as a necessary component in what is supposedly a biblical system of apologetics. It stresses the role of presuppositions, but the problem is that its own presuppositions are based on human traditions and principles, the very thing that Paul condemns.
Paul warns against being taken "captive" by such a philosophy – not only one in particular, but any philosophy that is based on human traditions and principles, rather than on Christ. Pseudo-presuppositionalism is only one of many examples. Once a person is captured by the first principles of an irrational philosophy, one that is based on the inventions of men, he could order his whole life by it, including his understanding of the Christian faith. In another place, Paul calls this a mental "stronghold," a processing system and defense mechanism in the mind that protects false ideas and holds the person prisoner. It becomes a satanic outpost by which the evil one advances his cause, partly by reproducing such a stronghold in the minds of others.
We can refuse to submit to the same deception that has captured and enslaved so many. Instead, we will become established and built up in the philosophy of Christ. By the standard of 2:8, pseudo-presuppositionalism should be considered a non-Christian philosophy, a man-made tradition. We have no obligation to heed these hostages of human ideas, but because we are the faithful ones who stand on biblical principles, we have authority over them, and also an obligation to teach and warn them. Thus we must command their attention, and set their minds free by a philosophy that is truly based on Christ. This is one illustration that what Paul says has universal validity, since it is played out around us daily, but he makes a particular application that we will appreciate as we continue with the passage.
The verse does not disparage thinking, but promotes a Christian intellectualism. Paul does not say, "Do not be confused by the facts. Do not be taken by correct arguments. Do not be rational." No, he has the opposite attitude. He warns against non-factual, incorrect, and irrational philosophy. He does not renounce philosophy as such, for broadly speaking, a philosophy is just a worldview, or a system of beliefs, and in this sense the Christian faith is also a philosophy. He is against a philosophy that is based on human traditions and principles, and not on Christ. And his language suggests that a philosophy that is based on Christ would not be hollow and deceptive. A philosophy that derives its basic principles and assumptions from biblical revelation is a true philosophy – this is the Christian faith.
March 05 2008 | Expositions