Colossians 2:6-23, Part 3

As we proceed to verses 18-19, we must continue to keep in mind the positive context against which these negative criticisms are contrasted. That is, Christ's person and work are complete, and anything that undermines this idea of completeness is a false doctrine. Verse 18 describes a person who "goes into great detail about what he has seen." Those who are eager to suppress all spiritual manifestations on the basis of the sufficiency of Scripture cannot find support here, for the verse cannot refer to all such manifestations in general. The apostles themselves had visions and other so-called revelatory experiences, and other believers who were not apostles also had them. And of course, Paul writes this before the completion of Scripture, since he is writing a part of it. Yet Christ's person and work are already complete.

So spiritual manifestations in themselves do not conflict with the completeness of Christ, but Paul is targeting a particular kind of experience that leads to a particular kind of consequence. The vision that this person claims to have seen is associated with "false humility" and "the worship of angels." Paul does not attack the idea of vision, but the false doctrine and the mindset of the person.

This is also the proper way to address claims to visions and dreams today. There is no biblical evidence to suggest that such things have ceased. Scripture is sufficient and complete, but if Christ wishes to appear to someone for whatever reason, I am not going to throw Warfield's book at the Lord and call him Beelzebub. Warfield's farfetched scheme is forced and artificial, and an embarrassment. If someone claims to have seen a vision, it is sufficient for me to examine the content of the vision, the doctrines suggested by it, and the mindset of the person who had the experience. It would be unbiblical to deny the very possibility or the legitimacy of the vision without regard to its content.

As for an illegitimate claim to such an experience, and most claims are illegitimate, in the end, it matters only a little as to whether the person in fact had an experience. Even if he has seen a vision, it does not mean that he is correct or that he should be heeded. If the doctrines suggested by the alleged vision are false, if it contradicts the completeness of Christ or some other biblical doctrine, then the vision was either imagined, demonically inspired, or conjured in some other manner, if there are other possibilities.

The person who "goes into great detail about what he has seen" might consider himself spiritually privileged, but he fails to maintain a connection with the Head, the true source of wisdom and knowledge, and spiritual insight (v. 3). He fails to uphold, and be rooted and built up in the doctrines of Christ, as he has been received by the Colossians and taught by the apostles. Thus Paul's judgment is that "his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions." His attention is given to his senses, to sensual experiences, and not that which is truly spiritual, which is faith in the completeness of Christ's person and work, through which we maintain our connection with him who is the head of the church, that is, his body.

There are those who claim to be prophets, and that God has revealed to them principles that are essential for spiritual advancement, but that no one could discover through a sober study of the plain sense of Scripture. Or, either through divine revelation or esoteric research, some make claims to have discovered certain "codes" that could unlock hidden mysteries or predictions within Scripture itself, beyond what it says with its words and sentences on the surface. Among them are professing Christians, non-Christians gurus, and other personalities. These individuals would fall under the condemnation of Paul. Despite their pretense, their minds and lives are unspiritual, but of the senses and the flesh, and they are puffed up with idle notions. The church must publicly denounce them, and if they are church members, it should expel them from the community.