Colossians 2:8

8. Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you through his philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ:

Translation and Paraphrase

8. Watch (carefully) lest anyone (deceive you and) be carrying you off like (conquerors carry off) spoils (of war), through (their) propagandizing of (human philosophy and) wisdom, and (their) vain (fruitless) deceit, (all of which is) according to the traditions of men, (and) according to the rudimentary principles of (this) world, and not according to Christ.

Notes

1.

In Colossians 2:6-7 Paul laid down a true positive foundation for life. Now in Colossians 2:8 he begins to speak of the negative, undesirable, worldly, false doctrines that are opposed to Christ.

2.

As we read Colossians 2:8 ff, we are confronted with many allusions to the heresy at Colossae. Many of the allusions are obscure to us, but to the Colossians Paul's words struck home plainly.

The Colossian heresy was basically a group of additions to Christ, They wanted to add philosophy (Colossians 2:8), perhaps also circumcision (Colossians 2:11), rules about Jewish ceremonies (Colossians 2:16), worship of angels (Colossians 2:17), and rules about self-denial of the body (Colossians 2:20).

3.

Paul warned, Take heed lest anyone be carrying you off, like conquerors carry off the spoil of war. All of the additions to Christ were endangering the Colossians. By these human ideas, men were about to deceive the Colossians, and when that happened it would be just as if some conqueror made spoil of them.

As we think of spoil, we think of captives of war being carried away, and paraded before crowds in victory processionals. The conquered peoples were treated as spoils of war and led away into slavery.

The teachers of human philosophy and human religious ideas around Colossae would boast whenever they made a convert and deceived someone into accepting their ideas, like conquering generals gloried over their vanquished opponents.

4.

The philosophy which Paul warned against is not exactly what we ordinarily mean by philosophy. The word philosophy literally means love of wisdom. It was used by the Greek writers for either zeal for or skill in any art or science, or any branch of knowledge. (Thayer). Philosophy refers to any moral system. We could speak of the philosophy of the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, the Greeks, etc. Here is Colossians philosophy seems to refer to the theology (or theosophy) which concerned itself with Jewish rituals, and honoring angels, and rules about self-denial of the body. Paul calls all of these things vain deceit (or empty, fruitless deceit). Ephesians 5:6.

5.

Paul describes the vain deceit and philosophy of men in three ways:

(1)

It is after the tradition of men.

(2)

It is after the rudiments of the world.

(3)

It is not after Christ.

6.

Traditions are ideas or teachings handed down from one generation to another. They may be good traditions (2 Thessalonians 2:15; 2 Thessalonians 3:6), or undesirable traditions originated by men alone (Mark 7:8-9; Matthew 15:2).

7.

By rudiments Paul refers to the basic, first, primary, simple elements of anything. The letters of the alphabet are the rudiments of writing. The elements are the rudiments of the material universe. 2 Peter 3:10. Numbers are the rudiments of mathematics.

Paul here refers to the philosophy and vain deceit of men as being rudiments. Compared to the boundless, profound, unsearchable wisdom in God's word, men's ideas are like A-B-C'S. They are but the rudiments of truth. Philosophy, though it is usually thought of as very profound, is rudimentary because it is only the teachings and traditions of men.

8.

In Galatians 4:3 Paul also refers to the rudiments of the world. The reference there is obviously to the law of Moses. It was called rudiments, not because it was not given by God, but because it was an imperfect, incomplete, temporary system, given to bring us unto Christ (Galatians 3:24).

It is very possible that the rudiments Paul refers to in Colossians 2:8 may be the same as, or similar to, those in Galatians 4:3, the reference being to the law of Moses in both places. The reference in Colossians does seem to apply to other things as well, however.

9.

Many interpreters have understood the rudiments referred to in Colossians to be the stars and planets and signs of the zodiac. They feel that the Colossian heresy included astrological ideas, perhaps even a worship of the heavenly bodies. The Revised Standard version sets forth this idea in its translation: the elemental spirits of the universe.

Certainly Christians should shun astrology as a guide for their lives. The Old Testament prophets thundered the message that God's children should not worship the host of heaven nor seek guidance from them. (Jeremiah 8:2; Zephaniah 1:5; 2 Chronicles 33:3; 2 Chronicles 33:5). Why should we seek the heavenly bodies rather than the God who made them? Usually the people who follow the Bible the least are the people who look to things like astrology for guidance the most. When men reject the word of God, they turn to superstition.

As true as all of this is, there is no real indication that Paul was referring to the heavenly bodies by his references to rudiments. Even those who think that Paul was referring to heavenly bodies differ widely in unfolding the meaning of this passage.

10.

How tragic that men's ideas are not after Christ. But that is utterly true. No man has ever thought up out of his own intellect and knowledge the truth about God, His will, and promises. These things are things which we have either learned from God's revelation of Himself, or we do not know them, 1 Corinthians 2:9-12.

Study and Review

8.

What are we to take heed to prevent? (Colossians 2:8)

9.

Explain the verb spoil in Colossians 2:8.

10.

What does vain mean in vain deceit?

11.

Philosophy and vain deceit are said to be after two things. What are they?

12.

To what does the word rudiments in Colossians 2:8 refer?