And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing (=persuasive) words. For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ. As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
Col.2:4-7
The reason why Paul is saying all this is because of the dangers the Colossians faced. In the previous chapter, before Paul lists those dangers, he makes the believers aware of the Supremacy of Christ. We have seen that Christ is preeminent, the first born of all creation, the head of the church and so on.
Christ is not a demi-god, nor any emanation from deity, but God Himself, the blessed second person of the Trinity. Paul took great care to establish the true picture of the Lord Jesus before embarking on demolishing these dangers.
Only when we have the true vison of Christ in our hearts can we face up to and avoid error.
B1.1 False reasoning
The first danger Paul opens to us is that of being beguiled with enticing words. This underlines all the other dangers that the apostle lists later (Vain Philosophy 2:8; Legalism 2:16; Mysticism 2:18-23).
The word ‘beguile’ used here means “to deceive by false reasoning” (Vine). It is the same Greek word is used in
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only deceiving (= beguiling) your own selves.
Jms.2:22
In context James is talking of hearing the Word of God then doing it, otherwise he is like someone who looks in a mirror and then goes off and forgets what he looks like. Maybe he had a dirty forehead. He looks but then walks away forgetting all about it. He carries on regardless, his actions saying that just because he can’t see the dirt, after he has gone from the mirror, he must be alright. He reasons falsely – ignoring the facts already shown to him.
Paul’s warning to us is similar, in spiritual things we are not to allow false reasoning to take us away from Christ. Once we have been shown the reality in God’s infallible word, let us not forget it when we are out and about our daily business. There are many voices saying different things, as to how we should live etc., but the only sure guide is God’s Word.
B1.2 As ye begun
Christ has obtained our salvation at great cost: His own precious blood. Only He was worthy to do that.
There was no other good enough
To pay the price of sin.
He only could unlock the gate
Of heaven, and let us in
We received this salvation by Grace through Faith alone. We did nothing to gain God’s favour nor did we contribute anything to it. We received it in all simplicity.
Likewise, we continue the Christian life by faith. We carry on as we started. We live day by day by His Grace through Faith. There is no other way to continue in the Christian life
None of the dangers listed in Colossians can help us, whether it be Vain Philosophy, Legalism or Mysticism. Indeed, they will, more than likely, hinder us and put us in great spiritual danger. We must not get caught up in those things, rather we must keep our eyes fixed on Christ.
God in Christ has provided all that is necessary, and there is no further provision if we neglect it.
As ye so foolish? Having begun in the Spirit are ye now made perfect by the flesh?
Gal.3:2