COLOSSIANS: OVERCOMING SYNCRETISM THRU CHRIST

Part VI: Christ’s Sufficiency And Supremacy Over Oriental Mysticism

(Colossians 2:18-19)

I. Introduction

A. Recent research indicates that the average American adopts beliefs and practices from approximately nine distinct worldviews, what produces a jumble of often contradictory philosophies known as syncretism.

B. The epistle to the Colossians handled a mixture of Jewish legalism, Greek philosophy and Oriental mysticism (Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, 1978, p. 1690, “The Colossian Heresy”), so it applies to the syncretism that we face.

C. Colossians 2:18-19 presents Christ’s Sufficiency and Supremacy over Oriental Mysticism for our insight:

II. Christ’s Sufficiency And Supremacy Over Oriental Mysticism, Colossians 2:18-19.

A. Paul told his readers to let no one “disqualify them for the prize,” that is, to let no one “rob (katabrabeueto, ‘to decide against’)” them “of their spiritual rewards.” (Colossians 2:18a; Bible Know. Com., N. T., p. 678) “As a judge disqualifies those who turn the wrong way in a race, so believers who turn from faithfully following Christ will be ‘robbed’ of their rewards from Him (cf. 1 Cor. 3:10-15).” (Ibid.)

B. The heretics to whom Paul referred promoted mysticism, and he described them in Colossians 2:18b,c,d:

1. These mystics delighted in presenting themselves to the Colossian believers as humble men when in reality they exhibited a false humility, and they practiced the worship of angels, what was forbidden in Exodus 20:3-4 and Revelation 22:8-9. (Colossians 2:18b.; Ibid., p. 678-679)

2. Indeed, “legalism is” at times “a teaching inspired by fallen angels (1 Tim. 4:1) who as ‘elemental spirits’ (Gal. 4:3 RSV) would bring men into slavery by their mystical meditations.” (Ibid., p. 679)

3. The mystics also highlighted what they had seen in visions, what Paul called “idle notions (eike, ‘vain, to not avail’; cf. Gal. 3:4.” (Colossians 2:18c; Ibid.) The KJV phrase “things which he hath not seen” translates the inferior reading in the Greek manuscripts that was apparently provided by scribes who were trying to present such mystics as liars where in reality these mystics had seen visions, the word “not” being excluded in the superior reading. However, the mystics had promoted their visions in their teaching to mislead vulnerable Christians who had not seen any visions, and such Christians were then impressed to heed those who had seen such visions! (Ibid.; U. B. S. Grk. N. T., 1966, p. 698, ftn. to Colossians 2:18)

4. Thus, the false mystical teachers who had seen these visions had emphasized them to their hearers, and with their unspiritual minds they had become puffed up with pride, Colossians 2:18d NIV.

C. Paul then revealed how the sufficiency and supremacy of Christ overcame such mysticism in Colossians 2:19:

1. Though the mystic believed that his style of humility, his worship of angels, his preoccupation with the visions he had seen along with his carnal self-exalting pride had brought him in touch “with some ‘higher’ reality,” just the opposite was actually true, Bible Know. Com., N. T., loc. cit.

2. In not holding to the Head, Jesus Christ in Whom is the believer’s source for all spiritual fulfillment, one misses out on all true spiritual fulfillment because Christ is the spiritual Head of the Body of Christ, and disconnection from Him leads one to a lack of support and connection with the rest of the body, Colossians 2:19a NIV. As a result, spiritual growth ceases to occur, Colossians 2:19b NIV.

3. Believers thus need to retain their spiritual reliance by faith on their All-Sufficient, All-Supreme Lord and Savior Jesus Christ for all the spiritual nurture they need for spiritual growth and unity with the rest of the godly Body of Christ, Colossians 2:19.

4. Similarly, each believer needs to avoid mysticism with its false humility, its sinful worship of angels, its obsession with visions and its self-exalting pride in false spirituality!

Lesson: Mysticism with its emphasis on experience with its false humility, its worship of angels and its obsession with visions and resulting self-exalting pride actually leads one to spiritual destitution and being cut off from our edifying All-Sufficient, All-Supreme Lord Jesus Christ. Accordingly, mysticism is to be avoided in favor of true spiritual fulfillment that comes by a full reliance on and a complete commitment to Christ in one’s walk.

Application: (1) May we not let anyone make us think we are spiritually inferior for not having seen a vision, nor should we believe that we have reached some exalted level of spiritual maturity because we feel we are really humble or that we have interacted with a supposed angel! True spiritual fulfillment arises when one exalts Jesus Christ alone in his walk! (2) May we not succumb to the idea that spiritual maturity is something hard to comprehend, identify or experience, but realize that it is a clear and practical interaction with the Lord in our lives.