What was the Colossian heresy?

In reading the Epistle to the Colossians we cannot fail to observe the striking parallelism between the conditions obtaining in the first century and those existing in the twentieth century. There is nothing essentially new under the sun, history is constantly repeating itself. Before considering the main features of the epistle it may be well to review the conditions which called for its being written. The circumstances which prompted the apostle to pen the Epistle to the Colossians were briefly as follows:—Epaphras, a Colossian who had been the agent in founding the Church at Colosse, had brought news of a heresy which was mainly philosophic. His zeal for the apostle led him to become his fellow-prisoner. The Colossian heresy circled round a subtle error, Gnosticism, a false mysticism, to which only the privileged few could be initiated. It accounted for evil and creation. God is good, matter is evil, God and the universe must then be connected by a descending series of angelic orders (principalities and powers), and the consequent dethronement of the Son of God, with the accompanying worship of angels. (Col. 2:18).

Paul in Rome had received, probably through Epaphras, the information that the Colossian Christians were facing great dangers as to their faith. What the danger was the text of the Epistle will show us more fully. A number of false doctrines emanating from philosophical speculations, oriental mysticism, asceticism and Judaism, were being advocated amongst them and threatened the complete corruption of the church. Later a system known by the name of Gnosticism (from the Greek word "gnosis"--knowledge) wrought great havoc in the Church; the beginning of it was troubling the Colossians, who seemed to have been an intellectual class to whom the philosophical, mystical and ascetic teachings appealed in a special way. Gnosticism attempted to explain creation, the origin of evil, God, etc., apart from the revelation God has given in His Word.

Besides speaking of a certain class of beings, half-gods of different rank, they denied that God had created the world, but that an inferior being had called it into existence. This system taught that matter is evil and that the only way to escape from evil would be to repudiate matter completely. The worst feature of these Gnostic teachings was a denial of the deity of the Lord Jesus Christ and His work of redemption. It was a philosophical, theosophical speculation, anti-Christian throughout. Well did Polycarp say to the Gnostic Marcion, "I know thee, thou firstborn of Satan." While this evil system had not yet fully developed in the Colossian church, the foundation for it had been laid and the Holy Spirit anticipated its coming, and in sending this document to the Colossians answers the false teachings of Gnosticism. This is of equal interest and importance to the Church in the twentieth century. "Christian Science," so-called, that philosophical-theosophical-mystical cult, is a satanic revival of ancient Gnosticism. The Epistle to the Colossians must, therefore, be an effectual weapon against this cult, which denies the two pillars of Christianity, the Son of God and the finished work of the cross.

The Colossians were also being misled, as the second chapter shows us, by other false teachers. Judaizers were at work among them. We are not left to infer respecting the class of religionists to which these teachers belonged, for the mention of "new moon and Sabbath" in chapter 2:16, at once characterizes them as Judaizers, and leads us to the then prevalent forms of Jewish philosophy to trace them. Not that these teachers were merely Jews; they were Christians (by profession), but they attempted to mix with the gospel of Christ the theosophy and angelology of the Jews of their times. They became infected with theosophic and ascetic principles and were gradually being drawn away from the simple doctrine of Christ. This false system of philosophy and ascetic mysticism, attempting to intrude into unseen things, with which was linked angel-worship, limited the superiority and greatness of the Lord Jesus Christ and more so the sufficiency of His work of redemption.

What might have been the things in Colosse that distracted the believers there from Christ? Much thought has been given to this question. Without going too far we may assume the following: The Colossians were inclined to philosophical thoughts and religious speculations (Col. 2:8), through which certain seducers apparently promised to impart a "higher knowledge". This apparently also involved certain rules of conduct and the preoccupation with the invisible world (Col. 2:16-23).

Often these influences mentioned in Colossians are called Gnosticism (Greek for "knowledge"), however, this so-called knowledge only came to its pernicious development in the second century, so that we can only speak of the beginnings of it here. In any case, Jewish, pagan and Greek-philosophical influences seem to have amalgamated into a syncretism (mixture of religions) that is difficult to reconstruct. The target of these satanic efforts in Colosse was first in the person of the Lord Jesus Christ and the faith of the Colossians in Him and His work. That is why Christ occupies a particularly prominent place in this letter.

And yet — despite their positive attributes — the Colossians were in danger. This becomes very clear in the course of the epistle. Paul has to sound several trumpet blasts of warning: ‘that no one may delude you by persuasive speech’ (2:4); ‘that there be no one who shall lead you away as a prey through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the teaching of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ’ (2:8); and ‘Let none therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in matter of feast, or new moon, or sabbaths’ (2:16); and ‘Let no one fraudulently deprive you of your prize …’ (2:18).

These references show that the Colossians were in danger of being influenced by certain individuals from outside the Colossian assembly (the use of the anonymous ‘no one’ (vs. 4, 8, 18) and ‘none’ (v. 16) suggests that these individuals came from outside) who appear to have suggested that Christ was good, but that more than Christ was needed: something to enhance Christianity, some ‘add-on’ to embellish the faith, something in addition to Christ.

A subtle foe was bent upon seducing the faithful brethren in that church from Christ. He was insinuating that while it was well enough to have Christ they would be none the worse off for a little of the world's philosophy, Christ and Plato would make an admirable mixture; and if they would borrow from Jewish ordinances and curb their Christian liberty by a discreet asceticism they would be gainers in every way. The best of Judaism, and the best of Greek thought would enrich their faith. But the whole effort was to displace Christ in their souls and blind them to His eternal oneness with the Father, and to reduce Him in their thoughts to the level of a created being. And this, also is the trend of modern thought in Christendom. Even the missionary is told that he must no longer go forth proclaiming the Name of Jesus as the only name in which there is salvation, for there is good and truth, say they, in all religions, and the Moslem and the Hindu have also got messages for mankind and they should meet together with the Christian on equal terms and pool their respective wealth. In view of this how necessary to us is the Epistle to the Colossians.

What does it mean to ‘hold fast the head’, and who is described here as not doing so? This part of the chapter (vs. 16–19) sheds light on the specific bait used by those seeking to influence the Colossians. Verse 16 says: ‘Let none therefore judge you in meat or in drink, or in matter of feast, or new moon, or sabbaths’. The danger seems to have come from two quarters: asceticism and Judaism. At first sight these things may not seem harmful. One might ask: what is the problem with not eating or not doing certain things, or with keeping certain feasts? However, the problem was not that they were detrimental in themselves, but that they distracted and detracted from Christ. Verse 18 mentions the ‘worship of angels’. This example shows the danger of what was being promoted: it effectively resulted in creatures being interposed between the believer and Christ. There also seems to have been a certain amount of mysticism (‘entering into things which he has not seen’). And what was the attitude of those who presented these new teachings? In short, pride: ‘vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh’.

The danger treated of in Colossians, and against which the apostle most earnestly warns them, is that of "philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ." They were not to be beguiled of their reward by any man, "in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he had not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding the head." How easy to discern here the germs of the whole system of evil which has since been developed. It is under fairest pretensions of humility, that men have interposed, or sought to interpose, between the head and members, not only the officious services of an elaborate hierarchy on earth, but the mediation of saints, and the worship of angels in heaven! It was against the beginnings of all this that Paul so warned the Colossians. It was in view of these perils, which then threatened, and which have since desolated the Church, that he underwent the agony he describes. "For I would that ye knew what great conflict I have for you, and for them at Laodicea, and for as many as have not seen my face in the flesh." Alas! where are now the Pauls to bear thus on their hearts in living sympathy the state of the whole Church before God?

In the second chapter of Colossians the apostle shows how God has worked to bring this to pass and warns us of the different devices by which the devil seeks to frustrate the present purpose of God in the saints. First we are warned against the delusive opinions of men, presented in the most attractive way by persuasive speech (v. 4); then philosophy, or the love of human wisdom drawn from the traditions of men and the elements of the world (v. 8); further, we are warned against religious flesh, connected with abstinence from certain food and the observance of certain days (v. 16); finally we are warned against superstition, such as worshipping angels (v. 18).

Two applications of the doctrine that they are dead with Christ and risen with Him follow (Col. 2:20). He applies the principle of death to all the ordinances, and to the asceticism which treated the body as a thing vile in itself which ought to be rejected; and (Col. 3:1) he uses the resurrection to raise their hearts into a higher sphere and to bring them back to Christ by looking up, they being dead as regards the old man. —

To make these instructions more plain by showing their connection, we may remark that the apostle points out the double danger, namely, philosophy, and human tradition, in contrast with Christ (Col. 2:3; see v. 9-15). While identifying us with Christ, he speaks of the bearing of the work of Christ Himself rather than of this identification. In verses 16-19 he applies it first (v. 16) to subjection to ordinances, that is, to the Jewish side of their danger; and then (v. 18) to the Gnostic philosophy, science falsely so called, which linked itself with Judaism (or to which Judaism linked itself), reproducing itself under a new form. From verse 20 the apostle applies our death and resurrection with Christ to the same points, or to the deliverance of the Colossians by raising their thoughts on high.

Not only are present day difficulties delineated; the Spirit of God also provides the answer. From chapter 2 it is evident the Colossian church was troubled with false teachers - Judaistic, who taught formalism and ritualism, and gnostic who brought in the lawless activity of men's minds. These troubles are with us today in full measure. The answer to both these difficulties is found in our text: the pre-eminence of Christ.