Week 4 Day 2 GMG Colossians Study

Week 4 Day 2 GMG Colossians Study!

Today's reading:

Scripture: kjv Colossians 2:⁸ Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Observations: Paul is warning us to beware of those who would like to trick us and take us captive. Beware lest ANY MAN, doesnt matter who they are what position they hold, how much clout or influence a person has, Paul said dont let ANY MAN spoil or take you captive through......

• philosophy...I find this admonition to beware of philosophy very interesting because earlier in Colossians Paul prayed that the church at Colossae would have wisdom 3 or 4 different times. We are told throughout our Bibles to seek wisdom. Proverbs is a whole book dedicated to instilling wisdom in our hearts.....but this PHILOSIPHY here that Paul is warning against is MENS wisdom. Philosophy means literally *love of wisdom*. Doesn't that sound just like how the world approaches and seeks wisdom? For the sake and love of wisdom itself? We love and prize intellectual wisdom, academic knowledge is esteemed and built up. Eve fell and caused Adam to fall into sin because she was seeking worldly knowledge. Mens wisdom has absolutely NO value in Gods economy. Beware of wisdom/philosophy Paul warns.
• vain deceit....proud lies
• traditions of men....I gather Paul was warning them to beware of Jewish laws and rituals. Most religions are built on traditions of men.
• rudiments of the world....I looked up rudiment in the Strongs:any first thing, from which the others belonging to some series or composite whole take their rise, an element, first principal....so again Paul is warning them to not follow the traditions that they first learned, perhaps their religious teachings.
• NOT after Christ: Beware of anything that is not Christ.

Application: Christ plus nothing equals everything. Mens wisdom, religious traditions, legalism, mysticism, academic education, intellectualism. Wisdom and knowledge of man has NO value. Christ is the answer. Period. Simply.

PRAY: Dear Jesus forgive me for being impressed by anything other than the simplicity of your Gospel. Forgive me for seeking intellectual knowledge while neglecting your simple will. I am proud, I want to seem a certain way, to know things. Forgive me. Help me to rely completely on your wisdom alone.