Where did we come from? How did we get here? Is there life after death? What’s the meaning of life? Is there life beyond our planet? These questions have been pondered and argued by man for millennia. Philosophers throughout the ages have all hypothesized countless different theories, beliefs, and systems of answering this question, but to no real avail. G. Campbell Morgan wrote, “Philosophy has been a quest, and never a conquest.” Every philosopher who ever lived did so without certainty and then died with darkness in their mind and heart. Many have driven themselves mad over seeking to answer these deep questions of life apart from Christ. All is madness and emptiness apart from Christ. All of them asked the same question as Pilate but could never come to a conclusion. John 18:37-38 says, “37 Pilate therefore said unto him, Art thou a king then? Jesus answered, Thou sayest that I am a king. To this end was I born, and for this cause came I into the world, that I should bear witness unto the truth. Every one that is of the truth heareth my voice. 38 Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all.” Apart from Christ there is no truth because He is the truth. Man’s reason is nothingness compared to God’s revelation. Today, many still seek to find answers through philosophy or false religion. Many are soothed by their own reason, logic, and works. However, all of their reason, logic, and works are crushed to death under the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ.
As we continue our study of Colossians, we see that Paul continues to hold forth the supremacy and sufficiency of the person and work of Christ to combat the false teaching that is threatening the church at Colosse. That same threat exists today and marches against the door of every church, home, and heart of every believer. The Colossian heresy was a combination of mysticism, Gnosticism, and legalism. These issues are all defeated by those who are rooted and grounded in the faith. All doctrinal threats are defeated when we have our Christology in order. Because Christ is supreme and sufficient, no amount of mysticism, Gnosticism, or legalism could ever help our growth in Christ. All of those things will detract from His supremacy and sufficiency in our life through deception which leads to our defeat. The believers that Paul was writing to and the Christians that I am preaching to now need to look to Christ alone. We must look to Him and live in Him. We must learn to see Him as supreme and sufficient in His person and work so that the threats we face today would not win. Our passage today is Col. 2:8-10 which says, “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. 9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” These verses continue to transition into the main argument of Paul’s letter which will build on the supremacy and sufficiency of the person and work of Christ to keep the believers from falling prey to the enemies that surround them. Paul has been writing these truths to help the Christians grow into maturity and completeness (Col. 1:27-3:7). We must see that we are complete in Christ. We need nothing but Christ to become a Christian (in Him), live as a Christian (in Him), and die as a Christian (in Him). All of this points us to our union in Christ which is supreme and sufficient for all of life so that we may live and enjoy communion with Him and His church, both now, and forever.
First, we see the emptiness of man in Col. 2:8 which says, “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.” Paul now gives his second imperative of the letter. The first was “walk ye in Him” and now he writes “beware.” The word “beware” is the word “blepo” which means to look out, beware, keep watchful, or alert. It is in the present tense signifying that this is to be the continual pattern of life. We are to always be watching while we are at war, and we are always at war (See Col. 2:6-7). Watchfulness comes from walking in, with, to, and like Christ. Paul gives the warning to beware and watchful “lest any man spoil you.” The word “spoil” is the word “sulagogeo” which is a combination of words meaning to carry away loot or booty as slaves or captives. The idea is that Paul gives a strong warning to be watchful so that those believers who have been redeemed and reconciled to God through Christ would not be deceived and enslaved once more. We have been liberated and brought into the kingdom of light and given eternal life. Because of this, we must be vigilant to be victorious over the danger of deception. There are four things that we are to beware of in this verse.
One, beware of philosophy. The word “philosophy” is the word “philasophia” which means the love of wisdom. We have seen already that we need wisdom. Wisdom is a good thing; however, those outside of Christ love to seek wisdom more than they do to actually find it. Christians have all wisdom, knowledge, and spiritual understanding in Christ (Col. 1:9; 2:2-3). However, we should love Christ more than we love merely knowing about Him. Philosophy of man is empty because it is a never-ending search for truth, meaning, and purpose apart from Christ. It is humanism. It is idolatry. J. Vernon McGee says, “Philosophy is like a blind man looking in a dark room for a black cat that isn’t there – there is no hope for its search of truth.” Philosophers and humanists search for Christ but only look in the mirror. It is an empty pursuit.
Two, beware of vain deceit. The word “vain” is the word “kenos” which means fruitless, useless, and empty. The word “deceit” is the word “apate” which means a false impression by appearance, statement, or influence. Believers must beware because all that glitters is not gold. All that claims to be truth is not truth. All that claims to be of God is not of God. It is clouds without water. On the surface, many teach things with vain deceit that is hard to detect because on the surface it looks good. Think about a clear cup of water for instance. If I offered it to you and you saw it was clear you would believe that it was fresh, but what if it was fresh from the toilet? What if it was clear poison? Many have fallen prey to those who give the false impression on the outside with their life and lips.
Three, beware of the traditions of men. The word “tradition” is the word “paradosis” which means to give or pass along. Think of what we call “Old Wive’s Tales” or “superstitions.” Truth must be our tradition because God’s truth trumps man’s traditions. Everyone is traditional in the sense that sayings and practices have been passed down to us. Not all traditions are evil, but traditions that cause us to add to or take away from the truth of God’s word is sinful. Any tradition that takes away from the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ is sinful. We must ask ourselves, is this traditional or truthful? Are our traditions and practices built on truth and precepts found in God’s word?
Four, beware of the rudiments of the world. The word “rudiments” is the word “stoicheion” which in its basic sense means something in a row made of components or elements. Many writers debate the meaning of this. There are two typical answers. One, this means the basic elemental composition of the world’s system or the world’s precepts and practices. Two, it could be dealing with the idea of spiritual entities that are unseen but influential in the world. Either meaning gets to the issue that many Christians have fallen to the world’s systems and practices. For example, there is no such thing as “Christian yoga” or “Christian astrology.” Those are pagan practices. All four of these things that believers must beware of are “not after Christ.” These are humanistic, pagan, and idolatrous practices that depart from the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ. All of these pursuits and practices are empty. We can never grow or be spiritually satisfied with these things.
Second, we must see the fullness of Christ in Col. 2:9-10 which says, “9For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. 10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:” All is emptiness outside of Christ. All is emptiness in trusting in anything and anyone but Christ. In Christ there is fullness. The word “fullness” is the word “pleroma” which means full measure of or completeness. H. A. Ironside writes, “Christ is a substitute for everything, but nothing is a substitute for Christ.” When we speak of the fullness of Christ, we are speaking of the fullness of His person and work. Col. 2:9 shows us the fullness of His person, or His deity and humanity. The false teachers that were seeking to deceive the Colossian Christians either didn’t believe in Jesus’ deity or denied His humanity. If Christ is not the “fullness of the Godhead bodily” then we don’t have a savior. The word “Godhead” is the word “theotes” which means Godhead, divinity, or deity. It speaks of the essence, substance, nature, or being of divinity. If Jesus is not God eternal, then He can’t save or satisfy. However, we see the word “bodily” which points us to the fact that Jesus is the eternal God who put on flesh. He is the fullness of God in the flesh. He was not lacking deity, nor was He lacking humanity though He was without sin. He is the supreme and sufficient Christ because He is truly God and truly man. If we only have a man to represent us before God, then we are in trouble. However, we need the God-Man as our perfect Mediator so that He can lay down His life for us bringing us into union with Himself. Heb. 1:1-4 helps put this together as it says, “1God, who at sundry times and in divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, 2 Hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; 3 Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high: 4 Being made so much better than the angels, as he hath by inheritance obtained a more excellent name than they.” Without Jesus being the fullness of deity then we don’t have a savior. Without Jesus being the fullness of deity in bodily form and function then we can’t have a savior. This is why His person is supreme and sufficient. Nothing else compares. Col. 2:10 then shows us the fullness of His work in that now all who are His are “complete in Him.” It is the supreme and sufficient work of Christ that makes a complete Christian from conversion to consummation. To be “complete in Him” means to be completely filled and controlled. To put it another way, in Christ is the fullness of eternal life and the enablement to live in Him. We can walk in Him because we are in Him and He is in us. The fullness of His work is that He has brought us into eternal union with and in Himself, now by the indwelling and enabling presence of the Spirit, He enables us to walk in communion with Himself and His Church. Paul has written about this already in Col. 1:27 showing us the hope of glory is that Christ’s person and work is supreme and sufficient for all of life. The believer has all they need in Christ and all they need is in Christ. The beauty though is that now Christ is in the Christian. He has not made us into little gods or little Christs, but rather He has given us all that is needed for life and godliness in Himself. 2 Pet. 1:3-8 declares this truth saying, “3 According as his divine power hath given unto us all things that pertain unto life and godliness, through the knowledge of him that hath called us to glory and virtue: 4 Whereby are given unto us exceeding great and precious promises: that by these ye might be partakers of the divine nature, having escaped the corruption that is in the world through lust. 5 And beside this, giving all diligence, add to your faith virtue; and to virtue knowledge; 6 And to knowledge temperance; and to temperance patience; and to patience godliness; 7 And to godliness brotherly kindness; and to brotherly kindness charity. 8 For if these things be in you, and abound, they make you that ye shall neither be barren nor unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Therefore, the fullness of Christ is not only sufficient to save, but to sanctify and satisfy all who are in Christ Jesus the Lord.
As we bring today’s study to a close, we must simply reiterate that truth is greater than tradition. We are shaped by both, but we must beware that we are shaped by the truth of God’s word and not by the tradition of man or the temptation to follow the endless path of philosophers. If you are searching for truth today, look to Christ. If you are searching for purpose and meaning, look to Christ. Jesus is supreme and sufficient and mighty to save! Look to Him today! For those who do know Christ, don’t be led astray by man. Look to Christ. Live in Christ. He is supreme and sufficient. Keep your eyes on Him. In Him is all you need and all you have in Him is all that you will ever need. Submit to His supremacy and be satisfied by His sufficiency. Learn to rest in His supreme work! Rest in His sufficient work! He’s not looking for you to pay Him back. He’s just desiring that you would live in Him. Enjoy the blessings of being complete in Christ Jesus the Lord. We are incomplete apart from Him. Nothing else will do. Nothing else will satisfy. Nothing else will fill you up like Him.
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