Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions. – Colossians 2:18a
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Today’s passage continues to address another heresy plaguing the church in Colossae: angel worship.
To recap, at the time of writing this epistle, the church in Colossae was in a period of physical prosperity. It was the time of the Pax Romana, which some historians term the golden age of the Roman Empire. Colossae was also in the Lycus valley, a rich, fertile stretch along major trade routes between Europe and Asia. Persecution, while scattered, was not at the level where it would be in a few years when Emperor Nero burned Rome and decided to blame it on the Christians.
In short, it was a prosperous period for the church and city of Colossae. The Gospel was being preached, the word was spreading, and, physically, it was a time of relative abundance. That, unfortunately, sometimes brings about some unwanted effects. Some people begin seeking deeper experiences and, in the process, argue for the worship of angels and other unseen spiritual realms (v18). Instead of focusing on the worship of God and Jesus, some hierarchical form of worship is advocated, with God and Jesus at the top but with angels inserted between God and man. Another form of this worship was in false humility, with the false teachers claiming that man should consider himself unworthy to enter into fellowship with God, thereby prompting worship or intervention by angels.
Paul reminds us in these 2 verses to always hold fast to the head (Jesus) and not be swayed by such false intellectual reasoning. Our worship should always be focused on Jesus (and God) alone. Our theological foundation must always be the Bible and the Bible alone, and we must not allow such sneaky, false reasoning to seep into our thinking. Therefore, we need to consider again: what is my worship of God and Jesus based on? Is it truly based on the fact that Christ is central in all that I do, or are my thoughts drifting based on human standards and expectations?
This brings to mind a discussion I recently had with another believer about the traditions of the church, for example, the Apostles’ Creed. We recite, and some even memorise, the Creed. We follow strict rituals before taking the Holy Communion. Is there a need for such dogmatism in this present age, where education and knowledge abound? While I do not intend to start a long discussion here on this, I would like to state one very obvious advantage of such a practice. The presence of such a practice provides a means for all to hold on to and become familiar with, even to memorise, the fundamentals of Christian belief. The early church was, from the start, a believing, confessing, and preaching church. Having such Creeds and rituals clearly might be helpful for some to believe and to confess their beliefs, and therefore help consolidate one’s belief in Christ.
In conclusion, let us always remember that our faith needs to be derived from the Bible and the Bible only. Christ needs to be central in our faith, not angels, not any person, not any other ritual or habit.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the wonderful gift of Christ, your beloved Son, who came to die for our sins so that we can be reconciled with you. Protect us from the Evil One and the world that constantly tries to corrupt our faith in you. Let us always have Christ central in our lives and worship. Help us to constantly do this, and forgive us when we fail. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
Click to read passage
Today’s passage continues to address another heresy plaguing the church in Colossae: angel worship.
To recap, at the time of writing this epistle, the church in Colossae was in a period of physical prosperity. It was the time of the Pax Romana, which some historians term the golden age of the Roman Empire. Colossae was also in the Lycus valley, a rich, fertile stretch along major trade routes between Europe and Asia. Persecution, while scattered, was not at the level where it would be in a few years when Emperor Nero burned Rome and decided to blame it on the Christians.
In short, it was a prosperous period for the church and city of Colossae. The Gospel was being preached, the word was spreading, and, physically, it was a time of relative abundance. That, unfortunately, sometimes brings about some unwanted effects. Some people begin seeking deeper experiences and, in the process, argue for the worship of angels and other unseen spiritual realms (v18). Instead of focusing on the worship of God and Jesus, some hierarchical form of worship is advocated, with God and Jesus at the top but with angels inserted between God and man. Another form of this worship was in false humility, with the false teachers claiming that man should consider himself unworthy to enter into fellowship with God, thereby prompting worship or intervention by angels.
Paul reminds us in these 2 verses to always hold fast to the head (Jesus) and not be swayed by such false intellectual reasoning. Our worship should always be focused on Jesus (and God) alone. Our theological foundation must always be the Bible and the Bible alone, and we must not allow such sneaky, false reasoning to seep into our thinking. Therefore, we need to consider again: what is my worship of God and Jesus based on? Is it truly based on the fact that Christ is central in all that I do, or are my thoughts drifting based on human standards and expectations?
This brings to mind a discussion I recently had with another believer about the traditions of the church, for example, the Apostles’ Creed. We recite, and some even memorise, the Creed. We follow strict rituals before taking the Holy Communion. Is there a need for such dogmatism in this present age, where education and knowledge abound? While I do not intend to start a long discussion here on this, I would like to state one very obvious advantage of such a practice. The presence of such a practice provides a means for all to hold on to and become familiar with, even to memorise, the fundamentals of Christian belief. The early church was, from the start, a believing, confessing, and preaching church. Having such Creeds and rituals clearly might be helpful for some to believe and to confess their beliefs, and therefore help consolidate one’s belief in Christ.
In conclusion, let us always remember that our faith needs to be derived from the Bible and the Bible only. Christ needs to be central in our faith, not angels, not any person, not any other ritual or habit.
Prayer:
Father, I thank you for the wonderful gift of Christ, your beloved Son, who came to die for our sins so that we can be reconciled with you. Protect us from the Evil One and the world that constantly tries to corrupt our faith in you. Let us always have Christ central in our lives and worship. Help us to constantly do this, and forgive us when we fail. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.