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Awareness Of Danger
Colossians 2:8
"Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty
deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of
the world, and not according to Christ," [Colossians 2:8].
To beware is to be aware and informed of danger. It means, to take heed and be
on your guard, watching for spiritual dangers. Those who walk through life
blind, naive and ignorant run into things and get hurt. This verse tells us to
be aware. [See also: Eph. 5:15; 1 Pet. 5:8,9; 1 Jno. 4:1.]
Our text says, "Beware, lest anyone cheat you." The King James says, "Beware
lest any man spoil you." The American Standard, "Take heed lest there shall be
anyone that maketh spoil of you." Notice this word "spoil." In those days, in a
war, captives or prisoners would be taken away. Sometimes they would be paraded
before crowds in victory processionals. To be part of the "spoils" of war meant
you had been captured, then humiliated, punished and perhaps sold into slavery.
This is the picture Paul uses to warn us of what false teachers can do, if we
are not careful! [See also: 2 Pet. 2:1-3 & Rom. 16:17,18.] "Beware, lest anyone
make spoil of you!"
Notice now the weapons false teachers use to take us captive:
1. Philosophy - a love for some human
system of wisdom [1 Tim. 6:20,21; Jer. 10:23.]
2. Empty Deceit. Two ideas emerge from
this phrase: {a}that which is deceptive, and {b} that which is empty. When we
allow men to deceive is, we wind up with nothing; we are rendered empty by the
deceitful teachings and influences of men. [See also: 1 Tim. 2:14; Gal. 6:7-9.]
3. THE TRADITION OF MEN is that which is
"of man" and has been handed down from generation to generation. Jesus charged
the scribes and Pharisees with this penetrating question: "Why do you transgress
the commandment of God because of your tradition?" (Matt. 15:3).
4. THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD. This
probably refers to the old Mosaic law. It was basic, and a necessary step in
God's overall plan. It is called "the elements of the world" in Gal. 4:3, but
this law had been annulled and was not to be enforced as necessary to salvation
[See, Acts 15:1-35; Gal. 5:1-6].
5. THINGS NOT "ACCORDING TO CHRIST." If
some teaching is "according to Christ," that means He authorized it; it has His
approval. Hence, that which is NOT according to Christ is that which He didn't
authorize; that which does not have His approval. These false teachers, who were
attempting to influence the saints at Colossae, were using human philosophy,
empty deceit, human tradition, the basic principles of the world and other
things which were NOT
ACCORDING TO CHRIST.
My friend, don't be afraid to hold to this conviction --> If something is not
according to Christ, we ought not to have any participation in it!! Paul tells
us to have no
fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them (Eph.
5:11).
We ought not to let anybody convince us that there is something we need for our
spiritual welfare, unless it is according to Christ. In Colossians 2:8, the
apostle Paul
sounds the alarm. Will we give heed??
By Warren E. Berkley
From Expository Files 1.3; March, 1994
