Monday, May 10 Look out that no one takes you captive by means of the philosophy and empty deception according to human tradition. —Col. 2:8. Satan wants to turn us against Jehovah. To achieve his goal, he tries to influence our thinking, in effect, to bring our mind into captivity and make it obedient to him. He tries to persuade or to deceive us into following him by appealing to our desires. (Col. 2:4) Are we really in serious danger of being misled by Satan? Yes, we are! Remember, Paul did not write the warning recorded at Colossians 2:8 to unbelievers. He wrote it to Christians who had been anointed with holy spirit. (Col. 1:2, 5) Those Christians were in danger back then, and we are in even greater danger today. (1 Cor. 10:12) Why? Satan has been confined to the vicinity of the earth, and he is focused on misleading God’s loyal servants. (Rev. 12:9, 12, 17) In addition, we are living during a time when wicked men and impostors are advancing “from bad to worse.”—2 Tim. 3:1, 13. w19.06 2 ¶1-2
Verses (14 15) come after the Col. 2:8 as examined by the Bethel commentator. 14 and erased the handwritten document+ that consisted of decrees+ and was in opposition to us.+ He has taken it out of the way by nailing it to the torture stake.+ 15 He has stripped the governments and the authorities bare and has publicly exhibited them as conquered,+ leading them in a triumphal procession by means of it. If we ask "what kind of philosophy and human tradition may Paul be speaking of in the text examined by the Bethelite writer for Col 2:8 ?" ....these [above] verses 14 & 15 which follow on in the same chapter are key. re; Verse 14 At first glance the "hand written document that consisted of decrees' appears to be the 'law of Moses' however it is spoken as being 'in opposition to us'. Unlikely that Paul would speak directly of the law of Moses in such terms. It seems that Paul is considering a metaphorical document, a kind of cash register receipt for each individual's sins as they relate to the 'laws of Moses'. As he goes on to descibe Christ as having taken these out of the way by nailing these 'reciepts' to the torture stake. More evidence to show Paul is speaking in a creative, inspired parlance, are his interesting comments in the next verse, re; Verse 15 It was 'the nations' represented by Rome who subjected Christ to public nudity and execution yet Paul speaks as if Christ had done this to them. Followed by the claim that Christ then went on to lead the nations in a 'triumphal procession'. The meaning of Paul's counter claims and overall relevance to his point about empty philosophy seems to be shown, in that, whatever rules and regulations the governments imposed and however sophisticated they might appear they led to the execution of Jesus. Through the execution of Jesus he takes complete ownership of all humanity having 'bought mankind' through the receipts of their sins, and thus strips the value of government decrees bare (unclothed) and conquers them gaining all authority. Prior verses reference circumcision, and following verses talk about the futility of attempting to judge people of faith through what kinds of food they handle or eat and by what they do during traditional festivals etc. For instance Bethel and watchtower culture generally promotes the notion that faithfulness to meeting attendance is faithfulness to God. If this were true the faithfulness of Jehovah's witness has been completely undone in the last few years by a few simple Covid 19 regulations, Thus showing how making decrees of faithfulness through edicts and arrangements of men may be damaging. Paul states elsewhere that it is a good thing for a person of faith to be single yet an 'issuance of demons' to make a rule for the same otherwise prudent behavior. So we can understand to encourage meeting attendance is good. Yet to judge the faith of another based on these arrangements is futile and to act punitively may underwrite a whole range of evils. The commentator ends with this. Satan being confined to the earth, aspect likely refers to the 1914 doctrine, then interestingly the commentator references 2 Timothy. Imposters advancing from bad to worse. A 'Christian imposter' must be 'in attendance' for that designation to have any meaning. Paul certainly had experience of that especially it seems in positions of leadership within the congregation. Wouldn't a fake leader also heavily encourage attendance and more likely to view in adherence to 'advisory guidelines' as enforceable punitively ? The congregation of Collosians was in what we call modern 'Turkey'. Istanbul or Constantinople in Turkey was the trading capital of the ancient world. As such must also have hosted a variety of cults, religions, cultures and languages. Colossae was a different much smaller city yet likely would have had a similar variety of distractions, apparently there was a theatre in Colosae.. As sense determines a person might be led away from their faith through various influences yet the most dangerous ones are the ones that infuse undue weight into the faith itself. A Christian person would accept that Christians desire orderliness. Order is brought through adherence. Just as the Jews desired a king in 'Saul' who they were warned would impose undue regulation upon them. The desire by which a person might be led astray from faith can come in the form of adherence to seemingly sensible regulations through an irrational desire for them and similarly see why paul was talking about the kinds of things people choose to act with import as 'shadows'.