Col. 2:4-7 - Don't Fall Prey to False Teaching

Warning against false teaching

Paul sets up several warnings to the church at Colossae in this chapter. The previous chapter was about the supremacy of Christ. The theme of chapter two is warnings about being drawn away from Christ. Paul is addressing the problem - falling away from Christ alone. The warnings come in verses 4, 8, 16, 18, 20 & 23.

1. I say this... no one may delude you (v.4)
2. See to it... no one takes you captive (v. 8)
3. Let no one act as your judge... (v. 16)
4. Let no one keep defrauding you... (v. 18)
5. Why... do you submit yourselves (v. 20)
6. Beware man made religions (v. 23)

Each of these warnings is followed by an explanation or exhortation to keep them on track.

Vs. 4 - I say this so that no one will delude you with persuasive argument.

“so that no one will delude you ”- Here is another reason for the writing of this letter -- to undergird and build up the faith of the believers. There are several warnings in this letter - see 2:4; 2:8; 2:16; 2:18; 2:20; 2:23 - these false, substitute actions contain seemingly wise instruction. All of them draw us away from the center of our salvation - Christ alone, crucified and resurrected.

Be aware, be on the lookout for these false doctrines. This is the First Warning - BOLO - “Don’t be deluded.” False doctrines kill. True faith saves. All too often good people are led astray by false teachers. Even more so before there were scriptures to hold up as the standard for all doctrine.
If the believer does not spend time in the Word he is even more easily led astray. If someone takes the teacher's words at face value, without checking it against the Bible, the person can be led astray. God does not want us to check our minds at the door. He wants us to use our intellect to reason out and understand our faith. This is so we can explain it to others; so we can make a rational reasoned defense of our belief. (See: 1 Pet. 3:15)
There are people who will use Logic and Reason alone to rationalize their paradigm, without Christ or the gospel. They will use persuasive argument to defend their position. Without Christ their faith will inevitably go astray, taking others with them. See: Rom. 16:18; 1 Tim. 4:1-2; 2 Pet. 3:3-4, 2:2-3; Matt. 24:4,5; Eph. 5:6; 2 Thess. 2:3. Going astray does not usually happen with one quantum leap, but bit-by-bit, tiny error by tiny error. I have read that people who are lost in the woods or wilderness usually wander in circles. Because they do not establish a reference point, do not use a compass or follow a map they remain lost. The Bible is our map and reference point.

Verses 2 & 3 are the antidotes for the failure in verse 4. Go back and read verses 2 & 3 again. What persuasive argument could possibly top all the wealth of knowledge and understanding that resides in Christ Jesus our Lord? Nothing, none, nada.

Vs. 5 - For even though I am absent in body, nevertheless I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good discipline and the stability of your faith in Christ.

“I am with you in spirit” - Paul wants them to know that they are in his thoughts and prayers even though he is not with them physically.

“Good discipline and the stability...” - He is glad to see that their spiritual lives are well ordered and they are solid in their faith in Christ. They do not take flights of fancy. They base their faith on the truth of the gospel as taught by the Apostles. Their strength is based on the foundation, or the stability of Jesus Christ, the Messiah, God Incarnate.

Vs. 6 - Therefore as you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him,

“Therefore” - Other versions say "Just as...", or in the same way you have received the Lord (Christ Jesus).
O.K., just how do we receive Christ Jesus the Lord? The answer is faith. See Rom. 10:9-10, and others. There is no other way to accept the Lord mentioned in the scriptures.
There are denominations which have a list of things you must do to be saved. This thinking must be extended to its logical conclusion. If we must be baptized to fully accept Christ and His work for us (otherwise you are not saved), then there is many other things we must do before it can be said we have fully accepted Christ! What if we miss just one, or fail in just one? Ultimate failure! If salvation = faith + baptism, it must also equal faith + baptism + witnessing + etc., + etc., which is an untenable position. No! Salvation must be by faith unto faith. (Eph. 2:8,9) All the other things listed are manifestations of your faith and salvation. The illustration of a written contract is not valid here. God already knows the heart, so a written (or acted out) contract is unnecessary. See: Gal. 3:26, For in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God through faith. Tit. 3:5,6.

"so walk in Him." - That is, by faith. We are new people created for good works, fashioned per God's will to please Him by our actions (see Eph. 2:10). But, it is impossible to please God except by faith (See: Heb. 11:6). In other words, the day-by-day Christian life (walk) is not to be a struggle, but a victorious walk in faith in the Lord. Does that seem impossible? Does a ‘victorious walk’ sound like something a preacher talks about, but is impossible to attain? This is the life that Jesus has envisioned for each of us - He would not have offered it if it was not possible to have. (John 10:10). We can live controlled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. All the wealth and power of God is available to us. “Help me, Jesus. Please,” may be the most powerful prayer you can utter.

Vs. 7 - having been firmly rooted and now being built up in Him and established in your faith, just as you were instructed, and overflowing with gratitude.

- In verse 5 Paul was pleased to see their stable faith in Christ.
In verse 6 he tells them to walk (live their lives) in Christ as they have received Him by faith.
In verse 7 Paul tells them (as a continuation of the sentence started in verse 6) they have been instructed, so they were to be established in their faith, built up in Him. They should not be wandering around in a wilderness, so to speak. They are not lost, because they had received sufficient instructions and training to live successfully. Back in chapter 1:22-23 - they were also encouraged to remain in the faith. This seems to be a major theme of this letter - faith in Christ. Christ is supreme. His power is supreme, and it is yours.

"Rooted" - literally to take root, as does a plant, or tree, to draw nourishment from the ground. We are to take root in Christ, to draw our spiritual nourishment from Him.

"Built up" - to grow thereby. To get established, stronger, fortified - as you build up walls of a fortress - bigger, better. As we draw nourishment from our roots in Christ we can grow spiritually.

"Established by your faith" - established means to 'set as in a permanent basis'. In other words by operating in our faith we are permanently fixed in Christ, and receive our life and growth from Him. What a beautiful picture Paul paints - as a tree becomes rooted, draws food from the ground and become a permanent fixture, we too, in Christ.

"Overflowing with gratitude" - openly praising God for our wonderful salvation in Christ - note: 'acts of gratitude toward God.'