Countering Deception

Paul has never met the Colossians church face to face. Paul has only heard about them from Epaphras, who it seems was the one who founded the churches. Paul is working hard and suffering for them in particular. He is concerned that the Colossians avoid a certain deception that threatens the church and his letter is designed to further this end: “For I want you to know how much I am struggling for you, and for those in Laodicea, and for all who have not seen me face to face.” Colossians 2:1.

Paul’s desire for them is that their hearts be united. He suggests that the encouragement and unity of the community in love is a means to understanding and knowledge of Christ. Such knowledge is primarily available to a community of encouraged, united, and loving followers of Christ: “I want their hearts to be encouraged and united in love, so that they may have all the riches of assured understanding and have the knowledge of God’s mystery, that is, Christ himself, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Colossians 2:2-3.

The riches that Paul says is available to a community united, is cognitive in nature; “assured understanding,” “knowledge of God’s mystery,” “wisdom and knowledge.” While these are at least some of the riches of Christ’s glory and surely not restricted to the mental process of understanding, perceiving, judgement, etc., it may be that Paul emphasizes these riches due to the Colossians had been misled into seeking secret knowledge by false teachers.  Paul contends that knowledge they might want or need is to be found in Christ and in Him alone.

Paul suggests that in Christ our understanding is assured in a way that it is not otherwise. For the Gnostics, special knowledge was the means to freedom from an evil material world. For Paul, knowledge of Christ and wisdom about how to live this earthly life is the end result of appropriate community bonding to Christ. Paul directs the Colossians not to mere knowledge, but to Christ and his community as a means to knowledge and wisdom.

“I am saying this so that no one may deceive you with plausible arguments. For though I am absent in body, yet I am with you in spirit, and I rejoice to see your morale and the firmness of your faith in Christ.” Colossians 2:4-5.

Paul states that his purpose in reminding the Colossians that Christ is the right way to understanding, knowledge, and wisdom and that no one may deceive them with plausible arguments. The deceptive arguments pushed the Colossians toward disunity rather than the loving unity Paul urges, and toward a kind of knowledge apart from Christ that left them unsure of themselves, contrary to the assured understanding and knowledge that Paul says is to be found in Christ.

Paul reminds them that although he is not physically with them, he is with them “in spirit.” This phrase seems to suggest that Paul views himself as connected with the Colossians by God’s in-dwelling Holy Spirit—“Christ in you” and that the Colossians are on his mind and in his heart despite his physical absence. Paul’s joyful hope is that they would have firm faith in Christ, and that they would have strong morale. Paul’s hope seems to be that they would be firm not only in their faith in Christ, but disciplined to resist false teachings.

What can we learn from this passage? Paul suggests that it is deceptive to think that one could go it alone—“Just me and Jesus”—and have the kind of firm, living faith in Christ that is able to resist deceptive teachings. If we are to maintain a firm hold on the truth, we must gather together in our pursuit of Jesus. Alone, we are all too vulnerable to discouragement and believable but deceptive arguments.