Colossian Heresy and Its Implications

(GB Message)

Click for Tamil translation

This devotion is about Paul’s struggle to wean the Colossian Church from a subtle satanic deception, theologically known as heresy. This heresy came about because of a combination of Jewish legalism and pagan mysticism. Some of the members of the Colossian church were easy prey to this snare because of their association with heathen neighbours.

The church at Colossae began during Paul’s three-year ministry at Ephesus (Acts 19). We should not assume that this church was planted by Apostle Paul. It is believed that it was planted by Epaphras. This person was perhaps saved during a visit to Ephesus and then likely planted the church in Colossae when he returned from Ephesus from this trip. Some years after this church was founded, a dangerous heresy started spreading. This is known as the Colossian heresy in church history.

In our own time, many wrong beliefs and messages are preached. Sadly the majority of nominal Christians are confused and seem only too willing to believe any false prophet, like a drowning man catches a straw, as the saying goes. Church history identifies several well-defined heresies that beset the early churches. A study of them has greatly facilitated sincere churches to safeguard their members from dangerous pitfalls.

Poor Ephaphras was so bewildered by the heresy which plagued the young church that he made the long journey from Colossae to Rome (Col 4:12,13) where Paul was a prisoner. The epistle to the Colossian Church was written by Paul from the prison in Rome some time between AD 60 and AD 62. This heresy is closely related to Gnosticism, another well-known heresy, and a nasty one.

Gnosticism is the mother of innumerable heresies including Jehovah witnesses. Strains of Gnosticism have survived in the New Age Movement. In fact one could even say that the New Age Movement is a revival of Gnosticism. Though Gnostics often use Christian language and biblical vocabulary, Gnostic ideas are very hostile to true Christianity. Therefore genuine believers must be on guard against the influence of Neognosticism.

Gnosticism is inherently mystical, teaching people to look within themselves for secret knowledge and the extraordinary power latent in them. This knowledge, according to them, can be acquired through dreams and visions, angelic messengers, direct communication from God, yogic exercises and the like to find access into the mind as a biofeedback. This also involves one’s emotions and out-of-the-body experiences, one or both, separately or in combination, along with what some mystics call ‘astral projection’ or what is described as a ‘journey of the soul to the realm beyond’.

Many New Age doctrines are naturally compatible with Mormonism, another dangerous heretic cult. Occultism, Mormonism, New Age religion, and Hinduism are examples of some faiths that claim super power by transcendental meditations, various human exercises such as acupuncture and certain kinds of yogic exercise, Zoroastrianism, and many other devices. All those systems attack biblical truth and further the aims of Satan’s kingdom.

• Spiritual healing: New Age Movement advocates speak frequently about the healing properties within each one’s mind. This philosophy advocates that our thoughts have exceptional powers to draw on negative or positive energies around us. When they draw at length on the negative, the result can be a weakening of the body’s defences, all healing taking place from within. Our spirits heal our bodies.

• Pantheism: It is the notion that there is no God in this universe as a Person but all the forces in this universe are jointly managing the creation and sustenance. Thus the universe itself is equivalent to God.

The biblical position Vs these heresies:
But on the other hand our Saviour’s divine power has granted to believers everything pertaining to life and godliness during their life in this world.
“… as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness through the knowledge to Him who called us by glory and virtue”, 2 Pet 1:3,4.
The Lord Jesus is our Source and Sufficiency, being sufficient for creation Col 1:16,17, for salvation Acts 4:12, for sanctification Eph 5:26,27; Heb 10:10 and finally for glorification Rom 8: 30. With such great assets bestowed upon believers, we are expected to grow and mature happily, peacefully, and contentedly. There is no need to search for something beyond all these blessings. This means we have to grow spiritually and increase in deep and true gratitude to God. On God’s part, He takes care of our physical requirements.

While this satanic heresy has been slowly and steadily permeating into the Lord’s Church from the very first century, the word of God unambiguously testifies to the unshakeable fact concerning the all sufficiency of Lord Jesus Christ. I wish to quote several verses in this regard for you to ponder over carefully and allow to sink deep into your heart because “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and you are complete (in every way) in Him who is the head of all principality and power” Col 2:9,10. This is the all-sufficient Jesus of the Bible and not the lesser being that the Colossian heretics maintained that He was.

The following verses are about principalities and powers that are at work in the world; the Lord Jesus is Lord over them all.

• having despoiled the principalities and the powers, he made a show of them openly, triumphing over them in it. Colossians 2:15 (ASV)
• For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor heights nor depth, no any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is on Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38(NKJV)
• For you have not received a spirit of slavery leading to fear again, but you have received a spirit of adoption as sons by which we cry out, “Abba! Father!” Romans 8:15 (NASB)
• far above all rule, and authority, and power, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come: Ephesians 1:19-21 (ASV)
• For our wrestling is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the world-rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12 (ASV)
• who has gone into heaven and is at the right hand of God, angels and authorities and powers having been made subject to Him. 1 Peter 3: 22 (NKJV)

Paul encouraged the Colossian Christians thus:
“As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him and established in the faith, as you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving”, Col 2:6,7.
After encouraging them, he gives them a severe warning to take careful note of.
“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”, Col 2:8.
The phrase “walk in Him” in verse 6 is not an empty phrase. In the past, we have passed over such phrases carelessly, but no more. This phrase is pregnant with wonderful and very practical meaning and important instruction for believers to observe in their lives daily.

Walking in Him
The following scriptures help explain the phrase ‘walking in Him.’

• “To lead a life worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to Him, bearing fruit in every good work”, Col 1:10 (RSV)
• “Conduct yourselves wisely toward outsiders, making the most of time”, Col 4:5 (RSV).
• “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus”, Rom 8:1 (RSV).
• “In order that the just requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit”, Rom 8: 4 (RSV)
• “But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires”, Rom 13:14 (RSV)
• “Only, let everyone lead the life which the Lord has assigned to him, and in which God has called him. This is my rule in all the churches”, 1 Cor 7:17 (RSV)
• “For we walk by faith, not by sight”, 2 Cor 5:7 (RSV).
• “For though we live in the world we are not carrying on a worldly war for the weapons of our warfare are not worldly but having divine power to destroy strongholds”, 2 Cor 10:3, 4 (RSV).
• “But I say, walk by the Spirit and do not gratify the desires of the flesh”, Gal 5:16 (RSV)
• “If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit”, Gal 5:25 (RSV)
• “For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared before hand, that we should walk in them”, Eph 2:10 (RSV).
• “Walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave, Himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God”, Eph 5:2 (RSV).
• “Do not neglect the spiritual gift within you, which was bestowed upon you through prophetic utterance with the laying on of hands by the presbytery”, 1 Tim 4:14 (NASB). (N.B: We need not be alarmed about the aforestated ceremony. The word Presbytery’ generally is applicable to churches where elders and deacons are in existence. We don’t have such facility. Instead, I as the Pastor and Evangelist I invariably place my hand on the candidates at the time of baptism. That takes care of this formality. Thus it is very much within this purview.
• “For I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day”, 2 Tim 1:12.
• “Pay close attention to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in these things; for as you do this you will insure salvation both for yourself and for those who hear you”, 1 Tim 4:16.
• “Do not sharply rebuke an older man, but rather appeal to him as a father, to the younger men as brothers, the older women as mothers, and the younger women as sisters, in all purity”, 1 Tim 5:1, 2.
• “And without faith it is impossible to please Him, for he who comes to God must believe that He is, and that He is a rewarder of those who seek Him”, Heb 11: 6 (NASB).
• “We know that no one who is born of God sins; but He who was born of God (Lord Jesus) keeps him and the evil one does not touch him”, 1 Jn 5:18 (NASB).
• “Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God; because many false prophets have done out into the world”, 1 Jn 4:1 (NASB).
• “… the one who practises righteousness is righteous, just as He is righteous”, 1 Jn 3:7 (NASB).
• “And there is salvation in no one else; For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men, by which we must be saved”, Acts 4:12.
• “Jesus spoke to them saying, “I am the light of the world; he who follows Me shall not walk in the darkness, but shall have the light of life”, Jn 8:12.

The false teachers who threatened the Colossians claimed to possess a secret wisdom and transcendent knowledge available only to the spiritual elite.

In sharp contrast, Paul declared:

• that all the richness of truth necessary for salvation, sanctification, and glorification is found in Lord Jesus, who is Himself God, “Oh, the depth of the riches of the wisdom and knowledge of God! How unsearchable his judgments, and his paths beyond tracing out! (Rom 11: 33).”
• and that this truth was for everyone. “but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God (1 Cor 1: 24).”

Thus believers are complete in Christ, both positionally by the imputed perfect righteousness of Christ, and by the complete sufficiency of all heavenly resources for spiritual maturity. That is the meaning of the verse, “You are complete in Him who is the head of all principality and power”, Col 2:10.

Also, as result of the believers union with Christ in His death and resurrection, the Bible tells us that God considers Christians to be as holy as His Son. He has also blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ . . . Eph 1:3-14.

We can go on and on to prove that we are complete in Lord Jesus. We have therefore absolutely no need for any external power or help, and hence the Colossian heresy is baseless.

In these days of chaos and confusion prevalent in the nominal and dead churches, we find many false prophets who serve as advocates of Gnosticism. They preach and pretend to be representatives of God. They also mislead ignorant Christians towards Satanic teaching to draw them away from their simple faith and trust in Lord Jesus. They promise to help them receive extra spiritual powers, attempt to fill them with demonic spirits. Let us beware of such dangers. Let us try to help our near and dear ones from falling an easy prey to such satanic schemes.

The great titles of Lord Jesus

• Alpha and Omega, Rev 21:6
• Chief cornerstone, Eph 2:20
• First Born from the dead, Col 1:18
• High Priest, Heb 3:1 (A perfect Priest to wash away our sins)
• Immanuel, Mt 1: 23 (God with us)
• King of kings Lord of lords, Rev 19:16
• Only begotten of the Father, Jn 1:14 (unique Son of God)
• The Word, Jn 1:1
• The Word of God, Rev 19:13

When such a great and mighty God and Lord is the Head of the Church in which we are members, where is the necessity for us to seek powers and favours from other sources. Let us not forget that we should never give room for any heresy that disturbs our peace and tranquillity.