Eph. 4: 14, Col. 2: 22, I Tim. 1: 10, etc.  We have already noticed that the apostle

combined "teaching" with "warning" (Col. 1: 28); the same two words come together

again in Col. 3: 16: "Teaching and admonishing one another." In contrast with the

baseless traditions of men, the apostle urges the brethren at Thessalonica to "stand fast

and hold fast the traditions" which they "had been taught" (II Thess. 2: 15).

Although the three verses we have been considering in this paper (Col. 2: 5-7) are a

parenthesis and hold up the main sequence of the apostle's argument, they are fraught

with meaning, and will repay all the attention we can give to them. Their burden is that

the solid basis of our faith is in Christ, received and held as Head and Lord. Let all our

practice flow from that blessed doctrine, and the wiles of the Devil shall leave us

unharmed. Our standing is in Christ. Let our state but manifest this and we need not

fear. Bring all to this touchstone, and life, service, walk and worship will be acceptable.

More than this we cannot attain to in this life; less than this means a falling short of the

"perfection" of which the apostle speaks (Col. 1: 28).

Having considered the parenthesis of Col. 2: 5-7, we can now take up the teaching of

Col. 2: 4-23 which constitutes the great distinctive note of the epistle. It is a solemn

warning uttered in all faithfulness, with the object that every man may be presented

"perfect in Christ Jesus".  Three words must first claim our attention:  "beguile"

(paralogizomai); "enticing words" (pithanologia), and "spoil" (sulagogeo).

The story of man is interwoven with deception. From Gen. 3:, where the Serpent

beguiled Eve, until the last act of the Deceiver, recorded in the Book of the Revelation,

deceit has taken its dread toll. No dispensation has been free from its attack; and no

protection against it has been provided apart from the revelation of truth, the Word of

God. So long as we hold fast to all that is written, so long as we obey the injunction

rightly to divide the Word of truth, so long as we refuse to go one step beyond what is

revealed, we are safe and at peace. To do otherwise is to mistake darkness for light, to

heed the voice of the Serpent rather than the voice of God, to sow the seeds of error and

reap the harvest of shame.

Deception is many-sided. We can be deceived, as in Eph. 5: 6, with "vain words".

Here the word "to deceive" (apatao) means "to seduce" or "lead astray", and occurs in

another form in Col. 2: 8. We can also be deceived by wandering, or being caused to

wander, from the path of truth, as in Eph. 4: 14, where the word used is plane, from

which comes our word "planet", a wandering star.