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delight in", and so "delighting in humility". Alford suggests, "let no one of purpose", and
refers to II Pet. 3: 5. J. N. Darby reads, "doing his own will". In all these differences
there does not seem to have been a consideration of the contextual usage of thelo, for in
verse 23 (directly flowing out of this passage) we have ethelothreskeia = "will-worship".
A very close parallel to Col. 2: is found in Gal. 4: 9-11, where in the expression "ye
desire again to be in bondage" we have the words thelete douleuein.
"Will worship" is the antithesis of "well-worship" (for such is the literal rendering of
"godliness"), and "will worship" is well expressed in Mark 7: 6-8:--
"Well hath Isaiah prophesied of you hypocrites, as is written, This people honoureth
Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. Howbeit in vain do they worship Me,
teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. For laying aside the commandment of
God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such
like things ye do."
The reader will not fail to see here both the "doctrines" and the "tradition" of men that
figure in Col. 2:, as also the care for mere externals, like the ceremonial washing of pots
and cups. All such is vain, and being devised by men can well be called "will-worship".
The association of the word "humility" with the "worshipping of angels" may not at first
appear very evident--but if we look at verse 19 and note the alternative, we may see
more clearly the teaching of the apostle:--
Voluntary humility.
/
Worship of ANGELS.
\
Not holding the HEAD.
The false humility of the Colossians led them to desire mediators between them and
the Lord, and just as the Roman Catholic interposes the Virgin and the Saints, so these
believers interposed the angels, thereby unwittingly setting aside the supreme headship of
Christ.
To the modern mind angel worship may seem ridiculous, yet even John, the writer of
the Apocalypse, conscious of his own unworthiness and of the angel's glory that talked
with him, "fell down to worship at the feet of the angel" and was rebuked as a
consequence (Rec. 22: 8, 9). The rapid advance that spiritism is making all over the
world shows how deep-seated is this tendency on the part of man, and sheds a further
light upon the fact that there are two ways of approach to God, and two only. The true is
the way of Abel; the false, under whatever name it may be known, is the way of Cain.
True humility is blessed; a false humility is loathsome. We cannot over emphasize
that salvation is all of grace, and that we who have thus been saved are utterly unworthy.
This unworthiness however does not alter the blessed fact that we are saved, we are
justified, we are accepted, we have boldness of access. To hesitate, to affect a false
modesty here, is really to intrude some element of false pride that will not accept the gift
of God as a gift and nothing more. This false humility denies our completeness in Him.
It denies that He in Whom we find our all is Head also of angels, principalities and
powers; it denies that we are members of His body, and that He alone is Head.