In today’s world, we live in a warning infested place. Everywhere we turn we are being warned. We are warned with the toys that the kids play with, vehicles we drive, tools that we use, and yes even our soda bottles. We are warned in order to keep us safe and away from the things that will bring us harm.

In Colossians, we see the same. Paul warns the believers.

Colossians 2:8, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.”

Paul begins this verse with “beware” which is to say warning or be on guard. He starts off warning the people about the things in the world that could harm them. His warning is much like the warnings that we see in the world that we live in. Those warnings, once again, are trying to keep us safe from harm. The same is true with Paul to the Colossians. Before we go too far, let me give a brief history of this particular book.

Colossians was a book written during a time where gnosticism was prevalent. Gnosticism is derived from the Greek word gnosis which means knowledge. The Gnostics separated matter from thought. They thought that all matter was evil but knowledge was good. This is how they came up with the idea that knowledge of who God was became enough for salvation. They thought the flesh was evil because it was matter but that means they did not accept the humanity of Christ either. This was the danger or better yet, the warning that we see Paul giving.

Beware, unless any man spoil you. This word spoil is much like a prize or a treasure. Do not let anyone take you as a prize or a treasure “through philosophy and vain deceit.” Philosophy is knowledge which points us to Gnosticism (knowledge of man). This is what Paul was warning the believers about. The knowledge of man. Remember that God clearly tells us in 1st Corinthians 3:19,

1st Corinthians 3:19, “For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.”

This is a very clear warning to us about wisdom/knowledge of the world. Not only is Paul warning of the philosophy of man but also the vain deceit. Vain indicates the emptiness or the hollowness of something or somebody and deceit is to misleading. Do not let someone take you as treasure by empty promises or lies. You know, this not only is true when this book was written but also right now. I love this because in this warning from Paul we see the relevance of scripture for us right here and right now. Look at all of these cults and religions that have offered empty promises through knowledge and people have bought it hook, line, and sinker. Salvation through understanding, through works, and through knowledge? This is the biggest lie that the people of Colosse could have believed back then and it is the biggest lie that we can believe now.

Paul continues on to say how the people would be duped through philosophy and vain deceit. It was through the tradition of man and after the rudiments of the world. Jesus spent time talking about the traditions of man. And now, Paul does the same. The traditions of man are good for nothing except for taking you away from all that God wants. Tradition pulls your attention to the continuing action of something instead of focusing on what God wants. Look at Matthew 15:1-11:

Matthew 15:1-11, “Then came to Jesus scribes and Pharisees, which were of Jerusalem, saying, Why do thy disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? for they wash not their hands when they eat bread. But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? For God commanded, saying, Honour thy father and mother: and, He that curseth father or mother, let him die the death. But ye say, Whosoever shall say to his father or his mother, It is a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; And honour not his father or his mother, he shall be free. Thus have ye made the commandment of God of none effect by your tradition. Ye hypocrites, well did Esaias prophesy of you, saying,'This people draweth nigh unto me with their mouth, and honoureth me with their lips; but their heart is far from me.' But in vain they do worship me, teaching for doctrines the commandments of men. And he called the multitude, and said unto them, Hear, and understand: Not that which goeth into the mouth defileth a man; but that which cometh out of the mouth, this defileth a man.”

Paul was trying to warn the believers in Colosse about the world that they lived in but as you can see we too must take heed. We must watch out for the empty promises of the world. We must watch all the man made traditions that have taken precedence over what the Lord God Almighty wants. We must beware lest we be taken as a treasure by the world or even more sobering, Satan.