SEV Biblia, Chapter 2:8
Mirad que ninguno os engae por filosofías y vanas sutilezas, segn las tradiciones de los hombres, conforme a los elementos del mundo, y no segn el Cristo,
Clarke's Bible Commentary - Colossians 2:8
Verse 8. Beware lest any man spoil you] The word sulagwgwn, from sulh, prey, and agein, to lead or carry away, signifies to rob, or spoil of their goods, as if by violence or rapine. Their goods were the salvation they had received from Christ; and both the Gentile and Jewish teachers endeavoured to deprive them of these, by perverting their minds, and leading them off from the truths of Christianity. Philosophy and vain deceit] Or, the vain or empty deceit of philosophy; such philosophizing as the Jewish and Gentile teachers used.
As the term philosophy stood in high repute among the Gentiles, the Jews of this time affected it; and both Philo and Josephus use the word to express the whole of the Mosaic institutions. So the former: oi kata mwshn filosofountev? "Those who embraced the philosophy of Moses;" Phil., Deuteronomy Nomin. Mutand. And the latter; tria para iougaioiv eidh filosofeitai? "There are three systems of philosophy among the Jews," (Bell. Jud., lib. ii. cap 8, sec. 2,) meaning the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes, as immediately follows. The Jewish philosophy, such as is found in the Cabala, Midrashim, and other works, deserves the character of vain deceit, in the fullest sense and meaning of the words. The inspired writers excepted, the Jews have ever been the most puerile, absurd, and ridiculous reasoners in the world. Even Rabbi Maymon, or Maimonides, the most intelligent of them all, is often in his master piece (the Moreh Nevochim, the Teacher of the Perplexed) most deplorably empty and vain.
After the rudiments of the world] According to the doctrine of the Jewish teachers; or, according to the Mosaic institutions, as explained and glossed by the scribes, Pharisees, and rabbins in general. We have often seen that hzh lw[h haolam hazzeh, this world, of which tou kosmou toutou is a literal translation, is frequently used to express the Jewish system of rites, ceremonies, and institutions in general; what the apostle calls the tradition of men, namely, what men, unauthorized by God, have taught as doctrines received from him. Our Lord frequently refers to and condemns these traditions.
Not after Christ.] Not according to the simple doctrine of Christ, viz.: HE died for our offenses; believe on the Lord Jesus, and thou shalt be saved.
John Gill's Bible Commentary
Ver. 8. Beware lest any man spoil you , etc.] Or despoil you; rob you of the rich treasure of the Gospel, strip you of your spiritual armour, take away from you the truths and doctrines of Christ, and divest you of your spiritual privileges and blessings; suggesting, that the false teachers were thieves and robbers, and men of prey: or drive and carry you away as spoils, as the innocent harmless sheep are drove, and carried away by wolves, and by the thief that comes to steal, to kill, and destroy; intimating, that such as these were the heretics of those times; wherefore it became them to be upon their guard, to watch, look out, and beware, lest they should be surprised by these deceitful workers, who lay in wait to deceive; were wolves in sheep's clothing, who transformed themselves into the apostles of Christ; and therefore it became them to take heed, lest any man hurt them, be he ever so wise and learned, or be thought ever so good, religious, and sincere; since men of this cast put on such masks and false appearances, on purpose to beguile. The things by which they imposed upon weak minds are as follow, and therefore to be shunned, avoided, and rejected: through philosophy : not right philosophy, or true wisdom, the knowledge of God, of the things of nature, of things natural, moral, and civil; which may be attained unto by the use of reason, and light of nature. The apostle does not mean to condemn all arts and sciences, as useless and hurtful, such as natural philosophy in its various branches, ethics, logic, rhetoric, etc. when kept within due bounds, and in their proper place and sphere; for with instances of these the Scriptures themselves abound; but he means that philosophy, or science, which is falsely so called, the false notions of philosophers; such as the eternity of matter, and of this world, the mortality of souls, the worshipping of demons and angels, etc. and also such principles in philosophy, which in themselves, and in the things of nature, are true, but, when applied to divine things, to things above nature, the mere effects of divine power and grace, and of pure revelation, are false; as that out of nothing, nothing can be made, which in the things of nature is true, but not to be applied to the God of nature, who has made the world out of nothing; as also that from a privation to an habit there is no return, which is naturally true, but not to be applied to supernatural things, and supernatural agency; witness the miracles of Christ, in restoring sight to the blind, life to the dead, etc. and therefore is not to be employed against the resurrection of the dead: philosophy may be useful as an handmaid; it is not to be a mistress in theological things; it may subserve, but not govern; it is not to be made use of as a judge, or rule in such matters; the natural man, on these principles, neither knows nor receives the things of the Spirit of God; judgment is not to be made and formed according to them; as of a trinity of persons in the Godhead; of the sonship of Christ, and his incarnation; of man's redemption by him, of reconciliation and satisfaction by his blood and sacrifice, of the pardon of sin, of a sinner's justification, of the resurrection of the dead, and such like articles of faith: that philosophy which is right, can only be a rule of judgment in things relating to it, and not in those which are out of its sphere: in a word, the apostle here condemns the philosophy of the Jews, and of the Gnostics; the former had introduced natural philosophy into the worship and service of God, and the things appertaining to their religion; and had made the tabernacle and temple, and the most holy place, and the things belonging thereunto, emblems and hieroglyphics of natural things; as of the sun, moon, and stars, and their influences, and of the four elements, and of moral virtue, etc. as appears from the writings of Josephus f17 , and Philo f18 ; when they were types and representatives of spiritual things under the Gospel dispensation; and the latter had brought in the philosophy of Pythagoras and Plato, concerning abstinences, purgations, sacrifices, and ceremonies of worship, given to demons and angels: in short, the apostle's meaning is, that philosophy is not to be mixed with the pure Gospel of Christ; it has always been fatal to it; witness the school of Pantaenus in Alexandria, in the early times of Christianity, by which the simplicity of the Gospel was greatly corrupted; and the race of schoolmen a few centuries ago, who introduced the philosophy of Aristotle, Averrois, and others, into all the subjects of divinity: to observe no more, such kind of philosophy is here meant, which may be truly called vain deceit : that is, that which is vain and empty, and has no solid foundation, even in nature and reason itself; and which being applied to divine things and religious observances, is deceitful and delusory: after the tradition of men ; either of the Gentiles, who had their traditions in religion; or of the Jews, called the traditions of the elders, and of the fathers, which the Pharisees were fond of, by which they transgressed the commandments of God; which the apostle was brought up in, and was zealous of formerly, but now was delivered from, and rightly condemned as idle, trifling, and pernicious: after the rudiments of the world , or the elements of the world; not the four elements of earth, air, fire, and water; or the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, etc. among the idolatrous Gentiles, but the ceremonial laws of the Jews; (see Galatians 4:8,9); which were that to them in religion, as the A B C, or letters, are in grammar, the elements and rudiments of it; and though these were to them, when children, useful, but now under the Gospel dispensation are weak, beggarly, and useless, and not to be attended to: and not after Christ ; what he has taught and prescribed, the doctrines and commandments of Christ, the treasures of wisdom and knowledge which are in him; and therefore all such vain and deceitful philosophy, human traditions, and worldly rudiments, are to be rejected; Christ and his Gospel, the revelation he has made, are the standard of doctrine and worship; he only is to be heard and attended to, and whatever it contrary thereunto is to be guarded against.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 8-17 - There is a philosophy which rightly exercises our reasonable faculties a study of the works of God, which leads us to the knowledge of God and confirms our faith in him. But there is a philosophy which is vai and deceitful; and while it pleases men's fancies, hinders their faith such are curious speculations about things above us, or no concern to us. Those who walk in the way of the world, are turned from followin Christ. We have in Him the substance of all the shadows of the ceremonial law. All the defects of it are made up in the gospel of Christ, by his complete sacrifice for sin, and by the revelation of the will of God. To be complete, is to be furnished with all thing necessary for salvation. By this one word "complete," is shown that we have in Christ whatever is required. "In him," not when we look to Christ, as though he were distant from us, but we are in him, when, by the power of the Spirit, we have faith wrought in our hearts by the Spirit, and we are united to our Head. The circumcision of the heart the crucifixion of the flesh, the death and burial to sin and to the world, and the resurrection to newness of life, set forth in baptism and by faith wrought in our hearts, prove that our sins are forgiven and that we are fully delivered from the curse of the law. Throug Christ, we, who were dead in sins, are quickened. Christ's death wa the death of our sins; Christ's resurrection is the quickening of ou souls. The law of ordinances, which was a yoke to the Jews, and partition-wall to the Gentiles, the Lord Jesus took out of the way When the substance was come, the shadows fled. Since every mortal ma is, through the hand-writing of the law, guilty of death, how very dreadful is the condition of the ungodly and unholy, who trample unde foot that blood of the Son of God, whereby alone this deadl hand-writing can be blotted out! Let not any be troubled about bigote judgments which related to meats, or the Jewish solemnities. The setting apart a portion of our time for the worship and service of God is a moral and unchangeable duty, but had no necessary dependence upo the seventh day of the week, the sabbath of the Jews. The first day of the week, or the Lord's day, is the time kept holy by Christians, in remembrance of Christ's resurrection. All the Jewish rites were shadow of gospel blessings.
Greek Textus Receptus
οτι 3754 CONJ εν 1722 PREP αυτω 846 P-DSM κατοικει 2730 5719 V-PAI-3S παν 3956 A-NSN το 3588 T-NSN πληρωμα 4138 N-NSN της 3588 T-GSF θεοτητος 2320 N-GSF σωματικως 4985 ADV
Vincent's NT Word Studies
8. Beware (blepete). Lit., see to it.Lest any man spoil you (mh tiv estai umav o sulagwgwn). The Greek is more precise and personal: lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil. So Rev. Sulagwgew to carry off booty, only here in the New Testament. A very strong, expression for the work of the false teachers; make you yourselves a booty. The A.V. is ambiguous, and might be taken to mean corrupt or damage you.
Philosophy and vain deceit (thv filosofiav kai kenhv apathv). Rev. gives the force of the article, his philosophy: kai and is explanatory, philosophy which is also vain deceit. Hence the warning is not against all philosophy. Filosofia, philosophy, only here in the New Testament. It had originally a good meaning, the love of wisdom, but is used by Paul in the sense of vain speculation and with special reference to its being the name by which the false teachers at Colossae designated not only their speculative system, but also their practical system, so that it covered their ascetic practices no less than their mysticism. Bishop Lightfoot remarks upon the fact that philosophy, by which the Greeks expressed the highest effort of the intellect, and virtue (areth), their expression for the highest moral excellence, are each used but once by Paul, showing "that the Gospel had deposed the terms as inadequate to the higher standard, whether of knowledge or practice, which it had introduced."
After the tradition. Connect with the whole phrase philosophy and vain deceit, as descriptive of its source and subject matter. Others connect with make spoil. The term is especially appropriate to the Judaeo-Gnostic teachings in Colossae, which depended for their authority, not on ancient writings, but on tradition. The later mystical theology or metaphysic of the Jews was called Kabbala, literally meaning reception or received doctrines, tradition.
Rudiments (stoiceia). See on 2 Pet. iii. 10. Rudimentary teachings, as in Heb. v. 12; applicable alike to Jewish and to Gentile teaching.
Ceremonialism - meats, drinks, washings, Essenic asceticism, pagan symbolic mysteries and initiatory rites - all belonged to a rudimentary moral stage. Compare vers. 11, 21, and Gal. iv. 9.
Of the world. Material as contrasted with spiritual.
Robertson's NT Word Studies
2:8 {Take heed} (blepete). Present active imperative second person plural of blepw, common verb for warning like our "look out,"beware,"see to it." {Lest there shall be any one} (me tis estai). Negative purpose with the future indicative, though the aorist subjunctive also occurs as in #2Co 12:6. {That maketh spoil of you} (ho sulagwgwn). Articular present active participle of sulagwgew, late and rare (found here first) verb (from sule, booty, and ag", to lead, to carry), to carry off as booty a captive, slave, maiden. Only here in N.T. Note the singular here. There was some one outstanding leader who was doing most of the damage in leading the people astray. {Through his philosophy} (dia tes filosofias). The only use of the word in the N.T. and employed by Paul because the Gnostics were fond of it. Old word from filosofos (filos, sofos, one devoted to the pursuit of wisdom) and in N.T. only in #Ac 17:18. Paul does not condemn knowledge and wisdom (see verse #2), but only this false philosophy, "knowledge falsely named" (yeudwnumos gnwsis, #1Ti 6:20), and explained here by the next words. {And vain deceit} (kai kenes apates). Old word for trick, guile, like riches (#Mt 13:22). Descriptive of the philosophy of the Gnostics. {Tradition} (paradosin). Old word from paradidwmi, a giving over, a passing on. The word is colorless in itself. The tradition may be good (#2Th 2:15; 3:6) or bad (#Mr 7:3). Here it is worthless and harmful, merely the foolish theories of the Gnostics. {Rudiments} (stoiceia). Old word for anything in a stoicos (row, series) like the letters of the alphabet, the materials of the universe (#2Pe 3:10,12), elementary teaching (#Heb 5:12), elements of Jewish ceremonial training (#Ac 15:10; Gal 4:3,9), the specious arguments of the Gnostic philosophers as here with all their aeons and rules of life. {And not after Christ} (kai ou kata criston). Christ is the yardstick by which to measure philosophy and all phases of human knowledge. The Gnostics were measuring Christ by their philosophy as many men are doing today. They have it backwards. Christ is the measure for all human knowledge since he is the Creator and the Sustainer of the universe.
