New Things

Colossians 2:18  Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,


Paul is mainly dealing with Judaizers, here. But remember that the Bible is true on everything on which it speaks, so what Paul uses as red flags, or characteristics of Judaizers applies to other false teachers, and false teachings.

The word voluntary is applied to more than just the word humility. It simply implies that the false teacher is willingly doing what it is he's doing.

The angel worship was only to show their "false" humility. They pretended to believe that God was too great to be approached by man, so angels were used as mediators. Some, today, actually believe this, and write songs about it. Yet we know we can approach God boldly.

Hebrews 4:16  Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

Jacob's ladder was divine imagery God used to show Jacob that "prayers go up, blessings come down." I don't need to pray to an angel, or dead saint, to have God hear my prayers.

It's not a matter of pride to boldly approach the throne of grace, it's a simple right as a joint-heir with Christ.

The humility is shown to be false in the last phrase. They were proud of their teaching, and were smart enough to know that a false humility would help to acquire favor in the eyes of the new believers. I'm sure David Koresh had a very humble spirit as he deceived the people in Waco.

Paul warns about those who speak of things they know nothing of. "Let no man despise thy youth" is not a license to disregard the advice of those who have "been in the fight" a little longer than you. Some secular colleges will teach you that the new graduate is better in his field than the old hand, due to the knowledge being fresh and updated. That's not always true, even in the secular world. The old hand has seen action in the real world, and often has a better approach to a solution.

But in the realm of Christianity, there are no updates. Often a new graduate has spent the last few years obtaining knowledge, and is wanting more. He feels the need to impress someone with his ability to "interpret" scripture. He begins to read and learn from those that his previous teachers would disapprove of in order to find this "new thing" he wants to share.

Paul tried this in Acts 17. It didn't work too well for him. That's why you don't find Paul ever writing to a Church in Athens. I believe it was a learning experience. He did get some to believe. God's Word never returns void, but he never tried that approach again.

God made the gospel simple so that anyone could be saved, with or without the presence of college grad. But training is required for those who desire to preach the whole counsel of God, or work in a particular field of ministry.

The challenge for the learned is to understand that all they have learned comes from the Bible. Study aids are great, but everyone has a Bible.

I can try and use something I learned in Bible college to persuade someone of my belief on an issue, but as long as he has a Bible, I stand the chance to be embarrassed by his knowledge of God's Word. Especially if he actually reads his Bible more than I do. And unless you read it 24/7, there's always someone who might read it more. That is why my preface to this blog, and past emails, has always said that I make no claim of higher knowledge.

The best place to learn about God's Word is in a pew of a Bible-believing church, every time the Church doors are open. The Pastor, and those he brings in, are your best professors.

 So, if you are getting your thrice weekly lessons, and studying your Bible at home, you won't be so apt to fall for "new things."