In Colossians 2, the apostle Paul expressed his desire for the church in Colosse as well as Laodicea, that they might have an understanding of the mystery of God. His reason for this is simple:
“Now this I say lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words” (Colossians 2:4).
The nature of religious and philosophical error is that it can be persuasive. I once heard a gospel preacher talk about a particular false teacher who had some influence in the 1970’s. Regarding this errorist, and his effect on young college students, the preacher said that if you gave him 20 minutes he could convince those vulnerable students that white was black and black was white.
This is how error works. It exploits (2 Peter 2:3). It entices (2 Peter 2:14). It consists of “great swelling words of emptiness” (2 Peter 2:18).
False teachers “allure” (2 Peter 18). They serve “only themselves” (Jude 12). They “mouth great swelling words, flattering people to gain advantage” (Jude 16).
Edification is the only protection we have against such evil influences. We must be “building [our]selves up on [our] most holy faith” (Jude 20). Using the language of our text, “attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in who are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).
May we all work at having such an understanding of the truth.
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