Have you ever seen a counterfeit one-cent coin? Probably not. A cent is so cheap that it is not worth counterfeiting. Have you ever seen a counterfeit $100 bill? Sure. Why? Because it is worth so much. The existence of a counterfeit is testimony that a thing is precious. Anything that is truly precious is sure to have counterfeits. The Christian faith is very precious. And from the beginning it has always had counterfeits. A counterfeit of true Christian doctrine is called a heresy. Paul wrote to the letter to the Colossians to combat heresies that were developing there and corrupting the true faith they received in the beginning. Paul did not personally found the church in Colossae. He never even visited the Colossians. But when he heard of the corruption of sound doctrine that was brewing there, he could not restrain himself from writing to them to point out the counterfeits of Christian doctrine that were circulating among them.
Paul does not give a name to the heresy of the Colossians. But from his response and the things he emphasized in his letter it is possible to make out certain tendencies of this heresy. His principal advice to the Colosssians in today’s second reading is: “As you have received Christ Jesus the Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him and established in the faith, just as you were taught, abounding in thanksgiving” (2:6). From this we can see that the heresy of the Colossians has to do with belief in Christ. Paul urges the Colossians to keep living their lives in Christ. Using the image of a house, Paul urges the Colossians to sink their foundation on the solid rock of Christ so that they can be firmly built up in him. Departing from Christ would mean building their house on sand, and such a house cannot stand (Matthew 7:24-27).
Paul gives three reasons why he urges the Colossians to centre their lives on Christ. The first is because “in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily” (2:9). Apparently the heresy claimed that Christ was not fully God but shared in some aspects of divinity as do many other spiritual “rulers” and “authorities” in whom they believed. But Paul is quick to point out that in fact the whole fullness of deity dwells in the man Jesus and that he is “the head of [i.e, above] every ruler and authority.” (2:10b).
The second reason Paul gives to the Colossians why they should remain steadfast in Christ is because “you have come to fullness in him” (2:10a). Many heresies thrive by promising their devotees a deeper knowledge of God which will bring their Christian experience to a new level of maturity. Paul tells the Colossians that in Christ they have already attained fullness as daughters and sons of God. In other words, they have no need for additional, esoteric beliefs and practices to bring them to Christian maturity.
Finally, Paul reminds the Colossians that “In him also you were circumcised with a spiritual circumcision, by putting off the body of the flesh in the circumcision of Christ” (2:11). The Colossians were mainly Gentiles. Part of the heresy could be that Jewish extremists were telling them that their membership as God’s covenant people was deficient because they were not circumcised. Paul reassures them that the baptism they had received was a spiritual circumcision, the circumcision of Christ.
We can see that in all his arguments Paul was trying to make one point, namely, that for Christian believers, Christ is all-sufficient in their relationship with God. This includes their redemption, their ongoing sanctification and their eternal salvation. Like the first temptation in the Garden of Eden, heresies often promise you that “your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God” (Genesis 3:5). But as we know, that promise is false.
There are many New Age religions today who adulterate sound Christian teachings with esoteric doctrines. Many of these base their teachings on the “Aquarian Gospel of Jesus Christ,” an admixture of Christian and oriental religious beliefs. Many well-meaning Christians who desire to deepen their knowledge and experience of God often fall prey to these modern day heresies. We will do well to heed Paul’s message to the Colossians that the sound teaching of Christ which has been handed down to us in Christian Tradition and the Bible is all that we need for full and authentic Christian life. Nothing more.
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