What does this mean?

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Col 2:18

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,



Col 2:19

Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth.

?

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Col 2:18

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,



Col 2:19

Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth.

?

This section is bracketed by

16 ¶ Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:
17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

and

20 Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the rudiments of the world, why, as though living in the world, are ye subject to ordinances,
21 (Touch not; taste not; handle not;
22 Which all are to perish with the using; ) after the commandments and doctrines of men?
23 Which things have indeed a shew of wisdom in will worship, and humility, and neglecting of the body; not in any honour to the satisfying of the flesh.
1 ¶ If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.
2 Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

So I would imagine the passage is talking about not interpreting the bible like a pharisee and avoid the restrictive commands, since they do not result in controlling the urges of the body. To seek what is above, and not what is below.

What Paul said about angels reminds me of a few more passages regarding angels and the law or certain rules, so may relate to the angels of creation which we're not supposed to give worship to anyway - God only.

 

[hedrick]

The target of Col 2 is normally thought to be a fringe movement that's a bit more far out than the Pharisees. Commentators try to get an idea of what it taught based on the criticisms in Col 2, but it's partly guesswork.

It does seem that the movement was Jewish, because it included cultic laws from Judaism, but I wouldn't assume it was quite the Pharisees.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

The target of Col 2 is normally thought to be a fringe movement that's a bit more far out than the Pharisees. Commentators try to get an idea of what it taught based on the criticisms in Col 2, but it's partly guesswork.

Yeah, the worship of angels does seem to be oddly specific - most likely a specific cultural element.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Here is an interesting conversation on the passage.
In Colossians 2:18 what is the "worship of angels"?

 

[hedrick]

Here is an interesting conversation on the passage.
In Colossians 2:18 what is the "worship of angels"?

And that's only some of the theories ...

 

[Monna]

Yeah, the worship of angels does seem to be oddly specific

Is this in any way related to the practice of praying to the saints, rather than directly to God? I have also heard people tell children that when someone they love has died "s/he has become an angel." So the concept of "angel" in different contexts seems to vary ... a sign perhaps that we really don't know much about them.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

It does seem that the movement was Jewish, because it included cultic laws from Judaism, but I wouldn't assume it was quite the Pharisees.

I'd say it was probably Gnostics, but the methology of interpretation was like the Pharisees. Since there are no discourses of the apostles or disciples speaking with gnostics in the scriptures - a Pharisee was the only image that came to mind per se.

By the time the gnostics were an issue however, the synagogue of free men was probably a distant memory.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

And that's only some of the theories ...

for sure.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Is this in any way related to the practice of praying to the saints, rather than directly to God? I have also heard people tell children that when someone they love has died "s/he has become an angel." So the concept of "angel" in different contexts seems to vary ... a sign perhaps that we really don't know much about them.

Some people equate the two practices, but it is very ambiguous what is meant.

For my interpretation, I compare to other passages where Paul mentions angels and totally miss the gnostic element to it.

 

[Gregory Thompson]

Col 2:18

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,



Col 2:19

Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth.

?

In terms of application this passage means to not rely on replacements for the Trinity God in our daily lives.

Some people use saints as an intermediary to talk to God, and so the saints become their object of worship.

Some people use scripture to dictate to the Holy Spirit, and so the book becomes their object of worship.

The one thing that matters since the origin is culturally removed from us is how to apply it.

It's culturally removed since only the new age religion worships angels nowadays.

 

[Sketcher]

People were being fooled by false prophets who claimed to have visions. He said not to be fooled by them, the Gospel message trumps everything else, and if someone who claims to have visions also makes claims against the Gospel, that person is wrong.

 

[eleos1954]

Col 2:18

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,



Col 2:19

Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth.

?

Colossians 2
Berean Study Bible
18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you with speculation about what he has seen. Such a person is puffed up without basis by his unspiritual mind.

19He has lost connection to the head, from whom the whole body, supported and knit together by its joints and ligaments, grows as God causes it to grow.

 

[Citizen of the Kingdom]

Delighting in self abasement was the translation in the Op. It could mean statements like "I don't mean that in a rude way I mean it negatively towards myself. I should study it."

 

[Radagast]

Col 2:18
Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Col 2:19
Such a one does not keep his hold upon Christ, the Head, from whom the Body, in all its parts nourished and strengthened by its points of contact and its connections, grows with a divine growth.

?

You always need to go back to the start of the section:

Colossians 2:16-19: Therefore let no one pass judgment on you in questions of food and drink, or with regard to a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath. 17 These are a shadow of the things to come, but the substance belongs to Christ. 18 Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, 19 and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.

In verses 16-17, Paul is criticising people who hold to Old Testament ceremonial laws, which were a "shadow" of Christ to come.

In verse 18, Paul criticises a false religion built on that Jewish base, involving "asceticism and worship of angels." One particular false teacher seems to be meant; that false teacher does not "hold fast to Christ."

More broadly, we can apply these verses to other false teachers who seem "very spiritual," but who have strayed from the Gospel. One way of recognising them is that they are not focused on Jesus.

 

[DebbieJ]

Col 2:18

Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,

Do not worship angels if you've encountered one. Angels are very powerful beings, thus, people who saw them will naturally be compelled to bow down before them like a god.