Colossians 2:18

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,

a. NLT: Don’t let anyone condemn you by insisting on pious self-denial or the worship of angels, saying they have had visions about these things. Their sinful minds have made them proud, [Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.]

b. NIV: Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you. Such a person also goes into great detail about what they have seen; they are puffed up with idle notions by their unspiritual mind. [THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by Permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.]

c. Young’s Literal Translation: let no one beguile you of your prize, delighting in humble-mindedness and in worship of the messengers, intruding into the things he hath not seen, being vainly puffed up by the mind of his flesh, [The Young's Literal Translation was translated by Robert Young, who believed in a strictly literal translation of God's word. This version of the Bible is in the public domain.]

d. Amplified Bible: Let no one defraud you by acting as an umpire and declaring you unworthy and disqualifying you for the prize, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions [he claims] he has seen, vainly puffed up by his sensuous notions and inflated by his unspiritual thoughts and fleshly conceit, [Amplified Bible, Classic Edition (AMPC) Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation]

e. ASV: Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, [Thomas Nelson & Sons first published the American Standard Version in 1901. This translation of the Bible is in the public domain.]

f. RSV: Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind, [Source: Transcribed from: The Holy Bible: Revised Standard Version containing the Old and New Testaments, translated from the original tongues: being the version set forth A.D. 1611, revised A.D. 1881-1885 and A.D. 1901: compared with the most ancient authorities and revised A.D. 1946-52. — 2nd ed. of New Testament A.D. 1971.]

g. Worrell Translation:  Let no one rob’ you of your prize, wishing to do it in humility and in a worshipping of angels, speculating about things he has seen, being vainly puffed up, by the mind of his flesh. [Copyright 1904 by A.S. Worrell. Copyright assigned to the Assemblies of God, Springfield, MO. This edition was published 1980 by the Gospel Publishing House, Springfield, MO 65802. Printed in the U.S.A.]

1. “Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels…” 

a. Let… beguile…of your reward [Strong: 2603 * katabrabeuo kat-ab-rab-yoo'-o from 2596 and 1018 (in its original sense); to award the price against, i.e. (figuratively) to defraud (of salvation):--beguile of reward.]  [katabrabeuo; kata-against; brabeuo-to be a judge or umpire and thus award the prize in a public game.] [Zodhiates: To judge against someone in a game, to defraud or deprive of the prize.]

b. no man [3367 * medeis] [Strong: including the irregular feminine medemia may-dem-ee'-ah, and the neuter meden may-den' from 3361 and 1520; not even one (man, woman, thing):--any (man, thing), no (man), none, not (at all, any man, a whit), nothing, + without delay.]

c. you [5209 * humas] [Strong: accusative case of 5210; you (as the objective of a verb or preposition):--ye, you (+ -ward), your (+ own).]

d. in [1722 * en] [Strong: a primary preposition denoting (fixed) position (in place, time or state), and (by implication) instrumentality (medially or constructively), i.e. a relation of rest (intermediate between 1519 and 1537); "in," at, (up-)on, by, etc.:--about, after, against, + almost, X altogether, among, X as, at, before, between, (here-)by (+ all means), for (... sake of), + give self wholly to, (here-)in(-to, -wardly), X mightily, (because) of, (up-)on, (open-)ly, X outwardly, one, X quickly, X shortly, (speedi-)ly, X that, X there(-in, -on), through(-out), (un-)to(-ward), under, when, where(-with), while, with(-in). Often used in compounds, with substantially the same import; rarely with verbs of motion, and then not to indicate direction, except (elliptically) by a separate (and different) preposition.]

e. a voluntary [2309 * thelo][Thayer: to will, have in mind, intend, to be resolved or determined, to purpose, to desire, to wish, to love, to like to do a thing, be fond of doing, to take delight in, have pleasure.][Strong: denotes rather a passive acquiescence in objective considerations), i.e. choose or prefer (literally or figuratively); by implication, to wish, i.e. be inclined to (sometimes adverbially, gladly); impersonally for the future tense, to be about to; by Hebraism, to delight in:--desire, be disposed (forward), intend, list, love, mean, please, have rather, (be) will (have,]

f. humility [Strong: 5012 * tapeinophrosune tap-i-nof-ros-oo'-nay from a compound of 5011 and the base of 5424; humiliation of mind, i.e. modesty:--humbleness of mind, humility (of mind, loneliness (of mind).] [Thayer: the having a humble opinion of one's self, a deep sense of one's (moral) littleness, modesty, humility, lowliness of mind.][Zodhiates: Humilty, lowliness of mind, esteeming ourselves small, in as much as we are so, the correct estimate of ourselves (Acts 20:19; Ephesians 4:2; Philippians 2:3; 1 Peter 5:5].

1). Looking at this verse and the definitions, it brings up a few things in my mind. Within Christianity we are commanded to be humble (Philippians 2:5-8). We are to humble ourselves empowered by God’s grace and that is a good thing. However, it seems the “voluntary humility” that Paul is speaking against in Colossians 2:18 is tied to angels, in that these believers are being warned against voluntarily placing themselves below angels and then worshipping them. Paul writes this is very wrong and I believe the next verse (Colossians 2:19), sheds light on this phrase. Paul writes that those who are participating in this voluntary humility and worshipping of angels are “not holding the head”, the head of course being Christ. The NIV says “They have lost connection with the head”, they are separated from Him. We are not to voluntarily place ourselves below or worship angels. In Christ we are seated with Him above angels (Ephesians 1:15-21). We are His body and He is our Head. 

a). Ephesians 1:19-21 And what is the exceeding greatness of his power to us-ward who believe, according to the working of his mighty power,

1:20 Which he wrought in Christ, when he raised him from the dead, and set him at his own right hand in the heavenly places,

1:21 Far above all principality, and power, and might, and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this world, but also in that which is to come:

1: 22 And hath put all things under his feet, and gave him to be the head over all things to the church,

1:23 Which is his body, the fulness of him that filleth all in all.

2). On another occasion Paul wrote we are going to judge angels.

a). 1 Corinthians 6:2, 3  Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?

6:3 Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?

3). The gist of this is that we as believers in covenant with God through Christ Jesus, we are not to voluntarily humble ourselves below angels nor worship them. When we do we are disconnecting ourselves from Christ. Spiritually we are in a position higher than angels.

g. worshipping [2356 * threskeia][Strong: from a derivative of 2357; ceremonial observance:--religion, worshipping.]

h. angels [32 * aggelos][Strong: a messenger; especially an "angel"; by implication, a pastor:--angel, messenger.]

2. “…intruding into those things which he hath not seen…” 

a. intruding into [1687 * embateuo; en-in; bateuo-to step][Strong: from 1722 and a presumed derivative of the base of 939; equivalent to 1684; to intrude on (figuratively):--intrude into.][Zodhiates: To enter and intrude into, the word seemingly implying conceit and arrogance. It is used in a hostile sense. In the NT, used metaphorically meaning to go into a matter, to investigate with the idea of impertinence, to pry or intrude into.]

b. those things which [3739 * hos] [Strong: including feminine he hay, and neuter ho ho probably a primary word (or perhaps a form of the article 3588); the relatively (sometimes demonstrative) pronoun, who, which, what, that:--one, (an-, the) other, some, that, what, which, who(-m, -se), etc.]

c. hath…seen [3708 * horao] [Strong: properly, to stare at (compare 3700), i.e. (by implication) to discern clearly (physically or mentally); by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear:--behold, perceive, see, take heed.]

d. not [3361 * me] [Strong:  a primary particle of qualified negation (whereas 3756 expresses an absolute denial); (adverb) not, (conjunction) lest; also (as an interrogative implying a negative answer (whereas 3756 expects an affirmative one)) whether:--any but (that), X forbear, + God forbid, + lack, lest, neither, never, no (X wise in), none, nor, (can-)not, nothing, that not, un(-taken), without. Often used in compounds in substantially the same relations.] [Thayer: no, not lest.]

e. seen [3708 * horao][Strong: to stare at (compare 3700), i.e. (by implication) to discern clearly (physically or mentally); by extension, to attend to; by Hebraism, to experience; passively, to appear:--behold, perceive, see, take heed.]

1). This phrase is interesting in the fact that some translations declare the things “were seen” while others say they had “not seen” it. The King James says they had “not seen” the things. It all comes down to the manuscripts and of course I favor the manuscripts that produced the King James Version.

3. “…vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.”

a. vainly [1500 * eike][Strong: idly, i.e. without reason (or effect):--without a cause, (in) vain(-ly).] [Thayer: inconsiderably, without purpose, without just cause, in vain, without success or effort.]

b. puffed up [5448 * phusioo][Strong: from 5449 in the primary sense of blowing; to inflate, i.e. (figuratively) make proud (haughty):--puff up.]

c. by [5259 * hupo] [Strong: a primary preposition; under, i.e. (with the genitive case) of place (beneath), or with verbs (the agency or means, through); (with the accusative case) of place (whither (underneath) or where (below) or time (when (at)):--among, by, from, in, of, under, with. In the comparative, it retains the same general applications, especially of inferior position or condition, and specially, covertly or moderately.]

d. his [846 * autos] [Strong: from the particle au (perhaps akin to the base of 109 through the idea of a baffling wind) (backward); the reflexive pronoun self, used (alone or in the comparative 1438) of the third person , and (with the proper personal pronoun) of the other persons:--her, it(-self), one, the other, (mine) own, said, (self-), the) same, ((him-, my-, thy- )self, (your-)selves, she, that, their(-s), them(-selves), there(-at, - by, -in, -into, -of, -on, -with), they, (these) things, this (man), those, together, very, which.]

e. fleshly [4561 * sarx][Strong: flesh (as stripped of the skin), i.e. (strictly) the meat of an animal (as food), or (by extension) the body (as opposed to the soul (or spirit), or as the symbol of what is external, or as the means of kindred), or (by implication) human nature (with its frailties (physically or morally) and passions), or (specially), a human being (as such):--carnal(-ly, + -ly minded), flesh(-ly).]

f. mind [3563 * nous][Strong:  the intellect, i.e. mind (divine or human; in thought, feeling, or will); by implication, meaning:--mind, understanding.]

1). The phrase “fleshly mind” is just carnal mindedness, walking in the flesh, mentioned in other writings of Paul.

a). Romans 8:6-8 For to be carnally minded is death; but to be spiritually minded is life and peace.

8:7 Because the carnal mind is enmity against God: for it is not subject to the law of God, neither indeed can be.

8:8 So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

b). In light of these verses, those who lower ourselves below angels are walking in the flesh.