Colossians 2:18-20
1599 Geneva Bible
18 [a]Let no man at his pleasure bear rule over you by [b]humbleness of mind, and worshipping of Angels, [c]advancing himself in those things which he never saw, [d][e]rashly puffed up with his fleshly mind,
19 [f]And holdeth not the [g]head, whereof all the body furnished and knit together by joints and bands, increaseth with the increasing of [h]God.
20 [i]Wherefore if ye be dead with Christ from the ordinances of the world, why, [j]as though ye lived in the world, are ye burdened with traditions?
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- Colossians 2:18 He disputeth against the first kind of corruptions, and setteth down the worshipping of Angels for an example: which kind of false religion he confuteth, first this way: because that they which being in such a worship, attribute that unto themselves which is proper only to God, to wit, authority to bind men’s consciences with religion, although they seem to bring in these things by humbleness of mind.
- Colossians 2:18 By a foolish humbleness of mind: for otherwise humbleness is a virtue. For these Angel worshippers blamed such of pride, as would go straight to God, and use no other under means besides Christ.
- Colossians 2:18 Secondly, because they rashly thrust upon them for oracles, those things which they neither saw nor heard, but devised of themselves.
- Colossians 2:18 Thirdly, because these things have no other ground, whereupon they are built, but only the opinion of men, which please themselves without all measure in their own duties.
- Colossians 2:18 Without reason.
- Colossians 2:19 The fourth argument, which is of great weight, because they spoil Christ of his dignity, who only is sufficient both to nourish, and also to increase his whole body.
- Colossians 2:19 Christ.
- Colossians 2:19 With the increasing which cometh from God.
- Colossians 2:20 Now last of all he fighteth against the second kind of corruptions, that is to say, against mere superstitions, invented of men, which partly deceive the simplicity of some with their craftiness, and partly with very foolish superstitions, and to be laughed at: as when godliness, remission of sins, or any such like virtue is put in some certain kind of meat and such like things, which the inventors of such rites themselves understand not, because indeed it is not. And he useth an argument taken of comparison. If by the death of Christ who establisheth a new covenant with his blood, you be delivered from those external rites wherewith it pleased the Lord to prepare the world, as it were by certain rudiments to that full knowledge of true religion, why would ye be burdened with traditions, I wrote not what, as though ye were citizens of this world, that is to say, as though ye depended upon this life, and earthly things? Now this is the cause why before verse 8 he followed another order than he doth in the confutation: because he showeth thereby what degrees false religions came into the world, to wit, beginning first by curious speculations of the wise after which in process of time succeeded gross superstition, against which mischiefs the Lord set at length that service of the Law, which some abused in like sort: but in the confutation he began with the abolishing of the Law service, that he might show by comparison, that those false services ought much more to be taken away.
- Colossians 2:20 As though your felicity stood in these earthly things, and the kingdom of God were not rather spiritual.
Geneva Bible, 1599 Edition. Published by Tolle Lege Press. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles, reviews, and broadcasts.
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