The Elemental spirits of the world

The Colossian Heresy

Early roots of Gnosticism

Identifiers as mysticism,asceticism, mystery cults, legalism

The worship of creation? (Elemental spirits)

Human traditions & Philosophical thought

The Fullness of the God-head in Jesus on earth (fully God fully man)

Divinity of Jesus Christ The NT writers affirm Jesus Christ’s divinity

Hebrews 1:8 NKJV

But to the Son He says: “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever; A scepter of righteousness is the scepter of Your kingdom.

Jesus Christ as “I am”

John 11:25 “Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.” “I am” is the meaning of God’s name in the OT (see Ex 3:14).

Jesus Christ as Saviour

Acts 5:31 “Him God has exalted to His right hand to be Prince and Savior, to give repentance to Israel and forgiveness of sins.” According to the OT, God alone can save & forgive sins

Jesus Christ as Lord

Romans 10:9 “that if you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved.” “Lord” was equivalent to God’s name in the OT.

How these passages point to the divinity of Christ: The divinity of Christ is central to the Christian faith, and this passage highlights His ultimate authority over all powers and principalities. Just as Christ disarmed the spiritual forces of evil through His death and resurrection, He continues to reign as the supreme ruler over all creation, both now and in eternity.

In these verses of Chapter 2, Paul warns against being taken captive by human philosophy and emphasizes the supremacy and sufficiency of Christ

Insights: The ultimate victory and authority belong to Christ alone. By understanding His supremacy, we find wisdom, knowledge, and strength to stand firm against the deceptive philosophies of the world.

1. Preeminence of Christ's Power

Colossians 2:8-10

Hollow and deceptive philosophies based on human tradition can lead people astray.

Jesus even rebuked the religious leaders because of this. Mark 7:8–9 “For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do.” He said to them, “All too well you reject the commandment of God, that you may keep your tradition.”

Principality and Powers NT understanding

Dictionary of Paul and His Letters 7.3. Principalities and Powers

Principalities and Powers. Practitioners of magic were obsessively interested in supernatural powers for utilitarian reasons. Paul’s letters, especially Colossians and Ephesians, provide his readers with a new outlook on the spirit realm (see Principalities and Powers). Paul never denies the real existence of evil spirits (but cf. 1 Cor 8:4); rather he is careful to describe them as minions under the control of the prince of evil, Satan (e.g., Eph 2:2). Most importantly, Christ has defeated all these forces by his work on the cross (Col 2:15; see Triumph) and is now exalted far above them to a position of sovereignty (Eph 1:20–22; see Exaltation and Enthronement). Nevertheless, the powers still exert their influence and are hostile to the church. Christ’s parousia will bring an end to their tyranny over the world (1 Cor 15:24; Eph 1:10; Col 1:20). Because of their dangerous hostility to the church, these powers are not to be invoked or manipulated by Christians, but rather resisted through the power of God (Eph 6:10–20).

Powers in Encounter with Power: Spiritual Warfare in Pagan Cultures (Paul’s View of Spiritual Warfare)

The point of emphasis here is that Paul knew that the Christian life involves spiritual warfare. This spiritual warfare has three significant implications. We will examine each of these implications in what follows, so as to be sensitive enough to the goings on in the kingdom of darkness for us to be able to put up an aggressive defence of the faith.

First, the kingdom of darkness battles with believers and seeks to bring them back to unbelief, as is demonstrated in the case of Demas, once an associate of Paul (Col. 4:14). The last Pauline comment on Demas is a disheartening one: ‘for Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world’ (2 Tim. 4:10). Demas had become a backslider through the cunning wiles the devil always employs, that is, ‘the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life’ (1 John 2:16). Herein lies the full implication of the seeds that fell by the wayside, and into the midst of the thorns, in the parable of the sower:

Matthew 13:22 NKJV

Now he who received seed among the thorns is he who hears the word, and the cares of this world and the deceitfulness of riches choke the word, and he becomes unfruitful.

1 John 5:19 NKJV

We know that we are of God, and the whole world lies under the sway of the wicked one.

V.11-12: Christ”s circumcision is one of an inner work of the heart, while in the Old testament circumcision was an outward sign.

v.13-14: cheirographon .The term refers to a“handwritten document.” In his view, “handwritten document … clearly” refers to the law of the OT, which functioned as “an adversary, an accuser of transgressors.” the two verses in Ephesians and Colossians therefore reads both Col 2:14 and Eph 2:15 as references to Christ’s work to free believers from “the law as a written code.”

v.15 This verse describes Christ exposing, defeating, and subjugating the hostile spiritual powers (compare Luke 10:18 John 12:31; 1 Pet 3:22

Faithlife Study Bible New Testament Terms for Unseen Divine Beings

New Testament Terms for Unseen Divine Beings

The NT uses a wide variety of terms for unseen divine beings in the spiritual realm, both good and evil. Other than indicating that these beings are subordinate to God and inferior to Him in attributes, these terms do not identify the ontological nature of these beings. Rather, they broadly identify beings as non-human and as members of the unseen spiritual world, or they describe degrees of rank and power in the spiritual realm.

The exact hierarchical relationship among these terms is unclear. However, several derive from human conceptions of geographical rule and political power. Additionally, the terms are consistent with OT concepts of cosmic geography, where God consigned the unbelieving nations to the sons of God in an act of divine judgment (Deut 32:8–9; compare Deut 4:19–20; Gen 11:1–9). New Testament writers, particularly Paul, draw on this worldview as well as passages like Dan 10, where nations are under the authority of angelic princes.

Three Warnings

•Let no man judge you (Col 2:16,17);

•Let no man beguile you of your reward (Col 2:18,19);

•Let no one enslave you (Col 2:20-23

In Greece, rudiments also meant the elemental spirits of the universe, the angels that influence the heavenly bodies; one of the words in the astrological vocabulary of that day. The rudiments(stoicheia) or elemental spirits are identified with demonic powers to whom have been delegated authority in the cosmos and, therefore, over men (Col 2:15) or

2) with angelic powers generally who mediated the law and exercised in the old age a certain control or power over men

What is Asceticism