Title: A Verse by Verse Study of Colossians.
Lesson 20 – Beware Of Men With Enticing Words.   

Text: Col. 2:4 - 6

A.     We as believers should heed the warning of Paul, do not slip backward but continue to mature. “And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with enticing words.”

1.      This is Christianities biggest problem in our generation. People judge pastors on styles and enticing words rather that stability on doctrine. 

2.      The writer of Hebrews said Hebrews 6:1 “Therefore leaving the principles of the doctrine of Christ, let us go on unto perfection; not laying again the foundation of repentance from dead works, and of faith toward God,” this is speaking of Apostasy and a large part of it is men speaking enticing words.

3.      When Paul said “beguile you with enticing words” he meant do not let men “deceive you with persuasive language”

4.      The believers in the church at Colossae were not different than church members of today, they have salvation but they need to grow and sometimes looks for new things or in their desire to learn listen to the wrong men and simply go the wrong direction. We all need to understand there are nothing new, what was taught 2000 years ago is what is taught today, look for something new and you will fall into the hands of these heretics.

5.      The Life Application Bible Commentary had this quote: “At first, lies don't sound like lies. The false teachers did a good job of making their teachings sound plausible and of using persuasive tactics to cause the believers to question their faith. When believers are fully committed to the truth in Jesus, they will not be easily deluded when others offer "treasures of wisdom" not found in Christ.”

6.      So many Seminary students know too much about other men’s words instead of God’s word. They learn to be good persuaders rather than good teachers and for this they need things like; the know how of using persuasive tactics, entertainment, and phony philosophies, instead of God’s word.  Mark 13:22 “For false Christs and false prophets shall rise, and shall shew signs and wonders, to seduce, if it were possible, even the elect.”

7.      They will define the Greek and Hebrew in several different ways; just as they will twist the scripture in order to confuse you and to prove their heresy. They are simply “trained deceivers.” To put it simple they are trained to like the snake in the garden.             

B.       V. 5 “For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.”

1.      Paul had a sincere love for these folks. He had not seen them, or met them however his love and heart was with them along with his prayers. As we read this letter we can see Paul’s love for this church as well with others.

2.      This is not an uncommon thought of Paul, 1 Corinthians 5:3 “For I verily, as absent in body, but present in spirit, have judged already, as though I were present, concerning him that hath so done this deed,”

3.      We are sometimes moved for other believers and churches in this way in their time of troubles.

4.      “joying and beholding your order,” Paul is saying “I rejoice in your fixed succession or your Christian faith and walk.” It could also mean their discipline and etc. He had faith in them and their truth would hold strong. His joy was as though he was there with them. 

5.      “and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ.” “stedfastness” means standing firm or being unmovable and this is only in Christ the One these teachers of Gnosticism were teaching against. Stability is only in Christ. 1 Corinthians 15:58 “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”

6.      Colossian church had a reputation for stedfastness, and Paul wanted them to continue like that and not be led away from that faith.    

C.     V. 6 “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:”

1.      This word received is not simply something you just decided to do, it means “to receive from another" they had received Christ from “another” the Holy Spirit. They had been truly born again or from above.

2.      Notice John 1:11 “He came unto his own, and his own received him not.”  Did they just refuse to not receive him or could they not? Without the Holy Spirit one cannot.

3.      Also notice 1 Thessalonians 2:13 “For this cause also thank we God without ceasing, because, when ye received the word of God which ye heard of us, ye received it not as the word of men, but as it is in truth, the word of God, which effectually worketh also in you that believe.” 

4.      “so walk ye in him:” this walk in Christ is:

a.       In the newness of life - Romans 6:4 “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”

b.      After the Spirit - Romans 8:4 “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” 

c.       In Honesty - Romans 13:13 “Let us walk honestly, as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envying.”

d.      By faith - 2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

e.       In good works - Ephesians 2:10 “For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.”

f.        In love -  Ephesians 5:2 “And walk in love, as Christ also hath loved us, and hath given himself for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweetsmelling savour.”

g.       In wisdom - Colossians 4:5 “Walk in wisdom toward them that are without, redeeming the time.”

h.       In Truth - 2 John 1:4 “I rejoiced greatly that I found of thy children walking in truth, as we have received a commandment from the Father.”

i.         After the commandments of the Lord - 2 John 1:6 “And this is love, that we walk after his commandments. This is the commandment, That, as ye have heard from the beginning, ye should walk in it.”

j.        Not after the flesh - Romans 8:4 “That the righteousness of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.”

k.      Not after the manner of men - 1 Corinthians 3:3 “For ye are yet carnal: for whereas there is among you envying, and strife, and divisions, are ye not carnal, and walk as men?”

l.         not in craftiness -  2 Corinthians 4:2 “But have renounced the hidden things of dishonesty, not walking in craftiness, nor handling the word of God deceitfully; but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man's conscience in the sight of God.”

m.     Not by sight - 2 Corinthians 5:7 “(For we walk by faith, not by sight:)”

n.       Not disorderly - 2 Thessalonians 3:6 “Now we command you, brethren, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that ye withdraw yourselves from every brother that walketh disorderly, and not after the tradition which he received of us.”