Bible Strands
Colossians 2:18
Do 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.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — The author addresses the Colossian believers immediately after establishing Christ as the substance behind all shadows (Colossians 2:17) and before describing the church's dependence on Christ as its head (Colossians 2:19). He issues a direct warning against external influences that seek to undermine their standing in Christ.
The words — καταβραβευέτω (katabrabeuetō) literally means "should disqualify" or "should judge down," while ταπεινοφροσύνῃ (tapeinophrosunē) translates directly as "false humility." These terms identify the specific mechanism of the deception being condemned.
The thread — The warning against deceptive spiritual claims recurs in Colossians 2:8, which cautions against captivity through empty philosophy, and 1 John 4:1, which commands testing every spirit. Colossians 2:23 confirms that such practices only display an appearance of wisdom through self-prescribed worship.
Why it lands — The text demands that readers reject any teaching that uses self-invented humility or angelic visions to disqualify them from Christ alone. It requires immediate reliance on the head for spiritual growth rather than submission to unspiritual speculation.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Greek words
King James Version
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,
Cross-references
- Colossians 2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, which are based on human tradition and the spiritual forces of the world rather than on Christ.
- 1 John 4:1 Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God. For many false prophets have gone out into the world.
- Colossians 2:23 Such restrictions indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-prescribed worship, their false humility, and their harsh treatment of the body; but they are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh.
- 1 Timothy 1:7 They want to be teachers of the law, but they do not understand what they are saying or that which they so confidently assert.
- 1 Timothy 4:1 Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Revelation 22:8 And I, John, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had shown me these things.
- Romans 1:25 They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5 For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords),
- Matthew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and wonders to deceive even the elect, if that were possible.
- 2 Corinthians 11:3 I am afraid, however, that just as Eve was deceived by the serpent’s cunning, your minds may be led astray from your simple and pure devotion to Christ.