Paul warns his readers not to be deceived by "fine-sounding arguments". Some of the most eloquent speakers have led people to their ruin because they deceived people with their well-crafted lies. This can happen on a small scale, such as someone who confuses church members about smaller points of doctrine and who keeps these church members from being fully effective for the Lord. Or it can happen on a large scale, with cult leaders like Jim Jones and Charles Manson and David Koresh. I am sure those who listened to men like these thought they made fine-sounding arguments, but no doubt the devil himself can make fine-sounding arguments too. Eloquence of speech is not proof of sound doctrine.
Paul concluded yesterday by reminding us that Christ is our only hope of glory, and this is where we pick up today with him reminding us that there is no other gospel than the one which proclaims Christ. "He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ." (Colossians 1:28) The gospel is not a message so complicated that only the most "enlightened ones" can understand it. It's a message so simple anyone can understand it, so Paul is working along with the other apostles and teachers to make every believer mature in Christ. If a person is mature in Christ, he won't fall for lies, no matter how convincing they may sound.
"To this end I strenuously contend with all the energy Christ so powerfully works in me." (Colossians 1:29) We know that earlier in his ministry Paul was able to work signs and miracles through the power of Christ. I am not sure that's what he's talking about in verse 29 though. I tend to think that the "signs of the apostles" were already fading away as the gospel was beginning to be written down. When Paul writes his letters to Timothy we will find him advising him how to treat his stomach ailments, and if Paul were still able to work miracles we might expect to find him healing Timothy instead of telling him about a home remedy. But there's no question that Christ is still powerfully working in Paul in other ways, for Paul is still leading souls to Christ even while in prison. Paul is still going to the Lord daily in prayer for all believers everywhere. He is still working as hard as he can to encourage and build up the churches even though he can no longer visit them in person. It is Christ alone who has given Paul the strength to keep laboring for the gospel in spite of all his troubles.
We also see the power of Christ in Paul displayed by the love Paul has for people he has never met and is never going to meet. "I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those as Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally." (Colossians 2:1)
He asks the Lord to give the believers unity and an ever-growing relationship with Christ. "My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." (Colossians 2:2-3) Many scholars believe Paul is criticizing the Gnostic movement here. The Greek word "gnosis" means "knowledge", and the Gnostics taught a salvation (of a sort) through learning. They taught that a person could achieve spiritual enlightenment through ever-growing knowledge and they didn't hold to a doctrine of sin that called for salvation, but they believed mistakes were made only through ignorance and that by learning truths a person could achieve righteousness. This is a very simplified description of some of what the Gnostics believed. Their beliefs were a mishmash of mysticism and pagan polytheism with a wide assortment of Judeo-Christian doctrines thrown into the mix wherever it suited them. Their beliefs varied from person to person and from region to region, but their teaching was dangerous because it taught man to depend on his own efforts rather than teaching him to lean on Christ for salvation.
The Gnostic movement was at its peak in the second century AD, but it is believed it began before the advent of Christ and that it was a growing school of thought in the days of the apostles. The apostles had to fight against this false doctrine because it was creeping into the churches. They had to keep reminding the believers that they were sinners saved by grace through faith in Christ. Their salvation wasn't earned by achieving higher and higher levels of learning but by what Christ did for them on the cross. The apostles kept bringing the believers back to the fact that salvation is found only by believing the gospel of Christ---a gospel so simple that even small children can understand it. God intentionally made His plan of salvation simple because His desire for mankind is that everyone would be saved. He also made it simple so that no one who has rejected the gospel message can stand before Him someday and say, "You made it too hard for me to understand! I'd have come to faith in Christ if I'd only known what the gospel message meant!"
Paul is very gifted with words in his letters. I think he was gifted in speech as well, but when he taught the gospel he used simple language. He didn't use big complicated words like the philosophers of his day. He explained the gospel in such simple terms that anyone capable of understanding the spoken word knew what he was saying. He knows it's a human tendency to be impressed with fancy words and beautifully crafted arguments, but being a smooth talker doesn't prove a teacher's doctrine is sound. In fact, it often means the opposite. "I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments." (Colossians 2:4)
How did the devil deceive Eve? By confusing her with his words, by asking her what God said and whether she thought God really meant it. This is how false teachers lead people astray. They twist things around and cause their listeners to doubt what God has said and whether God really meant what He said. They use such complicated words and such intricate arguments that their listeners give up trying to reason things out and conclude that anyone who can argue so effectively must be correct. But if Christ died for all, why would He make His gospel so complicated that not all are able to understand it? If salvation is freely offered to all who will accept Christ, why would we have to work to achieve salvation by completing higher and higher levels of "enlightenment"? We can clearly see that these doctrines are at odds with each other, and this is why it's so important to know what the word of God says. If we know the Scriptures we are going to be able to recognize lies. We are going to be able to resist lies with Scripture in the same way Jesus resisted Satan's lies in the wilderness with Scripture.
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