The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 123

Vers. 18, 19.-.A warning against angel-worship. The apostle now notices the theological error of the false teachers, which was the interposition of angelic mediators between God and man. "Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worsbipping of angels, dwelling in the things he bath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." L ANGEL-WORSHIP rs CLEARLY CONDEMNED. 1. The angel whom John would have worshipped, said, "See tbou do it not, for I am thy fellow-servant .•. worship God" (Rev. :uii. 9). 2. God wal not share his rights with another. "I the Lord thy God am a jealous God_" The first commandment forbids all other worship. 3. There is but one mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus (1 Tim. ii. 5, 6). Papists say that the apostle merely condemns such worship of angels as excludes Christ, but the condemnation is most absolute and simple. Desides, Christ is declared to be the one single and only way to the Father, to the exclusion of all angelic mediators. "No man cometh unto the Father but by me;" "If ye shall ask anything in my Name, I will do it" (John xiv. 6, 14). "We offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God, by Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. ii. 5). 4. The worship of angels implies an omniscience on their part which belong.~ only to God. God only knows the hearts of men (2 Chron. vi. 30). 5. Our Lord'ss1iperiority to all angels, as asserted in Heb. i. and ii., implies the same condemnation; for they are merely "ministering spirits, se11t to minister to the heirs of salvation." IL '.l'H..E MOTIVE OF THIS ANGEL-WORSHIP. "A voluntary humility.'' The idea of the false teachers, like that of modem Papists, was that God was so high and inaccessible that he could only be approached through the mediation of inferior beings. It was remembered that the Law was given "by the ministration of angels" (Acts vii. 53), and that angels exercised a certain tutelary guardianship (Dan. x. 10-21). But it was, after all, a mere parade of humility to approach God through the merliation of such inferior creatures. It implied, besides, a serious misrepresentation of the fitness of the one Mediator, of whom it was said," It behoved him to be made like to his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God" (Heb. ii. 17). He surely can sympathize with us even more closely than angels, for he shared our human nature. It was, therefore, a false and perverted humility that sought the intercession of angels. ill THE SPIRIT THAT SHAPED TBIB DOCTRINE OF ANGEL-WORSHIP. "Dwelling in the tlti □ gs he bath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." 1. The falae teachers claimed to have visions of the heavenly world and a knowledge of angela wliich they could not possibly possess. They claimed to know the secrets of a region which they l,ad never seen. 2. They were filled with great self-conceit, notwithstanding their purade of excessive humility. "Vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.'' The Gnostic tendcDcy was a1'1,ays associated with an assumption of superior knowledge, but it was a~ l!ttcrly grouudless ass~mptiop. Jt was "in vain." It was without reason or OH. II. 1~23.] THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. 117