The Pulpit Commentary — Colossians — Section 147

. I. Tm: mFLUE~<;E 01!' UNfUST ~UD!lMENTB. The aposile has here in view the prac- tical error of ~uda1zrng ntuahsts: fhey ha<l received from Moses regulations respecting meats and drinks and feast,, which they endeavoured to enforce on Gentile converts as necessary to salvation (Acts xv. 1). If they did not always proceed to this extreme, they treated others as negligent of most important means of grace. They thus brou""ht a strong pressure to bear on the consciences of new convert.~ who had received no s~cll inst111ctions from apostles or other Christian teachers who had "begotten them throu"h the gospel." It was no easy thing to resist such pressure exerted by men with all the sacred traditions of Judaism behiod them ; just as it must have been hard work for the early Reformers to resist the iofluence of the hostile opinioos of all the leaders and Fathers of the Christian world. (Illustrate from the case of Cranmer.) Thus the Colossian converts were in danger of yielding to the censorious judgmcnts of these teachers and conforming to their requiremeots. In so doing they might grasp at shadows which belonged to Moses and lose the substance which was Christ's. Neither the twelve apostles oor Paul made light of Mosaic ordioances (Acts xvi. 3 ; xviii. 18 ; xxi. 26) or sacred seasons (Acts xvi. 13; xviii. 21; xx. 16; xxiv. 11). But St. Paul earnestly protests agaiost the yoke of bondage being imposed on Gentile con vcrts. W c too must beware of yielding to similar pressure from ritualiziog Christiaos. So loog as we endeavour to observe all things which Christ has commanded, we must be preparetl to brave the judgments of those who would impose on our consciences ohservaoces aocl expedients which are oot of Divine authority; e.g. the enforcing on the couscieoec of the observance of Good Friday, or of early communion, evening communion being denounced; the forbiddiog of marriage during Lent or Advent. There is peril in regardiog any human appointments as takiog rank with Divine ordinances: "I am afraid of you" (Gal. iv. 10, 11). '!'here is positive sin in enforciog them on the con- scieoces of others (Rom. xiv. 1-6, 13). II. 'l'HE LOSS OF OUR EXPECTED PRIZE. (Vcrs. 18, 19.) This danger arose from the theological errors of the advocates of a rudimeotary Goosticism. This heresy was more serious than the other, as we infer from the fact that to lose our expected priw is a far greater calamity than to endure the condemoation of narrow-minded brethren. By yielding to the temptation, even through the influence of false opioions, of robbiog Christ of his glory as sole Mediator, we may ourselves be robbed of our prize, our "crown." False doctrines may be fatal when they have their roots in moral causes and bring forth " wild grapes." The element of error here chiefly c00demued is the worship of angelic mediators. It had four sources. (1) A spurious humility, as though we could not venture to have access to God except through the medi:1tion of inferior beings. (2) A vain pretence to know more than is reve11led respecting the world of spirits (" Dwelling in the things which he hath seen," i.e. his assumed visioos). (3) Spiritual pride (which is a frequent source of heresy even in Christian men; 1 Cor. viii. 1). (4) An imperfect knowledge of or trust to Christ (" not holding the Head,' etc.) This analysis of error applies, to a larAe extent, to the modern errors of the intercession and worship of angels, saints, nnd the Virgin Mary. They arise from: (1) Spurious humility; as though a child should appeal to his father through a domestic servant, when his elder brother was appointed as his tutor and counsellor (1 Tim. ii. 5; Heb. i. 14). (2) Pretended knowledge; for whatever speculations we may iodulge as to the employments of" the dead io Christ," we know nothing to authorize us to appeal to them as intercessors. (3) Spiritual pride, which show8 itself in decliniog to be satis- fied or even in settiog aside "the things which are revealetl '' respectiog worship and mediation (1 John ii. 2; Rev. xix. 10, etc.), aod exalting our own imagioatioos or the uosupported assertions of fellow-sioners to the level of the true sayiogs of God (Rev. ii. 14, 15, 20). In some respects Romanists and spiritualists are victims of similar delu- sions. (4) A failure in "holdiog fast the Head," etc. Unhappy men! "If thou koewest the gift of God I" God is better to you than your servile fears or false humility woultl suggest. We have an Advocate, even Christ (John xiv. 6; Eph. ii.18). We need no advocate with him. "I can speak more safely and chc~rfully to my Jesus than to any of the holy spirits of God" (Augustioe). '!'he angels have not my nature, o.od I need no redeemed sinoers as intercessors, since I have the Sinless One (Heh. vii. :.!5 26). To admit any one to share with Jesus Christ the glory of the work of m~di,t- ti;n is (to say the least) to" h9~d tbo llcad," not "fast," but io a m~nner that is both ' • 142 THE EPISTLE TO THE COLOSSIANS. [err. u, 1-23.