Colossians Part Two Deep Dive
THE ‘GNOSTIC’ HERESY | RYAN KERRISON
Variegated Gnosticism seems to rear its head all over the history of the early Church, especially in the first three centuries. Inherently dualistic in nature – comprised of two opposing principles, that are generally mutually-incompatible, i.e. body and spirit, material and immaterial, good and evil – Gnosticism garners currency via the medium of some sort of ‘secret knowledge’. The Greek ‘gnosis’ means ‘knowledge’, in particular concerning spiritual mysteries. The foundations of a first-century Gnostic worldview may have included the idea of the body being evil, while the spirit is intrinsically good. This is ultimately influenced by a Platonic understanding of the world; a separation between the material (forms) and ideas (virtue). This ideation pulls those of the Gnostic persuasion towards a pursuit of the hidden knowledge, able to be access by another mystical plane of existence, leading one to an elevation of class, status and spiritual prowess. As you may have picked up, this philosophy has some discordance with that of the Christian understanding of the world. This Deep Dive will explore some of Paul’s writings to the church in Colossae and what he had to say, even if indirectly, to those embracing some of the earliest practices of Gnosticism.*
The Gnostic Disguise
The second chapter of Colossians is where the bulk of the ‘Colossian Heresy’ is addressed. Paul, though not addressing in entirety the false teaching he combats, opposes the false teachers within the community. The thing to remember about Gnosticism is its ability to integrate with any given belief system, to take a portion of truth and to pervert it into something that feels cosmetically similar but remains fundamentally different. American scholar, Everett Harrison says this about the false teachers at Colossae:
"The most dangerous heresies the church is called on to combat from time to time are not those which openly and blatantly assail the person of our Lord but rather those which subtly detract from His dignity while giving the appearance of honoring Him.” **
The chief heretical notion affecting the church was the depreciation of Christ and the reliance of human wisdom or tradition. The sufficiency and supremacy of Christ were the chief tenants of Paul’s message in Chapter 2, and in a time where the only ‘heresy’ is one of exclusivity, the theological impact of maintaining certain orthodox beliefs is of utmost importance here. Paul attacks what scholars believe to be a gnostic belief, if not at the very least an unorthodox mysticism.
Hold to truth of jesus
However, the boundaries of that ‘orthodoxy’ are difficult to define in a 1st Century early Christian context. That is why the thrust by Paul hones in on the charge against the character and nature of Jesus. He doesn’t name one group, person or ideology, rather he focuses on proclaiming the truth. Like a bank teller learning how to spot counterfeits – one studies the original, not the fakes in order that they become so familiar with the authentic, in this case the person and gospel of Jesus, that when an argument or conflicting ideology arises, the church at Colossae is ready to defend against it.
Counterfeit gospels and false philosophies will always exist. They have done for millennia and they don’t appear to be diminishing. With this in mind, I think Paul offers the Church valuable tools with which to discern and hold fast to the truths of God. Those tools are first and foremost the character of the Son. He is cosmically powerful, the full and perfect expression of God, He is the Head of all authorities and the Defeater of evil. It is in Him that we have been baptised and raised from the dead, and therefore are empowered to discern, to call out and to fight back against things that would try to come against us. Ultimately, the supreme One has fought the battle and won; we need only pursue Him in every fashion. To desire Jesus, and only Jesus above all else. This is the only way to embody true humility, gain true wisdom, and live according to the Spirit.
* There is a mountain of scholarship concerning the formal scope of the origins, ideology, and religious practices of Gnosticism spanning from 3-4 B.C. through to the 2nd Century A.D. This Deep Dive will be addressing Gnostic themes and practices, with an understanding that a formal movement of ‘Gnosticism’ was not the foe of the Church at Colossae.
Ryan Kerrison, originally from Darwin, came to Sydney to study and hasn’t left. Ryan works at C3 College as the Head of Bible and Theology, and lectures in Advanced Theology, Creation to End Times and many more subjects. As one of the founding writers and team members of TYB, Ryan is one of the smartest people we know. He has his Masters in Theology and will no doubt have his Doctorate and running Academic Colleges around the world in no time!
further reading
Colossians by Everett F. Harrison.
recommended
The Message of Isaiah
Colossians part two
Colossians part one