Let no man seduce you, willing in humility, and religion of angels, walking in the things which he hath not seen, in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh,

“True knowledge, then, consists in the understanding of Christ, which Paul terms the wisdom of God hidden in a mystery, which "the natural man receiveth not," the doctrine of the cross; of which if any man "taste," he will not accede to the disputations and quibbles of proud and puffed-up men, who go into matters of which they have no perception. For the truth is unsophisticated; and "the word is nigh thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart," as the same apostle declares, being easy of comprehension to those who are obedient. For it renders us like to Christ, if we experience "the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings." For this is the affinity of the apostolical teaching and the most holy "faith delivered unto us," which the unlearned receive, and those of slender knowledge have taught, not "giving heed to endless genealogies," but studying rather [to observe] a straightforward course of life; lest, having been deprived of the Divine Spirit, they fail to attain to the kingdom of heaven. For truly the first thing is to deny one's self and to follow Christ; and those who do this are borne onward to perfection, having fulfilled all their Teacher's will, becoming sons of God by spiritual regeneration, and heirs of the kingdom of heaven; those who seek which first shall not be forsaken.”

“Therefore there is nothing meritorious about abstinence from marriage unless it arises from love to God. At any rate the blessed Paul says of those who revile marriage: "In the last times some shall depart from the faith, turning to spirits of error and doctrines inspired by daemons, forbidding to marry and commanding abstinence from food." And again he says: "Let no one disqualify you by demanding self-imposed ascetic practices and severe treatment of the body."”

“Let us, therefore, fear the judgment which awaits teachers. For a severe judgment will those teachers receive "who teach, but do not," [Matthew 23:3] and those who take upon them the name of Christ falsely, and say: We teach the truth, and yet go wandering about idly, and exalt themselves, and make their boast in the mind of the flesh. [Colossians 2:18] These, moreover, are like "the blind man who leads the blind man, and they both fall into the ditch." [Matthew 15:14] And they will receive judgment, because in their talkativeness and their frivolous teaching they teach natural wisdom and the "frivolous error of the plausible words of the wisdom of men," [Colossians 2:8] "according to the will of the prince of the dominion of the air, and of the spirit which works in those men who will not obey, according to the training of this world, and not according to the doctrine of Christ." [Ephesians 2:2]”

“"Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshiping of the Angels, dwelling in the things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." When he had filled them with anger through saying, "adjudge away from you," then he begins; "being a voluntary," he saith, "in humility and worshiping of Angels, intruding into things he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind." How "in humility," or how "puffed up"? He shows that the whole arose out of vainglory. But what is on the whole the drift of what is said? There are some who maintain that we must be brought near by Angels, not by Christ, that were too great a thing for us. Therefore it is that he turns over and over again what has been done by Christ, "through the Blood of His Cross"; on this account he says that "He suffered for us"; that "He loved us." And besides in this very same thing, moreover, they were elevated afresh. And he said not "introduction by," but "worshiping of" Angels. "Intruding into things he hath not seen." For he hath not seen Angels, and yet is affected as though he had. Therefore he saith, "Puffed up by his fleshly mind vainly," not about any true fact. About this doctrine, he is puffed up, and puts forward a show of humility. By his carnal mind, not spiritual; his reasoning is of man.”

“There is another even more obscure passage about which I ask you to pull me up out of deep water and set me in the shallows. In the epistle to the Colossians, I simply cannot see the connection where he says: "Let no man seduce you into taking pleasure in the humility and religion of angels, walking in the things which he has not seen; in vain puffed up by the sense of his flesh and not holding the head." What angels does he mean? If he means the rebel and wicked angels, what is their religion or their humility, or who is the master of this seduction, who under cover of some angelic religion or other would teach what he does not see as something seen or experienced? Doubtless, the heretics, who follow the teachings of demons, who think up false systems under the impulse of their spirit, who give out that they have seen visions which they have not seen and by their deadly arguments sow their seed in foolish and credulous hearts—doubtless, these are the ones who do not hold the head, namely, Christ, the source of truth. .”

“Above he showed that the legal observances were fulfilled in Christ on account of the circumcision fulfilled in him, which is the profession of the legal observances; here he concludes that they are not bound to the ceremonial legal precepts. Now the ceremonial precepts were four, namely sacrifices, sacred things, sacraments, and observances. Sacrifices were offered to God, such as sheep, calves, and the like. Sacred things were such as vessels, and solemn times. Sacraments were three, namely circumcision, the paschal lamb, and the consecration of priests. Observances, however, were those things which pertained to the singular manner of life of the people of Israel, such as foods, garments, and the like. Now some of the aforesaid pertained to certain persons, such as sacrifices, vessels, and other things of this kind; some pertained to all. Of the first he makes no mention, but of those touching the whole people, as now Baptism. He makes mention of the observances, because they abstained from certain foods, Lev. 11:26, as concerning quadrupeds, from those which do not divide the hoof. In drink also, a vessel which did not have a cover was unclean, and whatever was in it. And therefore as to this he says let no one judge you in food, that is, let him not think you condemnable in this, that you use foods or drinks forbidden in the law. Rom. 14:3: he who does not eat, let him not judge him who eats, etc. Likewise he makes mention of the sacred things pertaining to the solemnity of times. Now in the old law there was a continual solemnity, such as the evening and morning sacrifice; and there were others which took place at certain times, and of these: some took place several times in the year, some only once, as the Passover, the Feast of Tabernacles, and Pentecost; but the sabbath and the New Moon more often, because the one was every week, the other once a month. And the reason for this was, because all feasts tend to the honor of God. Now we render honor to God, either on account of something eternal, and thus is the continual sacrifice; or on account of something temporal, and this as to the whole state of men; and thus there are two, namely the benefit of creation, and thus is the sabbath. Ex. 20:8: remember that you keep holy the sabbath day, and the reason is given there: because on the seventh day he rested. And the allegorical reason is, because it signifies the rest of Christ in the sepulcher; and anagogically, the rest of the soul in God. The other is the benefit of propagation and conservation, which also comes about through time. And because the Jews observed times by the moon, therefore he says the feast of the New Moon, that is, of the new moon. There are also other causes, namely of a special deliverance, and thus other solemnities were added on; and therefore he says either in respect of a feast day, or of the New Moon, which occurs each month, or of sabbaths, for each week. And he says of sabbaths, because the sabbath is rest, and these had several sabbaths, namely the seventh day and seven weeks, that is Pentecost, which is in the seventh week from the Passover, which is the beginning of the year, and the seventh month, and the seventh year, in which the remission of debts takes place. Likewise the seventh week of years, that is, in the jubilee. And therefore he says of sabbaths; as if to say: let no one condemn you, because you do not observe these things. And this because they are the shadow of things to come, namely of Christ. And therefore, the truth having come, the shadow ought to cease. But the body is of Christ, that is, the body pertaining to Christ. When someone sees a shadow, he hopes that a body follows. Now the legal observances are the shadow going before Christ, and they prefigured him as to come. And therefore he says body, that is, the truth of the thing belongs to Christ; but the shadow to the law. Then when he says let no one seduce you, etc., he speaks against seducers and deceivers. And first he warns them not to be deceived; second he argues against those deceived, at if then you are dead. Again, first he renders them cautious against seduction; second he shows by what means they are seduced, at willing in humility; third, in what he is lacking, at things which he has not seen. He says therefore let no one seduce you, namely from the truth which I have spoken. Eph. 5:6: let no one seduce you with empty words. For these pseudo-apostles, introducing the legal observances, seduce in humility, because they employed a feigned sanctity. Now sanctity consists in two things, namely in humble conduct of life, and the worship of God. Now these showed a humble manner of life, since it appeared that they did not care for the things of the world. And therefore he says in humility. Ecclus. 19:23: there is one who wickedly humbles himself, and his inward parts are full of deceit. Likewise they said that they preached for the reverence of God. And therefore he says and the religion of angels. For religion, according to Tully, is that which brings worship and ceremony to a certain nature, which they call divine. 2 Tim. 3:5: having indeed the appearance of piety, but denying the power thereof. And according to the Gloss it is read thus: in religion, etc., because by this they intend that they should seem to be angels, that is, messengers of God. Matt. 7:15: beware of false prophets, etc. Or in the religion of angels according to the letter, because the old law was handed down through angels by the hand of a mediator, as is said Gal. 3:19. Hebr. 2:2: for if the word spoken through angels was made firm, etc. And these said that the worship of the law was to be observed because it was handed down through angels. But nevertheless their defect is threefold, namely of knowledge, of righteousness, and of faith. And as to the first he says willing what he has not seen, that is, not understood, to persuade, and always repeating: let no one seduce you. For these did not know for what end the law was given. 1 Tim. 1:7: wishing to be teachers of the law, understanding neither the things they say, nor the things concerning which they affirm. As to the second he says walking in vain, puffed up, although they thus pretend to humility. And he sets down two things, namely that their religion is useless, because they walk in vain, that is, working works which do not profit unto eternal life. Wisd. 3:11: their works are useless. Job 39:16: she has labored in vain, no fear compelling. Likewise, that they pretend a false humility. Whence he says puffed up, etc. There is a difference between the puffed up and the fat; because the fat are full of truth, but the puffed up are empty, yet extended by wind. Those, therefore, who are truly humble, are full; but those who only appear so, being puffed up, are empty. Wisd. 4:19: burst those puffed up ones without a voice. In this sense is understood that saying knowledge puffs up, 1 Cor. 8:1. This wisdom is grievous, namely because it puffs up, not that which is from God. Matt. 16:17: flesh and blood has not revealed it to you, etc. As to the third he says not holding the head, namely Christ through faith. And such a one is deceived, because without Christ he is in darkness. 1 Tim. 6:3: if anyone does not consent to sound words, etc. But why is he the head? He answers, saying: because on him depends the whole good of the body, namely of the Church. For in the natural body there are two goods, namely the compacting of the members, and the growth of the body. And this the Church has from Christ. For from him the whole body depends. Rom. 12:5: we, many, are one body in Christ. And therefore he says joints; for in the body there is a twofold joining of the members, namely according to contact, because the hand is joined to the forearm, this to the chest, and so of the others. The other is the connection or joining of the sinews. And therefore he says joined together and knit together. Thus in the Church there is a joining through faith and knowledge. Eph. 4:5: one Lord, one faith, one Baptism. But this does not suffice, unless there be a connection of charity, and a connection of the sacraments; and therefore he says supplied through joints, because through charity one supplies to another. It grows also through Christ, which grows, namely the body, being thus constructed, into the growth of God, that is, what God works in us. Ps.: blessed is the man whose help is from you; he has disposed ascents in his heart, etc. Or of God, that is, of Christ, who, being God, increases the body, while the Church is increased. Eph. 4:12: for the perfecting of the saints, unto the work of the ministry, unto the building up of the body of Christ, etc. Then when he says if then you are dead, etc., he argues also against those deceived. And first he sets forth the reason of the reproof from the condition of those deceived; second from the condition of the things in which they were deceived, at which all things are. Their condition was freedom, because just as they were dead to sin, so also to the law. Whence they ought not to keep it. He says therefore if then you are dead with Christ, dead to the law, from the elements of the world, that is, from the legal observances, because the Jews served the true God, yet under the elements, but the Gentiles served the elements themselves; why still, the truth being known, as though living in the world, as the Jews do, do you make distinctions, things to be touched and things to be eaten, namely saying: do not touch this, because it is a sin, nor shall you taste of pork and eel, Lev. 11:7 and 11. Then when he says which all things, etc., he shows what sort they are on the part of the legal observances, saying that they are harmful, and vain, and burdensome. Whence he says which all things are unto destruction, because they are deadly after the passion of Christ, for those placing hope in them; but after the time of grace made known, they are simply deadly to all. This I say on account of the opinion of Jerome and Augustine, which is set forth above on Gal. chapter 2. They lead, therefore, unto destruction and unto death. And if it be said: why then do we read the old testament? I say that we read it for testimony, not for use. And therefore he says are unto destruction by the very use, that is, they are not taken up for testimony, but for use. Likewise they are vain, which are supported neither by reason nor by authority. But these are not supported by divine authority, but by human, whence he says according to precepts. But are they not precepts from God? I answer thus: for a time, until the truth should come. Matt. 15:6: you have made void the commandment of God on account of your traditions. Likewise they are not supported by reason, because they are things having a reason of wisdom in superstition; as if to say: they do not have a reason, which lead except to superstition, that is, to a religion beyond measure, and observed outside their own time. And in humility, namely feigned only according to abasement; because he who is freed through Christ from the servitude of the law, ought not to subject himself again to servitude. Gal. 5:1: do not be held again under the yoke of servitude. Nevertheless some things are kept, which, even if not by divine authority, yet by human reason are useful; but this is lacking here. For these things are burdensome, considered in themselves. Now we desire three things, namely rest, honor, and sufficiency, which these legal observances do not have. For the withdrawal of foods is contrary to being satisfied. They also induce labor, on account of the manifold observances. Nor are they for honor, but for much confusion, such as that sprinkling of ashes, and the like. Acts 15:10: this is a burden, which neither we, nor our fathers were able to bear. Not to the sparing of the body, that is, of the Church, not in any honor, that is not unto the honor of God, but unto the satiety of the flesh, that is, unto the fulfilling of carnal desire.”

“Let no man beguile you of your reward,.... Or prize; the allusion is to the Olympic games, one of which was running races; in which the stadium, or race plot was fixed, a mark set up to look and run unto, a corruptible crown proposed to be run for, and which was held by one who sat as judge, and determined who got the victory, and to whom the crown belonged; these judges sometimes acted the unfair part, and defrauded the victors of their proper right, and to such the apostle compares the false teachers: the Christian's reward, or prize he is running for, is the incorruptible and never fading crown of glory, life, and righteousness; the race plot is the Christian life, spent in the exercise of grace, and discharge of duty, and in holding fast, and holding out in a profession of faith unto the end; the mark he looks at, and presses towards, is Jesus Christ; and his great concern, the apostle by this metaphor suggests should be, lest by false teachers he should be defrauded of the prize of the high calling of God, through their removing the mark Christ from him, by denying his person and Godhead; or by intercepting his sight of him, placing other objects before him, such as angels, to be worshipped and adored; or by darkening of it, joining Moses and Christ, law and Gospel, works and grace together, in the business of salvation; whereby he might seem to come short, or be in danger of coming short of the heavenly glory: in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels; these things the apostle instances in, as in what lay their danger of being beguiled of their reward, or prize. True humility is an excellent grace; it is the clothing and ornament of a Christian; nor is there anything that makes a man more like Christ, than this grace; but in these men here respected, it was only the appearance of humility, it was not real; it was in things they devised and willed, not in things which God commanded, Christ required, or the Scriptures pointed at; they would have been thought to have been very lowly and humble, and to have a great consciousness of their own vileness and unworthiness to draw nigh to Christ the Mediator immediately, and by him to God; wherefore in pretence of great humility, they proposed to make use of angels as mediators with Christ; whereby Christ, the only Mediator between God and man, would be removed out of sight and use; and that humble boldness and holy confidence with God at the throne of grace, through Christ, which believers are allowed to use, would be discouraged and destroyed, and the saints be in danger as to the outward view of things, and in all human appearance of losing their reward: "worshipping of angels" was a practice which very early prevailed among some that were called Christians, and for a long time continued in Phrygia and Pisidia; some make Simon Magus, and others Cerinthus, the author of this idolatry; but was not only a branch of the Platonic philosophy, and so a part of that philosophy and vain deceit before mentioned, Col 2:8, which these men might have borrowed from the Gentiles, but was a notion and practice of the Jews: before the Babylonish captivity, the names of angels were not known, nor are they ever mentioned by name in Scripture; hence they say (s), that "the names of angels came up with them, or by their means from Babylon: after this they began to talk much of them, and to have too high a veneration for them, and ascribe too much to them; and observing that the law was ordained, spoken, and given by them, and that the administration of things under the former dispensation was greatly by their means, they fell to worshipping of them (t); and the believing Jews were hereby in great danger of falling into the same practice: hence the author of the epistle to the Hebrews, writing to the Jewish church, largely insists on the proof of Christ being superior to angels; showing that he has a more excellent name than they had; that he was the Son of God in such sense as they were not the sons of God; that they were worshippers of him, yea, that they were creatures made by him, and even ministering spirits to his saints, the heirs of salvation: and very rightly, is worshipping of angels condemned here by the apostle, since God only is the object of worship; since these are creatures, and so not to be adored; are worshippers of God and Christ themselves, and have refused adoration when it has been offered to them: that the Jews did, and do worship angels, and make use of them as mediators and intercessors, is clear from their liturgy, or prayer books, where they say (u). ", "O ye angels of mercies", or ye merciful angels, ministers of the most High, entreat now the face of God for good: and elsewhere (w), "they say three times, let Juhach keep us, let Juhach deliver us, and let Juhach help us: now Juhach was the name of an angel, who they supposed had the care of men, and is taken from the final letters of those words in Psa 91:11, "for he shall give his angels charge over thee": so they speak of an angel whom they call Sandalphon, who they say is appointed over the prayers of the righteous (x): with this notion the judaizing and false teachers seem to have been tinctured, and against which the apostle here cautions the saints, lest, under a show of humility, they should be drawn into it: and to preserve them from it, he observes, that such an one who should spread and propagate such a notion, was one that was intruding into those things which he hath not seen; thrusting himself in a bold and daring manner into an inquiry and search after, debate upon, and affirmation of things he could have no certain knowledge of; as of angels, whose nature, qualities, works, and ministrations, he had never seen with his bodily eyes; nor could ever discern with the eyes of his understanding any such things in the Scriptures, which he ascribed to them; but they were the birth of his own mind, the fruits of his own fancy and imagination, things devised in his own brain: being vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind; judging of things not according to the word of God, and with a spiritual judgment, and according to a spiritual sense and experience, but according to his own carnal reason, and the vanity of his mind; being puffed and swelled with an high opinion of himself, of his great parts and abilities, of his knowledge of things above others, and of his capacity to penetrate into, and find out things which were not seen and known by others: this shows that his humility was forced, and only in outward appearance, and was not true and genuine, (s) T. Hieros. Roshhashanah, fol. 56. 4. (t) Vid. Clement. Alex Stromat. l. 6. p. 635. (u) Seder Tephillot, Ed. Basil fol. 222. 2. (w) Ib. fol. 335. 1. (x) Zohar in Gen. fol. 97. 2. & in Exod. fol. 24. 3.”

“Let no man beguile you - Μηδεις ὑμας καταβραβευετω· Let no man take the prize from you which the βραβευς, brabeus, or judge in the contests, has assigned you, in consequence of your having obtained the victory. This any reader will see, is an allusion to the Olympic and Isthmian games, and to the prizes assigned to these who had obtained the victory in one or more of the contests which there took place. The Colossians had fought and conquered under the direction of Christ, and he, as the sole judge in this contest, had assigned to them the prize; the false teachers, affecting great modesty, humility, and sanctity, endeavored to turn them aside from the Gospel, and to induce them to end in the flesh who had begun in the Spirit. Against these the apostle warns them. In a voluntary humility and worshiping of angels - This is a difficult passage, and in order to explain it, I shall examine the meaning of some of the principal terms of the original. The word θελειν, to will, signifies also to delight; and ταπειμοφροσυνη signifies not only lowliness or humility of mind, but also affliction of mind; and ταπεινουν την ψυχην, Lev 16:20, Lev 16:31, and in many other places, signifies to afflict the soul by fasting, and self-abnegation; and θρησκεια signifies reverence and modesty. Hence the whole passage has been paraphrased thus: Let no man spoil you of the prize adjudged to you, who delights in mortifying his body, and walking with the apparent modesty of an angel, affecting superior sanctity in order to gain disciples; intruding into things which he has not seen; and, notwithstanding his apparent humility, his mind is carnal, and he is puffed up with a sense of his superior knowledge and piety. It is very likely that the apostle here alludes to the Essenes, who were remarkably strict and devout, spent a principal part of their time in the contemplation of the Divine Being, abstained from all sensual gratifications, and affected to live the life of angels upon earth. With their pretensions all the apostle says here perfectly agrees, and on this one supposition the whole of the passage is plain and easy. Many have understood the passage as referring to the adoration of angels, which seems to have been practised among the Jews, who appear (from Tobit, xii. 15; Philo, in lib. de Somn.; Josephus, War. lib. ii. cap. 8, sec. 7) to have considered them as a sort of mediators between God and man; presenting the prayers of men before the throne; and being, as Philo says, μεγαλου Βασιλεως οφθαλμοι και ωτα, the eyes and ears of the great King. But this interpretation is not so likely as the foregoing.”

“Let no man seduce you. [5] In the Greek, hinder you from getting the prize. — Willing [6] (by their own will) in humility, and religion of Angels, practising a wrong and mistaken humility in regard of the Angels, when you pay them a worship not due to them, pretending them to be the mediators and saviours of mankind, as if they were equal, or greater than Christ, our only Redeemer; walking in things you understand not, these men being deceived by their vain philosophy, and pride of their own imaginations. By this means not holding, (ver. 19.) but having shaken off their only true invisible head, Christ Jesus, who is the head of his Church. It is admitted that these false doctors, among the Colossians, had introduced an undue and superstitious worship of Angels, and gave to them even a greater honour than to Christ. They worshipped them as the creators of the world, as mediators with God, even above Jesus Christ, which St. Paul here expresseth by these words, not holding the head. These seem to have been some disciples of Simon [the magician], and their heresies continued in some churches of Asia even to the fourth age [fourth century A.D.], as we may find by a canon of the council of Laodicea. But there is nothing here nor in that council against a due, i.e. an inferior honour and veneration, nothing like a divine honour, nor injurious to Christ, our chief mediator and only Redeemer, which the Church, from the first ages [first centuries A.D.], paid to saints and Angels. We do not ask grace, we do not offer up sacrifice, we hope not for salvation, but from God only, from Christ, God and man. (Witham) — Willing, &c. That is, by a self-willed, self-invented, superstitious worship, falsely pretending humility, but really proceeding from pride. Such was the worship that many of the philosophers (against whom St. Paul speaks, ver. 8.) paid to Angels or demons, by sacrificing to them, as carriers of intelligence betwixt God and man; pretending humility in so doing, as if God was too great to be addressed by men, and setting aside the mediatorship of Jesus Christ; who is the head both of Angels and men. Such also was the worship paid by the ancient heretics, disciples of Simon and Menander, to the Angels, whom they believed to be the makers and lords of this lower world. This is certain, that they whom the apostle here condemns, did not hold the head, (ver. 19.) that is, Jesus Christ, and his mediatorship; and therefore what he writes here no ways touches the Catholic doctrine and practice, of desiring our good Angels to pray to God for us, through Jesus Christ. St. Jerome, (Epist. ad Algas) understands by the religion or service of Angels, the Jewish religion given by Angels; and shews all that is here said to be directed against the Jewish teachers, who sought to subject the new Christians to the observances of the Mosaic law. (Challoner) — Walking in the things which he hath not seen. These false teachers pretended to know the number and names of the Angels, and how to distribute them into different orders and classes, with as much precision as if they had walked through heaven. Instead of following the revelation of the holy Spirit in the gospel, they followed their own spirit, boasting of what it was impossible for them to know. (Calmet) — But let no one snatch from you the glory of heaven, which should be the reward of your career, and the recompense of your fidelity, deceiving you by an outward show of false piety and affected humility. (Bible de Vence)”