In this message we shall begin to consider the degradation of the church.
There is a difference between the failures in the churches and the degradation of the church. The failures are not serious in a basic way. Whereas the failures in the churches are not that basic, the degradation of the church is more than basic, for it cuts the root of the life, living, and growth of the church. Unlike failure, degradation not only brings in wrongdoings but cuts the root of the church “tree.”
Seemingly, James’s compromising with certain Old Testament practices was nearly the same as a part of the degradation of the church. However, this failure was different from people in the church taking in the Old Testament, as the Judaizers did. The Judaizers were more basic a problem than James was in compromising. It was a failure for James to compromise. Nevertheless, James did not take in the Old Testament. Misunderstanding James, the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem thought that he was for the Old Testament. They called a congregation and asked James to give them a word. James spoke absolutely for Jesus Christ, not for the Old Testament, and due to his speaking he was put to death. Therefore, our criticism of James should be limited. Although he compromised, he was not for the Old Testament and he was not a Judaizer.
By comparing the compromise of James with the work of the Judaizers we can see that the degradation of the church is worse than a failure in the church. Degradation is not merely a failure, which is not that basic or vital. Because degradation kills the life of the church, cutting the root of the tree, it is more basic and vital than a failure. We need to be impressed with this as we consider the various aspects of the degradation of the church described in the New Testament.
The first aspect of the degradation of the church was the church’s being taken over by the Gnostic philosophy and the elements of the world-the rudimentary teachings of both Jews and Gentiles, consisting of ritualistic observances in such things as meats, drinks, washings, and asceticism (Col. 2:8, 16, 20-22; Titus 1:14-15). Gnosticism is a composition of Greek and Oriental philosophy and Jewish religion. When the church spread to the Gentile world, the church was contaminated by Gnosticism. This contamination became a root problem in the church; it nearly cut off the entire root of the church life. Therefore, Gnosticism was a serious threat to the existence of the church life.
Because of the danger of Gnosticism, Paul said in Colossians 2:8, “Beware that no one carries you off as spoil through his philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ.” The word “spoil” here does not mean to damage; it means to be a prey or a captive. Those who are carried off as spoil are carried off into captivity. In Greek the word rendered “his” before “philosophy” is the emphatic article. Hence, it denotes a particular philosophy. The philosophy through which the believers at Colosse were carried off as spoil was Gnosticism, a mixture of Jewish, Oriental, and Greek philosophies. As Paul indicates, Gnosticism is empty deceit.
The philosophy and empty deceit in this verse is according to the tradition of men. The source of the Gnostic teaching at Colosse was the tradition of men. It did not depend on the revealed writings of God but on the traditional practices of men.
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