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Beware: the apostle, after his exhortation, considering their danger from seducing spirits lying in wait to deceive by their sleight and craftiness, 1Ti_4:1,2, doth here reinforce and enlarge his caution he had before suggested, Col_2:4, to engage to a heedful avoidance of all seduction from Christ.
Lest any man spoil you; lest their souls should be made a prey, and they be carried for a spoil by those worst of robbers that beset Christ’s fold, 2Co_11:20 Gal_6:13.
Through philosophy; either through the abuse of true philosophy in bringing the mystery of Christ under the tribunal of shallow reason, or rather through erroneous, though curious, speculations of some philosophers, as Plato, Pythagoras, Hesiod, &c. then in vogue, which the Gnostics afterwards (who, thinking themselves enriched with the notions of other heretics, would be thought the only knowing persons) dressed up Christ with, not like himself. Their philosophy being a falsely so called science or knowledge, 1Ti_6:20, whatever show of wisdom it might seem to carry along with it, Col_2:23, it was not really profitable; but a
vain deceit, or seduction, as several take the next clause appositively, and the conjunction expositively; yet, if we consider what follows, we may understand another general imposture, viz. superstition, seeing vain deceit, after the tradition of men, is so like that superstition our Saviour doth rebuke in the Pharisees, Mat_15:9, several branches of which the apostle doth afterward in this chapter dispute against, Col_2:16-23: superstition might well be called deceit, from the cheat it puts upon men and the notation of the Greek word, which imports a withdrawing men from the way. Christ, and from his way of worship prescribed in his word; and vain it is as well as a deceit, since it is empty and unprofitable, not accompanied with God’s blessing, nor conducing to the pleasing of him, but the provoking of him, Psa_106:29,43. Being led by no other rule than the tradition of men, which is the same with the precepts of men, Mar_7:8, which God likes not, Isa_8:20 28:13 Joh_20:31 Act_26:22 2Ti_3:15,16; he would not give place to human traditions in his house, nor to
the rudiments of the world, ( in allusion to grammar, wherein the letters are the elements or rudiments of all literature), i.e. the ceremonies of the Mosaical law, containing a kind of elementary instruction, for that seems to be the apostle’s meaning, comparing this verse with Col_2:20 and Col_2:21, and other places, Gal_3:24, these being but corporeal, carnal, and sensible ordinances, suitable to a worldly sanctuary. Heb_9:1,10, not to be imposed in that spiritual one which Christ hath set up, Joh_4:23,24 Ga 5:2. Whatsoever philosophical colours or Pharisaical paint they might appear in, they are not after Christ: we say a false picture of a man is not after the man, being not taken from or resembling his person, but clean another; such descriptions of him, as were not taken from the life and truth that was in him. And therefore he who is Head of his church, and likes not to be misshaped or misrepresented, will not accept of homage from those of his own house, in a livery that he hath not given order for, Lev_10:1 Jer_7:31 2Co_5:9, how specious soever it may be in the wisdom of this world and the princes thereof, 1Co_2:6,7.