In Colossians 2, Paul issues a powerful warning to believers: “Stop letting people disqualify you” (Colossians 2:18). He urges the church to stand firm against deceptive influences that threaten to lead them astray from the truth of Christ. Paul identifies four types of false teachers, each with distinct tactics that remain relevant today. By understanding these dangers, we can guard our faith against those who distort the gospel.
1. Enticing Speech (Colossians 2:4-7)
False teachers often wield persuasive language to deceive. Paul warns against those who use “enticing words” to sway believers (Colossians 2:4). This tactic echoes Romans 16:18, where smooth talk and flattery manipulate the unsuspecting, and Ephesians 4:14, which describes cunning words that toss believers like waves. In our digital age, TikTok influencers, online preachers, and charismatic personalities can charm audiences with polished rhetoric, much like Satan’s subtle deception in Genesis 3 and Matthew 4. These voices may sound convincing, promising quick spiritual fixes or worldly success, but they often lead away from Christ’s sufficiency. Believers must root themselves in the truth of Scripture, as Paul encourages in Colossians 2:6-7, to discern and resist such deception.
2. Traditions of Men and the World (Colossians 2:8-10)
Another group of false teachers promotes human traditions and worldly philosophies over Christ’s authority. Paul cautions against being captivated by “philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition” (Colossians 2:8). Jesus confronted similar issues in Matthew 15:2, where religious leaders prioritized their traditions over God’s commands. Today, this manifests in appeals to “the way we’ve always done it” or the approval of experts, organizations, or governments. Philosophies like those Paul encountered in Acts 17 (stoicism, epicureanism, or modern ideologies) can subtly infiltrate the church. These traditions and ideas may seem appealing, but they lack the fullness of Christ, who is “the head of all rule and authority” (Colossians 2:10). Believers must test every teaching against the gospel, rejecting what elevates human wisdom over divine truth.
3. Judgments About the Old Law (Colossians 2:16-17)
Paul also warns against those who judge believers based on adherence to the Old Testament law, such as dietary rules or festivals (Colossians 2:16). Romans 14:2-3 and Galatians 4:10 highlight the danger of imposing outdated regulations, while Hebrews 8:13 declares the old covenant “obsolete.” False teachers may pressure Christians to follow Old Testament practices, claiming they are essential for righteousness (see Acts 15). Yet, Paul emphasizes that these are mere “shadows” of Christ, the true substance (Colossians 2:17). Some modern churches continue to impose the Law of Moses upon people. Why return to the shadows when the true Light has come into the world?
4. Puffed-Up Wisdom and Will Worship (Colossians 2:18-23)
The final type of false teacher Paul warns against is those who promote self-made spirituality and “puffed-up” wisdom (Colossians 2:18). These individuals boast of esoteric knowledge or mystical experiences, such as worshipping angels or embracing strange beliefs like sun gods or witchcraft. Paul describes such practices as “self-imposed worship” and “false humility” (Colossians 2:18, 23), which appear spiritual but lack true substance. Romans 6:3-6 and Ephesians 2:15 emphasize that believers are freed from such elemental principles through Christ’s death and resurrection. Paul warns against turning to weak and worthless spiritual systems. Today, this might look like New Age mysticism, occult practices, or prideful claims of exclusive spiritual insight. These teachings inflate human ego rather than exalting Christ, who alone is sufficient (Colossians 2:10). Paul urges believers to reject such distractions and cling to the gospel’s simplicity.
Guarding Against Deception
The common thread among these false teachers is their attempt to disqualify believers by shifting focus from Christ’s all-sufficient work. Whether through persuasive speech, human traditions, Old Testament practices, or puffed-up mysticism, they undermine the gospel’s power. Colossians 2 reminds us that Christ is the fullness of God, in whom all wisdom and knowledge reside (Colossians 2:3, 9-10). Believers are complete in Him, needing no additional rituals or philosophies to earn God’s favor.
In our modern context, these warnings are strikingly relevant. Social media amplifies enticing voices, from influencers peddling self-help spirituality to charismatic leaders pushing personal or mystical agendas. Cultural traditions (like prioritizing societal norms or “expert” consensus over biblical truth) can subtly erode faith. The Law of Moses persists in churches that impose Old Testament rules, while puffed-up wisdom appears in trendy spiritual fads that promise enlightenment apart from Christ.
To avoid being disqualified, believers must remain rooted in Christ (Colossians 2:6-7). This means immersing ourselves in Scripture and testing every teaching against God’s Word. Assembling with other believers provides accountability, helping us stay anchored in truth. Prayer is also vital, as we seek God’s wisdom in matters of truth.
Paul’s exhortation in Colossians 2 is a reminder for vigilance. False teachers will always arise, but we are not defenseless. By holding fast to Christ as our head, we can stand firm against enticing words, worldly traditions, Old Testament judgments, and prideful spirituality. Let us walk in the freedom and fullness of Christ, rejecting anything that seeks to disqualify us from the truth of His gospel.
agape
spencer
Borger church of Christ @ Franklin & Juniper 
I believe your grammatical analysis is incorrect and misleading.
In Colossians 2:4, the Greek word in question is πιθανολογία/pithanologia, and the NAU renders is “persuasive”. Louw-Nida says it means “plausible, but false, speech resulting from the use of well-constructed, probable arguments”. The “but false” portion is not within the generic definition of the term, that is simply Johannes Louw’s and Eugene Nida’s attempting, as Christians who defend apostle Paul from mistake, to nuance the definition to avoid admitting apostle Paul forbade his followers from listening to well constructed probable arguments. Thayer says “speech adapted to persuade, discourse in which probable arguments are adduced; once so in classical Greek, viz. Plato, Theact., p. 162 e.;”. Apparently then, what we have in Col. 2:4 is not a case of a Greek work that means fallacious reasoning or superficially plausible but ultimately false reasoning. Instead, Paul is merely condemning any persuasive speech, of any sort whatsoever, regardless of perceived plausibility, for no other reason than that it leads somewhere other than Christ.
That would be about as worrisome to atheists as the Mormons claiming that no Mormon should listen to “intellectual discourse” where this led away from the Mormon view. It is clear from the text that Paul isn’t leaving any room for persuasive speech that leads away from Christ. In Paul’s view, the fact that the reasoning leads away from his opinions, is the final proof that such reasoning is fallacious. If there is any persuasive speech that leads to non-Christian conclusions, Paul automatically condemns it wholesale for that reason alone.
If you are correct that “These voices may sound convincing…”, then the fact that spiritually alive people need to learn such hesitation, means spiritually dead people have the perfect excuse to demand proof of infallible teaching authority before they will allow a Christian to teach them. We have none of the spiritual armor against error and the devil that Paul mentioned in Ephesians 6, so the only fool in the room is the dolt who says “yes, heresy can send you to tell, and much of it can sound plausibly argued, but still, you should lower your standard to a level that makes it less difficult for fallaciously persuasive argument to entice you”.
When in fact if Paul thought the incarnate pre-crucifixion Jesus was “god”, he would most assuredly have referred his followers back to the words Jesus used to teach no less than he referred them back to OT “scripture”, since it is the same God of infinite authority that is speaking in both cases. Paul’s few verifiable dependences upon the teachings of the incarnate Jesus are an insult to the notion that Jesus was god.
Blame it on god, who apparently does not desire the church to be as free from worldly philosophy as a mother desires her child to be free from kidnappers. If Dr. Frank Turek is correct that evil is explained via a “ripple-effect”, then we can rest assured that when a church allows itself to become infested with non-Christian philosophy, God appreciates the fact that they are playing the specific “ripple” in the grand ripple effect that god intends for some allegedly future good purpose. After all, if the church somehow failed to play the part in the ripple-effect god wanted them to play, THAT would be a reason for god to accuse them of sinfully deviating from his will (!?).
If heresy is as bad as your article seems to assume, you can do better than stand firm against enticing words (because “standing firm” necessarily involves the inevitable subjectivity of interpretation, and we have stronger medicine than that). There is a way you can absolutely guarantee that the only Christians you allow to teach you, will teaching nothing but absolute scriptural truth. But you don’t like the concept of demanding proof of infallible teaching authority from today’s alleged Christian teachers, despite the obvious benefits and facilitation of biblical goals such demand would help bring about, because you are painfully aware that no Christian today can possibly fulfill that criteria.
Stop saying false teachings can send a person to hell, and the requirement of infallible teaching authority will be rescinded. Do we have a deal?