2:4a

I say this: The word this refers back to what Paul had been saying earlier in 1:24–2:3, especially how very important Christ is (2:3). In some languages it may be better to translate this:

I have written this to you
-or-
I have told you these things in my letter…

2:4b

so that no one will deceive you by smooth rhetoric: Paul had heard that there were people in Colossae who were teaching a false message. (See the Introduction to these Notes.) These teachers wanted to deceive the Colossian Christians, that is, to lead them astray, to cause them to believe their wrong teachings.

smooth rhetoric: This means they tried to make their teaching sound true and reasonable, so that other people would believe what they said.

General Comment about 2:4

One way to translate 2:4 is:

I am saying these things to you so that no one will persuade you to believe their false teachings, even if what they teach sounds believable.

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