Paragraph 2:8–15

Theme: Paul warned the Colossians to make sure that the false teachers did not deceive them with their deceptive Greek philosophies and ideas about the spirit world.

Paul stated his main point at the beginning of this paragraph: “See to it that no one takes you captive…” (2:8a). You need to make this main point clear in your translation.

2:8a

See to it: This is a warning, it means, “Watch out!” “Be careful!” “Pay attention!” “Make sure that…”

that no one takes you captive: This is a figure of speech. When a person is captured, he is forced to do whatever his captors want. In the same way the false teachers wanted to make the Colossian believers believe them and do whatever they commanded. So Paul means, “Be careful. Do not let anybody trick you and tell you what you must believe.” The SSA says, “Make sure that no one makes you become his disciple.”

2:8b

philosophy and empty deception: Among the non-Christian Greek people, there were many philosophers. A philosopher is a person who spends most of his time thinking and teaching about the gods and supernatural spirits. The Greek people admired and respected these philosophers very much. It seems that some of the Greek Christians in Colossae were thinking up ideas about God in this way, but their ideas were wrong. Paul was afraid that other Christians in Colossae would be led astray by listening to their teaching.

philosophy: Here are some other ways to translate this word:

human wisdom (Good News Translation)
-or-
teaching/ideas about God/spirits

empty: Paul said that the things they taught were empty, that is, “worthless, having no value,” their teachings did not help anyone truly to know God.

deception: He also said that what they taught caused deception. This word implies that what they taught sounded true and wise, but it was wrong, and it deceived people.

2:8c–e

In 2:8c–e, Paul used three phrases to describe in more detail what these people taught.

2:8c

which are based on human tradition: A literal translation of the Greek is “according to the traditions of people.” Paul wanted to emphasize that these teachings were from people, not from God. These were ideas that people had invented, not truths that God revealed. Here is another way to translate this clause:

only human teachings (Contemporary English Version)

tradition: Traditions are normally ideas and customs that have been passed-down/imparted from older people to younger people. The same Greek word is used in Matthew 15:2–3, 15:6; 1 Corinthians 11:2; 2 Thessalonians 2:15, 3:6. If you have an expression in your language for teachings that the elders tell to younger people, you may be able to use it here.

2:8d

and: This verse part is parallel to 2:8c and begins with the same Greek word kata “according to.” The things the false teachers taught depended on two things: “human tradition” (2:8c) and “the basic principles of this world” (see New International Version alternative source line for 2:8d). The Berean Standard Bible uses the word and here to show that the false teaching came from “the basic principles of this world” in a similar way to how it came from “human tradition.”

the spiritual forces of the world: The New International Version translates this Greek phrase: “basic principles of the world.” The reason there are two different translations is because the Greek word stoicheia that the Berean Standard Bible translates spiritual forces and the New International Version translates “basic principles” has two meanings:

(1) It could mean, “elementary principles and rules about behavior.”

(New International Version, New Jerusalem Bible, SSA)

(2) It could refer to “the heavenly bodies,” that is, the sun, moon, and stars. In this context it would refer specifically to the spirits whom the Greeks believed were in control of these bodies.

(Berean Standard Bible, Good News Translation, Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, NET Bible, New Living Translation (2004), Revised English Bible)

Although most English versions prefer the second option (2), the commentaries are fairly equally divided. The first option is recommended here (1) because it makes best sense in the context. Paul was talking about false teaching. He used this same word stoicheia in 2:20, where he followed it immediately with a list of rules that people had made. Therefore, in this context Paul probably meant the basic religious rules which people invent.

of the world: There are two ways to understand this:

(1) It mean that these were rules about the world and the things in the world, that is, rules about external things, such as food, clothes, ceremonies, etc. See SSA.

(2) It means that people invented these rules. So world here means “people in the world.”

Both are possible in the context. However when Paul wrote more about this in 2:16, 20–23, he explicitly referred to laws concerning external things, so it is best to follow the same interpretation here.

If you wish to follow the second option, you could say:

⌊And they teach people⌋ to obey regulations that people have invented.

2:8e

rather than on Christ: A literal English translation of the Greek is “and not according to Christ.” This is in contrast to 2:8c–d where Paul had described the two things on which the false teachers depended for their teaching. Here Paul said what they did not depend on.

These words have two possible meanings:

(1) The things the false teachers taught were not the true teachings about Christ. SSA expresses this: “it teaches what is contrary to ⌊the true teachings about⌋ Christ.”

(Berean Standard Bible, New International Version, Revised English Bible)

(2) What the false teachers taught was not from Christ. That is, it did not agree with what Christ taught and the truth he gave to his followers.

(Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Century Version, New Living Translation (2004))

Both interpretations are possible and their meaning is very similar. However, the first one is closer to the normal meaning of the Greek word kata “according to,” which Paul used to begin each phrase in 2:8c–e, so the first interpretation is recommended (1).

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