To be condemned translates the Greek katabrabeuō (compare brabeuō in 3.15, see brabeion, “prize,” in 1 Cor 9.24, Phil 3.14), which appears only here in the NT. It means “to give an adverse decision” or “to deprive of the rightful prize,” and is formed from brabeus, the judge or umpire at athletic contests. This expression has been handled in several ways: “disqualify you for the prize” (New International Version), “rob you of your reward” (Translator’s New Testament), “cheat you out of your joy” (Phillips), “do not allow yourselves to be deprived of victory” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).
In view of the figurative meaning of the Greek katabrabeuō, one can readily see why and how a number of different English translations have employed quite different figures of speech, in contrast with the Good News Translation which reads Do not allow yourselves to be condemned. One might also employ “do not permit anyone else to take away from you what is rightfully yours,” or “… what really belongs to you,” or “… what should be your reward.”
The description that follows of these “umpires” is not easy to understand, and several interpretations are possible. It is expressed by three participial clauses, “insisting … taking his stand … being puffed up.” The first clause is translated by Revised Standard Version “insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels.” The verb used here (thelō) ordinarily means “to wish,” but here, with the preposition en “in,” it is taken to be the Greek equivalent of a Hebrew expression meaning “to take pleasure in” (so Lohse, A&G 4b, Lightfoot, Moule; compare Translator’s New Testament New International Version Barclay Bible en français courant Traduction œcuménique de la Bible); others translate “of his own will” (Abbott, so Beare “as he wills,” not as God wills); Goodspeed has “persisting,” and Revised Standard Version Good News Translation New American Bible have “insist on.”
There may be complications involved in a translation of who insists on, since this could mean “insists on for his own use” or “insists on other persons being involved in something.” Since Paul is here condemning false teachers, it is important to indicate that these are individuals who “insist on others displaying false humility and worshiping angels.”
The word “humility” is here used in a bad sense, that is, humility which is only superficial, not genuine; so Good News Translation Phillips New International Version have false humility; some take the word as a technical term for “fasting” (Moule, Moffatt); Translator’s New Testament Barclay have “asceticism” and New English Bible “self mortification.”
The worship of angels: in this phrase angels are the object of worship. The worship of angels may be expressed as “bowing down before angels,” or “praying to angels as though they were gods,” or “treating angels as though they are gods.”
Claims to be superior because of special visions translates a relative clause for which there are the most varied explanations possible. (Later manuscripts add the negative adverb; so King James Version “intruding into those things which he hath not seen.”) Commentaries should be consulted for possible meanings and suggested emendations of the text. Many base their interpretation on the use of the verb embateuō (see A&G for four meanings) in the mystery rites, which refers to entering the sanctuary after initiation, and so in this passage it describes those false teachers at Colossae as people who pride themselves on their superior status by virtue of the visions they had had. Lohse understands it to mean “as he has had visions of them (that is, the angels) during the mystery rites,” Moffatt “presuming on his vision,” Translator’s New Testament “insists on the importance of his visions,” Jerusalem Bible “are always going on about some visions they have had.” Following this line of interpretation, it would seem that these false teachers were claiming superior status as the result of mystical visions in which they had apprehended reality, something which is denied to those who have not been similarly initiated into the cult.
Claims to be superior may be rendered as “says that he is better than other people,” or “says that he is more important than others,” or perhaps “says that he knows more then others.”
In some languages, no distinction is made between dreams and visions, but in general there is a distinction between those particular visual forms which appear at night and those which come in the daytime or as the result of some particular ecstatic experience. Sometimes visions are spoken of as “dreams in the daytime.” In other instances, they may be called “dreams which reveal” or “dreams which have truth.” At any rate, one must avoid a term which simply suggests a nightmare.
Puffed up (see also 1 Cor 4.6, 18, 19; 5.2; 8.1; 13.4) is used metaphorically, “to puff up with pride,” that is, “to be vain, conceited, proud.” For no reason at all, such a person is all puffed up may be rendered as “such a person is all puffed up, but he has no reason for being so” or “… he cannot justify his being puffed up.” In general, however, one cannot reproduce the figurative expression “puffed up,” since this may very well be taken literally. However, one can often employ an equivalent type of idiom, for example, “they beat their breasts” (an expression often used in Africa to express pride and conceit), or “they pat themselves on the back,” or even “they say they are great.”
Human way of thinking is literally “the mind of his flesh.” New English Bible has “worldly minds,” New International Version “unspiritual mind,” Moule “his materialistic or sensuous outlook,” Beare “a mind which lacks spiritual enlightenment.” By his human way of thinking may be rendered as “because of the way he thinks just like all other people” or “because he is just like everyone else in the way in which he thinks.” The unspiritual aspect of such thinking may be expressed in some languages as “because in his thinking he never thinks about God.” In some instances, it may be important to indicate quite clearly the fact that the phrase by his human way of thinking is essentially an aspect of means, and this may be introduced sometimes as the subject of a verb of cause, for example, “his thinking just like all other people think causes him to be very proud, but there is no real reason at all for him being proud.” This type of restructuring of relationships within the sentence may seem rather radical, and yet it expresses clearly the meaning of the underlying text.
Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Nida, Eugene A. A Handbook on Paul’s Letter to the Colossians. (UBS Handbook Series). New York: UBS, 1977. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .