The theme of the Book of Colossians is the superiority and sufficiency of Jesus.

Jesus provides salvation, sanctification and satisfaction.

Everything you need to grow spiritually is found in him. You don’t need a second work of grace, you already have Jesus. You don’t need a mystical encounter, an emotional experience or a mysterious zap to help you in your Christian life. You are complete in him (Colossians 2:10). The Christian life is very simply receiving Christ at salvation and then walking in him and following his words the rest of your life. Nothing is lacking in Jesus. You have Christ and his Word and his spirit. Therefore, spend the rest of your Christian life very simply getting to know him more deeply.

Unfortunately, Satan always attacks the church. False teachers came to Colosse and injected heresy. Four muddy rivers of heresy came together to form one polluted river known as the Colossian heresy. In Colossians 2 the Apostle Paul details four deadly dangers facing the church today.

The first deadly danger is Jesus plus philosophy. Paul said, “Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deception” (Colossians 2:8).

Philosophy is man’s wisdom.

Philosophy tries to answer the deepest questions of life. Who am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? What is the meaning of life? These questions can only be answered in Jesus. The false teachers said that it is Jesus plus philosophy. The Bible answers that no, it is not Jesus plus philosophy. It is Jesus alone as presented in the Word of God.

Philosophy is a combination of two Greek words — phileo, meaning “to love,” and sophia, “wisdom.” It is the love of man’s wisdom. Paul described man’s wisdom as “empty deception.” In Colossians 2:3 Paul said that “in whom [Christ] are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” Wisdom and knowledge are found in Jesus.

Unfortunately, even many well-meaning Christians today are not content with God’s wisdom. They feel the need to add man’s ideas (humanism) to the truth of God. The result is a malignant, deadly cancer. Paul said that philosophy is “according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world” (Colossians 2:8). It is simply old wives tales passed down from generation to generation. It is elementary school reasoning. It is very, very basic. A good example of man’s ideas is evolution. Evolution says that nothing times nobody equals everything. Rubbish! The beauty of Alaska is not the product of chance and time.

The second deadly danger is legalism. In Colossians 2:16 Paul said, “Therefore let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.” Legalism is adding to the Word of God. The false teachers in Colosse desired to put people back under the Mosaic Law. Paul said that it is not Jesus plus legalism. It is Jesus plus nothing.

The Old Testament law was simply a finger pointing to Jesus. He is the reality. He is the substance. The power is in Jesus.

The third deadly danger is mysticism. Colossians 2:18 reads, “Let no one defraud you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind.” The New American Standard version adds the word “visions.” This is clearly implied.

In mysticism a person claims he or she is hearing voices or seeing visions. Mysticism says it has some kind of a pipeline with intuitive, inner knowledge that no one else is seeing and no one else is hearing. God says that this is simply a false humility. It is pride. It panders to the flesh. Paul said, “Let no one defraud you and say, ‘I had this vision. I heard the voice of God.’”

How does God speak today? He speaks through the Word! “Faith comes by hearing and hearing by the Word of God!” (Romans 10:17). Colossians 3:16 says, “Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly.” When you possess the filet mignon of Jesus and the Bible, why eat the Spam of mysticism?

Satan used these deadly dangers in the first century. His methods don’t change. He uses the same methods in the 21st century. William Randolph Hearst had a vast art collection. He read of a piece of art in Europe. He commissioned one of his curators to travel to Europe and purchase this piece of art. Cost was no object to Hearst. After months of searching the curator returned to California to give the sad report. He could not find it. Before he went in to speak with Hearst he checked the warehouse. There he found the piece of art. Hearst already owned it!

You don’t need more of God through philosophy or legalism or mysticism. God needs more of you. It is Jesus plus nothing as described in the Word of God. The fourth deadly danger will be described in the next column!

Ethan Hansen is pastor of Faith Bible Fellowship in Big Lake.