Nielsen’s Nook

Nestle-Aland 27

20 Εἰ ἀπεθάνετε σὺν Χριστῷ ἀπὸ τῶν στοιχείων 1 τοῦ κόσμου , τί ὡς ζῶντες ἐν κόσμῳ δογματίζεσθε ; 21 μὴ ἅψῃ 2 μηδὲ γεύσῃ 3 μηδὲ θίγῃς , 4 22 ἅ ἐστιν πάντα εἰς φθορὰν τῇ ἀποχρήσει , κατὰ τὰ ἐντάλματα καὶ διδασκαλίας τῶν ἀνθρώπων , 23 « ἅτινά ἐστιν λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας» 5 ἐν ἐθελοθρησκίᾳ 6 καὶ ταπεινοφροσύνῃ [ καὶ ] ἀφειδίᾳ 7 σώματος , οὐκ ἐν τιμῇ τινι « πρὸς πλησμονὴν τῆς σαρκός .» 8

My Translation

20 If you died with Christ to the basic elements of the world, why – as one who lives in the world – do you submit to its rules and regulations? 21 Do not handle. Do not taste. Do not touch. 22 These things are all meant for destruction by consumption according to the commandments and teachings of human beings. 23 Such things have an appearance of wisdom in self-made religion and false humility and unsparing treatment of the body. These things have no value against the indulgence of the flesh.

Grammar & Vocabulary

1 στοιχείων gen/pl/neu ( στοιχει ̂ ον ) basic element

2 ἅψῃ aor/mid/subj/2p/sg ( ἅπτω ) to take hold of, touch

3 γεύσῃ aor/mid/subj/2p/sg ( γεύομαι) to taste

4 θίγῃς aor/mid/subj/2p/sg ( θιγγάνω) to touch

5 ἅτινά ἐστιν λόγον μὲν ἔχοντα σοφίας “The singular ‘word’ (logos) points to the entirety of the system, but it specifically represents the catchwords of v. 21.” [1]

6 ἐθελοθρησκίᾳ dat/sg/fem ( ἐθελοθρησκία ) self-made religion

7 ἀφειδίᾳ dat/sg/fem ( ἀφειδία ) severe unsparing treatment [of the body]

8 πρὸς πλησμονὴν τῆς σαρκός “The Gk. exegetes understood this to mean for the gratification of physical needs. But σάρξ , acc. to vs. 18, is surely to be taken in a bad sense, and the transl. should be for the indulgence of the flesh.”[2]

__________

₁Richard R. Melick, vol. 32, Philippians, Colissians, Philemon (electronic ed.;, Logos Library System; The New American Commentary Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 2001, c1991), 277.

₂William Arndt et al., A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature : A Translation and Adaption of the Fourth Revised and Augmented Edition of Walter Bauer’s Griechisch-Deutsches Worterbuch Zu Den Schrift En Des Neuen Testaments Und Der Ubrigen Urchristlichen Literatur (Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1996, c1979), 673.

Commentary

Some may read this passage in Colossians and think that Paul was arguing against some new sort of dangerous thinking which was attacking the church at Colossae. Regardless of whether the form of what was being manifested at Colossae was new, the essence of what has plagued God’s people was familiar even to Adam and Eve.

In the Garden, the Lord told Adam, “You may surely eat of every tree of the garden, 17but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.” (Ge 2:16-17 ESV) In the following verse (v 18) we find the account of God creating Eve. Adam received the command regarding the tree of the knowledge of good and evil prior to the creation of his wife and soul-mate, Eve.

When the serpent came to tempt Eve, he asks, “Did God actually say, ‘You shall not eat of any tree in the garden’?” (Ge 3:1 ESV). Eve replied to the serpent, “God said, ‘You shall not eat of the fruit of the tree that is in the midst of the garden, neither shall you touch it, lest you die.’” (Ge 3:3 ESV, emphasis added). In Eve’s reply we find the subtle and likely well intended addition to the Lord’s command to Adam – neither shall you touch it.

Such additions to the word of God can come with good intentions. With the consequences so dire for eating the fruit we might think it wise to make such a prescription to not even touch the fruit. Adam and Eve did not have a sinful nature at this point in their lives and yet even here such stipulations could not help them against temptation.

So today, as in the time of the Colossian church, we are tempted to add to the word of God, creating regulations and stipulations that are perhaps well intended. Unfortunately, these regulations are meant for destruction for they too direct our eyes away from the sheer grace of God, who powerfully preserves and governs all his creatures and all their actions.

If structures and strictures that are solely human were of no value to Adam and Eve against temptation when they did not have a sin nature; how much more are they of no value to us who are not only tempted from without, but are also plagued with temptations from within, from our own flesh.