This I say, that no man may deceive you. As the contrivances of men have (as we shall afterwards see) an appearance of wisdom, the minds of the pious ought to be preoccupied with this persuasion -- that the knowledge of Christ is of itself amply sufficient. And, unquestionably, this is the key that can close the door against all base errors. [1] For what is the reason why mankind have involved themselves in so many wicked opinions, in so many idolatries, in so many foolish speculations, but this -- that, despising the simplicity of the gospel, they have ventured to aspire higher? All the errors, accordingly, that are in Popery, must be reckoned as proceeding from this ingratitude -- that, not resting satisfied with Christ alone, they have given themselves up to strange doctrines. With propriety, therefore, does the Apostle act in writing to the Hebrews, inasmuch as, when wishing to exhort believers not to allow themselves to be led astray [2] by strange or new doctrines, he first of all makes use of this foundation -- Christ yesterday, and to-day, and for ever. (Hebrews 13:8.) By this he means, that those are out of danger who remain in Christ, but that those who are not satisfied with Christ are exposed to all fallacies and deceptions. So Paul here would have every one, that would not be deceived, be fortified by means of this principle -- that it is not lawful for a Christian man to know anything except Christ. Everything that will be brought forward after this, let it have ever so imposing an appearance, will, nevertheless, be of no value. In fine, there will be no persuasiveness of speech [3] that can turn aside so much as the breadth of a finger the minds of those that have devoted their understanding to Christ. It is a passage, certainly, that ought to be singularly esteemed. For as he who has taught men to know nothing except Christ, has provided against all wicked doctrines, [4] so there is the same reason why we should at this day destroy the whole of Popery, which, it is manifest, is built on ignorance of Christ.

Footnotes

1 - "Tous erreurs et faussetez;" -- "All errors and impostures."

2 - "Qu'ils ne se laissent point distraire ça et la;" -- "That they do not allow themselves to be distracted hither and thither."

3 - Pithanologia -- our author having here in view the Greek term made use of by Paul, pithanologia, (persuasive speech.) See Calvin on 1-Corinthians, [30]vol. 1, p. 100; also Plat. Theaet. 163, A. -- Ed.

4 - "Toutes fausses et meschantes doctrines;" -- "All false and wicked doctrines."

And this I say - Respecting the character and sufficiency of the truth revealed in Christ.
Lest any man should beguile you - Deceive you, lead you away from the truth.
With enticing words - Artful words, smooth and plausible arguments; such as were employed by the Greek sophists and rhetoricians.

Lest any man should beguile you - The word παραλογιζηται means to deceive by sophistry or subtle reasoning, in which all the conclusions appear to be fairly drawn from the premises, but the premises are either assumed without evidence, or false in themselves; but this not being easily discovered, the unthinking or unwary are carried away by the conclusions which are drawn from these premises. And this result is clearly intimated by the term πιθανολογια, enticing words, plausible conclusions or deductions from this mode of reasoning. The apostle seems to allude to the Gentile philosophers, who were notorious for this kind of argumentation. Plato and Socrates are not free from it.

(3) And this I say, lest any man should beguile you with (e) enticing words.
(3) A passing over to the treatise following, against the corruptions of Christianity.
(e) With a planned type of talk made to persuade.

And this I say,.... That he had such a conflict for them, and had told them of his care and fear on their account, and had signified his great desire that they might arrive to a more large and certain knowledge of the mysteries of grace, and had asserted that all solid spiritual wisdom and knowledge were in Christ; all which he said, to show his affection for them; to observe unto them, that there was no need to seek for wisdom and knowledge elsewhere, since there was such a fulness of it in Christ, and the Gospel; and to put them upon their guard against false teachers:
lest any man should beguile you with enticing words; by which are meant, not apt and pertinent words, such as are suited to the minds of men, and proper to convey right ideas of divine truth, poignant expressions, sound speech, and strong reasonings; for such the apostle himself used, and yet not enticing words of men's wisdom; and which design mere words, great swelling words of vanity, which like bubbles look big, and make a great noise, but contain nothing but wind and emptiness; fair speeches, specious pretences, false colourings, fallacious reasonings, a show of probability, and appearance of science, falsely so called; whereby deceitful workers, such as the followers of Simon Magus and the Gnostics, used, whom the apostle had in view; beguiled unstable souls, and deceived the hearts of the simple: wherefore the apostle said the above things, showing that all true wisdom was in Christ, and all spiritual knowledge was in the pure and unmixed Gospel; which was not to be parted with for other things, which through art and management, and the cunning craftiness of men, might at first sight carry in them a show of probability, and appearance of truth. The gold, the silver, and precious stones of divine truths, which have been proved by the standard, are not to be given up for such as only look like them, being wrought up through the fallacy of men; who by a set of unmeaning words, paralogisms, and false reasonings, lie in wait to deceive.

And--"Now." Compare with "lest any man," &c. Colossians 2:8, Colossians 2:16, Colossians 2:18. He refers to the blending of Judaism with Oriental philosophy, and the combination of this mixture with Christianity.
enticing words--plausible as wearing the guise of wisdom and humility (Colossians 2:18, Colossians 2:23).

Lest any man should beguile you. Had they full knowledge (Colossians 2:2) this would not be possible.
For though absent, yet he was present in spirit. He was either present in spirit by having them in mind, being fully informed of their state by Epaphras, which I think is more in harmony with the whole tenor of the New Testament, or he was enabled by divine power to look upon them and behold them. The latter is the view of most commentators. If this view is correct, why does he say (Colossians 1:7) that he learned their state from Epaphras?
Walk ye in him. Continue to live in, obey and believe upon Christ as he was first preached to you.
Rooted. Your life growing out of Christ as a tree out of the soil.
As ye have been taught. The point of the exhortation is to cling to the gospel as it has been taught them.
Spoil you through philosophy. Make spoil of you and carry you off as booty through some philosophical speculation, or empty deceit.
After the tradition of men. By appealing, not to the Scriptures, but to human traditions. These traditions probably referred mainly to the matters spoken of in Colossians 2:18 below.
Rudiments of the world. Paul uses this expression elsewhere of Jewish ordinances (Galatians 4:3). Colossians 2:16 below shows what it refers to.