On Second Thought
There are seasons in the Church calendar when we are especially mindful of truth—Epiphany, when Christ is revealed; Lent, when we examine our hearts; Easter, when the gospel stands blazing at the center of history. Yet in every ordinary week, the same quiet danger persists: drifting from the simplicity of Christ. That was the concern weighing on the apostle Paul as he wrote to the believers in Colosse. Imprisoned and unable to visit them, he had heard troubling news. A mixture of Eastern philosophy, Jewish legalism, and early Gnostic speculation was threatening to distort the gospel.
Paul responds not with panic but with prayer. In Colossians 1:3–13, he thanks God for their faith and asks that they be filled with the knowledge of His will “in all wisdom and spiritual understanding.” The Greek word for knowledge here is ἐπίγνωσις (epignōsis)—a deep, relational knowledge rooted in truth, not secret speculation. The false teachers in Colosse emphasized a supposed elite insight. They claimed that the body was inherently evil and that Jesus could not truly have come in the flesh. To them, Christ was an emanation, not the incarnate Son. In doing so, they subtly stripped the gospel of its power. If Jesus is not fully God and fully man, then He cannot reconcile God and humanity.
The psalmist gives us a contrasting picture in Psalm 119:167–168: “My soul keeps Your testimonies, and I love them exceedingly. I keep Your precepts and Your testimonies, for all my ways are before You.” The Hebrew word for “keeps” is שָׁמַר (shamar), meaning to guard, to watch over attentively. The psalmist does not flirt with alternative voices; he guards the Word as one guards treasure. He recognizes that all his ways are before God. Scripture becomes the grid through which he evaluates life.
That image of a grid is helpful. In construction, a grid establishes alignment. It ensures that walls are straight and foundations secure. Without it, the entire structure leans. In the same way, God’s Word is the measuring line for doctrine, experience, and even emotion. When Paul confronts error in Colosse, he does not simply condemn false teachers; he exalts Christ. Later in the chapter he declares that Christ is “the image of the invisible God” and that “in Him all the fullness of the Godhead dwells bodily” (Colossians 1:15; 2:9). Orthodoxy is preserved by a clear, exalted view of Jesus.
We face similar currents today. The language may differ—New Age spirituality, self-styled enlightenment, religious syncretism—but the pattern is familiar. Add a little human philosophy. Subtract a little from Christ’s uniqueness. Suggest that salvation lies in technique or hidden insight rather than grace. The result is always the same: a diminished Savior and a confused church.
John Stott once wrote, “We must allow the Word of God to confront us, to disturb our security, to undermine our complacency.” That confrontation is not harsh; it is protective. The Word exposes deviations before they harden into belief. It reminds us that God does not respond only to human perfection—He responds to repentance and faith. It anchors us in the truth that Jesus Christ came in the flesh, lived righteously, died sacrificially, and rose bodily.
Running everything through God’s grid requires humility. It means asking, “Does this teaching align with the whole counsel of Scripture?” It means resisting the allure of novelty for novelty’s sake. The Bereans in Acts 17 were commended because they examined the Scriptures daily to see whether what they heard was true. That practice remains a spiritual discipline for us.
If you would like a helpful overview of the historical challenges faced by the Colossian church and Paul’s response, The Gospel Coalition offers a thoughtful article on the theology of Colossians: https://www.thegospelcoalition.org/essay/the-letter-to-the-colossians/. It highlights how the supremacy of Christ safeguards the church against distortion.
When we love God’s testimonies “exceedingly,” as Psalm 119 says, we begin to see them not as restrictive but as liberating. The grid does not confine us; it keeps us aligned. It ensures that our faith rests on revelation, not speculation. In a world saturated with opinions, Scripture remains steady.
On Second Thought
On second thought, the paradox is this: many fear that running everything through Scripture will narrow their minds, yet it is the only way to enlarge their hearts safely. We assume that a grid limits creativity, but in truth, it protects authenticity. A builder who ignores measurements does not create freedom; he creates collapse. In the same way, a believer who sets aside the Word in pursuit of spiritual novelty does not gain insight; he risks confusion. What feels like openness can quietly become drift.
And yet, there is another layer. The very Word that functions as a grid also reveals grace. It does not merely expose heresy; it exalts Christ. It does not only guard doctrine; it fuels devotion. When we measure our thoughts against Scripture, we often discover not only error but invitation—an invitation to know Christ more deeply, to trust Him more fully, to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord. The grid that corrects us is the same grid that holds us secure.
So the next time a new teaching, trend, or spiritual idea captures your attention, pause. Run it through the Word. Ask whether it magnifies Jesus as Lord in the flesh, crucified and risen. Ask whether it aligns with the testimony God has already given. In doing so, you will find that your faith is not constricted but strengthened, not diminished but clarified.
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