Taking...stand (1687) embateuo by Greek Word Studies

Taking his stand (1687) (embateuo from en = in + bateuo = to step) means to set foot upon, enter, visit, intrude into. Figuratively as it appears to be used in this verse, embateuo means to go into a matter, investigating it with the idea of impertinence. The only other uses in Scripture are in the Septuagint in Joshua 19:49, 51. ESV has "going on in detail about visions". NET "goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen". NIV = "goes into great detail about what he has seen". The TDNT summarizes embateuo as meaning... a. “To enter,” “go into,” usually military occupation in the LXX, entering on an inheritance in the papyri, also used of gods coming to a holy place or a demon indwelling a person. b. The word is used for initiation in the mysteries. c. “To approach with a view to examining,” i.e., “to inquire into” is also a possible meaning, as in 2 Mac 2:30; Philo On Noah’s Life as a Planter 80. The only NT instance is in Col. 2:18. Exegetes favor sense b. or sense c. Against b. it should be noted that the inscriptions never use embateúein alone (as here) and it always takes place in a sanctuary (unlike here). The sense, then, seems to be c. What the false teachers try to achieve by ecstasy and asceticism is opposed to adherence to the exclusiveness of Christ (Col 2:19). All wisdom is present in Christ, so that there is no need to enter by painful investigation into what is seen in ecstatic visions, as the false teachers require (Kittel, G., Friedrich, G., & Bromiley, G. W. Theological Dictionary of the New Testament. Eerdmans) NET Bible note The idea in this context seems to be that the individual in question loves to talk on and on (Ed: present tense = their continual practice) about his spiritual experiences, but in reality they are only coming out of his own sinful flesh. Wiersbe says embateuo was a technical term used by the mystical religions of that day and it meant “to set foot in the inner shrine, to be fully initiated into the mysteries of the religion.” Rienecker proposes embateuo here could refer to "the entering into heavenly spheres as a sort of super spiritual experience." John Eadie has some interesting comments writing that... The reference in the clause—“intruding into what he has not seen”—appears to be the worship of angels. The current theosophy spent no little of its ingenuity upon the spirit-world. It wandered not only beyond the regions of sense, but even that of Scripture. It mustered into troops the heavenly orders. [Eph. 1:21.] This oriental propensity was a prevalent one. The inquisitive spirit pried into the invisible world around it and above it. It loved such phantasms, and lost itself in transcendental reveries. The creed of the Zendavesta had its Ormuzd, its six Amshaspands, its eight-and-twenty Izeds, and hosts of Feruers—all of them objects of worship and prayer. Augustine says, with justice, that many had tried the intercession of angels, but had failed; and not only so, but—inciderunt in desiderium curiosarum visionum. How the Jewish fancy strove to penetrate the curtain that conceals the unseen, may be learned from the following quotation from a rabbinical treatise. “As there are ten Sephiroth, so there are ten troops of angels, as follows:—the Erellim, Ishim, Benei-haelohim, Malachim, Hashmalim, Tarshishim, Shinanim, Cherubim, Ophanim, and the Seraphim. Captains are set over each of them—Michael over the Erellim, Zephaniah over the Ishim, Hophniel over the Benei-haelohim, Uzziel over the Malachim, Hashmal over the Hashmalim, Tarshish over the Tarshishim, Zadkiel over the Shinanim, Cherub over the Cherubim, Raphael over the Ophanim, and Jehuel over the Seraphim.” Tertullian mentions some who professed to divine their asceticism from angelic revelation, a remark which serves at least for illustration. (A Commentary on the Greek Text) Ray Stedman has an excellent exposition of this verse noting that... The key elements in this portion of Paul's warning are "false humility and worship of angels." Those are two invariable elements of false teaching in this context. In Colossae there was an ancient teaching (later called "Gnosticism," meaning knowledge) which held that there is a hierarchy of angels between all human beings and God which must be placated and acknowledged, and that one's knowledge, which began in virtual ignorance, increased with such contact until at last one entered into the fullness of understanding of the Oneness of all things. That ancient heresy is known as the New Age Movement in which adherents seek the true Oneness of things bc we are all part of the universe of created matter, and are united in Oneness with God. It claims to move you beyond self, but in actual practice, if you examine teachings like this, you discover that they focus on self; that the real goal is to develop all your self powers. That is why it is called the human potential movement --- the idea that everything is already there inside of you, and all you need to do is bring it out and develop your possibilities and full potential (Cp Col 1:27). It's like the sign on a wall "The Light you seek is in your own lantern." So the teaching is that you already have it all---now discover it. Whitney Houston sings, "To love yourself is the greatest love there is." which could be the theme song for the human potential quest. What is the danger of that? The apostle puts it very plainly: it "disqualifies you for the prize." He has been referring to this "prize" all through this letter. It will eliminate you from the race, removing you from the possibility of experiencing "Christ in you, the hope of glory." That is the great mystery which God himself has provided us, by which we have immediate and continual access to the fullness of deity in Christ, and by him, strength, help and comfort along our way. Such error will effectively remove all opportunity for the continued experience of love, joy and peace. If you observe Shirley MacLaine and other advocates of the New Age Movement you will discover there is very little evidence that they derive real satisfaction from their experiences. Fascination, yes; satisfaction, no! They are forever seeking. They are never at rest. They are on a quest for a will-o'-the-wisp, that seems to be further away from them the longer they pursue it. Such pursuit effectively removes one from experiencing the prize that God has in mind for his own: daily fellowship with a loving, living Lord! We all remember the claim made by Oral Roberts that he had seen a nine hundred foot vision of Jesus who told him to build a hospital in Tulsa, Oklahoma. Now Roberts is under attack by the media because of his statement that unless people send him four and a half million dollars by March First, God is going to take his life! This ridiculous claim has turned many people away from Christian truth. But who are these strange creatures that are seen in these visions? According to the Bible they are fallen angels, otherwise known as demons, often masquerading as people who once lived on the earth. Thus, they give some degree of credence to the teaching of reincarnation, which is widespread in our day. (Read the full sermon Colossians 2:16-23 Things that can Ruin your Faith) Visions are an important element in Mormonism, Spiritism, Catholicism (apparitions of Mary), and Swedenborgianism. Those who are members of these inner circles are naturally proud of their secret knowledge. Paul is warning against the false teachers in Colossae who had visions and made contact with angels (remembering that 1/3 of the angels are "fallen" and constitute the demons ruled by Satan). In bypassing the Word of God and the Spirit of God, they were opening themselves to all kinds of demonic activity because Satan is a liar (Jn 8:44) and a deceiver (Rev 12:9-note) who is a master at creating counterfeit experiences (2Cor 11:13, 14, 15). He has seen - Vincent writes... which he imagines or professes that he has seen in vision. Ironical. “If, as we may easily imagine, these pretenders were accustomed to say with an imposing and mysterious air, ‘I have seen, ah! I have seen,’ — in relating alleged visions of heavenly things, the Colossians would understand the reference well enough” (Findlay). INFLATED WITHOUT CAUSE BY HIS FLESHLY MIND: eike phusioumenos (PPPMSN) hupo tou noos tes sarkos autou: (Col 2:8; 1Cor 4:18; 8:1; 13:4) (Ro 8:6, 7, 8; Gal 5:19;20 Jas 3:14, 15, 16; 4:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6) PUFFED UP CHARLATANS! The ever present danger of "gnosis" is that "Knowledge makes arrogant (puffs up = phusioo), but love edifies" (1Co 8:1) Genuine Spirit wrought agape love "is not arrogant" or puffed up (phusioo) (13.4" class="scriptRef">1Cor 13:4-note). "By definition" those who indulge in the pride producing practices Paul warns against are devoid of genuine Christian love (cp his related warning in 1Cor 13:1, 2, 3, 13) Inflated without cause - A T Robertson says this word describes a "Powerful picture of the self-conceit of these bombastic Gnostics." Vincent commenting on the KJV rendering "Vainly puffed up" writes that... Vainly (eike) characterizes the emptiness of such pretension; puffed up (phusioo), the swelling intellectual pride of those who make it. See on 1Co 4:6; and compare 1Co 8:1. The humility is thus characterized as affected, and the teachers as charlatans. Eadie writes that in this clause (inflated without cause) one discovers one prime ground of the heresy, and shows the principal reason why the gospel was not cordially received. It was not intricate enough, it did not deal in any vain speculations, but it claimed and commanded attention to the real and practical, and it showed not the way into the abstruse and recondite. It did not harmonize with current notions of angelology and asceticism, and it was outdone in those respects by Essene Gnosticism. It did not forbid the humble spirit to raise itself to the Divine throne; for it taught that the intervening distance was spanned by the mediatorial nature of Christ. It exhibited the angels as “ministering spirits,” or fellow-servants; but it held up no eccentric array of visions and phantasms, which might beguile men into fanatical worship and conceited contrition. In the fulness of its revelation it left to no man the claim of discovery, or the merit of invention. He, then, who did not receive it as presented to him, but wished to change its nature and supplement its oracles, so that it might have the air and the aspect of a transcendental theosophy, was “puffed up by his fleshly mind,”—thought himself possessed of a higher knowledge, and favored with profounder instruction than our Lord and His apostles...The heretic was blown up with his delusion, verifying the remark—“knowledge puffeth up.” (1Co 8:1) He was too proud to learn—too wise to acknowledge any instruction beyond himself. The source of inflation was a “fleshly mind,” “he was puffed up.” (A Commentary on the Greek Text) "Copy and paste the address below into your web browser in order to go to the original page which will allow you to access live links related to the material on this page - these links include Scriptures (which can be read in context), Scripture pop-ups on mouse over, and a variety of related resources such as Bible dictionary articles, commentaries, sermon notes and theological journal articles related to the topic under discussion." http://www.preceptaustin.org/colossians_218-191.htm#s

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Taking...stand (1687) embateuo

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