Archived Verse Of the Week

In this era of woke and cancel culture and in addition to fake news, the news media gives us their opinion instead of facts. Where the Left and Right have forgotten to serve the people, we must do our due diligence to find what is true, especially when the prosperity gospel has replaced the truth of scripture, sin, forgiveness and redemption with self-motivation buzzwords.

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Colossians 2:8 warns us against being taken captive by empty (hollow) and deceptive philosophies based on human traditions and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ. This is a reminder that not all teachings are created equal. Some may sound good on the surface, but they are empty and deceitful. In contrast, the word of God is the only source of true wisdom and understanding. This verse is relevant to the Colossians of Paul's time and has practical implications for our daily lives today. Let's explore how this verse can be applied practically in our lives.

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First, we need to be discerning about the information we consume. In the digital age, we are constantly bombarded with information from all sides. Some of it is true, some of it is false, and some of it is a mixture of both. It is easy to be swayed by a convincing argument or a popular opinion. However, as Christians, we need to be discerning about the messages we consume. We should always test everything we hear against the truth of the scripture. As Paul writes in 1 Thessalonians 5:21, "Test all things; hold fast what is good."

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Second, we need to be wary of traditions that are not grounded in scripture. It is easy to get caught up in religious practices that are based on tradition rather than on the teachings of Christ. However, as Jesus warns in Mark 7:7-8, "And in vain they worship Me, Teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.' For laying aside the commandment of God, you hold the tradition of men—the washing of pitchers and cups, and many other such things you do." We should always be careful to ensure that our practices and traditions are grounded in the word of God.

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Third, we need to be aware of the spiritual forces at work in the world. The Bible warns us that we are in a spiritual battle (Ephesians 6:12) and that there are forces at work in the world that seek to deceive us (1 Peter 5:8). We need to be aware of these spiritual forces and be on guard against them. As Paul writes in 2 Corinthians 10:5, "casting down arguments and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ."

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In conclusion, we need to be discerning about the information we consume, wary of traditions not grounded in the truth of scripture and aware of the spiritual forces at work in the world. By doing so, we can stay grounded in the gospel's truth and avoid being taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies.