We are continuing in our discussion of the mandate found in Col 2:7-8;
This is a mandate for the believer to be able to identify the kosmic lie so that they are not deceived and taken captive by it.
The imperative is found in verse 8 where the word translated "see" in the NASB is the second person present active imperative of the Greek word "Blepo" that means to "see" to "watch out for" to "beware" or to "pay attention" or to "be on guard" This is followed by the negative conjunction of prohibition, "me"
At the time the Bible was written, "Blepo" was a command to be alert to a present danger threatening the spiritual lives of believers at Colossae. It is a mandate to be alert to danger that if not complied with will result in the hearers continuing to fall victim to it.
The same idea is presented in Phil 3:2 where it is translated "beware" of Jewish legalism. In Heb 3:12; where it is used as a warning about unbelief and in 2John 8; regarding the believer's persistence in the function inside the PPOG so that God is free in his justice to fully convey the escrow blessings that were set aside for every believer in eternity past.
The danger discussed in our passage is stated with the present active participle of the Greek verb "sulagogeo" " that means to be carried off as a prisoner of war," or "to capture someone and place them into slavery."
So far, our expanded translation reads:" Col 2:8; Continuously be alert that there should not be anyone carrying you off as prisoners of war through the agency of anthropocentric academic speculation and deception without content …"
This took us to a discussion of 2Pet 2:1-3; that warns us about the deceptive messages of false teachers who mislead to advance a hidden agenda for their own personal gain.
We saw that satan in his role as a false teacher Rev 12:9; deceived the woman in the garden when she added "nor touch it" to the mandate regarding the fruit of the tree. Gen 3:3;
Because of the sin that they committed when they failed to comply with God's mandate not to eat of the tree, satan usurped command authority over Planet Earth. And since then he has wrapped his lie in whatever presentation is necessary 2Cor 11:13-15; to fulfill his hopeless mission that is stated in Isaiah 14:14, "I will be like the Most High."
In his effort to accomplish this objective, satan has packaged his lies in ways that are alluring to anyone who functions in human viewpoint, weather they are unbelievers or believers.
Without divine viewpoint developed from a serious study of the Word of God, the human soul is left vulnerable to the Satanic deceptions of kosmic propaganda.
God created man with a soul and one of its attributes is free will. Man is therefore expected to think, decide, and act rationally based on establishment viewpoint for all mankind and, in addition, divine viewpoint that is revealed in Mystery Doctrine for believers.
God’s desire is that with free will man will come to know Him, enter His plan, and serve him willingly. 1Tim 2:3-4;
It is Satan’s desire to inhibit human volition 2Tim 2:24; and the major weapons he employs are duplicity and deceit. Once man has been distracted from making choices for the plan of God then he is easily solicited into making choices for the plan of Satan.
Biblical documentation of the satanic assault against human volition includes the following passages: 2Thes 2:9-10; 1Tim 4:1-2; Hosea 4:6;
Kosmic propaganda attacks the principles of Divine Establishment that provides freedom for believer and unbeliever and the Spiritual Life of the believer.
Col 2:8;This leads us to the defining the of the phrase "empty deception or "deception without content." that is translated from the Greek words "kenos apate”.
We have noted that disinformation is "false information that is deliberately and often covertly spread along with the truth with the objective of influencing public opinion or obscuring the truth" in order to influence people in a way that benefits the false teacher.
So we will consider the term "propaganda” and how it is used by the false teacher with the hidden agenda to lead people astray.
The English word propaganda is transliterated from the Latin word "propago" that means, "to spread." Its original use referred to causing animals and plants to multiply or breed, i.e., propagate.
This word and its concept of "spreading" and "multiplying" was utilized in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV when he established a missionary arm of the Catholic Church.
Gregory gave this committee of cardinals the Latin title "Sacra Congregatio de Propaganda Fide" that means " Sacred Congregation for Propagation of the Faith".
The idea was legitimate in the sense that the church wanted to "spread the Word" around the world. "Planting churches" is a similar term used today by Protestants which is metaphorical of the Latin words original meaning that referred to the "propagating of animals and plants."
The propaganda efforts of the Catholic committee or of Protestant churches have the positive intent of "spreading" each organization's Gospel message as TLJC has commanded. Mark 16:15;
More recently, the word has acquired several negative connotations as shown by English language dictionaries:
Webster's New Twentieth Century Dictionary of the English Language:
Propagate. To cause to reproduce; to multiply; to spread ideas or customs from person to person or generation to generation; disseminate; promote; circulate.
Propagandize. To spread a doctrine or theory by propaganda; to subject someone to propaganda.
Propaganda. Any organization or movement working for the propagation of particular ideas, doctrines, or practice. The ideas, doctrines, or practices spread in this way. Any systematic, widespread, deliberate indoctrination: now often used in a derogatory sense, connoting deception or distortion.
The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language
Propagation. Increase or spread, as by natural reproduction. Dissemination, as of a belief: propagation of the Gospel.
Propaganda. The systematic propagation of a given doctrine or of allegations reflecting its views and interests. Material disseminated by the proselytizers of a doctrine.
The Oxford English Dictionary: Propagate. Figurative. To cause to grow in numbers or amount; to cause to increase and multiply, to spread from person to person, or from place to place; to disseminate or diffuse a statement, belief, doctrine, or practice.
Propaganda. Any association, systematic scheme, or concerted movement for the propagation of a particular doctrine or practice.
Propagandism. The practice of propaganda; A systematic work at propagating any opinion, creed, or practice.
Propagandist. A member or agent of a propaganda; one who devotes himself to the propagation of some creed or doctrine; a proselytizer.
Propagandize. To disseminate principles by organized effort.
The New Oxford American Dictionary states: Propagate. To spread and promote an idea, theory, or knowledge widely.
Propaganda. Chiefly derogatory. Information, especially of a biased or misleading nature, used to promote or publicize a particular political cause or point of view.
Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary. 11th ed states: Propagate. To cause to spread out and affect a greater number or greater area. To foster growing knowledge of, familiarity with, or acceptance of (as an idea or belief).
Propaganda. The spreading of ideas, information, or rumor for the purpose of helping or injuring an institution, a cause, or a person. Ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause.
From these definitions we accumulate the following points the uses of propaganda for good or evil.
To spread abroad from person to person doctrines, ideas, customs, and theories.
An organization or movement whose objective is to influence or persuade people.
Deliberate indoctrination by means of deception and distortion.
Information disseminated through media of the propagandist's views and beliefs; a proselytizer.
Biased and misleading information used in promotion of a political cause or point of view. To foster the advance or acceptance of an idea or belief.
The deliberate spreading of ideas or rumor in order to injure and institution, cause, or person.
In the Encyclopedia Britannica 15th ed Propaganda is described as a systematic effort to manipulate other people's beliefs, attitudes, or actions by means of symbols (words, banners, music).
A relatively heavy emphasis on deliberateness and manipulativeness distinguishes propaganda from casual conversation or the free and easy exchange of ideas. The propagandist has a specified goal or set of goals and objectives.
To achieve these he deliberately presents a limited selection of facts, arguments, and displays of symbols in ways he thinks will be most effective to persuade.
Remember kosmic propaganda attacks both the Freedom that is revealed in Divine Establishment and the PPOG that is revealed in the Mystery doctrine of the Church Age.
An example of the propaganda against Divine Establishment that is being promoted today by those who desire to destroy client nation USA alleges that man is the primary cause of global warming and that we should stop using the relatively inexpensive fossil fuels necessary for our free market economy when the truth is that the temperature of the earth is primarily controlled by the activity of the sun and that TLJC personally controls the temperature of the earth. Col 1:17; Net note 31
Another example of the kosmic attack against Divine Establishment is Multi- Culturalism where the kosmic propaganda that all cultures are equal is promoted in opposition to the Establishment Principles that are revealed in the word of God when implemented form the basis of the only culture that is superior and receives blessing from God.
Col 2:8;The believers in Colossae were being propagandized by the philosophies of the Gnostic false teachers and as a result some were drifting away from truth into error.
We have seen that this propaganda that was being used is described by the Greek words "kenos apate". The adjective kenos refers to information that is without basis in fact or truth.
The word apate refers to deception and is the ablative of agency or means.
The agency that is the basis of this deception or the means of this deception is the doctrines of demons mentioned by Paul in 1Tim 4:1;
The same types of deception occur today, Some examples of kosmic propaganda as it relates to the spirituality of the church age that is promoted by false teachers teaching doctrines of demons instead of Mystery Doctrine are:
The false belief of spirituality by personality imitation. This is when people think someone who has a good personality and gets along with people is really humble and a good Christian.
Personality has nothing whatsoever to do with spirituality; the Holy Spirit controls the soul of many types of personalities.
A false system of spirituality by content of speech. This is the use of cliché's or stereotyped "holy language" such as using the words "Thee" or "Thou" or other anachronistic speech patterns related to the King James or other archaic translations of the Bible.
The false belief of spirituality by mannerisms where people think that that wearing black or pastel colors, wearing rags, presenting a disheveled appearance, or omitting cosmetics makes them spiritual.
All of these are superficialities, which in no way indicate true spirituality. The believer must learn to distinguish between personality and spirituality.
The false system of spirituality by dedication. This is when one assumes that they are spiritual because they have made some overt ceremonious dedication such as occurs in a rededication service.
The false system of spirituality by self-crucifixion. This system confuses positional truth with Christian experience. Rather than relying on the ministry of God the Holy Spirit to do the changing they set out to establish their own righteousness with asceticism.
The believer is dead with Christ through the baptism of the Spirit and retroactive positional truth not through crucifying self.
The false system of spirituality by prohibitions or traditions. Certain societies forbid things while others allow certain things. Regardless, cultural tradition or social usage of certain things cannot determine spirituality since the unbeliever can also conform to these traditions.
Many of these prohibitions are simply the result of the legalism that occurs when people try to superimpose their prejudices on others as if it was a commandment from God.
They try to superimpose their tastes and their culture on others in the name of Christianity and these all reject the importance of the ministry of God the Holy Spirit and the PMA of Bible doctrine for spirituality.
Remember the principle that anything the unbeliever can do is not a part of the spiritual life as defined in Bible Doctrine