Colossians 2:18

Rob you of your prize

(καταβραβευετω). Late and rare compound (κατα, βραβευω, Colossians 3:15) to act as umpire against one, perhaps because of bribery in Demosthenes and Eustathius (two other examples in Preisigke's Worterbuch), here only in the N.T. So here it means to decide or give judgment against. The judge at the games is called βραβευς and the prize βραβειον (1 Corinthians 9:24; Philippians 3:14). It is thus parallel to, but stronger than, κρινετω in verse Colossians 2:16.By a voluntary humility

(θελων εν ταπεινοφροσυνη). Present active participle of θελω, to wish, to will, but a difficult idiom. Some take it as like an adverb for "wilfully" somewhat like θελοντας in 2 Peter 3:5. Others make it a Hebraism from the LXX usage, "finding pleasure in humility." The Revised Version margin has "of his own mere will, by humility." Hort suggested εν εθελοταπεινοφροσυνη (in gratuitous humility), a word that occurs in Basil and made like εθελοθρησκια in verse Colossians 2:23.And worshipping of the angels

(κα θρησκεια των αγγελων). In Colossians 3:12 humility (ταπεινοφροσυνην) is a virtue, but it is linked with worship of the angels which is idolatry and so is probably false humility as in verse Colossians 2:23. They may have argued for angel worship on the plea that God is high and far removed and so took angels as mediators as some men do today with angels and saints in place of Christ.Dwelling in the things which he hath seen

(α εορακεν εμβατευων). Some MSS. have "not," but not genuine. This verb εμβατευω (from εμβατης, stepping in, going in) has given much trouble. Lightfoot has actually proposed κενεμβατευων (a verb that does not exist, though κενεμβατεω does occur) with αιωρα, to tread on empty air, an ingenious suggestion, but now unnecessary. It is an old word for going in to take possession (papyri examples also). W. M. Ramsay (Teaching of Paul, pp. 287ff.) shows from inscriptions in Klaros that the word is used of an initiate in the mysteries who "set foot in" (ενεβατευσεν) and performed the rest of the rites. Paul is here quoting the very work used of these initiates who "take their stand on" these imagined revelations in the mysteries.Vainly puffed up

(εικη φυσιουμενος). Present passive participle of φυσιοω, late and vivid verb from φυσα, pair of bellows, in N.T. only here and 1 Corinthians 4:6; 1 Corinthians 4:18; 1 Corinthians 8:1. Powerful picture of the self-conceit of these bombastic Gnostics.