‘Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind...’ Col 2:18
Of course this is worship of angels rather than worship like the angels. But who worships angels? What is Paul driving at – is it just some old superstitious belief they had in Colossae, irrelevant to us today? In ‘Heresies 101’ we learn that there is no such thing as a new heresy – they are all just recycled from of old by the deceiver, the master of lies.
Paul goes on to say ‘and not holding fast to the Head, from whom the whole body, nourished and knit together through its joints and ligaments, grows with a growth that is from God.’
So it’s some kind of derivative spirituality that sounds great but distracts from the true Head of all. Since the Enemy can’t actually create anything ex-nihilo, out of nothing, he relies on distorting what is, and distracting with counterfeits - and to be a good counterfeit it has to look like something genuine. Paul picks out another one - isn’t self-denial, ‘asceticism’, quite laudable, like the packed Park Runs on a Saturday? Well no, if it’s better at making you feel righteous than prayer and apology to the Lord.
Nicaea 325AD
How is that happening today? First how was that happening 1700 years go? When Constantine generously adopted Christianity after a vision of a cross before a key battle, he noticed that there were different points of view between some Christian leaders and as he wanted a religion to unify the empire, he needed divisions resolved, so councils were called. A later one was in Nicaea (not far from Constantinople) from May to August 325, with the Emperor picking up the tab for the 250+ leaders travelling from all over the Roman world. One of the attendees, Arius, a church leader from Alexandria, downplayed Jesus’ nature, saying he was created by the Father, derivative not equal. He fell out with his bishop, so hawked his idea around, and it helped precipitate the conference.
But why did this anti-Trinity view attract so much support? It followed the pattern of traditional religions, being strongly hierarchical and was simpler to understand, more philosophically pure and more in line with political structures. Being in tune with popular culture, it was said to made evangelism easier. In the end the Trinitarian understanding was affirmed. The faithful leaders were not afraid of seeming paradox, Godly mystery, Biblical orthodoxy or dissonance with worldly ways. In the Nicean Creed we see the Arian missteps explicitly ruled out. Arianism however was still preferred by some, not least subsequent Emperors and authoritarians, and it easily resurfaces.
We’re not the boss
Today we are very tempted to simplify and effectively apologise for Godly laws for life where they offend social sensibilities. Or we might deflect implied guilt by saying ‘as a Christian I don’t…’ meaning it’s OK for the other person - but what is good for us is good for all, it's not about situational ethics.
If we don’t talk about hell, sin or repentance in our outreach, then in the end, what is Jesus’ role? If we’re basically good people in search for serviceable ‘meaning’ or ‘purpose’ for our lives, then we’re Arian. We may diminish Jesus by hiding him behind his human mother, or saints – both ancient and modern – even our charismatic church leaders. If we prefer ritual over real relationship or the eco and identity moralising of Progressives, Arius is nodding along, as he is with religions originating in the Old Testament, but re-writing the central Character of the New.
Pride before a fall
And there's always a cost. CS Lewis says the greatest and most resistant sin is Pride 'puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind'. This always confused me as surely murder or adultery are worse and they are in the Commandments. But pride is too – the first and greatest commandment is to love God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength, which doesn't leave much room for me as a god, deciding what's what, judging Jesus.
The whole Bible is witness to the full nature of Jesus, the centrality of Him crucified. Popular introductory courses say this, of course, but can be light on its implications - the absolute nature of our fallenness that required it. Instead it’s about feeling good and thanking God - Therapeutic Theology.
And how people enter faith is how they continue. We can feel that we’re so blessed we can’t be bad and God doesn’t want us to feel down. So we don’t sense it when we’re stepping off the narrow clifftop path, and how old-fashioned and judgmental are those who cry a warning... until we feel the shepherd's crook firm around us at the edge of destruction – how were we so deceived?
Real Passion
The Sunday before Palm Sunday is Passion Sunday – where ‘passio’ is Latin for suffering. How passionate we are about something is measured by how much we are prepared to suffer for it. Every act of restoration costs the Creator.
If He is not all-powerful, eternal, front-and-centre, His ability to save is limited. But as Paul affirms '… by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him.'
The extreme degree of His giving shows not only His absolute love and valuing of us, but also the extreme and absolute cost of our reconciliation. ‘He says: 'Let all God’s angels worship Him.'’ Heb 1:6b
Praise Him, Thank Him, Worship Him this Easter.
