PRACTICES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO STOP INDULGENCE (COL 2: 20-23)

PRACTICES ARE INSUFFICIENT TO STOP INDULGENCE (COL 2: 20-23): 

Paul continues to mention the foundational things that are much more necessary rather than the preliminary practices. Paul writes that if with Christ they died to the elemental spirits of the world, why, as if they were still alive in the world, do they submit to regulations such as do not handle, do not taste, do not touch. If a person is committed to being with Christ, that person had surrendered the entire life with all their physical, emotional, and intellectual attributes to be controlled by the principles of Christ and they are not just followers of the shadow of the things which seem to be perfect in the eyes of a specific group of people according to the customs or practices. When a person wants to please society or self, the person would surely be subject to the things that please a particular group the person is in, or please the self for their own gratification. Some of the regulations that we follow are religious do’s and don’ts, cultural do’s and don’ts, social do’s and don’ts, food practices, discriminations, isolation for a particular thing or person, denial of certain things, etc., which could have some good in depth when we realize the intention for which God had allowed it to be. 

Paul refers to those things that all perish as they are used, according to human precepts and teachings. Every human being is unique in their thoughts and feelings which are influenced by different backgrounds. So when a particular thing is seen by a human being, it would have a lot of difference than the way each other person sees, though unexpressed. There are a lot of chances for even a very good thing to be manipulated and modified when just looked at, by the knowledge and exposure based on human perceptions and understandings.

The principles and practices that are derived by human beings without God indeed have an appearance of wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity to the body, but they are of no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh. Today, the world is full of religions, sects, and even denominations within religions, which is because of the irrational religious practices that are brought upon self or others. Those things are not actually helping in the betterment but make things worse by provoking the people to do things in private by making way to the gratification of the flesh, and for showing themselves perfect before men, being a hypocrite, but actually senseless before God.

Stimulations for Self-Reflection:

1.       What does that author mean by saying that ‘If with Christ you died to the elemental spirits of the world’?

2.       What does the author mean by ‘if you were still alive in the world, do you submit to regulations?

3.       What are the regulations that we follow because of religion or culture or other influences?

4.       Why are the regulations according to human precepts and teachings subject to perish?

5.       What do the human precepts and teachings promote?

6.       How do the regulations according to human precepts and teachings have wisdom in promoting self-made religion and asceticism and severity of the body?

7.       Why the human precepts and teachings have no value in stopping the indulgence of the flesh?

8.       What are the indulgences of the flesh we are subject to?

9.       How we can continue to be with Christ, being dead to the elemental spirits of the world?

How we can avoid promoting self-made religion, asceticism, and severity to the body?