FRIDAY

Colossians 2:8

• How can you continue to live in God?

See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.

You may be tempted to read this text and think, “Ok, don’t get caught up in bad theology,” or “Got it; follow God instead of humans.” But the original Greek is a little more graphic. The translation does it justice by using the phrase “takes captive.” Bad theology is not just something you find yourself in one day with no warning. Bad theology takes you hostage. It kidnaps you. It is a violent manipulation of our understanding of God. The Greek word for “takes captive” literally translates to “to carry off booty or captives.” It’s the violent brutal plundering pirates do—it is deliberate and egregious, with astronomical consequences.

But the solution, though not easy, is clear. Stay rooted in Christ.