DID THE COLOSSIANS WORSHIP ANGELS? (COLOSSIANS 2:18)

This is a much debated question among scholars. The reason for the uncertainty stems from two sources. One, Guthrie puts it, is “our lack of sufficient knowledge of the practices being combatted.” The other issue is a grammatical one. Reid explains that it depends on “whether the genitive 'of angels' is to be read as an objective (worship directed toward angels) or subjective (worship led by angels).”

In addition, I should note that there appears to be a contradiction between some of the attitudes Paul warns against in this verse. Thus, self-abasement and being “puffed up” are hardly compatible with one another.

After canvassing some of the literature on the subject, it appears that there are actually four different ways to look at this problematic verse. I will discuss each in turn together with the respective pros and cons of each.

1. Some of the false teachers in the Colossian church were actually worshiping angels.

Thus, Guthrie says, “It seems best to regard this as a reference to the usurping by angels of the true place of Christ as the only Mediator.”

In the same vein, Ashby says that perhaps they treated angels as “mediating powers, which means that respect was paid to the inferior instead of to the Head.”

Bietenhard: “Paul attacked Gnostic veneration of angels because it obscured the recognition of Christ's unique position as mediator.” (see Col 1:15ff; Rev 19:10; 22:8f).

R.P. Martin states without any supporting evidence that “the Colossian situation is thoroughly syncretistic and included pagan elements. In some way veneration must have been paid to the angels as part of the cultic apparatus of this religion.”

The problem is that there is little to no evidence that such Gnostic ideas had taken hold at such an early date. Thus, N.T. Wright explains that attempts to find such a practice in the literature of the time have been unconvincing.

Barth and Blanke note that it has been suggested that the self-abasement in this verse “is expressed in the sense that this highly elevated God was considered unreachable and therefore the worshipers considered themselves dependent on intermediate beings, namely the angels.” However, he counters that explanation by noting, “If veneration of angels were meant, it would be very much astonishing that such worship would escape [further] comment from Paul.” The only such additional comment one could perhaps quote is Galatians 1:8 warning against accepting other doctrines and teachings even if they arise from a heavenly angel.

2. Some of the teachers in the church were practicing a mystical type of practice in which they entered into heaven in visions and worshiped God together with the angels.

Melick asks regarding these first two interpretations, “Which would be more likely” If the situation reflects a pre-Gnostic and Gentile context, worship directed to angels makes good sense. [However], “since most of the characteristics against which Paul spoke in this epistle can be comfortably placed in a Jewish setting, the weight of evidence must go in that direction...the false teachers seem to have developed a procedure to induce a higher spiritual experience equivalent to angels' experience.”

This explanation fits well with the phrase “dwelling on visions” in this verse. (Ruiz)

The Dictionary of Biblical Imagery states that “this meaning is more likely than 'worship directed toward angels.”'

Newsom discusses some fragmentary writings discovered as part of the Dead Sea scrolls which have been labeled “Songs of the Sabbath Sacrifice.” They describe the angelic priesthood and the songs of praise they sing to God. They have been dated to before 100 BC. “If the reference to the veneration of angels in Colossians 2:18 refers to the mystical practice of joining in common worship with angels rather than a worship of angels, then the Sabbath Songs may be an example of the sort of practice to which Colossians alludes.”

Dunn cites numerous writings in the OT and Jewish literature of the time referring to the angels in heaven worshiping God. In addition, there are a number of examples of human beings joining in that worship, which is even hinted at in Psalms 29:1-2 and 148:1-2.

Dunn goes on to show how this interpretation gives the best fit with the other characteristics given in this verse: This explains both the 'humility' as “the spiritual discipline essential to maintain the holiness required to participate with the holy ones and the holy angels” through fasting, but also “Such claims to enter into the very presence of God and hymn with him in the company of angels was an idle self-deceit.”

O'Brien states that the “worship of angels” should be understood as the angelic worship of God which was an expression of “Essene Judaism of a gnostic kind and Judaizing syncretism.” “The 'mature' were thus able to gain entrance into heaven and join in the 'angelic worship' of God as part of their present experience.” This was accomplished through “ascetic practices that were effective for receiving visions of heavenly mysteries and participating in mystical experiences.”

3. The Colossians were so preoccupied with the subject of angels that they were in effect worshiping them and ignoring Christ.

Reid associates this verse with Colossians 2:8,20 which mention “the basic elements.” Thus, they “appear to be powers that intrude between believers and the rightful object of worship. Paul would then be warning against a spiritual teaching or practice that dwells on angels to such an extent that they are virtually worshiped.”

Seitz: “My view is that genitive of object is more obvious and that Paul has in mind here the eccentricities of religious practices that would purport to need objects of worship alongside Christ. It was for this reason among others that he devoted the central section of Col. 1 (1:15-20) to a description of the relation of Christ to God.”

4. The false Colossian teachers revered the angels since they were the messengers who gave them the OT law.

As a slight variation on #3 above, N.T. Wright's preferred explanation is “as another example of Paul's heavy irony: the people he is opposing spend so much time in speculations about angels, or celebrating the fact that the law was given by them, that they are in effect worshiping them instead of God.” This interpretation certainly fits in with the legalistic teachings of this group described elsewhere in Colossians.

5. The angels they were worshiping were fallen angels.

Geisler, in turn, offers an interesting variation on Explanation #4: “This artificial godliness of legalists was connected with the worship of angels which Scripture forbids...In fact, legalism is a teaching inspired by fallen angels (I Tim. 4:11) who as 'elemental spirits' (Gal. 4:3, RSV) would bring men into slavery by their mystical meditations.”

Conclusion
Although a surface reading of this verse seems to indicate worship directed toward angels is indicated (Explanation #1), the second interpretation appears to be much more likely since (a) Paul would certainly have placed much more emphasis on squashing that heretical practice in his letter and (b) there is little to no outside evidence for such a practice in either Christian or Jewish sources of the time.

I find it of interest that vestiges of this practice, whether best expressed by #1 or #2, still exist in Christendom today. Concerning the first type of practice, I have heard Roman Catholics try to justify the idea of praying to Mary or a saint by explaining that God is too busy to bother listening to a mere human's prayers and petitions. Therefore we need to enlist the aid of someone who is closer to God than we sinful mortals and thus more likely to get God's attention.

On the other hand, I have had experiences with those with charismatic leanings who place great store in personal mystical visions and who pray, sing, and worship using “angelic language.” One such Sunday school teacher at a past church practiced “self-abasement” by putting on an obvious show of fasting during a class social because he said God had told him to. In fact, he was at the same time demonstrating a “puffed-up” attitude by indicating how much more “spiritual” he was than the rest of us.