Commentary on Philippians, Colossians, and Thessalonians

Comm on Phil, Col, Thes
11. In whom also ye are circumcised with the 11. In quo etiam estis circumcisi
circumcision made without hands, in putting off circumcisione non manufacta, exuendo corpus
the body of the sins of the flesh by the peccatorum carnis, circumcisione, inquam,
circumcision of Christ:
Christi.
12. Buried with him in baptism, wherein also 12. Consepulti cum ipso per baptismum, in
ye are risen with him through the faith of the quo et consurrexistis per fidem efficaciae Dei,
operation of God, who hath raised him from the qui suscitavit illum ex mortuis.
dead.
8. Beware lest any one plunder you. He again instructs them as to the poison, which the antidote
presented by him should be made use of to counteract. For although this, as we have stated, is a
common remedy against all the impostures of the devil, 359 it had, nevertheless, at that time a peculiar
advantage among the Colossians, to which it required to be applied. Beware, says he, lest any one
plunder you. He makes use of a very appropriate term, for he alludes to plunderers, who, when
they cannot carry off the flock by violence, drive away some of the cattle fraudulently. Thus he
makes Christ’s Church a sheep-fold, and the pure doctrine of the gospel the enclosures of the fold.
He intimates, accordingly, that we who are the sheep of Christ repose in safety when we hold the
unity of the faith, while, on the other hand, he likens the false apostles to plunderers that carry us
away from the folds. Would you then be reckoned as belonging to Christ’s flock? Would you remain
in his folds? Do not deviate a nail’s breadth from purity of doctrine. For unquestionably Christ will
act the part of the good Shepherd by protecting us if we but hear his voice, and reject those of
strangers. In short, the tenth chapter of John is the exposition of the passage before us. [John 10]
Through philosophy. As many have mistakingly imagined that philosophy is here condemned
by Paul, we must point out what he means by this term. Now, in my opinion, he means everything
that men contrive of themselves when wishing to be wise through means of their own understanding,
and that not without a specious pretext of reason, so as to have a plausible appearance. For there
is no difficulty in rejecting those contrivances of men which have nothing to set them off, 360 but
in rejecting those that captivate men’s minds by a false conceit of wisdom. Or should any one prefer
to have it expressed in one word, philosophy is nothing else than a persuasive speech, which
insinuates itself into the minds of men by elegant and plausible arguments. Of such a nature, I
acknowledge, will all the subtleties of philosophers be, if they are inclined to add anything of their
own to the pure word of God. Hence philosophy will be nothing else than a corruption of spiritual
doctrine, if it is mixed up with Christ. Let us, however, bear in mind, that under the term philosophy
Paul has merely condemned all spurious doctrines which come forth from man’s head, whatever
appearance of reason they may have. What immediately follows, as to vain deceit, I explain thus;
“Beware of philosophy, which is nothing else than vain deceit,” so that this is added by way of
apposition. 361
359 Our Author evidently refers to what he had said as to the advantage to be derived from steadfastness in the faith. See p.
178. — Ed.
360 “Quand elles n’ont ni monstre ni couleur;” — “When they have neither show nor appearance.”
361 See p. 148, n. 2.
110
John Calvin