who are Paul's opponets here in Col 2 and what do we know about them?

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Col 2

8See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than on Christ.

9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form, 10and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and authority. 11In him you were also circumcised, in the putting off of the sinful nature,[a] not with a circumcision done by the hands of men but with the circumcision done by Christ, 12having been buried with him in baptism and raised with him through your faith in the power of God, who raised him from the dead.

13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature,** God made you[c] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[d]

16Therefore do not let anyone judge you by what you eat or drink, or with regard to a religious festival, a New Moon celebration or a Sabbath day. 17These are a shadow of the things that were to come; the reality, however, is found in Christ. 18Do not let anyone who delights in false humility and the worship of angels disqualify you for the prize. Such a person goes into great detail about what he has seen, and his unspiritual mind puffs him up with idle notions. 19He has lost connection with the Head, from whom the whole body, supported and held together by its ligaments and sinews, grows as God causes it to grow.

20Since you died with Christ to the basic principles of this world, why, as though you still belonged to it, do you submit to its rules: 21"Do not handle! Do not taste! Do not touch!"? 22These are all destined to perish with use, because they are based on human commands and teachings. 23Such regulations indeed have an appearance of wisdom, with their self-imposed worship, their false humility and their harsh treatment of the body, but they lack any value in restraining sensual indulgence.**
 
Hi Daniel,

St. Paul warns the Colosians against the two dangers that face them as Christians.

The first is returning to an improved “philosophical” paganism in one of the numerous movements that existed in Greece and elsewhere in the Greek-speaking world.

The second danger (where he speaks of circumcision) is being attracted to Judaism. There were Jewish Christians who would come after the apostles and try to persuade former pagans to be circumcised and adopt the food rules of Judaism. There were also non-Christian Jews who, once pagans were converted to monotheism, saw an opportunity to draw them to Judaism.

VERbum
 
Hi Daniel,

Gnosticism dates from the first century, but I doubt it would have developped to any extent at the time St. Paul wrote. Some of the “popular” philosophies at the time were Stoicism and Epicureanism.

Verbum
 
I have to agree with Verbum’s answer epsecially when talking about the problem Paul faced within the Church itself. Paul, clearly took the position that Christ established a New Covenant, and although, Christianity has its roots in the Old Covenant, it transended the old law and we were not bond by the old law. Others in the Church sincerely believed that there was no seperation of the two, Christ was the fulfillment of the Old Law and didnot do away with it, therefore Christians were still bound to the Old Law.

In my opinion, this is the people Paul is refering to in 2 Cor. and this is better understood when reading his letter(s) to the Corinthians in light of his other letters addressing the same problems.
 
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