Article November 16, 1940 Issue

Bible Notes

[The Biblical citations given in the Christian Science Quarterly are from the Authorized King James Version. The Bible Notes in this column can be used, if deemed necessary, to elucidate some of the words or passages contained in the Bible Lessons.]

"Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world" (Col. 2:8)— The Greek verb here rendered "spoil" means "carry off" or "plunder" rather than "spoil" in the sense of "injure"; while the noun translated "rudiments" also means "elements," and was often used with reference to the supposed "material causes of the universe." Goodspeed suggests: "Take care that nobody exploits you through the pretensions of philosophy, guided by human tradition, following material ways of looking at things."

"In him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily. And ye are complete in him" (Col. 2:9, 10)—In the Greek, these two verses are separated only by a comma, not by a period, thus suggesting their close connection. Weymouth suggests: "For it is in Christ that the fulness of God's nature dwells embodied, and in Him you are made complete;" while Moffatt has: "It is in Christ that the entire Fulness of deity has settled bodily, it is in him that you reach your full life."

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