Bible Verse: Colossians 2:18 – inflated without cause

Originally posted on January 21, 2026 – by Andre Piet

… intruding into what he supposes he has seen, while without cause being inflated by the mind of his flesh.

Here Paul exposes where this religious influence of ritual formal service comes from. Not from revelation, but from imagination. Not from God, but from the mind of the flesh. These people speak about what they have seen. About experiences, impressions, insights that make an impact. But Paul pierces through it: they intrude into what they suppose they have seen. That is something different from what God has revealed.

And precisely in this lies the irony: they present themselves as humble, but are inflated. Impressive, but without ground under their feet. Their self-image grows, their claims become greater, their words weightier. Not because God exalts them, but because they inflate themselves. Fleshly thinking can sound very religious. It can seem deep, serious, spiritual—and yet be entirely human.

Therefore Paul does not point to experiences, but to Christ. Not to what people experience, but to what God has brought about in Him. Human experiences and subjective findings are not a standard for truth. Whoever builds on them becomes dependent on what constantly moves, changes, and fades. In Christ, on the other hand, there is firmness. There is no emptiness there that must be compensated by impressions. In Him is the fullness!

Delen: