Colossians 2:18
 
Colossians 2:18
(KJV) Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
(1611 KJV) Let no man beguile you of your reward, in a voluntary humilitie, and worshipping of Angels, intruding into those things which hee hath not seene, vainely puft vp by his fleshly minde:
(1587 Geneva Bible) Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde, and worshipping of Angels, aduauncing himselfe in those thinges which hee neuer sawe, rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde,
(1526 Tyndale) Let no man make you shote at a wroge (marke) which after his awne ymaginacion walketh in the humblenes and holynes of angels thinges which he never sawe: causlesse puft vp with his flesshly mynde
 
Counterfeit Versions
(CSB) Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind.
(NIV) Do 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.
(NASV) Let no one keep defrauding you of your prize by delighting in self-abasement and the worship of the angels, taking his stand on visions he has seen, inflated without cause by his fleshly mind,
(ESV) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on asceticism and worship of angels, going on in detail about visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
(CEV) Don't be cheated by people who make a show of acting humble and who worship angels. They brag about seeing visions. But it is all nonsense, because their minds are filled with selfish desires.
(1901 ASV) Let no man rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he hath seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
(HCSB) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm and inflated without cause by his fleshly mind.
(RSV) Let no one disqualify you, insisting on self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, puffed up without reason by his sensuous mind,
(NAB-Roman Catholic) Let no one disqualify you, delighting in self-abasement and worship of angels, taking his stand on visions, inflated without reason by his fleshly mind,
(NWT-Jehovah’s Witnesses) Let no man deprive YOU of the prize who takes delight in a [mock] humility and a form of worship of the angels, “taking his stand on” the things he has seen, puffed up without proper cause by his fleshly frame of mind,
 
Textus Receptus - Traditional Text
mhdeiV umaV katabrabeuetw qelwn en tapeinojrosunh kai qrhskeia twn aggelwn a mh ewraken embateuwn eikh jusioumenoV upo tou nooV thV sarkoV autou
 
Hort-Westcott- Critical Text
mhdeiV umaV katabrabeuetw qelwn en tapeinojrosunh kai qrhskeia twn aggelwn a eoraken embateuwn eikh jusioumenoV upo tou nooV thV sarkoV autou
 
Corrupted Manuscripts
This verse is corrupted in the following manuscripts:
P 46 - Second century
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit (original)
A 02 - Alexandrinus - Fifth century
B 03 - Vaticanus - Fourth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century (original)
I 016 - Fifth century
33 (Minuscule) - Ninth Century
 
Manuscripts which agree with the Textus Receptus for this verse
Byzantine Text (450-1450 A.D.)
Aleph 01 - Sinaiticus - Nineteenth Century Counterfeit (corrected)
C 04 - Ephraemi Rescriptus - Fifth century
D 06 - Paris: Claromontanus - Sixth century (corrected)
K 018 - Ninth century
L 020 - Ninth century
P 025 - Ninth century
 
Published Critical Greek Texts with Corruptions
Omit “not” before “seen”
Lachmann, Karl - 1842 (in brackets or margin)
Tischendorf, Constantine - 1869
Tregelles, Samuel - 1857
Alford, Henry - 1849 revised in 1871
Westcott and Hort - 1881
Weiss, Bernhard - 1894
Nestle - 1927 as revised in seventeenth edition in 1941
Nestle-Aland - 1979 - Twenty Sixth Edition
Nestle-Aland - 1993 - Twenty Seventh Edition
United Bible Societies - 1983 - Fourth Edition
Von Soden, Freiherr - 1902
 
Affected Teaching
This is one of those reverse meaning verses which the modern versions are famous for. In the KJV, you will notice that we are being warned that those who worship angels and believe they have seen visions of Heaven will be trying to lead astray as many people as they can, especially the Christians. We are being informed that these people did NOT see anything of the sort but they are false teachers and deceivers. However, when we look at the modern versions, you will see they have left out the important word “not” and claim these people have seen what they claim they have seen. No wonder the modern versions are well-accepted in the Charismatic movement because they believe and teach visions and heavenly visitations. Their biggest false prophet in this area is Jesse Duplantis who claims he was in Heaven for five hours. Well the verse in the King James tells us he didn’t go there nor did he really see anything. If he did, then he was happily deceived by Satan in believing he went there. The modern versions would sanction this heresy of heavenly visitations and visions. God warns us against these false teachers in the last days. The modern versions are welcome tools in the hands of the false teachers and we must be well-warned about their fallaciousness. Any time a false version supports what God denounces, you know you have exactly that, a false version.

Back