Verse 23

Even though they have the appearance of wisdom with their self-imposed worship and humility achieved by an unsparing treatment of the body– a wisdom with no true value– they in reality result in fleshly indulgence.

Referenced Verses

• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no one who delights in false humility and the worship of angels pass judgment on you. That person goes on at great lengths about what he has supposedly seen, but he is puffed up with empty notions by his fleshly mind.
• 1 Tim 4:8 : 8 For“physical exercise has some value, but godliness is valuable in every way. It holds promise for the present life and for the life to come.”
• 1 Tim 4:3 : 3 They will prohibit marriage and require abstinence from foods that God created to be received with thanksgiving by those who believe and know the truth.
• Col 2:22 : 22 These are all destined to perish with use, founded as they are on human commands and teachings.
• Gen 3:5-6 : 5 for God knows that when you eat from it your eyes will open and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.” 6 When the woman saw that the tree produced fruit that was good for food, was attractive to the eye, and was desirable for making one wise, she took some of its fruit and ate it. She also gave some of it to her husband who was with her, and he ate it.
• Matt 23:27-28 : 27 “Woe to you, experts in the law and you Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs that look beautiful on the outside but inside are full of the bones of the dead and of everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you look righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
• 2 Cor 11:13-15 : 13 For such people are false apostles, deceitful workers, disguising themselves as apostles of Christ. 14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light. 15 Therefore it is not surprising his servants also disguise themselves as servants of righteousness, whose end will correspond to their actions.
• Eph 5:29 : 29 For no one has ever hated his own body, but he feeds it and takes care of it, just as Christ also does the church,
• Col 2:8 : 8 Be careful not to allow anyone to captivate you through an empty, deceitful philosophy that is according to human traditions and the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.