Homily VI. Colossians ii. 6, 7 “As therefore ye received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in your faith, even as ye were taught, abounding in thanksgiving.” Again, he takes hold on them beforehand with their own testimony, saying, “As therefore ye received.” We introduce no strange addition, he saith, neither do ye. “Walk ye in Him,” for He is the Way that leadeth to the Father: not in the Angels; this way leadeth not thither. “Rooted,” that is, fixed; not one while going this way, another that, but “rooted”: now that which is rooted, never can remove. Observe how appropriate are the expressions he employs. “And built up,” that is, in thought attaining unto Him. “And stablished” in Him, that is, holding Him, built as on a foundation. He shows that they had fallen down, for the word “built”789 has this force. For the faith is in truth a building; and needs both a strong found- ation, and secure construction. For both if any one build not upon a secure foundation it will shake; and even though he do, if it be not firm, it will not stand. “As ye were taught.” Again, the word “As.” “Abounding,” he saith, “in thanksgiving”; for this is the part of well- disposed persons, I say not simply to give thanks, but with great abundance, more than ye learned, if possible, with much ambition. Ver. 8. “Take heed lest there shall be any one that maketh spoil of you.” Seest thou how he shows him to be a thief, and an alien, and one that enters in softly? For he has already represented him to be entering in. “Beware.” And he well said “maketh spoil.” As one digging away a mound from underneath, may give no perceptible sign, yet it gradually settles, so do you also beware; for this is his main point, not even to let himself be perceived. As if some one were robbing every day, and he (the owner of the house) were told, “Beware lest there be some one”; and he shows the way—through this way—as if we were to say, through this chamber;790 so, “through philosophy,” says he. Then because the term “philosophy” has an appearance of dignity, he added, “and vain deceit.” For there is also a good deceit; such as many have been deceived by, which one ought not even to call a deceit at all. Whereof Jeremiah speaks; “O Lord, Thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived”791 (Jer. xx. 7.); for such as this one ought not to call a deceit at all; 789 Present participle. 790 [This comparison, wanting in all previous editions of the Greek, given by the Oxford tr. in a footnote, is found in all the mss. collated for Field. It is somewhat obscure (and probably on that account omitted from some copies), but the general meaning is not hard to find.—J.A.B.] 791 [Some documents (followed by Field) here insert, “But I am not persuaded,” probably an addition to rescue Chrys. from the position of defending deceit. But he has done this elaborately in his beautiful treatise on the Priesthood, employing the same arguments and expressions as here. It is an error not surprising in an Asi- atic Greek.—J.A.B.] Colossians 2:6,7 501 Colossians 2:6,7