It’s a horrible thing. To be taken away from home, abducted and carried off. No one would be voluntarily kidnapped would they? It causes distress for the victim and for the ones left behind. This is the warning Paul gave to the Colossian believers. He was afraid that their curiosity and/or dabbling in Gnosticism would lead them into a “kidnap trap.” The kidnappers were offering “candy and treats” and Paul didn’t want them to fall for it like gullible and trusting toddlers. That’s how false religions work; the vulnerable are lured with attractive promises that end up empty. Those who take the treats end up in bondage, not in the freedom promised. As we’ll see in Paul’s treatment of this subject, the easiest way to identify a false religion is their teaching about Christ. If His deity or His humanity is minimized, kick that religion to the curb. If His work on the cross, His resurrection or ascension is minimized, kick that religion to the curb. If Christ is treated as “one among many,” kick that religion to the curb. Don’t be voluntarily kidnapped through slick marketing and promises of life without Christ. Jesus Christ is the Way, the Truth and the Life!