 And also externally, the church at that time faced the hostilities of living in a pagan culture, along with the temptations of sexual perversity and idol worship and worldliness in various forms. So Paul also wrote this to the church at Colossae, quote, See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ.