{Rob you of your prize} (katabrabeuet(935c)). Late and rare
compound (kata, brabeu(935c),  Col 3:15 ) to act as umpire against
one, perhaps because of bribery in Demosthenes and Eustathius
(two other examples in Preisigke's _Worterbuch_), here only in
the N.T. So here it means to decide or give judgment against. The
judge at the games is called rabeus and the prize rabeion
( 1Co 9:24  Php 3:14 ). It is thus parallel to, but stronger
than, krinet(935c) in verse  16 . {By a voluntary humility} (	hel(936e)
en tapeinophrosun(8869)). Present active participle of 	hel(935c), to
wish, to will, but a difficult idiom. Some take it as like an
adverb for "wilfully" somewhat like 	helontas in  2Pe 3:5 .
Others make it a Hebraism from the LXX usage, "finding pleasure
in humility." The Revised Version margin has "of his own mere
will, by humility." Hort suggested en ethelotapeinophrosun(8869)
(in gratuitous humility), a word that occurs in Basil and made
like ethelothr(8873)kia in verse  23 . {And worshipping of the
angels} (kai thr(8873)kei(8369) t(936e) aggel(936e)). In  3:12  humility
(	apeinophrosun(886e)) is a virtue, but it is linked with worship
of the angels which is idolatry and so is probably false humility
as in verse  23 . They may have argued for angel worship on the
plea that God is high and far removed and so took angels as
mediators as some men do today with angels and saints in place of
Christ. {Dwelling in the things which he hath seen} (ha heoraken
embateu(936e)). Some MSS. have "not," but not genuine. This verb
embateu(935c) (from embat(8873), stepping in, going in) has given much
trouble. Lightfoot has actually proposed kenembateu(936e) (a verb
that does not exist, though kenembate(935c) does occur) with
ai(9372)a, to tread on empty air, an ingenious suggestion, but now
unnecessary. It is an old word for going in to take possession
(papyri examples also). W. M. Ramsay (_Teaching of Paul_, pp.
287ff.) shows from inscriptions in Klaros that the word is used
of an initiate in the mysteries who "set foot in" (enebateusen)
and performed the rest of the rites. Paul is here quoting the
very work used of these initiates who "take their stand on" these
imagined revelations in the mysteries. {Vainly puffed up} (eik(8869)
phusioumenos). Present passive participle of phusio(935c), late and
vivid verb from phusa, pair of bellows, in N.T. only here and
 1Co 4:6,18f.  8:1 . Powerful picture of the self-conceit of
these bombastic Gnostics.