PHILOSOPHY
“Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit,
after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after
Christ.” Col. 2:8
It is significant that, despite the prominence of philosophy
in the entire Graeco/Roman world, this is the only mention of the word “philosophy” (from a combination of two
Greek words, meaning “love of wisdom”)
in the Bible, and here God warns us against it. Similarly the only mention of
philosophers (Acts 17:18) describes
the two major philosophical schools of thought, both of which opposed Paul as
he preached Christ. Paul may have been thinking mainly of the Epicureans and
Stoics when he wrote this warning, but his divinely guided pen simply said to
beware of all philosophy. The love of human wisdom characterizes every system
of philosophy; they all follow the tradition of men and the elements of the
world. Instead, men should love Christ, who is made true wisdom unto us (1 Cor. 1:30) and in whom are stored all
the treasures of true wisdom and true knowledge. As Paul had already written,
Christ had created and was sustaining everything (Col. 1:16-17). Any philosophy centered in men or so-called “gods,” rather than in the true God of
creation, is bound to be false and harmful.
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