PHILOSOPHY

COLOSSIANS 2:8

"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"

Points:

  1. There will be a man spoil you, it won’t be the Holy Spirit, or the Word of God.

  2. Three ways this spoiling will occur.

  3. philosophy and vain deceit

  4. After the traditions of men

  5. After the rudiments of the world

3. Not after Christ.

DEFINITIONS:

1. Spoil - seduce, to strip, to lead away as booty. To use for a purpose other than the original owner desired.

  1. Philosophy - Fond of wise things. This reminds me of I Cor. 1:18-24 - The wise of this world. See Acts 17:18 for the only other use of the word "Philosophy".

  2. An example is the preacher or church member that says, “God spoke to my heart”. God did no such a thing. The individual is actually saying they have received a special revelation from God. The individual is actually saying they are more spiritual than the person that doesn’t have God speaking to their heart. They are proud and lifted up. They are not using the Word of God for instructions, but are using their own knowledge. Jeremiah 17:9 states, The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

  3. “I feel…” This individual is also wrong. We are not supposed to go by our feeling. We are supposed to be trusting the Word of God and not what we “feel” about the Word of God. In those things that aren’t directly addressed in the Word of God, we can say, “I think this is the best way to go.” We should never trust our feelings.

3. Deceit - delusion, like a Magician.

4. vain - empty.

  1. Tradition - Transmission - that which is passed down.

  2. Worldly tradition is often followed instead of the Word of God. Some examples of Christians following the traditions of the world and not following Christ.

  3. Preachers must marry people.

  4. Preachers must bury people.

  5. There must be a funeral to properly bury someone.

  6. Christ was born on December 25.

  7. Easter is the time of the resurrection.

6. Rudiments - Something orderly in arrangement. A serial, fundamental, initial, constituent, proposition. A principle.

DICTIONARY DEFINITIONS

Philosophy:

1. Originally, a love of wisdom or knowledge. (WWR - This would, of course, be in place of the love for God.)

2. A study of the processes governing thought and conduct; theory or investigation of the principles or laws that regulate the universe and underlie all knowledge and reality; included in the study are aesthetics, ethics, logic, metaphysics, etc.

3. The general principles or laws of a field of knowledge, activity, etc., as the philosophy of economics.

4. (a) a particular system of principles for the conduct of life; (b) a treatise covering such a system.

5. A study of human morals, character, and behavior.

6. The mental balance believed to result from this; calmness, composure.

What is a false philosophy?

1. It is philosophy after the world and not after Christ.

2. Examples of false philosophy.

a. The man who said he couldn't raise his children right because the world doesn't raise their children right.

b. The way churches are run today. They are run like a business.

c. The way churches choose their leaders today. Like a business chooses it's workers.

  1. Parents protecting their children from evil by spoiling their authority. (Fighting with teachers, or fighting with others.)

Rom 1:21 - Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

I Cor. 3:18 - Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.

I Tim. 6:20,21 - O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: 21 Which some professing have erred concerning the faith. Grace be with thee. Amen.

I Tim. 2:15-18 - Study to show thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth. 16 But shun profane and vain babblings: for they will increase unto more ungodliness. 17 And their word will eat as doth a canker: of whom is Hymenaeus and Philetus; 18 Who concerning the truth have erred, saying that the resurrection is past already; and overthrow the faith of some.

II Tim. 3:13 - But evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse, deceiving, and being deceived.

II Peter 1:16 - For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of his majesty.