Monday, February 25, 2013

Integration of the World's Philosophies and Christ is Impossible


Col 2:8  See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception, according to the tradition of men, according to the elementary principles of the world, rather than according to Christ.


philosophy and empty deceit. “Philosophy” (lit. “love of wisdom”) appears only here in the NT. The word referred to more than merely the academic discipline, but described any theory about God, the world, or the meaning of life. Those embracing the Colossian heresy used it to describe the supposed higher knowledge they claimed to have attained. Paul, however, equates the false teachers’ philosophy with “empty deceit”; that is, with worthless deception. Cf. 1 Tim. 6:20; see note on 2 Cor. 10:5. the basic principles of the world. See note on v. 20; Gal. 4:3. Far from being advanced, profound knowledge, the false teachers’ beliefs were simplistic and immature like all the rest of the speculations, ideologies, philosophies, and psychologies the fallen satanic and human system invents.

~MacArthur Study Bible notes on Col. 2:8

This section of Scripture also demonstrates the impossibility of marrying together even basic principles of the world,much less the philosophies of the day and the traditions of men, with Christ and His doctrines ( 2 John 9-11). Instead there's a distinction, an antithesis between the world, its philosophies, its traditions and principles, and Christ. Simply put, the two cannot go hand in hand, cannot mingle, cannot be integrated. This is also seen in James:


Jas 3:12  Can a fig tree, my brethren, produce olives, or a vine produce figs? Nor can salt water produce fresh.
Jas 3:13  Who among you is wise and understanding? Let him show by his good behavior his deeds in the gentleness of wisdom.
Jas 3:14  But if you have bitter jealousy and selfish ambition in your heart, do not be arrogant and so lie against the truth.
Jas 3:15  This wisdom is not that which comes down from above, but is earthly, natural, demonic. 
Jas 3:16  For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there is disorder and every evil thing.
Jas 3:17  But the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, reasonable, full of mercy and good fruits, unwavering, without hypocrisy. 
Jas 3:18  And the seed whose fruit is righteousness is sown in peace by those who make peace.

James shows the foundation and fruit of worldly wisdom versus that of God's biblical wisdom. Again, the two can never be married together because they are at odds with each other from their very roots.

Psychology can never be integrated with Scripture.

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