DECEPTIVE PHILOSOPHY … RATHER THAN ON CHRIST / COLOSSIANS 2:8

(KJV) 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.

Paul warns us to be on guard against all philosophies, religions and traditions that emphasize humans functioning independently from God and His written revelation, as found in the Bible. Today, one of the greatest philosophical threats to true Bible-based Christianity is “secular humanism.” (Humanism is a thought system based on the values, characteristics and behaviors that are believed to be best in human beings rather than any supernatural authority.) This has become the underlying philosophy (idea, worldview, belief, value system, way of life) and the accepted religion in most of secular (worldly, non-spiritual) education, government and society in general. It is also the established viewpoint of most of the news and entertainment media throughout the world.

1. What does a philosophy of humanism teach? (a) It teaches that humanity, the universe and all that exists consist only of matter and energy shaped into their present form by natural physical forces and impersonal chance. (b) It teaches that humans have not been created by a personal God but are the product of a random process of evolution (the theoretical process that proposes how all species develop from earlier and less complex forms of life as a result of changes in genetic material). (c) It rejects belief in a personal, all-powerful and infinite God (without beginning or end) and denies that the Bible is God’s inspired revelation to the human race. (d) It claims that knowledge does not exist apart from human discovery and that human reason determines correct ethics (“moral” principles, values, standards) of society. This makes human beings the highest authority. (e) It seeks to modify or improve human behavior through education, economic policies, organization, redistribution of resources, modern psychology or human wisdom. (f) It teaches that moral standards are not absolute (true and valid for all people, in all situations for all time) but instead are relative (dependent on the person’s own beliefs and circumstances). Standards of behavior are determined by what makes people happy, brings them pleasure or seems good for society according to the goals set by its leaders. As a result, Biblical values and morality (standards of right and wrong, truth and falsehood) are rejected. (g) It considers human self-fulfillment, satisfaction and pleasure to be the highest good in life. (h) It maintains that people should learn to cope with death and the difficulties in life without belief in or dependence on God.
2. The philosophy of humanism began with Satan and is an expression of Satan’s lie that humans can be like God (Genesis 3). The Bible identifies humanists as those who have “exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator” (Romans 1:25).
3. Chrisian leaders, pastors and parents must do their absolute best to protect their sons, daughters and others under their care from humanist doctrine. In doing so, they must expose the errors of humanism and instill in their children a godly contempt (hatred, disgust) for its destructive influence. At the same time, they must instruct their children clearly in the truth of God’s revelation as sound in the Bible (Romans 1:20-32; 2 Corinthians 10:4-5; 2 Timothy 3:10-10; Jude 1:4-20; 1 Corinthians 1:20; 2 Peter 2:19).

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1. PERFECT / COLOSSIANS 1:28
2. CHRIST IN YOU THE HOPE OF GLORY / COLOSSIANS 1:27
3. THE MYSTERY THAT HAS BEEN KEPT HIDDEN / COLOSSIANS 1:26
4. SUFFERED FOR YOU / COLOSSIANS 1:24
5. IF YOU CONTINUE IN YOUR FAITH / COLOSSIANS 1:23
6. RECONCILE TO HIMSELF ALL THINGS / COLOSSIANS 1:20
7. ALL HIS FULLNESS DWELL IN HIM / COLOSSIANS 1:19
8. FIRSTBORN FROM AMONG THE DEAD / COLOSSIANS 1:18
9. BY HIM ALL THINGS WERE CREATED / COLOSSIANS 1:16
10. STRENGTHENED … ACCORDING TO HIS GLORIOUS MIGHT / COLOSSIANS 1:11
11. WE HAVE NOT STOPPED PRAYING FOR YOU / COLOSSIANS 1:9-12
12. KNOWLEDGE OF HIS WILL / COLOSSIANS 1:9
13. FAITHFUL BROTHERS AT COLOSSE / COLOSSIANS 1:2
14. THE FIRSTBORN OVER ALL CREATION / COLOSSIANS 1:15
15. SLAVES, OBEY YOUR EARTHLY MASTER / COLOSSIANS 3:22
16. FROM THE DOMINION OF DARKNESS / COLOSSIANS 1:13-14
17. GREED, WHICH IS IDOLATRY / COLOSSIANS 3:5
18. ANYONE WHO DOES WRONG / COLOSSIANS 3:25
19. DIED WITH CHRIST TO THE BASIC PRINCIPLES OF THE WORLD / COLOSSIANS 2:20
20. GUIDED BY GRACE HOME

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Summary

Article Name

DECEPTIVE PHILOSOPHY ... RATHER THAN ON CHRIST / COLOSSIANS 2:8

Description

Paul warns us to be on guard against all philosophies, religions and traditions that emphasize humans functioning independently from God and His written revelation, as found in the Bible.

Author

Margarita Crews

Publisher Name

Guided By Grace

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