Kidnapped Through Philosophy
Devotions for Growing Christians
Kidnapped Through Philosophy
Colossians 2:8 "See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world rather than Christ."
Whoever heard of being “kidnapped” through philosophy? We've heard of people being brainwashed or programmed to swallow the doctrines of revolutionary movements, but never through the free study of philosophy! Why, philosophy is the love and pursuit of wisdom and knowledge. How could the pursuit of wisdom ever result in a kidnapping? But the Bible says that it is possible to be kidnapped through philosophy. The word "captive" in Colossians 2:8 could be translated "kidnapped." The word means “to rob and carry off as booty or as a prey or captive.” Kidnapping!
Thus the Bible indicates that it is possible for someone to be carried away from the truth into the slavery of error through philosophy. The Colossian Christians were strongly warned to be on their guard against this possibility. Because the letter to the Colossians is the Word of God, this warning is for all growing Christians. We are not only told to be careful that no one deludes us with persuasive arguments (2:4), but also that no one actually kidnaps us through philosophy.
Now the Bible is not knocking philosophy here, and it is not condemning all philosophical studies. The Bible is not saying that a Christian student should never take a course in philosophy. What the Bible is saying here, however, is that all philosophy that is not Christ-centered is "hollow and deceptive." Therefore a Christian student should continually be on guard when he or she studies philosophy, because it is usually written or taught from a non-Christian perspective. And that is precisely where the danger lies.
Many unsuspecting students (and others, too!) have been deluded and kidnapped by hollow and deceptive philosophies. These deceptive philosophies are not just the false teachings of cults and extremist groups that are often easy to detect, even by the average non-Christian. Respectable and scholarly men and women can teach deceptive philosophy in the classroom. It can sound logical and enlightening, as well as intellectual, so the Christian student is tempted (as well as peer-pressured) to doubt and conform. The student’s thought patterns may go something like this: "Maybe my Christian friends are wrong after all. They mean well, but they're naive. Surely my professors can't be all wrong. Do Christians have a corner on the truth?" Does that ring a bell with any of you? But wait! Let's think this through before we dismiss Christians as uninformed people who have committed intellectual suicide!
As mentioned above, the danger connected with philosophical study lies in the perspective or standpoint from which things are viewed. Each one of us has a set of presuppositions about the universe. This is our worldview. It’s the basis of our philosophy. These presuppositions constitute something like a grid in the person's mind, through which all observed and experienced data is received - and interpreted! Thus a person's philosophy (how he puts it all together) is totally dependent on the “grid lines” of his basic set of presuppositions.
Now the Christian worldview is only one of many differing basic sets of presuppositions about the universe in which we live - but the Christian worldview is the only worldview that is taught in the Bible. The Christian world view is the only worldview that is Christ-centered. Thus the true Christian realizes that his worldview is a minority worldview, because the majority of people (even in "Christian" lands) do not accept the Christian worldview. But he knows it’s the only world view that is completely true - because it comes from the mind of God!
Here’s an illustration. Think of a large jigsaw puzzle, and imagine that every piece of the puzzle represents a piece of truth. All truth interlocks - just like an interlocking jigsaw puzzle. There is no "piece of truth" that’s independent of all the rest of truth. Whether it's truth in the area of mathematics, or medicine, or morals, or whatever - it makes no difference - it must all hang together! In doing a jigsaw puzzle we usually finish the frame first, and then we fit all the other areas of the puzzle into that framework. This is exactly the way we all formulate our own philosophies. The framework is our worldview, or our set of presuppositions. All the bits and pieces and sections of truth that we accumulate are fitted in and oriented with respect to that framework.
As with a jigsaw puzzle, if our framework is distorted, or if it’s put together incorrectly, then the other sections will not fit unless we "force" them in. Forcing pieces in is known as “piece-pounding” - and a lot of "piece-pounding" goes on in the area of philosophy. A brilliant non-Christian mathematics professor, for instance, may have it all together in his or her area of the puzzle (in fact, far more together than most of us could ever hope to have it together in that area!). But Dr. Mathematics now tries to "wedge" his area of specialty, along with his other observed data and experience, into his non-Christian framework of presuppositions. The resulting philosophy may appear to fit together - especially to the student who knows the professor is a respected authority in his field. But somewhere along the line this non-Christian professor's philosophy will have some "forced pieces,” or weak links, or interstices (holes). His worldview doesn't really all hang together. In the last analysis, because it does not have a solid base or frame. It’s hollow! It looks and sounds good - but it is deceptive!
A Christian student may not have the IQ of the non-Christian professor. In terms of the illustration, the Christian student may not be very good at all in doing philosophical "jigsaw puzzles." But the Christian has the right frame! The Christian's set of presuppositions comes from the Bible, and not from his own ideas (which could be biased). As he picks up pieces of truth (some of which he may not understand very well), he can at least put them into the right area of the puzzle, and properly orient them in reference to the overall framework of the Christian worldview. He doesn't have to "piece-pound" or distort or fudge or be intellectually dishonest.
And the Christian worldview really does hang together! It does not leave loose ends dangling, or avoid the tough questions like evil and cruelty and suffering. Check out some of the other worldviews and see how these questions are left up in the air. How do the worldviews of naturalism or existentialism answer these questions, for example? The Christian worldview gives answers for such things as miracles and occult phenomena, guilt, love, beauty - and everything else that a worldview must account for, if it is going to hang together. Do other philosophies give satisfactory answers in these areas?
Colossians 2:8 tells us why philosophy that is not Christ-centered is hollow and deceptive. It "depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world, rather than on Christ." Philosophy that’s based on human tradition is man-made philosophy - and who is to say which man has the right philosophy? On the other hand, the first basic presupposition of the Christian world view is that its philosophy originated in the mind of God, and was communicated to man by the mouth of God. Christians must be particularly cautious about taking ideas that originate in man-made worldviews, and trying to mix them into the Christian worldview.
Consider the theory of evolution, for example. This theory comes out of the worldview of naturalism. Naturalism holds that there is no supernatural. That’s a basic presupposition of this worldview. It says humans are complex machines that have evolved from mere matter through time and chance. Evolution comes out of the worldview of naturalism quite naturally - but evolution does not come out of the Christian worldview naturally! It must be forced in through the concept of theistic evolution. Is theistic evolution biblical, or is it an intrusion of a foreign idea into the Christian worldview? Before you risk being taken in by a philosophy which may indeed have its roots in human tradition rather than Scripture, take a good hard look at the evidence.
Philosophy that is not Christ-centered is hollow and deceptive - not only because it is man-made, but also because it depends on "the basic principles of the world." What does this mean? There are several possible interpretations for this phrase, but it seems that the overall idea is that a worldview that’s not Christ-centered is too small. It may be adequate and true in some areas, but it’s not large enough to account for all the data of the universe. And it’s not large enough to explain or give an adequate basis for what is included in it. The world view of secular humanism, for example, is not large enough to give an adequate philosophical basis for the fact that humans are moral.
If Jesus Christ is God, as Colossians 2:9 emphatically states, then He is the center and focus of this universe. "From Him and through Him and for Him are all things" (Romans 11:36). Any philosophy that is not Christ-centered is bound to be hollow and deceptive. "In Christ are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge" (2:3).
Don't be short-changed! Don’t be kidnapped through hollow and deceptive philosophy!
- Dave Reid