(remember, these are unedited/draft show notes, not a transcript — listening is always better…and if you listen AND follow along below, you’ll see why)
Focus Question:
What is illegitimate love of wisdom?
Intro:
Happy January 1, 2021! And it’s really Friday! Not like what I said in yesterday’s program…but that’s just how we roll here, keepin’ it real.
And since keepin’ it real means you and I are just having a cup of coffee together, reading the Bible and talking about it, we don’t strive for perfect-radio-guy-perfection around here, so you’re bound to catch me having some good days, some imperfect days, and sharing the kinds of things that friends share.
Thank you to those who reach out — some of you regularly. I do my best to return every single email because, well, this isn’t about production, it’s about people.
NEW TESTAMENT SEGMENT:
We kick off the new year with a new NT book for our NT segment — Colossians. I was tempted to read the whole thing through like we had all just eagerly received a letter from our brother Paul, but here’s what I am going to do…keep the program light today and tomorrow, have our usual Reflection on Sunday, and then hit the ground running with our normal load on January 4.
As we get rolling, it’s useful to remember that
Paul writes to buttress the Colossians’ faith. (Their faith) is not teetering on the brink of extinction or trapped in error, but an outside “philosophy” (2:8) disparages the Colossians’ hope in Christ and threatens their assurance. The “philosophy” (2:8, 16–23) is not a Christian heresy, but no single identification of the error is convincing…The most one can say is that the error devalues Christ’s supremacy and the adequacy of salvation through him. It promotes mystical experiences, additional spiritual agents, and a regimen of ritual or ascetic observances to achieve well-being. The congregation needs encouragement (2:2; 4:8) about the certainty of their faith to give them full assurance and a thankful spirit for what God has done for them (1:12; 2:7; 3:15, 17; 4:2).(1)
And with that intro, I just gave you the answer to today’s focus question: What is illegitimate love of wisdom? (which is what philosophy is).
Passage: Colossians 1-2
Translation: CSB (Christian Standard Bible)
Verses: 52
Words: ~1059
THE BOTTOM LINE:
So just to recap Paul’s point — the point isn’t that philosophy is bad. Paul was, in fact, an excellent philosopher. But if you are a pursuer of wisdom (and you should be given that God commands us to do just that), catch Paul’s argument:
8 Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ. 9 For the entire fullness of God’s nature dwells bodily in Christ, Col 2:8–9a, CSB
In other words, Jesus is God, so something not based on or consistent with the way we know Jesus — the Bible — isn’t legit.
Which makes sense of what he goes on to say…
…don’t let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day. 17 These are a shadow of what was to come; the substance is Christ. 18 Let no one condemn you by delighting in ascetic practices and the worship of angels, claiming access to a visionary realm. Such people are inflated by empty notions of their unspiritual mind. Col 2:16–18, CSB
So apparently, even though scholars can’t nail it down exactly, there’s someone or a group of someones who are doing anything from telling people they should pursue experientialism to worshiping angels.
So Paul’s concluding argument puts the cherry on top
23 Although these have a reputation for wisdom by promoting self-made religion, false humility, and severe treatment of the body, they are not of any value in curbing self-indulgence., Col 2:23, CSB
In other words, philosophy and illegitimate wisdom can’t and don’t help you grow in holiness, and they and their so-called philosophy are antithetical to what it means to follow Jesus. And that, my friends, is illegitimate love of wisdom.
ForTheHope is a daily audio Bible + apologetics podcast and blog. We’ve got a passion for just keepin’ it real, having conversations like normal people, and living out the love of Jesus better every single day.
Roger Courville, CSP is a globally-recognized expert in digitally-extended communication and connection, an award-winning speaker, award-winning author, and a passionately bad guitarist. Follow him on Twitter -- @RogerCourville and @JoinForTheHope – or his blog: www.forthehope.org.
Sources and resources:
(1) Douglas J. Moo, “The Letters and Revelation,” in NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible, ed. D. A. Carson (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), 2138–2139.