"Beware
lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceitafter
(according to) the tradition of men, after the rudiments of theworld,
and not after Christ. For in Him dwelleth all the fullness ofthe
Godhead bodily; and ye are complete in Him, who is the Headof
all principality and power." Colossians 2:8-10.
In
the foregoing passage occurs the only mention which the Scripturesmake
of philosophy. Nothing is more highly esteemed among men thanphilosophy.
It is on all hands regarded as the supreme exercise andoccupation
of the human mind, and is indeed an occupation for which butvery
few men have the requisite intellectual equipment. As far back as thetradition
of men goes, philosophy has held this high place in humanestimation;
and it is, therefore, a fact of much significance that, in all theBible,
philosophy is but once named.
Even
in our day the deference paid to philosophy is such that there are notmany
teachers of the Bible who would venture to warn their fellow-men ofits
dangers; for philosophers have managed to maintain in Christendom thesame
eminence which they occupied in heathendom. Indeed, a course inphilosophy
is now, and for some generations has been, considered anessential
part of the education of a man who is preparing for the Christianministry;
and this is not the only one of the "rudiments of the world" whichhas
found its way into our theological seminaries. It is, therefore, notsurprising
that, in the teaching imparted by these seminary graduates,philosophy
holds a very different place from that assigned to it by theBible.
NOT
A HUMAN UTTERANCE
We
may be very sure, then, that the passage quoted above is not a humanutterance.
It does not express man’s estimate of
philosophy — far from it.In
pronouncing that warning Paul is not repeating what he learned whilepursuing
his course in philosophy at the school
of Gamaliel. No man wouldever
have coupled philosophy with vain deceit, or characterized it as adangerous
process against which God’s people should be
cautioned, lestthereby they should be despoiled of their possessions. No
man ever definedphilosophy as being according to human tradition and the
basic principlesof this evil world, and not according to Christ. This
warning is from GodHimself; but, alas, like many other of His
solemn warnings, it has beendespised and utterly disregarded. The thing
against which this earnestwarning was spoken has been welcomed with open
arms, and incorporatedinto the theological machinery of our
ecclesiastical systems. Theconsequences of this contemptuous disregard of
God’s warning are such asmight
have been expected.
This
word "beware" (sometimes rendered "take heed" in our
version) doesnot
occur very often in the New Testament. There are not many thingswhereof
believers are bidden to "beware." Some of these are "the
scribes,""dogs,"
"evil-workers," "the concision," and an "evil heart of
unbelief"Mark
12:38; Philippians 3:2; Acts 13:40; Hebrews 3:12.
The
warning of our text is addressed to believers who have been instructedas
to their oneness with Christ in His death (at the hands of the world), Hisburial,
and His resurrection. Additional emphasis is given to the warning bythe
connection in which it occurs. The word rendered "spoil" signifiesliterally
to make a prey of, as when one falls into the hands of robbers andis
stripped by violence of his goods, or into the hands of smooth-tonguedand
plausible swindlers who gain his confidence, and by means of their artsfleece
him of his valuables. It is heavenly treasure that is in contemplationhere,
even the believer’s portion of the
unsearchable riches of Christ.Hence empty deceit is contrasted with the
fullness of the Godhead whichdwells in Christ; and the despoiled condition of
one who has beenvictimized through philosophy is contrasted with the
enrichment of thosewho have apprehended by faith their completeness
in Him who is the Headof all principality and power.
But
why, we may profitably inquire, is philosophy described as aninstrument
of spoliation in the hands of artful men? And why is itcharacterized
as being after (i.e., according to) the rudiments, or basicprinciples,
of the world? The word rendered "rudiments" occurs four timesin
Scripture. In Colossians 2:20 it is again rendered "rudiments." InGalatians
4:3 and 9 it is rendered "elements." It seems to convey theidea
of basic or foundation principles of the world-system. These elementsare
described in Galatians 4:9 as "weak and beggarly." They do notstrengthen
and enrich, but weaken and impoverish those who resort tothem.
PHILOSOPHY
DEFINED
The
reason is perceived, in a general way at least, when we ascertain whatphilosophy
is, namely, the occupation of attempting to devise, by theexercise
of the human reason, an explanation of the universe. It is aninterminable
occupation for the reason that, if the explanation whichphilosophy
is forever seeking were to be found, that discovery would bethe
end of philosophy. The occupation of the philosopher would be gone.
It
is interminable for the stronger reason that the philosopher is bound, bythe
rules of his profession, to employ in his quest only human wisdom, andit
is written that the world, by its wisdom, does not come to the knowledgeof
God 1 Corinthians 1:19-21; 2:14. Incidentally, a large part of thetime
of the philosopher is occupied in criticizing and demonstrating theunreasonableness
or absurdity of all philosophical systems except thatespoused
by himself. This, however, is merely the destructive part of hiswork,
the constructive part being, as has been said, the employment of hisreasoning
faculties in the task of devising a system which will account,after
a fashion, for the existence and origin of, and for the changes whichappear
to take place in, the visible universe. Having settled upon such asystem,
the philosopher must thenceforth defend it from the attacks ofphilosophers
of opposing "Schools" (who will put forth weighty volumesdemonstrating
to their entire satisfaction that his philosophical system is atissue
of absurdities), and in replying to their many and various objectionsand
criticisms.
"NOT
ACCORDING TO CHRIST."
We
may thus see at a glance that philosophy is, in its essential character, inaccordance
with human tradition and the fundamental or primary principlesof
the world-system; and that it is not according to Christ, who is hated bythe
world, and who has laid the axe at the root of all its principles.
Prominent
among the elements of the world and of human tradition is theprinciple
that the world reflects the grandeur of man, and that humanreason
is the highest and mightiest factor in it. In our day it has become atenet
of popular theology that the human reason is the final court of appealin
all matters of doctrine. In man’s world human
achievement is exalted tothe highest place, and no limit is set to what
may be accomplished byhuman ingenuity.
"Let
us build us a city and a tower whose top may reach untoheaven,
and let us make us a name" Genesis 11:4,is the program of
humanity, as announced by those who established thebasic
principles of the world. In the great world-system that only is valuedand
lauded which is attained by the effort of man and redounds to hiscredit.
Philosophy adheres strictly to this tradition and to these principles inthat
its various explanations, in order to receive recognition as"philosophical,"
must be purely the products of human reason exercisedupon
the results of human investigations.
PHILOSOPHY
VS. REVELATION
It
follows of necessity that philosophy and divine revelation are utterlyirreconcilable.
The very existence of philosophy as an occupation for thehuman
mind depends upon the rigid exclusion of every explanation of theuniverse
which is not reached by a speculative process. If a philosophyadmits
the existence of a God (as the philosophies just now in favor do), itis
a god who either is dumb, or else is not permitted to tell anything abouthimself,
or how he made and sustains the universe. Should thephilosopher’s
god break through these restrictions, there would bestraightway
an end of his philosophy. For it is not the pursuit of truth thatmakes
one a philosopher. The pursuit of truth, in order to be philosophical,must
be conducted in directions in which truth cannot possibly be found.
For
the discovery of what philosophers pretend to be seeking would bringtheir
philosophies to an end, and such a calamity must, of course, beavoided.
Therefore, the moment one receives an explanation of theuniverse
as coming from God who made it, he can have no further use forphilosophy.
One who has obtained the truth is no longer a seeker. Thevalue
of philosophy, therefore, lies not in its results, for there are none, butsolely
in the employment which its unverifiable speculations afford to thosewhose
tastes and intellectual endowments qualify them to engage in it.
PHILOSOPHY
VS. CHRIST
Again,
philosophy is "not according to Christ" for the simple and sufficientreason
that the testimony of Christ puts an end, for all who accept it, to allphilosophical
speculations concerning the relations of humanity to God andto
the universe, Christ set His seal to the truth and divine authority of theOld
Testament Scriptures. He, moreover, revealed the Father; and finallyHe
promised further revelations of truth through His apostles under theimmediate
teaching of the Holy Spirit. These revelations are not onlydirectly
opposed to philosophical speculations, but they cut the groundfrom
under them. The testimony and teaching of Christ were notcommunicated
to men for the purpose of informing them how man and theworld
came to be what they are — though they do reveal
the truth as tothat. The purpose of the doctrine of Christ and of His
personal mission tothe world was to show to men their true
condition, as under the dominionof sin and death, and to accomplish
eternal redemption for all who believethe good tidings and accept the gift of
God’s grace. The doctrine of Christnot
only instructs men as to the way into the kingdom of God,
but alsoentitles
those who accept it to the immediate possession and enjoyment ofmany
and valuable rights and privileges which can be acquired in no otherway.
If, therefore, you are a believer in Christ Jesus, trusting the merit ofHis
sacrifice for your acceptance with God, beware lest any man despoilyou
of these inestimable rights and privileges through philosophy and vaindeceit,
according to the principles of the world, and not according toChrist.
For in Him, and not elsewhere, dwells the fulness of the Godhead;and
in Him, and not elsewhere, the believer may be filled to his utmostcapacity.
Philosophy can strip men of part of the inheritance of faith. It hasnothing
to offer them in exchange.
FRUITS
OF PHILOSOPHY
It
would be quite possible, for one who had the requisite leisure andcuriosity,
to trace the main developments of philosophy, and to examinethe
many different "Schools" to which it has given rise during a period
ofseveral
thousand years. Having done so, he would find that philosophyconsists,
as already said, in the pursuit of the unattainable, and that, amongall
the varied fields of human activity there is none which has witnessedsuch
an absolutely futile and barren expenditure of energy as the field ofspeculative
philosophy. A philosopher of repute at the present time hasdeclared
that "philosophy has been on a false scent ever since the days ofSocrates
and Plato." The following of a false scent for more than twothousand
years is surely not a record to boast of; and yet it is true that, sofar
as results are concerned, philosophy has nothing more encouraging thanthis
to offer as an inducement for engaging in it.
We
do not, however, propose anything so stupendous (and sounprofitable)
as a review of the history of philosophy, but merely a briefstatement
setting forth the status of philosophy at the present day. And thiswe
undertake in order that the non-philosophical reader may be able toascertain
the character of the influence which philosophy is exerting, inthese
times of change and mental unrest, upon the immediate problems ofhumanity,
and upon what is called "the progress of human thought."
The
great majority of men do no thinking beyond the matters which liewithin
the little circle of their personal interests. This unthinking majoritytakes
its thoughts and opinions from an intellectual and cultured few, orfrom
leaders who manage to gain their confidence. It is important,therefore,
to ascertain what ideas are prevalent among those who are in aposition
to influence the opinions of the mass of mankind. This may easilybe
done by sampling the current philosophical teaching at the greatuniversities
of the English-speaking countries.
THEISTIC
AND ATHEISTIC PHILOSOPHY
The
various schools of philosophy which have flourished through the agesmay
be divided into two main classes, namely, theistic and atheistic. Theformer
class embraces all philosophic systems which assume a god of somesort
as the originator and sustainer of the universe. It may be remarked inpassing
that theistic philosophies are more dangerous to humankind thanthe
atheistic class, for the reason that the former are well calculated toensnare
those who, by nature or training, have a repugnance to atheism.We
need pay no attention to atheistic philosophy, for the reason that it isquite
out of favor at the present day, and shows no sign of ever recoveringa
respectable status.
DUALISM
AND PANTHEISM
Confining
our attention, therefore, to theistic philosophies, we find severalclasses
of these, namely, "Dualistic" and "Pantheistic." Dualism is
the namewhich
philosophers have been pleased to bestow upon those systems whichmaintain
that God (or the "First Cause") created the universe as an act ofHis
will, and has an existence distinct and apart from it. These systems arecalled
"dualistic" because they count God as one entity, and the universe orcreation
as another entity, thus making two entities. The reader shouldunderstand
clearly that when a learned professor of philosophy speaks of"dualism"
he has Christianity in mind.
MONISM
AND PLURALISM
Pantheism,
on the other hand, maintains that God and the universe are onebeing.
There are several varieties of pantheism which have followersamong
living philosophers, e. g., monism and pluralism. Monism is thatvariety
of pantheism which is most in favor at the present day. This systemassumes
as the basis of reality an "absolute" or "all-knower" —
amonstrosity
which comprehends in its vast being all things and all theirrelations
and activities. Monism, therefore, asserts that there is but oneentity.
God has no existence apart from the universe, and never had. Thelatter
is, therefore, eternal, and there has been no creation.
It
is a remarkable and highly significant fact that the basic principle of thisruling
philosophy of our day is also the basic principle of the rapidly risingreligio-economic
system of socialism. For socialism is grounded upon theproposition
that man is organically and essentially one with God and withthe
universe. From this strange agreement —
this strange meeting ofextremes far-reaching results may be expected.
THE
PRESENT SITUATION
In
order to obtain for our consideration a fair and accurate statement of theposition
of present-day philosophy, reference will be made to the "HibbertLectures"
of 1909, on "The Present Situation in Philosophy," delivered byProfessor
William James, of HarvardUniversity, at ManchesterCollege,Oxford.
These lectures have been published in a volume entitled "APluralistic
Universe" (Longmans, Green & Co.).
Professor
James is one of the very few philosophers of note who reject theteaching
of monism. He advocates a theory styled "Pluralism," of which asufficient
idea may be gained from the quotations to follow. It is of firstimportance
to us to learn from Professor James what is the present statusof
dualism, since, as we have seen, that class embraces old-fashioned orBible
Christianity. As to this, he says:
"Dualistic
theism is professed as firmly as ever at all Catholic seatsof
learning, whereas it has of late years tended to disappear at ourBritish
and American Universities, and be replaced by a monisticpantheism
more or less open or disguised" (page 24).
According
to this competent authority, the Roman Catholic colleges arethe
only ones of any consequence wherein the statements of the Bibleregarding
the creation and government of the universe, the origin of livingcreatures,
including man, the origin of evil, etc., are even "professed." Thegreat
universities of, England and America, which were founded for thepurpose
of maintaining the doctrines of Scriptures, and spreadingknowledge
of them as the revelations of the living God, and as thefoundations
of all true learning, have been despoiled of all that made themuseful
for the nurture of young minds, and that made them valuable to thecommunities
wherein they have flourished; and this momentous change hasbeen
accomplished through the agency of philosophy and vain deceit,according
to the ancient tradition of men, according to the rudiments of theworld,
and not according to Christ.
A
STRANGE PHENOMENON
Herein,
as it seems to the writer, we have an explanation for the strangephenomenon
that Romanism is gaining ground rapidly in ProtestantEngland
and America,
while steadily losing influence in those countrieswhere
it has had almost exclusive sway over the consciences of the people.
The
latter countries have never enjoyed the privileges of the open Bible.They
have never had any links attaching them to the living Word of God.All
they have had is "the church," and that they are now judging by itsfruits.
But
in England and America
it is far otherwise. For many generations, fromfather to son, the
people have been knit by many strong and tender ties andassociations
to the Word of the living God. Its influences upon the customsand
life of the people have been many and potent. Only those whose mindsare
blinded will deny the mighty influence which the Bible has exerted as afactor
in the national prosperity of the English-speaking countries. Thegreat
universities have been their pride, and have been counted among thenational
bulwarks; and the Bible has been the foundation stone of theuniversities.
But now a change has come — so swiftly and so
stealthily thatwe can scarcely realize what has happened. The universities
have discardedthe
teaching of the Bible, and have repudiated its authority as the divinelyinspired
teacher. Only at "Catholic seats of learning" is its teachingprofessed.
What wonder, then, in a time of general disintegration andunrest,
that the children of Bible-loving ancestors should be drawn bythousands
to a system which has the appearance of stability, where all elseis
falling to pieces, and which, with all its errors, does proclaim theinfallibility
of the Holy Scriptures! Whoso is wise will consider thesethings.