Beware of Philosophy & Empty Deceit : Radford Martin

So we are looking at Colossians. Um, I started in chapter one two messages ago, I think. I think this is my third message out of Colossians. It is a letter Paul wrote to the church at Colossae. Um, so I think that's a, um, always a good reminder to remember it's a, it is a letter. Um, when he wrote it, obviously he didn't split it up in chapters and verses.

Uh, let's imagine us writing a letter. We just write the letter. And, um, a lot of times it helps with the flow of thought to just read it as such and not necessarily worry about the, um, chapter breaks and all that.

Um, so, so far in this letter, Paul is encouraging the Christians in Colossae as well as exhorting them how to be faithful Christians and to make Christ the preeminent one. Um, two messages ago, I spoke about the preeminence of Christ.

Um, Paul is, is very concerned about that, about making Christ the preeminent one in our lives. And we spoke about what that means. Um, in other words, make Christ supreme, the top. Um, nothing's over him. Um, everything comes under Christ, the, uh, preeminent one.

So, um, Paul in this letter also seems to be very adamant about the church and thinking about it as a body. Uh, the church is made up of, of members, um, but not just, um, members all in a vacuum, but members together in a body, just as we have our physical body. We have legs, arms, ears, eyes, all that. And we all work together, um, make up the church. And Paul is very adamant about that.

Um, and then I ended my last message speaking about Paul striving to present every man perfect in Christ. That's his, um, that's his main, main point, it seems, to, uh, be able to have every man come before, every woman come before Christ in a perfect holy way so that they can live with him. So let's go ahead and get into today's message. Um, the title being Beware of Philosophy and Empty Deceit.

So we're ready for the part of this letter designated as chapter two. Um, so I will start reading in the first few, um, in the previous few verses so that we hopefully get some continuity. Um, I will read the, the complete text in my Bible and then use the slides to go back through and, um, make some comments. Hopefully that won't be too redundant, but I'll try to keep it, keep it moving.

So I'm gonna read chap, start at Colossians chapter one, verse 28, and go to chapter three, verse four. And then, like I said, we'll go back over chapter two and make some, make some comments. Colossians one, chap, or verse 28.

So him we preach talking about Christ. Him we preach warning every man and teaching every man in all wisdom that we may present every man perfect in Christ Jesus. To this end, I also labor striving according to his working, which works in me mightily.

For I want you to know what a great conflict I have for you and those in Laodicea. And for as many of you have not seen my face in the flesh, that their hearts may be encouraged, being knit together of the full, being knit together in love and attaining to all riches of the full assurance of understanding to the knowledge of the mystery of God, both of the Father and of Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. Now this I say, lest anyone should deceive you with persuasive words. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

As you therefore have received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk in him, rooted and built up in him, and established in the faith. As you have been taught, abounding in it with thanksgiving. Beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, who is ahead of all principality and power.

In him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with him in baptism, in which you also were raised with him through faith in the working of God, who raised him from the dead.

And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, he has made alive together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us.

And he has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross, having disarmed the principality and powers. He made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over the minute. So let no one judge you in food or in drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

Let no one cheat you of your reward, taking delight in false humility and worship of angels, intruding into those things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, and not holding fast to the head from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments grows with the increase that is from God.

Therefore, if you died with Christ from the basic principle of the world, why is low living in the world to you? Do you subject yourselves to regulations? Do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, which all concern things which perish with the using, according to the commandments and doctrines of men.

Those things indeed have an appearance of wisdom and self-imposed religion, humility, and neglect of the body, but are of no value against the indulgence of the flesh. If then you were raised with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ is, sitting at the right hand of God. Set your mind on the things above, not on things on the earth. For you died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ too is our life, appears, then you will also appear with him in glory.

So now I'll go back over and make some comments.

So chapter two, verse one, Paul says he has a great conflict. Um, I believe that what he's saying is, um, he has a, a, a great burden to see, um, it includes us, to see us, um, unite together, abound in all the richness, all the freedom that God has for his saints.

Um, previously he had used the word he's striving, um, striving to present all men perfect in Christ. All, all these words point to a great effort on his part to make sure, to ensure the people he's teaching get it and that they have everything they need to be perfect and complete in Christ.

A total understanding, not just partial of what it means to have Christ living in us. Um, that's the mystery of God that he's talking about. We saw that in, um, chapter one. And the mystery of God is Christ living in us. That's in, uh, verse 27 of the previous chapter.

Do we want to have wisdom and knowledge? Get to know the Father and the Son. You know, the world puts a premium on knowledge, wisdom. Um, just look at the world of academia. And I'm not in no way trying to belittle academics and all that.

But, um, I here a few years ago, it was the first time I went to Boston.

And, um, brother Finney took us, um, went on a little tour of Harvard and some Louvre. I just felt like a peon. Um, like, what do I know? Like, that was the upper echelons of, of academia. Um, you know, all this focus on knowledge, wisdom. Um, and that's good to a point. I mean, we need that. But it was just, it just made me realize, wow, just a different world.

Um, everyone is searching for knowledge and to be wise. Um, that's where philosophy comes in, in a, in a future verse.

There's a whole heavenly knowledge that we know nothing about, a supernatural knowledge that is, that is hidden from us. Um, so I think back to Genesis, think of Genesis six, when the sons of God came down to the daughters of men. Um, the, the book of Enoch talks about that in a little more detail. So, so the angels of God came down, uh, to the daughters of men. And the book of Enoch says, um, they taught them things, heavenly things, things that they shouldn't have known anything about. Um, they taught them things about fish, about birds, plants, et cetera. I think it mentions clouds, maybe weather patterns, stuff that, um, we, that sinful mankind shouldn't know anything about.

And the angels were castigated for it. Um, it reminds me of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you know, in the garden of Eden. Um, we all knew what happened with that. That was the original sin. So there definitely is a, is a world of knowledge that is hidden from us, this heavenly knowledge, um, hidden until the faithful are with them, with God and the Son.

Then we become heavenly beings of beings as well, and we can know all that. So get to know the Father and the Son.

That's your best, um, gain for wisdom and knowledge.

So verse four, um, saying basically, don't let anyone deceive you, um, by saying the opposite of what I just told you.

Um, that knowledge and wisdom are gotten any other way besides the Father and the Christ.

Uh, John Chrysostom's comment on verse five.

I'll just read that. For though I am absent in the flesh, yet I am with you in spirit, rejoicing to see your good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

His comment on verse five is that although Paul wasn't with them physically, he knew the tendencies of people trying to dissuade and the temptation to be shaken with such, um, dissuasions. But Paul still ends with a very positive commendation, some, um, by saying he rejoices to see their good order and the steadfastness of your faith in Christ.

You know, that's something that always convicts me, um, by Paul is to find something positive. Um, if you're gonna, if you're gonna admonish someone, sometimes that's necessary, but always start out or end with at least a, a very positive, um, commendation.

A lot of times I forget to do that. I just focus on the negative thing. And then it goes downhill for me and the person.

So down in verse eight, he warns us against philosophy and empty deceit. But verse, uh, six and seven here comes first, reminding us of how uncomplicated following Christ is. Um, says, as you therefore have received Christ, the Lord, so walk in him.

How do we receive Christ? Isn't it just by accepting him and being baptized as a result of that acceptance? It seems pretty simple. People don't generally come to Christ through philosophy.

To withstand the philosophical arguments that will try to dissuade or at least shake us, we need to be rooted and established in the faith, abounding with thanksgiving.

You know, Paul talks a lot about thanksgiving. Um, thankfulness is uber important in every aspect of life. Um, in my experience, a negative situation is turned almost, almost on its head with a good dose of thankfulness.

Um, it also helps one to think clearly. It is an antidote for entitlement. So if you have someone that isn't thankful, they're entitled. And who likes an entitled person? Don't answer.

It rids your being thankful, rids your being of stale air. Talk about the new age enlightenment, be thankful, you know, positive energy. That's, that's the antidote for being negative. Um, you know, seeing the world negatively is be thankful.

It's just so, so powerful.

Verse eight, beware lest anyone cheat you through philosophy and empty deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily, and you are complete in him, who is the head of all principality and power.

Verse eight is warning against philosophy and empty deceit. He puts those two together almost as though they are synonymous.

So philosophy, originating from the Greek term love of wisdom, is a systematic study of fundamental questions about existence, reason, knowledge, value, and the nature of reality. It involves critical thinking, reasoning, and argumentation to explore these profound questions. And this comes from our friend Google.

Um, one key aspect of philosophy, according to Google, is that philosophy relies on reason and critical analysis to investigate questions rather than relying solely on observation or empirical evidence.

Does this sound like Christ having faith in Christ? I'm not saying that it's all bad, but pretty fast philosophy and all those hard questions that really don't have an answer, at least a nebulous answer, go spinning out of, out of control and ends up in left field somewhere.

Um, we probably all know people that, that went this way. Um, they got derailed trying to have a reason for questions that really are answered by God said it. God, God did it. Paul says that philosophy is the tradition of men and not according to God.

On the contrary, we are complete in him. He is wisdom and knowledge.

He is wisdom and knowledge. For in him, Christ dwells all the fullness bodily. He came as a physical being representing the Father, the Son, which was himself, and the Holy Spirit. So everything we need, all the, all the Godhead is, is there in Christ. And we can, we can know, know Christ, um, and have all knowledge and wisdom because of that.

Paul reiterates that we are complete in him and reminds us that he is the head of all principalities and powers. Nothing will overpower him. He is supreme. The darkest power, um, is under him. Now, sometimes it doesn't feel like that, but, but that's the case at the end of time when he, when he comes for his own, when he conquers the world finally, when everything's done, nothing, he will win. Nothing is gonna win over him.

Um, as we, someone was mentioning he has the keys.

So no doubt the elephant in the room at this point for the Colossians is circumcision.

So imagine for a minute, someone came along, although prophesied, and said that baptism wasn't necessary anymore, anymore to become part of God's kingdom. We all be like, say what? Um, I think that's similar to circumcision being a requirement for so long, and then it wasn't necessary anymore. That'd be a hard teaching to accept.

So in verse 11, Paul addresses the issue by saying that you are circumcised only in a different way. Here's how. By putting off the sin of the flesh and by being buried with him in baptism. That's the new circumcision.

But it doesn't end there. Just like Christ raised from the dead, we are also made alive and we can enter into his kingdom.

He has forgiven us all of our sins, and so the law of Moses isn't required anymore.

Paul says that the, that Moses's law was contrary to us anyways. The original plan wasn't to rule mankind with a handwritten law. It was because of our sin that, that, that, that had to, um, be the case.

By dying on the cross and his resurrection, he took it out of the way. He triumphs over sin and death and actually puts them to a public shaming.

Verse 16, so that no one judge you in food or drink or regarding a festival or a new moon or Sabbath, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is of Christ.

So he's saying, if indeed you are Christ, don't let yourself feel condemned when people don't understand your observance of various celebrations and holidays. We just came through the Easter season, and I think that's, um, pretty widely celebrated. But you know, some people might disregard it or might not understand it, might make fun of it. He's saying, don't let, let that worry you.

We, we have to, we have to serve, serve our, our creator. Um, we've got to know what, um, is good for us maybe.

But, um, the, the day, the, the, the celebration is only a remembrance of, of what is to come or, or a celebration. It's not, it's not the actual day that we're, that we're serving. It's something else. Um, I think of Jesus's words when he said Sabbath was created for man, not man for the Sabbath. In other words, the focus is on what's being remembered or what's being celebrated, not the particular day.

So I should have said this first, but verse 16 and 17 here caused me a lot of trepidation. So halfway through studying it, um, and preparing what I just said, I'd look at John Chrysostom and he, he kind of said the opposite. So I'll just, I'll just tell you what he said about it.

So John Chrysostom basically says that this verse 16 and 17 is a reproof by Paul to the Colossians. If they had obtained such things from God, as were previously mentioned in the letter, why are they transgressing by keeping these petty feasts and observances?

But in order not to bring a charge against the Colossians, Paul instead charges, charges others or reproves others with judging.

So I thought about it for a bit and I have to admit I'm having a bit of trouble coming to that conclusion. Um, so that's all, all I'll say about it, but I'll let you decide for yourselves or go study it or convince me that John Chrysostom is right. I'm open to it.

So verse 18 and 19, Paul warned the people swindling the Colossians and us out of our reward, which is the body of Christ.

Um, I think he was thinking of people that love philosophical arguments and trying to logically answer the questions that in the end require faith to believe. Again, I'm not condemning all philosophers. These, uh, these people end up going where and saying things that they know nothing about and they really rely on man's logic instead of God, who is the only one able to knit a body together and make that body grow and flourish.

It says in verse 19, they don't hold fast to the head from whom all the body nourished and knit together by joints and ligaments grows with the increase that is from God.

Verse 20 and 23, so of everything that we just talked about is true that you died with Christ to the old man in the world. Why do you have to regulate yourself so much? And Paul gives examples, examples of what, what you hear in verse 21.

Um, you know, do not touch, do not taste, do not handle, just stay away from it. Um, it sounds very familiar, um, what, what churches do. Um, no, but you know, no WhatsApp, no, um, YouTube, maybe no Facebook, all this stuff.

So if the world's things are actually a threat to us, what does that say about us being dead? So it's really convicting to me thinking about that.

Paul continues and says that this self-governance actually appears to be wise, but it's only an apparition. He says it's of no use against the flesh, not a zero zip.

And there again, I, um, I have a hard, hard time saying not a zero zip, but that's what Paul says.

What is the antidote to not being completely dead if we realize we're not completely dead? Well, I believe it's invite Christ to come into our lives and spray a little round up on the weeds that still are there.

If it's true that you were raised with Christ, he's, he's still harping on this, then act like it. Christ isn't on the earth, so we shouldn't have most of our thoughts there either.

Paul says again in verse three, because you died, we died. Um, he's drilling this into our heads that we are dead, we are dead. But he says when Jesus comes back, we will no longer be dead, but be raised up and live with him unless we never died. So if we never died, we can't be raised up again.

Um, so I hope this has been an encouragement. Um, it has been to me. Um, and that's all I have.