When The Love Of Wisdom Becomes Love Of Self
by Wayne Blank

"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"

The English words "philosophy" and "philosopher" originated from the compound Greek word, pronounced philosophia, which means love of wisdom i.e. philos means love and sophia means wisdom. That Greek word is found twice in the Holy Bible.

The love of wisdom is good, provided that it's God's Wisdom, not merely imagined wisdom "philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

The Human Brain
"2:6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 2:7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.
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.

2:9 For in him dwelleth all the fulness of the Godhead bodily." (Colossians 2:6-9 KJV)

There is a great difference between God's Wisdom, that is based on reality, and man's foolish "philosophy" that is a "doctrine emphasizing a person's capacity for self-realization through reason; rejects religion and the supernatural." Where does it lead? "But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish."

"3:1 My brethren, be not many masters, knowing that we shall receive the greater condemnation. 3:2 For in many things we offend all. If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man, and able also to bridle the whole body.
3:3 Behold, we put bits in the horses' mouths, that they may obey us; and we turn about their whole body. 3:4 Behold also the ships, which though they be so great, and are driven of fierce winds, yet are they turned about with a very small helm, whithersoever the governor listeth. 3:5 Even so the tongue is a little member, and boasteth great things. Behold, how great a matter a little fire kindleth! 3:6 And the tongue is a fire, a world of iniquity: so is the tongue among our members, that it defileth the whole body, and setteth on fire the course of nature; and it is set on fire of hell.

3:7 For every kind of beasts, and of birds, and of serpents, and of things in the sea, is tamed, and hath been tamed of mankind: 3:8 But the tongue can no man tame; it is an unruly evil, full of deadly poison.

3:9 Therewith bless we God, even the Father; and therewith curse we men, which are made after the similitude of God. 3:10 Out of the same mouth proceedeth blessing and cursing. My brethren, these things ought not so to be. 3:11 Doth a fountain send forth at the same place sweet water and bitter? 3:12 Can the fig tree, my brethren, bear olive berries? either a vine, figs? so can no fountain both yield salt water and fresh.

3:13 Who is a wise man and endued with knowledge among you? let him shew out of a good conversation his works with meekness of wisdom. 3:14 But if ye have bitter envying and strife in your hearts, glory not, and lie not against the truth. 3:15 This wisdom descendeth not from above, but is earthly, sensual, devilish. 3:16 For where envying and strife is, there is confusion and every evil work.

3:17 But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 3:18 And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace." (James 3:15-17 KJV)

"And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent"

When the apostle Paul encountered the philosophers of Athens who "spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing," he was astounded at their lack of true wisdom - and how they indeed were "spoiled through philosophy and vain deceit." Some of them found true Wisdom that day, when "certain men clave unto him."

The Holy Scriptures
"17:16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry [see Thou shalt have no other gods before Me and Thou shalt not make any graven image] . 17:17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him. 17:18 Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection [see Resurrections]. 17:19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is? 17:20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean. 17:21 For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.
17:22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious. 17:23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

17:24 God that made the world and all things therein [see Christ The Creator], seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands; 17:25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things; 17:26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation [see Landmark]; 17:27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us: 17:28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

17:29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God [see Spiritual Conception and Spiritual Adoption], we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. 17:30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: 17:31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world [see When Will You Be Judged?] in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead [listen to the Sermon Christ's Passover: The Death And Birth Of The Saviour from our Sermons page].

17:32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead [see also Born Again, How and When?], some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter. 17:33 So Paul departed from among them. 17:34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them." (Acts 17:16-34 KJV)

Fact Finder: How does the lust for selfish wisdom result in the denial of God?
See The Only Place That Denies God's Existence
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