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| Chapter XI.—What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?
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Chapter XI.—What is the Philosophy Which the Apostle Bids Us Shun?
This, then, “the wisdom of the world
is foolishness with God,” and of those who are “the
wise the Lord knoweth their thoughts that they are vain.”1915
Let no man therefore glory on account of pre-eminence in human
thought. For it is written well in Jeremiah, “Let not the
wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in
his might, and let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let
him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth
that I am the Lord,
that executeth mercy and judgment and righteousness upon the earth:
for in these things is my delight, saith the Lord.”1916
“That we should
trust not in ourselves, but in God who raiseth the dead,” says the
apostle, “who delivered us from so great a death, that our faith
should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God.”
“For the spiritual man judgeth all things, but he himself is
judged of no man.”1917
I hear also those words
of his, “And these things I say, lest any man should beguile you
with enticing words, or one should enter in to spoil you.”1918
And again, “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;”1919
branding not all philosophy,
but the Epicurean, which Paul mentions in the Acts of the Apostles,1920
which
abolishes providence and deifies pleasure, and whatever other philosophy
honours the elements, but places not over them the efficient cause, nor
apprehends the Creator.1921
| 1921
[Revived by some “scientists” of our days.] |
The Stoics also, whom he mentions too, say not well
that the Deity, being a body, pervades the vilest matter. He calls the
jugglery of logic “the tradition of men.” Wherefore also he
adds, “Avoid juvenile1922
questions. For such contentions are puerile.” “But virtue is
no lover of boys,” says the philosopher Plato. And our struggle,
according to Gorgias Leontinus, requires two virtues—boldness and
wisdom,—boldness to undergo danger, and wisdom to understand the
enigma. For the Word, like the Olympian
proclamation, calls him who
is willing, and crowns him who is able to continue unmoved as far
as the truth is concerned. And, in truth, the Word does not wish
him who has believed to be idle. For He says, “Seek, and ye
shall find.”1923
But seeking ends in finding, driving out the
empty trifling, and approving of the contemplation which confirms
our faith. “And this I say, lest any man beguile you with
enticing words,”1924
says the apostle, evidently as having learned
to distinguish what was said by him, and as being taught to meet
objections. “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the
Lord, so walk in Him, rooted and built up in Him, and stablished in the
faith.”1925
Now persuasion is [the means of] being established in
the faith. “Beware lest any man spoil you of faith in Christ by
philosophy and vain deceit,” which does away with providence,
“after the tradition of men;” for the philosophy which is
in accordance with divine tradition establishes and confirms providence,
which, being done away with, the economy of the Saviour appears a myth,
while we are influenced “after the elements of the world, and not
after Christ.”1926
For the teaching which is agreeable to Christ
deifies the Creator, and traces providence in particular events,1927
and knows the nature of
the elements to be capable of change and production, and teaches that we
ought to aim at rising up to the power which assimilates to God, and to
prefer the dispensation1928
as holding the first rank and superior
to all training.
The elements are worshipped,—the air by
Diogenes, the water by Thales, the fire by Hippasus; and by those
who suppose atoms to be the first principles of things, arrogating the
name of philosophers, being wretched creatures devoted to pleasure.1929
| 1929 [The Epicureans whom he censures
just before.] | “Wherefore I pray,” says the apostle,
“that your love may abound yet more and more, in knowledge and in
all judgment, that ye may approve things that are excellent.”1930
“Since, when we were children,” says the same apostle,
“we were kept in bondage under the rudiments of the world. And
the child, though heir, differeth nothing from a servant, till the
time appointed of the father.”1931
Philosophers, then,
are children, unless they have been made men by Christ. “For
if the son of the bond woman shall not be heir with the son of the
free,”1932
at least he is the seed of Abraham, though not
of promise, receiving what belongs to him by free gift. “But strong
meat belongeth to those that are of full age, even those who by reason of
use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil.”1933
“For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of
righteousness; for he is a babe,”1934
and not yet acquainted with
the word, according to which he has believed and works, and not able
to give a reason in himself. “Prove all things,” the
apostle says, “and hold fast that which is good,”1935
speaking to spiritual men, who judge what is said according to truth,
whether it seems or truly holds by the truth. “He who is not
corrected by discipline errs, and stripes and reproofs give the discipline
of wisdom,” the reproofs manifestly that are with love. “For
the right heart seeketh knowledge.”1936
“For he that seeketh
the Lord shall find knowledge with righteousness; and they who have
sought it rightly have found peace.”1937
| 1937 The substance of these remarks is found in Prov.
ii. | “And I will know,” it is said, “not
the speech of those which are puffed up, but the power.” In rebuke
of those who are wise in appearance, and think themselves wise, but are
not in reality wise, he writes: “For the kingdom of God is not in
word.”1938
It is not in that which is not true, but which is only
probable according to opinion; but he said “in power,” for
the truth alone is powerful. And again: “If any man thinketh that
he knoweth anything, he knoweth nothing yet as he ought to know.”
For truth is never mere opinion. But the “supposition of knowledge
inflates,” and fills with pride; “but charity edifieth,”
which deals not in supposition, but in truth. Whence it is said,
“If any man loves, he is known.”1939
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