Colossians 2:8 The Wisdom Meter

Since the origin of the word “philosophy” is rooted in both Latin and Greek, and the Greek original word “philosophia,” literally means "love of knowledge, pursuit of wisdom,” why does the Bible seem to treat it as something bad in Colossians 2:8?

An article appearing in the August 1, 2001 Watchtower stated: Paul sounded that warning because he sensed a real danger lurking behind the thinking of those attracted by the world. His use of the term “philosophy and empty deception” is especially significant. The word “philosophy” literally means “the love and pursuit of wisdom.” That in itself may be beneficial. In fact, the Bible, particularly in the book of Proverbs, encourages the pursuit of the right kind of knowledge and wisdom. (Proverbs 1:1-7; 3:13-18) Paul, however, coupled “philosophy” with “empty deception.” In other words, Paul viewed the wisdom that the world had to offer as empty and deceptive. Like an inflated balloon, it had the appearance of solidity, but there was no substance to it. It would certainly be futile, even disastrous, to base one’s choice of right and wrong on something as insubstantial as “the philosophy and empty deception” of the world.

In agreement with that is the “David Guzik Commentary on the Bible.” In section B, items 1.a.ii and 1.a.iii, are quoted in the following two paragraphs:

This philosophy that threatened the Colossian Christians was a strange eclectic mix of early Gnosticism, Greek philosophy, local mystery religions, and Jewish mysticism. The philosophy threatening the Colossian Christians was so dangerous because it was not obviously sinful and licentious. It was a high-sounding and seemed highly intelligent.

Vincent on the word philosophy: “It had originally a good meaning, the love of wisdom, but is used by Paul in the sense of vain speculation, and with special reference to its being the name by which the false teachers at Colossae designated not only their speculative system, but also their practical system, so that it covered their ascetic practices no less than mysticism.

So what conclusion have I reached? Here are my reflections:

One main problem God has with human philosophy is that it is usually opposed to the wisdom God offers. Proverbs 3:7; 19:21; 21:30. Although it may sound very intelligent and open-minded, it really doesn’t amount to anything better than what the Bible offers. (And in most cases actually amounts to little more than “hot air.” Or, as the Bible calls it, “empty deception.”)  In fact, usually people seek out human wisdom because it frees them from the moral obligation to their creator. They “think” they are wise, but in reality they are only fooling themselves. Another concern God has with human wisdom is the negative effect it has. Whereas true, godly wisdom ought to help its owner develop humility and a peaceful disposition. The qualities of humility and peace are a powerful lesson even for those who think they know the Bible well. If what they know makes them cocky, arrogant, unapproachable, then they really have not learned godly wisdom.

(See also this 2014 article "Colossians 2:8 Taken As Spoil.")

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Street Smarts

“Practical Wisdom” is a term used in a few instances in the Bible. In at least one case, it is evident that it is synonymous with “street smart(s)” (Street smart is understood as “having the experience and knowledge necessary to deal with the potential difficulties or dangers of life in an urban environment.”) Practical wisdom is the difference between “showing all the cards in your hand” vs “stacking the cards in your favor.” Yes, in some cases shrewdness is involved. This was the case of the illustration that Jesus gave in Luke 16:8, wherein the financial manager used unethical means to secure his future. Rest assured Jesus was not recommending unethical methods; he was recommending practical wisdom to protect and preserve life. (Specifically, the point Jesus was making was regarding the value of practical wisdom with regards our relationship with God and the godly way we live, view and handle ourselves – a skill he said his disciples were lacking.)

One way even godly people today can learn this is ponder the application of Proverbs 13:7. In most cases “pretending” to be rich can have very bad repercussions. Giving the appearance of having wealth in public (even when you truly are wealthy) can make you the target of thieves. There is a saying that we should “put our best foot forward.” However, our “best foot” may not always be so clear. To illustrate, consider another two sayings: “Dress for success.” And “dress the part.” “Success” and “the part” in this case, is the goal we want to achieve. So let’s consider a couple examples of a specific goal: You go to the grocers decked out in your finest threads and approach the store manager, indicating you are broke and asking for a hand out. Are you dressing to achieve your goal? No. Although you don’t have to dress slovenly, less flashy dress might be believable to the store manager. On the other hand, if you show up at a new car dealership selling BMW or Mercedes Benz vehicles dressed in baggy pants, several layers of loose-fitting T-shirts, and wearing a baseball cap backwards, what are the chances you’ll be taken seriously? In that case, even though a 3-piece suit may “sell” you, again, just neat clothing more akin to blue-collar workers may also work.

Personally, in application of Proverbs 13, I rarely dress up when going shopping just because I’m trying to apply the scripture and thus safeguard myself from potential attacks. Is that paranoid? Maybe to you. But I have been stocked three times in the past while I was carrying certain electronics. But this article is not to tell you how you should dress. It is to help you put your brain in gear and meditate on Proverbs 13:7 and how you can use it to protect yourself.

A different angle on Proverbs 13:7: This time, let’s take it part by part. The first line reads: “There is one who pretends to be rich, yet has nothing.” Besides being possibly attacked, this person will probably find himself surrounded by false friends whose only desire is to get some of the wealth. Now, when those fake friends discover what a fake man he is, he will find himself abandoned and probably be the target of cruel gossip. Whatever ego such a man is feeding himself in order to appear rich, it really is of no benefit to him to advance this pretense. The second line of this proverbs says: “There is another who pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.” Really, this is the wiser course. No one will pester you for money; no one will consider you a worthwhile target; and you can buy what you need, when you need and want it.

But in all the above, I’ve focused on the material, the mundane, features of Jesus’ advice and the application of Proverbs 13:7. What are the spiritual applications? First is the intelligent acknowledgement that God does indeed exist. Any other conclusion is foolish. Second, and this is more applicable to believers than non-believers, is the idea of implicit trust in God. When life is “going smooth and good” for us, we tend to feel everything is okay between us and God – and it may be. However, when difficulties arise, it is not uncommon for people to wonder “why God is allowing this?” It is no more true that God is being unkind to them than it was that he was being cruel to Job. Even when undergoing difficulties, we should never doubt that God loves us. Even in cases where we may be getting punished for a wrongdoing, his only interest is not to crush, but to spiritually heal us.

More information: In this article on wisdom, note the Hebrew and Greek original-word meanings of “wisdom:” The basic terms signifying wisdom are the Hebrew chokh·mahʹ (verb, cha·khamʹ) and the Greek so·phiʹa, with their related forms. Also, there are the Hebrew tu·shi·yahʹ, which may be rendered “effectual working” or “practical wisdom,” and the Greek phroʹni·mos and phroʹne·sis (from phren, the “mind”), relating to “sensibleness,” “discretion,” or “practical wisdom.”

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Protecting the Family Name

Someone I met claimed, as I understood it, that God does not need us to perform good works because he already knows what is in our heart. That was the essence of the position, but it went deeper. Personally, I chafed at the idea. How can God see what is in our hearts if we do nothing. Action is what demonstrates who we truly are, what we really believe. Recently, I commented on Proverbs 27:11 as foundational for my conviction. The one proving to be a real son to his father would naturally want to act in a way that doesn’t discredit the family name, his father, or his own reputation.

The principle would extend to the “spiritual” level (the ultimate principled level of obedience to God) in that believers would identify with being considered God’s “sons.” So they would understand the scripture as speaking to them. I personally view that scripture that way. God is telling me to ponder / consider my course in life, my life choices, my actions, my thoughts, in a way that demonstrates wisdom (insight into effects, consequences, etc.). This is truly because it is a matter of protecting the family name. Just as a slanderer may level wild charges at a family member, Satan the devil does the same. It is Satan who “taunts” God. How? He claims that God is hiding something from mankind – man’s ability to “be like God, knowing good and bad.” Then, on the other side, he taunts God that mankind is in reality nothing more than selfish beings that are only loyal to God because he bribes them. So it is up to each individual to prove, through actions, that they are defending the name of their father and family.

But Proverbs 27:11 is not the only scripture that conveys action as a mandatory requirement for those truly loyal to God. Consider for a moment: Would a person who is kind, generous, patient, empathetic, be a person who is a Christian? Could be. But it could also describe an atheistic philanthropist. So what differentiates Christians from an atheistic philanthropist? Jesus commanded real Christians to “preach the word” of God. The apostle Paul showed how we should all consider this a personal commission. Further, in Paul’s letter to Timothy, he exhorted Timothy to be at the preaching work “urgently.” Also, there is Paul’s account of faithful pre-Christian individuals at Hebrews chapters 11 and 12 – how they took ACTION. In chapter 12 Paul concludes what Christians should do with this knowledge. In verse one he urges: “let us run with endurance….” Undeniably, demonstrating action is required. Then, there is the whole book of Acts that recounts numerous “acts” (actions) on the part of early Christians. Clearly, true worship, both pre-Christian and Christian, requires action. Any arguments to the contrary are merely efforts to confuse a very clear, consistent (throughout scripture), and easy to understand directive.

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Studying-Getting A Rich Spiritual Tan

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Do not think of it as a drudgery, "Ah man, I've gotta study now." Instead think of it as getting a rich suntan of wisdom on the endless beach of Jehovah's vast knowledge.

As our skin absorbs the sun rays so likewise we need to absorb the rays of knowledge & wisdom not just through reading, but through reflecting (meditating, contemplating) on what we read. Although physical tans can be hurried through various means, acquiring a luxurious spiritual tan takes time because it takes years for our brain to start making inter-relational connections with the things we read. In time, things we are currently reading in the Bible, will start to call back to our minds things we've read in the past.

That is one reason that associating with like-minded believers is so helpful. Listening to them express their faith helps us make new connections in the way we think and reflect on scripture. Learning from other's experience accelerates the learning process BECAUSE what may have taken us years to conclude now can be learned much quicker from others that have done this longer. After more than 40 years of studying the Bible, I can still very humbly admit that many of the new thought-connections I make are because of hearing the perspective of fellow believers. Indeed, more than few of the articles I've written here were because of a comment I heard that I expanded on.

So if you admire the deep spiritual tan (knowledge and insight) that others have, know that you can have it too. All you need to do is study, reflect, and associate with fellow believers.

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