Avoiding Hollow & Deceptive Philosophies
“See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual forces of this world rather than on Christ.” Colossians 2:8
In Colossians, Paul shares that he is contending for the good news of Christ’s rule and reign, and he wants the fledgling converts to hold tightly to it. Though in prison, he doesn’t contend from a position of fear. He is contending from a position of victory, of strength, of assurance in what has happened and what it means for all of us. We are victorious - and eternity will prove it. We have the chance to live it out in this life, and to share that good news with as many as possible along the way. No fear, no scarcity, no worries. Christ is all - and we are full in Him.
In verse 8 of chapter 2, Paul is warning against “hollow and deceptive philosophies” that have crept into the life of the young church. From a distance, he wants people to know that they can be assured of the original message, of their complete salvation, and of their hope in Christ. But he knows it's hard to make sense of competing messages, and it can cause some to lose heart, shrink back, or worse yet be led astray. So he prays, exhorts, and contends for the truth of Christ in a refrain that echoes right into our lives today.
I’ve been pondering verse 8 and what causes me concern today as potential “hollow and deceptive philosophies” that challenge our faith and trust in Christ and His Church. There are quite a few, but I will offer three for your consideration for now. I encourage you to guard against them so that we don’t undermine, water down, or distort the good news of the gospel of Christ’s Kingdom, His reign, and His reconciling love available to all.
Justice - there are some who say that pursuing justice or social justice is unnecessary, and a possible distraction to the primary mission of the church. They might quote some bible verses and make you feel like you are less Christian if you equate caring about injustices (think racism, gender inequality, poverty, environmental justice and creation care, fair wages for employees, food deserts, or other important matters) with the gospel as they understand it. What is that gospel? Most often it is defined as the promise and availability of personal salvation in Christ. At best, justice is seen as tangential and something you might engage in, but not as important as or central to the need for salvation. Of course, it becomes hard to argue, but the divide that is created isn’t necessary or even true.
Please don’t be discouraged or dissuaded if you hear that line of thinking. And please don’t buy into it. Justice was, is, and always will be at the heart of the mission for followers of Jesus. It is rooted in our very identity as image bearers and disciples of Christ. His entire life was devoted to connecting with, healing, and offering hope to the marginalized people of his day. His very mission as stated clearly in Luke 4:18-19 is rooted in justice and Jubilee. Many of His parables were significantly rooted in themes of justice, elevating those that had no voice. He demonstrated his power not just by helping and healing people but showing that healing was more than just physical. Physical healing gained access back into the mainstream of society and also allowed people to regain dignity and the ability to function as part of the community. Jesus wasn’t just about personal victories. He was always looking for ways to elevate, listen, and otherwise help marginalized people, and rebuild community and relationships in the process.
Our call is to salvation, but not just an isolated and personal experience. It is something that begins in each of us individually, but it is lived out corporately, in community. Transformed hearts reshape the world by spreading His love and hope everywhere they go. That will look a lot like justice for the poor, speaking against power and control, eliminating patriarchy, and elevating the voices of black and brown people from across this country and around the globe. Justice is an expression of our salvation and a manifestation of the new Kingdom of God. Justice and righteousness are hallmarks of eternity with Jesus - Justice, Mercy, and walking humbly with God.
So - don’t be dissuaded by those who want to undermine the call for justice as the journey of salvation. We will continue to promote the good news as the reign of Christ in reconciling love, fully expressed in justice for all.
Nationalism - there is another tug in the church today for Christians to align with specific nationalistic and political efforts. It is extremely divisive and depending on which party you align with you could be made to feel less than, and completely “othered” (dismissed) by the opposing views. Many are even appealing to scripture to make their claim and shame many into allegiance and compromise. It is a hollow & deceptive philosophy that contends that a human government can fight for, protect, and otherwise help further the plans of Christ. As if inherently self-interested, sinful people, often morally broken and collectively corrupt can promote Christlike humility, love, sacrifice, and other-centered service.
It is also hollow and deceptive when such efforts cause us to become enemies of our brothers and sisters who see the world through a different political lens. Making us enemies, and fomenting a culture of fear that the world is doomed if it doesn’t go our own way is surely not the way that Jesus represented himself.
In the place of Paul, I am contending with you, don’t let yourself be deceived. There is nothing to be gained by aligning yourself with extreme political views that polarize and divide our society. Christ is overall and in all. Each political party should avail and surrender themselves to the authority of Christ, and not the other way around.
The influence you bring to bear in your civil engagements should reflect the heart of Christ for all people, filled with love and decentering yourself and your self-interest in the favor of putting others before yourself. Particular policies that you advocate for should be rooted in fact, not fear, and should never come between you and the genuine love you have for someone who holds a different view.
Throughout history many political uprisings and even some spiritual revivals have occurred because someone stirred up a sense that we are in opposition to something happening in the present and we must return to what once was (a.k.a. Something better that existed in the past). Sometimes what has fueled those movements is fear, scarcity mindsets, and concerns about losing standing, position, and power. Layered on to it is rhetoric about a need to stand against losing some kind of general cultural morality. Please don’t let fear and scarcity rule your civil engagements.
Let the fullness of Christ dwell in your richly and let your heart be drawn into the fullness of His love. Let’s not let perceived adversaries be our motivation. The fuel for our motivation to be stewards of His creation and work in harmony with people comes from Christ himself. We have a mandate to love and steward the earth that is rooted in Christ’s sovereign love and reign. Let that be enough motivation. Let love reign and build unity with your brothers and sisters in Christ. If you are rejected, despised, or otherwise mistreated, count it all gain for that’s how they treated Christ.
3. Science - In and of itself, it is not a hollow and deceptive philosophy. At New Hope, we have tried hard to break down any unnecessary dualism between faith and science. There are some on the fringes of Christianity who challenge the scientific community and what it is discovering in regards to helping people understand themselves or the world and universe around them. As well-informed Christians, we must properly contextualize science in our lives so that it neither undermines our spiritual journey, nor is rejected as a body of knowledge that guides us into greater awareness about how we think, act, and otherwise see the world.
Take psychology for instance. We can incorporate what psychology has to teach us as part of understanding our identity. There is no need to create a dualism that results in an inability to harmonize what we learn from psychology with our spiritual journey. Please be cautious to not allow this to happen.
We don’t want to dismiss what we have learned about the human body. The human psyche and the challenges that we face in this world can be understood better by listening to our bodies. We are embodied people, and our bodies, our experiences, matter. We need to pay attention to ourselves, our senses, our emotions, our energy and fatigue, and our reactions to our surroundings. They are all a gift related to the way God made us. Harnessing them for His glory is part of our spiritual formation and our human journey. He made us. He knows us. In Him, we are invited to be fully human.
A healthy mix - as we learn more about ourselves, and learn how to be in tune with our minds and bodies, we are invited to realize the fullness of our God-given identity - people made in His image. Our pursuit of health, well-being, identity, and hopefulness comes through the lens of God’s Kingdom on this earth, and us being His creatures, wonderfully made, dignified in His image. We are then invited to grow in our awareness of the fullness of life available to us when we are fully alive in Him, and fully in tune with ourselves.
In short - don’t pit one against the other. We can learn from science and grow in our faith because of it. In the case of psychology, learn about yourself, and be rooted in Christ. Let Christ be your guide to fullness, hope, and a healthy you, and let science fascinate you with the wonderful complexity it uncovers and the tools it has to offer us for tapping into greater depths of understanding.
So - no unnecessary separation between sceince and faith. No to an unnecessary and unhealthy appeal to nationalism to help the cause of Christ. And no to an unnecessary separation of justice and personal salvation. Don’t be taken captive by hollow and deceptive philosophies that undermine the good news of Jesus Christ and His wholistic plan for redeeming the world He made.
Christ has accomplished everything that is necessary for a full, complete, and victorious Kingdom on this earth. Our role is to surrender, trust, and grow in living like Him. Living like him does not consist only of changing some behaviors, but re-orienting our hearts and minds to reflect His. Once we work on the inside, on the relationship, replace anger and selfishness with forgiveness, and center others before ourselves, our hearts and then our actions will begin to reflect the one we desire to pattern ourselves after - namely Christ. He saves us and partners with us to bring about justice, and we can embrace the wonderful complexity and nuance of the world we share, while we help to fully establish His Kingdom above anything this world has to offer.