Dangerous And Destructive Philosophies

Colossians 2:4-8,4 And this I say, lest any man should (1) beguile you with enticing words. 5 For though I be absent in the flesh, yet am I with you in the spirit, joying and beholding your order, and the stedfastness of your faith in Christ. 6 As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him: 7 Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving. 8 (2) 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.

This morning I want to talk to you about what took place during the time of Christ and Paul

And compare it to what is happening today.

There is two things I want us to pay attention to is “(1)” and the other “(2)”

I want to look at some of the dangerous philosophies of Christ’s time and see what is happening today in our time.

I.       First one is Gnosticism (nos-ti-siz-em)

A.    In Colossians 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.

B.    The Gnosticism diminish Christ to an angel during the time of Paul

1.     Christ was not the Son of God, just man angel or a messenger to tell us how to be redeemed.

2.     We have the Jehovah Witness today

II.     Second one, is Legalism

A.    Colossians 2:11-17,11 In whom also ye are circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, in putting off the body of the sins of the flesh by the circumcision of Christ: 12 Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; 14 Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; 15 And having spoiled principalities and powers, he made a shew of them openly, triumphing over them in it. 16 Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: 17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

B.    God is telling us here in verses 16-17 about the liberty that is in Christ.

1.     Believer should not criticize each other in matters of

a)     Diet, no believer should condemn another believer on what they eat or drink

b)     And no Christian should condemn another believer on celebrating certain Holy days

2.     For these where shadows of things to come.

a)     All the Old Testament things that the Jews need to do where shadows of things to come

b)     We get our word photograph from the Greek word used here for shadow

c)     All the rituals were like a negative or a picture of Christ.

3.     But today we have Christ, He has come to earth and died on the cross for us and now is in heaven helping us each and every day we look to Him.

a)     Christ is no more a picture, but He is reality, He has come.

III.    Now we come to the third point, Mysticism

A.    Mysticism teaches us that God can be known through two ways

1.     Through the worship of angels

2.     Through the seeing of visions

a)     Colossians 2:18, Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind

b)     Beguile means = to defraud of the prize of victory. Decide as umpire against someone

c)     False Humility= a form of godliness of legalists which was connected with the worship of angels.

IV.   Fourth and final one is Asceticism (e-set I-siz em)

A.    They believe that one can purify the Spirit by punishing the body

B.    The Spirit can’t be purified that way. Look in 2:20,23

C.    This does not mean that we can’t fast and go without food to pray to God and that is good.

Conclusion:

What we have heard today, we see all over the world and here in the US right now.

What went on during the times of Paul and Bible is going on today with us.

And many good believers are caught up with some of these things, simply because they don’t take the time to study the whole Bible

Sunday morning Biker Service 7/13/08