The Fundamentals.
10
NOT A HUMAN UTTERANCE. We may be very sure, then, that the passage quoted above is not a human utterance. I t does not express man’s estimate of philosophy—far from it. In pronouncing that warning Paul is not repeating what he learned while pursuing his course in philosophy at the school of Gamaliel. No man would ever have coupled philosophy with vain deceit, or characterized it as a dangerous process against which God’s people should be cautioned, lest thereby they should be despoiled of their pos sessions. No man ever defined philosophy as being according to human tradition and the basic principles of this evil world, and not according to Christ. This warning is from God Him self; but, alas, like many other of His solemn warnings, it has been despised and utterly disregarded. The thing against which this earnest warning was spoken has been welcomed with open arms, and incorporated into the theological machinery of our ecclesiastical systems. The consequences of this con temptuous disregard of God’s warning are such as might have been expected. This word “beware” (sometimes rendered “take heed” in our version) does not occur very often in the New Testament. There are not many things whereof believers are bidden to “beware.” Some of these are “the scribes,” “dogs,” “evil- workers,” “the concision,” and an “evil heart of unbelief” (Mark 12:38; Phil. 3 :2; Acts 13:40; Heb. 3 :12). The warn ing of our text is addressed to believers who have been in structed as to their oneness with Christ in His death (at the hands of the world), His burial, and His resurrection. Addi tional emphasis is given to the warning by the connection in which it occurs. The word rendered “spoil” signifies literally to make a prey of, as when one falls into the hands of robbers and is stripped by violence of his goods, or into the hands of smooth-tongued and plausible swindlers who gain his confi dence, and by means of their arts fleece him of his valuables. I t is heavenly treasure that is in contemplation here, even the
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