Toward A Christian Worldview - Faith Presbyterian Church Reformed

Chapter 1: The Nature of a Christian Worldview
True Versus False Philosophy
In Colossians 2:8, the apostle Paul writes: “Beware lest
anyone capture you through philosophy and empty deceit,
according to the tradition of men, according to the basic principles
of the world, and not according to Christ.” In this verse the
apostle warns his readers against being taken captive by false
philosophies. Rather, he says that they should adopt a philosophy
“according to Christ.” This verse does not teach, as some
have said, that philosophy itself is unworthy of Christian study.
In fact, the verse teaches precisely the opposite. It is an imperative
for the pursuit of the discipline. To guard against being captivated
by a philosophy “according to the tradition of men,” one
must have an awareness of such errant philosophy. And more
importantly, he must have a knowledge of that which is true.
Too many Christians are not aware of this fact. Therefore, they
have neglected the study of philosophy in general. Sadly, these
are the ones most likely to be captivated by the false philosophies
of this world.
R.C. Sproul writes that “no society can survive, no civilization
can function, without some unifying system of
thought….What makes a society a unified system? Some kind
of glue is found in a unifying system of thought, what we call a
worldview.” {1} The fact of the matter is that thoughts shape
societies. Worldviews, or philosophies, are important. Chris-
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