The Nature of a Christian Worldview, Christianity and the Elements of Philosophy.

Abstract

To begin with, the apostle Paul in Colossians 2:8, 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." R.C. Sproul writes that "no society can survive, no civilization can function, without some unifying system of thought which is known as the worldview. Ronald Nash also writes that: Christians need to become more conscious of the importance of philosophy because so many elements of a worldview are philosophical in nature. Though philosophy and religion often use different language and often arrive at different conclusions, they deal with the same questions, which include questions about what exists (metaphysics), how humans should live (ethics), and how human beings know (epistemology). Colossians 2:8 also teaches us that there are two radically different philosophical worldviews; Christian and non-Christian. The non-Christian philosopher is committed to total independence from the God of Scripture. Thus, he views God, man, and the world from a non-biblical standpoint. The Christian philosopher, on the other hand, is committed to absolute dependence on God and His Word. He philosophizes about God and His creation from a wholly different perspective. He sees Christ, the Word of God incarnate, as central to all truth. The Christian philosopher is to analyze all things by means of God's infallible revelation, seeking to "bring every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ" as stated in 2 Corinthians 10:5. This record was migrated from the OpenDepot repository service in June, 2017 before shutting down.