In his epistle to the Colossians, Paul cautions them against philosophy. He says, “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” (Colossians 2:8).
Philosophy is love of wisdom. There are two types of wisdom: the wisdom of this world which ” … is foolishness with God … ” (1 Corinthians 3:19); and the wisdom of God which is “after Christ.” The latter is the gift of God and not the result of human attainment.
Some Christian magazines are so filled with human philosophy that there is little room left for the true wisdom of God. Only articles written by men who have some educational degree and letters after their names are admitted. These often philosophize on things which can be argued about with little or no reference to the Word of God. Whole chapters are sometimes devoted to discussion on what some Christian celebrity has taught, giving long quotations from other writers about such men, often without any finality or any real profit to the reader. And all this tends to squeeze out profitable exposition of the Word of God.
The Scribes and Pharisees of our Lord’s day were, in their own view, learned men, being exceedingly zealous of the traditions of their fathers. When the disciples, Peter and John, fearlessly and equally lucidly, proclaimed before them the exclusive Gospel of Jesus Christ, their judges ” … perceived that they were unlearned and ignorant men … “, and” … they marvelled; and they took knowledge of them, that they had been with Jesus” (Acts 4:13). That is where true wisdom is found.
To sit at Jesus’ feet while, in fulfilment of His promises, the Holy Ghost guides into truth, is better than all the degrees or the seminaries. We do not despise the teaching of the colleges as an adjunct to the teaching of the Spirit, but it can never be more than an adjunct, for without the teaching of the Word by the Spirit in fellowship with the Lord Jesus there can be no true wisdom at all. The best thing Luke could say of Apollos was that he was” … mighty in the scriptures … ” (Acts 18:24). It is the Scriptures that ” … are able to make thee wise unto salvation … ” (2 Timothy 3:15), and it is the same Scriptures by which the man of God ” … may be perfect, throughly furnished unto all good works” (2 Timothy 3:17).
Paul’s exhortation to Timothy was to “Preach the word … ” (2 Timothy 4:2), and in doing so we are to use ” … wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ. .. ” (1 Timothy 6:3). The discourse given by our Lord to His disciples, and His following prayer in John 14-17, are couched in simple language. The great majority of the words used are of one or two syllables. Even a small child can understand the words used, and yet the truths conveyed are too deep for angelic minds to fathom. This proves that profound truths can be conveyed in simple language. Paul exhorts Titus to use “Sound speech, that cannot be condemned … ” (Titus 2:8).
A chaplain to Queen Victoria was once asked whether he felt nervous in preaching before the Queen. His reply was to the effect that when the Queen attended divine services, all her domestic staff were also present, right down to the scullery maid; and he said, “I preach to the scullery maid.” Paul tells the Corinthians that he came to them ” … not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God” (I Corinthians 2:1). He said he was sent” … to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect” (I Corinthians 1:17). O ye philosophers, leave your high-falutin language sometimes and come down to the scullery maids! Do not spoil your hearers through philosophy but “Preach the word … ” (2 Timothy 4:2) in language “easy to be understood.”