Philosophy

Good day to be a child of God, Beloved family!

There was SOOOO much I left unsaid on Sunday that it is still burning in my bones. I am deeply considering doing an entire class on, “Biblical Worldview,” in the near future, but it will depend on the desire and response among y’all…

Just to fill in a few blanks, I wanted to highlight the only other place in the New Testament where the word, “philosophy,” was used. Remember that this is a compound word that means a friendship love (philos) for wisdom and knowledge (sophia). This is a positive thing when applied toward the wisdom and knowledge of the King and His Kingdom. But, when tainted and, “programmed,” by the world, it becomes very dangerous. This mental assault happens very innocuously, slowly, and foundationally. Remember that the enemy never shows up with a tail and pitchfork asking you to commit genocide… his normal presentation is as an, “angel of light,” with something that’s, “good,” for us to do, watch, and meditate on besides the authentic GOOD of our Father.

T.V. for example:

• You, “turn it on,” = excite the senses and create expectancy… no coincidence that this term has a deviant, sexual connotation because most of what comes over that glowing screen is blatantly or seductively attacking our pure minds washed by Christ and His blood.
• Television is just an open word play for TELL-A-VISION, which is exactly what your enemy wants to do as much as possible. The TV tells you the vision of this dark world and the desires of the enemies of God in their fallen kingdom… while the scriptures tell us the vision of our Father and His plans for the world in the coming Kingdom.
• You find the, “channel,” you want. This term came from the occult practice of, “channeling,” demons and spirits into a persons mind and body. This is why your mind gets foggy and your body gets lethargic after an hour or so of watching or channeling. Same-same when a person is on a video game or focusing on their phone in social media or otherwise.
• Your favorite, “program,” is doing just that… programming your mind, body, and soul for whatever the, “writers,” want you to do, feel, and believe. We are literally being openly programmed to submit to a fallen philosophy, wicked lifestyles, and a satanic king. And pay them every month to do it…

This is just one small example of how the worldview of our enemy is trying to saturate and change us. But it is not enough to just turn off the glowing screen, we need to be purposeful about loving the wisdom and knowledge of our King and how His Kingdom operates. In Paul’s day, they obviously did not have a TV, but the same assaults were affecting culture because there is nothing new under the sun. In his day, the Greeks were so physically and sexually debased that they actually worshiped the human form (pornography) and created statues (idols) of deviant behavior to place around their cities. This was the case in Athens, one of the chief cities of the debauchery of Greco-Roman philosophy.

Acts 17:16-21
Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him when he saw that the city was given over to idols. Therefore he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and with the Gentile worshipers, and in the marketplace daily with those who happened to be there. Then certain Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered him. And some said, “What does this babbler want to say?”

The Gospel was, “babble,” to them… I consider it a great honor to be classified a babbler like Paul, among the, “great,” philosophies of today’s broken, ignorant world.

There were two main schools of philosophy in their day, much like we have now:

Epicurean: The Epicureans were so named after the philosopher Epicurus. He was born in 341 B.C. and taught for thirty-six years in a school that he founded in Athens. He did not believe in a Creator, believing that everything just happens. However, he did believe in multiple gods that took no part in human affairs. He taught that simple pleasures were to be pursued, and pain avoided. Regardless of how pure Epicurus’ motives may have been, it was not long until the Epicureans had degenerated into a materialistic, pleasure-seeking, lascivious sect. This was the exact opposite of the other popular school of thought upheld by the Stoics.

Stoic: The name, “Stoick,” came from the Greek word “STOA”; STOA means, “a colonnade or interior piazza, porch.” This sect was so named because its founder, Zeno, taught for about thirty-nine years (301-262 B.C.) at the Painted Porch in the marketplace of Athens. Stoics believed that truly wise people would dominate their emotions so that emotion would never influence them positively or negatively. They accomplished this by believing that whatever happened was fate and, therefore, their lot in life. They taught a very frugal life, rejecting all luxury in food, clothing, and emotional prosperity. Their philosophy was the opposite of the Epicureans.

Together the Stoics and Epicureans represented the complete spectrum of man’s wisdom at that time…

Very similar to today… we have a group of people who are just basically hiding from the world in a corner doing their own miserable thing because, they believe, there is no reason to engage life because it is all just going to, “hell in a hand-basket,” anyway. These folks are basically dead and just do not recognize it yet. Just because something breathes does not mean it lives…

The other crowd is completely living for pleasure. If it feels good, do it. The goal of life is to be, “happy,” and please themselves. My way is the best way and anyone or anything that contradicts their, “way,” is wrong. They are their own mingled religion. A little Bible, a little Jesus, a little personal experience, a bunch of the world’s programming… This is the Moralistic Therapeutic Deism and Syncretism I mentioned on Sunday (https://www.arizonachristian.edu/culturalresearchcenter/research/) that 94% of America believes.

The Gospel Paul preached was so radically different from both of these philosophies that they rejected and mocked him vehemently. He eventually had to leave for another place where the people were humble enough to lay down their philosophy for the King and His Kingdom. This is where the Corinthian church was birthed… thank God! How much we have learned from Paul’s two letters to that rag-tag bunch of believers!

This is how Paul opened up his letter to that Corinthian church:

I thank my God always on your behalf, for the grace of God which is given you by Jesus Christ; that in every thing ye are enriched by him, in all utterance, and [in] all knowledge; even as the testimony of Christ was confirmed in you: So that ye come behind in no gift; waiting for the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall also confirm you unto the end, [that ye may be] blameless in the day of our Lord Jesus Christ. God [is] faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord. (1 Cor 1:4-9)

Whoo-hoo! I feel EXACTLY the same way about you! As we RENEW (Rom 12:1-2) our minds together in the Biblical-Christian-Kingdom Worldview, we are going to see and experience things that NO OTHER generation could even imagine. I am tingling with anticipation for us all as we blast into THE Great Awakening!

I love you greatly!
Steve