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© Daniel Valles. May be reproduced for non-profit purposes only, citing the author and source. |
"FALSE LOGIC"
by Daniel Valles. 6/24/6
READ Colossians 2:8
"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." There have been many times that someone tried to explain or illustrate why they have a certain twist or distortion of doctrine. Many times the argument sounds and appears logical, but the conclusion, inference, and application is completely off-base. However, it is the appearance of truth that convinces them and others. Oftentimes they will hold to their petty illustration as justification even if it goes against clear principles outlined in God's Word. This practice of false logic is what Paul was warning the Colossians about. Sophistry is a centuries-old term for a plausible but misleading or fallacious argument. That word 'sophistry' is the Greek word used in this verse by 'philosophy'. Paul was warning them that people will come about who will smooth-talk them into erring from the faith. They may sound good, their arguments may seem to make sense - but they were to beware - be on the lookout - for that which went against Scripture.
In our modern times today we have a plethora of 'christian' sophists who wrangle and distort Scriptures to say what they want. By selectively reading (and not reading) Scripture, or by taking snippets from a diverse range of Bible-perversions they concoct a deceit to foist on their followers. Paul warns that some of the earmarks of such dangerous folly is the use of sophistry (false logic), argumentation through philosophy and logic, religious traditions of men, the use of psychology (rudiments of the world), and general things that are not of Christ and His Word.
A modern example of this practice is the Purpose-Driven drivel. It sounds plausible. It seems logical. It seems Biblical. Yet, it does not hold up to scrutiny by God's Word. I will not go into a long discourse, but I will cite three examples of twisted logic in Rick Warren's spoiler. One of the very first sophisms that he presents in his book is on the jacket-cover - the very title: "Purpose Driven". It sounds good, but is that what Scripture says? No! It says we are not to be driven by our self, but led by the Spirit! Rom 8:13-14 makes this clear: "For if ye live after the flesh, ye shall die: but if ye through the Spirit do mortify the deeds of the body, ye shall live. For as many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God." Galatians 5:16-18 says, "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would. But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law." Rick Warren should have aptly entitled his book "Lust-Driven". Scripture says that I should have nothing to do with what I want, or what I desire, or anything that my flesh wants to do." My following God should be entirely by His Word and His direction. I have no input in the matter!
Secondly, I am not purpose-driven. That is not what makes me get up in the morning and strive to do a work for God. A 'purpose' can change or fade. Ecclesiastes 12:13 is the simplest description of our life and 'purpose' here on earth: "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man." The whole duty of man! I should serve God not out of a sense of duty to a mission in life or a vague purpose that I contrive - no! I should strive to serve God out of a proper fear and respect for the one who died to redeem my sorry soul! I am but a wretched worm - a maggot (Job 25:6, Psalm 2:6, Isaiah 41:14). My righteousness' are as filthy rags (literally rags used during a menstrual cycle). Don't you see?! There is no work, purpose, or mission that this little maggot could do to garner God's attention! Paul correctly explains in Rom 7:24, "O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death"? My whole duty to God is to reverently fear and obey Him. My service, in whatever capacity, is merely an outcome from my devotion to Him. Rick Warren tries to get people to think in reverse - that your service and deeds is your fear and obedience to God. Hence you have thousands of Christians who are busy for God - without truly knowing God. You also have unsaved souls that confuse their goodwill service toward mankind and humanity as a relationship with God.
Thirdly, a classic example of sophistry is his use of the forty days mantra. In order for you to buy his forty-day prescription, courses, and refills, he has to convince people that there is a patterned period of time to finding what God supposedly wants you to do. However, in virtually all of the Scriptural examples that he cites, all of them already knew what God wanted them to do, and were mostly already doing it! His argument seems to make sense until you think about them. The new testament church did not have forty-day conferences for those saved at Pentecost, Jesus did not tell his disciples to fast and pray for forty days, and how come Rick Warrens fails to mention the fact that Joseph was mourned for forty days when he died? Why? - because it would expose his sophistry (false logic).
In 2 Peter 2:1-3, he describes how this same trickery was used to corrupt churches: "But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the Lord that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction. And many shall follow their pernicious ways; by reason of whom the way of truth shall be evil spoken of. And through covetousness shall they with feigned words make merchandise of you..." Through covetousness - they wanted recognition, accolades, book signings, etc. To get it they will employ sophistry to twist and wrought false arguments. The end result of blind acceptance is that the people were made merchandise - they bought it - hook, line, and sinker. Fishermen use trickery to catch a fish. If a fish had any brains, he would carefully check out that fancy-looking lure before opening his mouth wide to swallow it. Yet, sadly, there are many people who have book after book by various sophists sitting on their bookshelf and coffee table. Even if it is sitting next to God's Word, they will swallow the crooked arguments over God's Word.
Paul warned in 2 Corinthians 11:3 about how "the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtilty, so your minds should be corrupted..." Subtilty. Too many Christians are on guard about New Age teachings, occult teachings, Satanism, etc. - but they do not scrutinize their own doctrine.
Act 17:11 "These [the Bereans] were more noble than those in Thessalonica,
in that they received the word with all readiness of mind, and searched
the scriptures daily, whether those things were so."
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