Philosophy & Vain Deceit

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. King James

Colossians 2:8 Beware lest any man cheat you by philosophy, and vain deceit; according to the tradition of men, according to the elements of the world, and not according to Christ:  Douay Rheims

Colossians  2:8 See ye that no man deceive you by philosophy and vain fallacy, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ.  Wycliffe

I love each of the three versions , especially a key descriptive word.  The King James says "spoil", Douay Rheims uses "cheat".  Wycliffe uses "deceive".  When people bring philosophy and vainness it is through deception and dishonesty which destroys a person's walk with the Lord.  Sad but true.

Many people dismiss the Lord Jesus as a middle eastern philosopher who walked on earth thousands of years ago.  They say Jesus had a good message just like other philosophers before and after him but He is not God.  

In my three books, I outline and establish Jesus Christ is God from the beginning of time until the second to the last chapter Jude found in the Holy Bible.  I left Revelation up to the reader to learn more about what Jesus revealed for the end times.  Jesus is God as the Light created in Day One in Genesis 1 where John 1 -3 confirms it.     

Are my three books or this blog 100% accurate in the translation of the word of God?  Absolutely not.  Only the Holy Bible is the truth of the word of God.  As we read in each of these three versions,  spoil, cheat and  deceive each have slightly different meanings.  

The larger point is to understand the verse in relation to living for Christ.  What is the message we need to learn?  We are to watch out for people who use philosophy or are vain in their life who teach anything but Christ. 

When we look at rudiments (elements) it takes us all the way back to Genesis 1 in Jesus as God created as the light.  But it is more than that, it is about worshipping God vs nature or other gods.  Do you worship God with all your heart, soul, mind and strength?  Or do you worship and idolize things that bring vainness or philosophy in the world?  

There have been several Christian books written, some quite successful, in luring away Christians in their faith towards a path of prosperity.  If you are not rich, it is because you lack faith type of prosperity.  You are poor because you don't know God.  These are 100% false and goes against the teachings of Jesus Christ.

These types of books and preachers are exactly who Paul is telling us to avoid.  Prosperity preachers giving you vain philosophy that God wants you rich.  God wants your heart in love towards him and others where He will bless those who bless others.  

Philosophy and vainness have been in existence since the beginning with Adam and Eve.  The Serpent, aka Satan, in the garden gave vain deceit and philosophized to Eve which caused the downfall of human kind.  The serpent's deception and dishonesty destroyed Adam and Eve's relationship with Jesus, Lord God, in the garden.  That will always be the case including things that contradict Christs teaching that we are born male and female.  

That is why Jesus says the only way to Heaven is through Him; otherwise philosophy and vain deceit would rule our lives.  That is Satan's biggest weapon against the world and sadly, Christians fall for that trap as Paul alludes to in several written letters.  It is the case today as we see a fractured church around same sex, different beliefs, prosperity, thousand different denominations and others.  

We are Christians not Catholics, Baptists, Lutherans, Mormons, LDS, non denomination, etc...  

Acts 11:26  And the disciples were called Christians first in Antioch.  King James  

 Acts 11:26 so that at Antioch the disciples were first named Christians. Douay Rheims

Acts 11:26  so that the disciples were named first at Antioch christian men.  Wycliffe

We are Christians born again through the baptism of  water of Jesus Christ who shed His blood on the cross for the redemption and forgiveness of sins as a promise of everlasting life for those who call on His name Jesus Christ.  Christians love God and love their neighbor.