Taoism

Participant

GB,
You said this in another thread
“If evil or good were removed from you mind you would become a complete Idiot. It's the balance of these that give us Wisdom. You can't have wisdom without both.”

Sounds familiar and humanistic.

January 24, 2009 at 12:26 am#118897

Participant

Nick said:

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This chinese philosophy adds nothing to the truth of Scripture.
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.

Nick,
Colossians 2:8 has absloutely nothing to do with modern Chinese philosophy. Paul's reference to “vain philosophy” had to do with the Judaizers who wanted to keep God's people under Moses. This is evident by Paul's reference to the “elementery principles of the world” (“world” = Jews).

thinker

February 9, 2009 at 7:22 am#120890

Participant

Greek philosophy was prevelant back then. And while he may have been referring to such philosophy, in principle, this scripture can be applied to any of man's philosophies.

February 10, 2009 at 3:28 am#120973

Participant

Quote (david @ Feb. 09 2009,18:22)

Greek philosophy was prevelant back then. And while he may have been referring to such philosophy, in principle, this scripture can be applied to any of man's philosophies.

David,
Colossians 2 shows that it was not a Greek philosophy but rather a Jewish interpretation of the Mosaic code that brought God's people under a “legalistic” lifestyle.

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So let no man judge you in food or drink, or regarding a festival or a new moon or sabbaths, which are a shadow of things to come, but the substance is Jesus Christ (2:16)

These things mentioned are the “vain philosophy” of verse 8. It was about Jews trying to put Christians back under the Mosaic codes which were only “shadows” which pointed to Christ. It had nothing to do with Greek philosophy then and has nothing to do with Chinese philosophy now.

thinker

February 10, 2009 at 6:18 am#120997

Participant

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It had nothing to do with Greek philosophy then and has nothing to do with Chinese philosophy now.

Here is what this scripture says:
COLOSSIANS 2:8
“Look out: perhaps there may be someone who will carry YOU off as his prey through THE PHILOSOPHY and EMPTY DECEPTION according to THE TRADITION OF MEN, according to THE ELEMENTARY THINGS OF THE WORLD and not according to Christ;”

Philosophy/empty deception/tradition of men/things of the world.

Does Chinese philosophy fit under any of these things? Greek philosophy certainly does. So does some Jewish. Even if he was speaking of Jewish philosophies, Greek philosophy surrounded them back then, and the PRINCIPLE behind this scripture equally applies.

Back then the intellectual circle of the day was abuzz not only with the philosophical ideas of Plato and Aristotle but also with those of the newer schools, such as the Epicureans and the Stoics.

When the apostle Paul came to Athens on his second missionary tour, he was confronted by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers who felt that they were superior to “this chatterer,” Paul.—Acts 17:18.

It is not hard, therefore, to understand why some among the early Christians were drawn to the pretentious ways and life-styles of the people around them. (2 Timothy 4:10)

Those who were part and parcel of the system seemed to enjoy many benefits and advantages, and the choices they made appeared to be sound. The world seemed to have something valuable to offer that the dedicated Christian way of life did not.

Hence, Paul's warning. Paul coupled “philosophy” with “empty deception.” In other words, Paul viewed the wisdom that the world had to offer as empty and deceptive. (This could have included many things.)

“Paul pointed to “philosophy,” the only time this word occurs in the Bible. Was he talking about the Greek philosophers, such as Plato and Socrates? Although these posed a threat to true Christians, in those days, the word “philosophy” had a broad usage. It commonly referred to many groups and schools of thought—even religious ones. For instance, such first-century Jews as Josephus and Philo called their own religion a philosophy—perhaps to add to its appeal.”
–Watchtower, Announcing Jehovah's Kingdom, 1998, 6/1, p. 12

February 10, 2009 at 6:18 am#120998

Participant

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It had nothing to do with Greek philosophy then and has nothing to do with Chinese philosophy now.

What does it have to do with now? How does it apply today? Or is this scripture now useless?

February 16, 2009 at 4:13 pm#121737

Participant

Quote (david @ Feb. 10 2009,17:18)

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It had nothing to do with Greek philosophy then and has nothing to do with Chinese philosophy now.

What does it have to do with now? How does it apply today? Or is this scripture now useless?

David,
Of course the Scriptures apply now. The scriptures are altogether useful to us. The difference between then and now is that the law of God had not been written upon their hearts when Paul gave that warning. But the law of God is in the minds and hearts of Christians today

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For this is the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel after those days, says the Lord, “I will put my laws in their mind and write them on their hearts; and I will be their God and they shall be My people. None of them shall teach his neighbor, and NONE his brother, saying 'know the Lord', for they ALL shall know Me from the least to the greatest of them” (Heb.8;10-12)

Paul warned against philosophies when those philosophies were a threat. But today no philosophy can remove us from God's love because the law of God is in our minds and hearts. NONE shall teach us anything. So the application today is this: Just rest in the Lord!

thinker

February 16, 2009 at 8:31 pm#121758

Participant

Quote (thethinker @ Jan. 24 2009,11:26)

Nick said:

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thinker

Hi TT,
Where does scripture define the WORLD as the JEWS?

February 16, 2009 at 8:32 pm#121759

Participant

Quote (thethinker @ Feb. 17 2009,03:13)

Quote (david @ Feb. 10 2009,17:18)

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It had nothing to do with Greek philosophy then and has nothing to do with Chinese philosophy now.

What does it have to do with now? How does it apply today? Or is this scripture now useless?

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thinker

Hi TT,
It is a brave man who can confidently assert that he is now an oracle of truth.

Does that not make someone unteachable?

February 16, 2009 at 11:34 pm#121773

Participant

Nick wrote:

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Where does scripture define the WORLD as the JEWS?

Hi Nick,
In John 15:18-25 Jesus told His disciples that the world would hate them as it hated Him. He said that this would happen “as it is written in THEIR law” (v. 25). Therefore, the “world” was the Jews because the Gentiles did not have the law.

thinker

February 16, 2009 at 11:40 pm#121774

Participant

Nick said:

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It is a brave man who can confidently assert that he is now an oracle of truth.

Nick,
Who said anything about anyone being an oracle of truth? The passage from Hebrews simply says that in the new covenant age the law is written in the minds and hearts of Christians. Therefore, vain philosophies are no longer a threat to them. Paul warned against vain philosophies before the law had been written in the minds and hearts of God's people.

thinker

February 16, 2009 at 11:41 pm#121775

Participant

Hi tt,
Jn15
18If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you.

19If ye were of the world, the world would love his own: but because ye are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you.

20Remember the word that I said unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord. If they have persecuted me, they will also persecute you; if they have kept my saying, they will keep yours also.

21But all these things will they do unto you for my name's sake, because they know not him that sent me.

22If I had not come and spoken unto them, they had not had sin: but now they have no cloak for their sin.

23He that hateth me hateth my Father also.

24If I had not done among them the works which none other man did, they had not had sin: but now have they both seen and hated both me and my Father.

25But this cometh to pass, that the word might be fulfilled that is written in their law, They hated me without a cause.

So you are satisfied with the quality of the evidence you present??

February 17, 2009 at 6:03 am#121827

Participant

I thought this thread was on Gene's toism.

May 28, 2012 at 1:37 am#299639

Participant

Hi Ed,
Did your god have to have evil separated from his spirit?

May 30, 2012 at 2:17 am#300046

GeneBalthrop

Participant

Nick………..God himself (IS) a SPIRIT a “type and Kind” of Spirit , God is not a PERSON as you assume. Why do you think Jesus said He spoke of the FATHER in proverbial (in fictitious illustrations) language. But a day would come when he would speak of the Father in a clear language. Is it becasue God the Father is a Spirit and Not a Person as you percieve a persons as.

Spirits are not Person or Beings they are forces that give us our cognate Thought in Short our intellects. God who is Spiirt, give (ITS) Spirit influence to who ever (IT) is (IN) rather Jesus or anyone else. It can be poured forth on all flesh Just as Joel has said . The seven spirits of God are in front of Yahweh's throne and He pours them out on the earth and they exist in all creation to one degree or another in all Physical creation. Those spirits are the “LIFE” force of God creation,in Man or Animals . IMO

peace and love………………………………………………gene

May 30, 2012 at 2:22 am#300049

Ed J

Participant

Quote (Nick Hassan @ May 28 2012,12:37)

Hi Ed,
Did your god have to have evil separated from his spirit?

No, but you do; because the natural man cannot understand the things of God. (see 2Cor.2:14)

May 30, 2012 at 3:05 am#300050

Ed J

Participant

Hi Nick,

Do you believe my “God” is different from your “God”?

God bless
Ed J (Joshua 22:34)
http://www.holycitybiblecode.org

May 30, 2012 at 9:07 am#300059