Question: “How Do I Know There is a God?” Answer: As it is stated, this could be a question about the existence of God, or a question about human knowledge. Either way, these ideas have been discussed and debated throughout history, and a long description of religious and philosophical positions could be a possible response.…
HOW SHOULD I LIVE? Does it matter how I live? This is the philosophical question of ethics, which is said to be “the search for the meaning and standards of good in general, and or well-being, right conduct, moral character, and justice in particular.”1 What Paul Says In Colossians, Paul lays out nine principles…
WHAT AM I? Am I purely biological? Am I body and mind? Am I a soul captured by some dust? Am I the same person as I was ten years ago, even though my physical appearance, my character, and my preferences are different now? Will I cease to exist at death? What is a human?…
UNDERSTANDING THE CHRIST-CENTERED METAPHYSICS OF COLOSSIANS What is real? Nothing? Perceptions? Material things? The eternal? The question of ultimate reality is generally referred to as the question of metaphysics. This is often discussed as the problem of the one and the many. While discussions in metaphysics often debate whether reality is about the one or…
UNDERSTANDING THE CHRIST-CENTERED EPISTEMOLOGY OF COLOSSIANS “How do I know?” is usually called the epistemological question. Epistemology is the study of, “the nature and scope of knowledge, its presuppositions and basis, and the general reliability of claims to knowledge.”1 What Paul says Paul’s basic response to, “How do I know?” is that when we…
HOW DOES PAUL’S ARGUMENT IN COLOSSIANS RELATE TO PHILOSOPHY? 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. (Col. 2:8) Every time one verse or passage becomes the center of a large discussion, it is imperative to ask…
Many Christians have warned against the perils of philosophy, arguing that it is, at best, human speculation.1 These people often quote Paul’s warning to the church at Colosse: “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” (Col.…