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False Logic
by Daniel Valles
Colossians 2:8 warns, "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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