“I want you to know how hard I am contending for you and for those at Laodicea, and for all who have not met me personally. My goal is that they may be encouraged in heart and united in love, so that they may have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge. I tell you this so that no one may deceive you by fine-sounding arguments. For though I am absent from you in body, I am present with you in spirit and delight to see how disciplined you are and how firm your faith in Christ is.
So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the elemental spiritual force of this world rather than on Christ.” (Colossians 2:1-8 NIV)
Early in my walk with Jesus, I was told by many around me that the “charismatic gifts” (I Corinthians 12) had been replaced by the New Testament, that any such display of these gifts in the modern church was of the devil or based on out-of-control emotionalism. To my young ears, it was a fine-sounding argument. Yet, as I matured, continued to examine the Scriptures, and experienced a different point of view from fellow believers, both in this country and in many countries around the world, I began to see the flaws of this argument. It was shortsighted and mostly a reaction to extreme beliefs and practices with regard to the spiritual gifts.
Today there are a lot of fine-sounding arguments out there and, like me, a lot of people accept them because they sound reasonable. For example, there is one that says followers of Jesus should not concern themselves with the sins of others. Pope Francis added credence to this argument by saying a few months ago, “Who am I to judge?” when asked to comment on the Catholic Church’s stand against homosexuality. Yet, if one reads the Scriptures, there is plenty of evidence that believers should be concerned and seek to persuade (not condemn) others, particularly their brothers and sisters in the Lord, to repent of and avoid sin. (For example: Colossians 3:5-10; James 5:19-20; John 8:9-11)
Another fine-sounding argument regards evolution. The argument goes that science proves there is no Creator; that the earth and the entire universe evolved to their present state over billions and billions of years. Thus, it is immense amounts of time that proves God is unnecessary. Scientists like Bill Nye scoff at the idea of a God creating anything instantaneously out of nothing. In essence, they argue that time is all that is needed to do what Christians claim God did. It sounds reasonable, particularly when they lay out their evidence, but they operate on the assumption there is no omnipotent God, that human beings are the highest order of existence. There is no room in their thinking for the God described in the Scriptures as the Source of all creation and the One who holds the universe and everything in it together (Colossians 1:15-17). Yet Paul tells us that Creation reveals clearly the existence of God, as well as much about Him (Romans 1:19-20)
Fine-sounding arguments, by their very nature, sound good and reasonable. Yet, Paul warns us not to accept them at face value. We instead must evaluate them with discernment and Scriptural truth. Whether they come from the world or from within the church, no argument should be accepted without scrutiny.
Today, know not every fine-sounding argument is true, regardless of how reasonable it might sound. So the next time you hear one, be on your guard and investigate its veracity. Otherwise, you place yourself at risk of being deceived.
© Jim Musser 2014
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