Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidius  Quote:
Originally Posted by ChristianTrader Quote:
Originally Posted by Davidius
I think it's a good thread, and I'd be more interested in discussing if you would be, too.
Paul says in Colossians 2 that all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are in Christ. Would that be a starting point for defining knowledge? And just so you don't assume that in asking a simple question I'm trying to espouse Clarkianism, please know that I am not doing so.
| David,
What do you take Paul to be saying in Colossians 2?
CT | I'm not totally sure, which is why I asked the question whether this would be a good place to start. It sounds to me like Paul is saying that knowledge and wisdom, whatever they are, are found in Christ, whatever that means. |
Might proto-gnosticism be referred to here? Rather than try to find some hidden, secret gnosis, by means of which one would attain salvation, or special spiritual status, look no futher, it is deposited in Christ!
See v.2 "in order that they may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ."
The "mystery" of God is a frequent reference to the
Gospel, by which men are
saved. Gnosticism taught men were saved by attaining mysterious or hidden knowledge. Not the case here. There's nothing hidden, Christ came down into history, and made himself known to man. We can see reference to the actual, historical teachings about Hesus, as given by the apostles, and accessible to anyone who chose to search these things to find out if they were true:
" 6 So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, 7rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness."
They were "taught" the things of the faith. The teachings were accessible to all men, salvation is found in the Lord. No need to go searching for salvation elsewhere, it's depositied in Christ.
Reference to the real, corporeal world is made:
9For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in
bodily form,
Not secret, mystical, gnostic gestures.
Salvation is in mind here:
"13When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. 15And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.
Paul isn't giving a talk about epistemology here, especially the questions 21st century epistemologists are asking.