“A high Christology and an understanding of the person and work of Christ is the vaccine that inoculates our worldview from the deadly viruses that abound around us. Jesus is the invisible image of God (Col. 1:15a). Not only did Jesus create all things but all were created for him (Col. 1:16).”
A Christian worldview has its foundation upon God since God is the Creator and Sustainer of all things. Since the Bible is God’s Word, the Christian worldview is shaped by the Scriptures. The Bible explains to us God’s view of the world to which our conceptions must conform. The climax of God’s self-revelation to us comes in the person of Christ who is over all things. It is of little wonder then that Paul describes Jesus as the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Col. 2:3).
This verse becomes very foundational for the Christian in the formation of their worldview. In Colossians, Paul is responding to some kind of error that the church has recently confronted. He warns them not to be taken captive by “philosophy and empty deceit” that is based upon “human tradition and according to the elemental spirits of the world” (Col. 2:8). A Christian worldview cannot be built on anything that is not “according to Christ” (Col. 2:8).
While scholars debate the precise nature of the heresy at Colossae, Paul’s own clues seem it indicate that it is a kind of legalistic asceticism that incorporates mystical elements and inappropriate applications of the Old Testament. For example, Paul warns the believers to not let others judge them over issues of food and drink but also festivals, new moons, and Sabbaths (Col. 2:16). The errors included asceticism, worship of angles, and reliance on visions (Col. 2:18). Whatever the precise nature of the errors or the exact meaning behind “elemental spirits of the world” (Col. 2:8, 20), clearly the ideas were self-made and not divinely revealed and lack the effectiveness to stop the power of sin (2:23). In short, the Colossians faced a temptation to add extra-biblical practices and spirituality to their worldview and patterns of behavior.
If that was the disease, the prescription is Christ. A high Christology and an understanding of the person and work of Christ is the vaccine that inoculates our worldview from the deadly viruses that abound around us. Jesus is the invisible image of God (Col. 1:15a). Not only did Jesus create all things but all were created for him (Col. 1:16) which takes the highest language of Old Testament monotheism reserved for the God of Israel, YHWH, and applies it directly to Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is equally the sustainer of all things (Col. 1:17). Jesus is fully divine but now also exalted over creation in full humanity. He is the firstborn of all creation (Col. 1:15b), firstborn from the dead so that He is preeminent over all (Col. 1:18).
Looking out into the world we see that which Christ created and that which Christ presently reigns over as the One who is both fully divine and fully human, the son of David. Just as the king sets the laws of his kingdom, so also are all things rooted in Christ so that it is from Him we learn and understand how to build a worldview. If something doesn’t come from Christ, find its origin or source in Christ, or point in some way back to Christ then it cannot be part of a Christian worldview. All things are by Him and for Him.
We will not find treasures of wisdom and knowledge in man-made philosophy. We will not find uncover great truths or power in spirituality created by men or displayed in other religions. This is particularly important for the church today as she often seeks to incorporate eastern religious practices or intuit spiritual knowledge through methods similar to Gnostic or Kabbalistic practice. Why look for things in methods and manners that are “not according to Christ”?