Part of the theological tradition of the Protestant church is the doctrine of the sufficiency of Scripture. In a nutshell, the Bible is sufficient for what we believe and how we live as Christians, and all other authority is subservient to Scripture. Do I believe that deeply enough to use it to measure all other worldviews and cultural trends?

While I was in Seminary, I became enamored with the field of philosophy. Thankfully, the Seminary I attended offered that degree and had several talented professors in the program. I was thrilled. However, not every minister I knew was as excited as I was. Another pastor once asked me what I had chosen as a major. When I told him, he responded with a half-hearted joke, “Are you still saved?”

Philosophy degrees at evangelical seminaries may be rare, but I received an outstanding education. From the history of ideas to formal training on critical thinking to learning about Christians who shaped Western philosophy, I gained an appreciation for the depths and riches of the faith. In the years since, my commitment to the “faith once delivered to the saints” (Jude 1:3) has only grown stronger, and my love of truth has become unshakeable.

I bring up my Seminary degree to dive into what Paul says in Colossians 2:4 when he writes, “so that no one may delude you with plausible arguments.” He later says, “See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

Christian pastors and leaders must remain faithful to Christ and not be duped by false ideas. This is at least as pressing now as when Paul penned those words. The landscape of worldviews and ideas has not grown less complex over time, and it may have grown more difficult to tell the false from the true. Part of the shepherd’s calling is to protect the truth of the Gospel while warning the flock about the schemes of the enemy that would separate us from the riches in Christ.

The landscape of worldviews and ideas has not grown less complex over time, and it may have grown more difficult to tell the false from the true.

Here are three questions we can ask to avoid deception.

What about Christ? 

In the same passage where Paul warns us against the delusions of empty philosophies, he also emphasizes the centrality of knowledge and wisdom in Christ. He wants us to “have the full riches of complete understanding, in order that [we] may know the mystery of God, namely, Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge” (Colossians 2:2-3).

When measuring a worldview, political philosophy, or popular idea, a great first question is, “What does it make of Christ?” In many ways, this is the bottom line. If a popular worldview has nothing to do with Christ, or if it downplays the uniqueness of Christ or changes biblical teaching, it is the pastor’s job to make that clear to people. We must steer people away from ideologies that do not get Christ right and back to where the “treasures of wisdom and knowledge” are kept. 

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