The Bewares: “the Culture Deceivers”

Colossians 2:8 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. KJV

Colossians 2:8 See to it, then, that no one enslaves you by means of the worthless deceit of human wisdom, which comes from the teachings handed down by human beings and from the ruling spirits of the universe, and not from Christ. GNB

We are warned in these passages in regards to the deceiving doctrines of men and demonic rulers of the world. We are told that men are seduced and enslaved by such teachings. The Apostle here is not speaking of false doctrines taught by cultists or false teachers of religion, but deceptive philosophies and ideas that are eagerly passed down by popular culture to the mainstream masses. Gregory Koukl and Francis Beckwith, in their book Relativism, explain how this process happens:

“Ideas that are whispered are seldom analyzed well, for they simply don’t draw enough attention. By means of repetition and passive acceptance over time, they take on the force of common wisdom, a ‘truth’ that everyone knows but no one has stopped to examine . . . a kind of intellectual urban legend. When ideas like these take root, they are difficult to dislodge. The ideas become so much a part of our emerging intellectual constitution that we are increasingly incapable of critical self-reflection. Even if we did, we have little conviction that such analysis would do any good anyway.”

It is astounding how these “intellectual urban legends” have shaped the thinking and beliefs of the American culture. Here’s a sample:
Pro-Choice Movement—A woman’s right to choose supersedes the right of life for the child in her womb.
Gay Movement—Homosexuality is genetic; most gay men and women are born that way.
Entertainment/Media— Art can only influence society for good, not for ill.
Sexual Revolution/Humanism—Short of harming others or compelling them to do likewise, individuals should be permitted to express their sexual proclivities and pursue their lifestyles as they desire.
Humanism—Happiness, the good life, individuality and shared enjoyments are continual themes of human life. Man at the core of his nature is basically good.
Darwinism/Evolution—Man evolved from advanced forms of animals, mainly from monkeys.
Relativism —All truth is relative, subjective. There are no absolute truths or standards that apply universally.

Shockingly, some, if not most, of the Protestant churches in America recognize these so-called “common truths.” George Barna in What Americans Believe, points to research that show the church’s ethics often mirror pop culture’s ethics. With regard to some of these beliefs, the church is even more liberal than the non-Christian population. For example, 73 percent of Protestant Christians when surveyed said they do not believe in absolute truth compared to 65 percent of non-Christians. It looks like pop culture is making inroads in what has historically been known as the most conservative segment of American society, the church.

I am reminded of Colossians 2:4 that reads “…do not let anyone deceive you with false arguments, no matter how good they seem to be.” Unfortunately, we have many in the Christian community with good deeds that are among the deceived. They may have started well but their convictions have grown callous over time and they are unable to discern a lie from the truth.

How do you and I combat the great deception of our day? God’s word has plenty to offer us. Colossians 2:7 states, “Keep your roots deep in him[Christ], build your lives on him, and become stronger in your faith, as you were taught. And be filled with thanksgiving.” I think that will do it, don’t you? We don’t have to be sucked into the culture’s vacuity. Christ gives the discernment and the power to beware and to overcome deceitful men and their doctrines. Praise the Lord!