Afterwords -- week 14
"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 ESV)
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March 26, 2022
Dear friends,
Within a span of one day here in Blacksburg, we have enjoyed warm sunshine and spring blossoms, and then a few hours later, scraping snow and ice off our windshield! March weather in southwest Virginia can certainly be temperamental! Last weekend, however, we enjoyed a visit with family in Washington, D. C., where we walked about the city, seeing the beautiful cherry blossoms coming into bloom (photo above). It was a good time.
"SEE TO IT..." The Apostle Paul does not shy away from giving warning and admonition to Christians. In this letter to the Colossians, he proclaims the preeminence of Christ and declares that believers are complete in him. And then he warns, "See to it..." (2:8), "let no one pass judgment" (2:16), and "let no one disqualify you" (2:18). There was a danger that the Colossian believers were falling into a practice of asceticism and mysticism, which was not truly spiritual, but rather, worldly in spirit. It was a substitute spirituality. The "elemental spirits" (2:8 ESV) is translated in the NAS as "elementary principles", or in other words, the world's basic way of thinking (cf Jas 3:15). For every positive teaching given in God's word, there is usually a negative statement, a warning, a caution against falling into error. For the Corinthians, for example, the positive teaching about their bodies being the temple of the Holy Spirit was combined with warnings to flee sexual immorality. For the Colossians, it was some kind of mystical Jedi-like spirituality that was detracting them from simple faith in Christ. This is a reminder to me that, no matter how many good truths I have learned, I still need to know about, and be on the alert for, spiritual substitutes which would become snares to me and trip up my walk with God.
THE DANGEROUS "ISMS". Here are some of those spiritual substitutes we can fall for...
Formalism (focus and reliance upon on form and ceremonies, often outward).
Legalism (reliance upon the level of one's own performance).
Mysticism (seeking and trusting in one's supernatural experiences).
Asceticism (harsh treatment of the body for purification or advancement).
Individualism (trust in oneself as unconnected / unaccountable to others).
Intellectualism (trusting in one's attainment of knowledge).
READING: HUMANITARIAN THEORY OF PUNISHMENT. Some of C. S. Lewis's last writings and addresses have been gathered into a book, God in the Dock: Essays on Theology and Ethics (Eerdmans, 1970). I am continually amazed at how prescient he was regarding the direction of modern western societies. In "The Humanitarian Theory of Punishment" he observes that many in England (and elsewhere) were beginning to embrace the idea that "to punish a man because he deserves it, and as much as he deserves, is mere revenge, and, therefore, barbarous and immoral." He goes on: "...we have passed from the harsh and self-righteous notion of giving the wicked their deserts to the charitable and enlightened one of tending the psychologically sick." But such mercy can neglect a proper sense of judgment.
MERCY DETACHED FROM JUSTICE. Lewis shows how such a humanitarian view of judgment will nevertheless involve compulsory treatment, though not according to law but according to the opinion of specialists. In this case we are moving outside the sphere of justice (and forgiveness) to the sphere of psychology and treatment. The question becomes not what a criminal deserves, but what that person needs in the way of psychological help and rehabilitation, while deterring others from similar behavior. Unlike the law, where a specified penalty (and payment of penalty) exists, now under psychological judgment, there is no release until a trained professional would permit it. Lewis notes, "Of all tyrannies a tyranny sincerely exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. Mercy detached from Justice, grows unmerciful." This would ultimately result in a world without the reality of forgiveness. Read the full text here.
OTHER RECENT ARTICLES. In his new memoir, former attorney general William Barr says religious liberty is the most pressing civil rights issue of our time. He writes, “A healthy religious sphere is a necessary precondition for a system in which the power of government can be effectively limited and bound to respect the widest personal freedoms of its citizens.”
THE BRADLEY STUDY CENTER OF VT hosted Professors Cornel West and Robert George in a dialogue about civil discourse, showing how it's possible to disagree while maintaining integrity, humility, and care for one another. You can watch this discussion here.
THIS WEEK I'm writing with a Lamy Studio, a modern German-made fountain pen (photo below).
That's it for week 14!
Sandy
