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.

Colossians 2:8

In terms of biblical studies, philosophizing is the opposite of diligent study. It is to reason out (dream up) a solution or interpretation of a passage or issue, controversy, or contradiction that seems to satisfy the perceived understanding rather than diligently studying, comparing Scripture with Scripture.

As an example: Augustinian/Calvinistic predestination of individual salvation is a philosophical contrivance. When faced with the apparent contradiction that if Christ Jesus died for all, but all are not saved, it was philosophized that he could not have died for all and all not be saved, therefore He did not die for all but a limited prechosen few. Universalism took the opposite philosophical track and determined that if He died for all, then all must be saved eventually, excluding eternal punishment.

A theological method to deal with the apparent contradiction would be to diligently study which leads to the biblical answer of the dual nature of the plan of salvation.

Some try to remove the person of Jesus Christ teaching that all He is a mythological or literary device and that all we need are the teachings. This is vain deceit using “vain deceit, after the tradition of men” to misdirect from the truth. The teachings are to show how badly we need a Saviour, Jesus.

Colossians 2:10 And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power:

We are complete in him; we do not need anything more or anyone else.

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