Philosophy means 'love of wisdom.' It is a way of thinking carefully about the basic questions of life. Philosophers try to find wisdom, understand it, and explain why it matters.
Philosophy in the Bible
The word 'philosophy' appears only once in the Bible. However, in the ancient Greek world, both Judaism and Christianity were seen as types of philosophy. Greek philosophers referred to the Jews as a philosophical people because biblical religion, unlike Greek religion, tries to explain the whole of reality and provides clear guidance for how to live.
The word "philosophy" appears only once in the Bible, in Colossians 2:8–10. In this passage, Paul explains that there are two different kinds of philosophy. One kind follows Christ's teachings, while the other follows human tradition, or “the spiritual forces of the world.” Paul warns the Colossians not to follow empty human traditions or basic spiritual forces of the world.
Instead, he wants them to follow Christ's way of thinking. This is because Christ, who is fully God in human form, provides true wisdom. Unlike the basic spiritual forces some people followed, Christ is "the head over every ruler and authority." Paul does not say that all philosophy is bad. Rather, he teaches that the best philosophy comes from following Christ's teachings. foundation for wisdom and philosophy.
In contrast to the mere “elemental spirits,” Christ himself is the “head of all rule and authority.” He is the greatest source of truth and justice. The discipline of philosophy is not condemned, for the alternative to deceit and human tradition is “philosophy . . . according to Christ.”
Philosophy as a formal way of thinking began in Greece after the Old Testament was written. This is why we don't find the word "philosophy" in the Old Testament. However, some books in the Old Testament are similar to philosophy books because they help people think about life's big questions. For example, the book of Proverbs gives wisdom and advice for living a good life. The books of Job and Ecclesiastes ask important questions about why things happen and what gives life meaning.
The Influence of Greek Thought
The Bible and the pagan philosophy of its time had some things in common. One example is the idea of changing how you live after accepting new beliefs. In the time when the New Testament was written, people understood that accepting new beliefs meant changing your whole way of life. We call this kind of change "conversion."
Another similarity was the way teachers shared their ideas through letters. Before the New Testament was written, Greek teachers like Plato and Isocrates wrote letters to explain their beliefs and teach people how to live. Later, New Testament writers also used letters to teach people about their faith.
During the time when the New Testament was written, philosophy was very practical. People studied philosophy to learn how to live a good life. Philosophers also spent a lot of time thinking about God, though different philosophers had different ideas about what God was like. At this time, many people were looking for two things: they wanted to know how to live right, and they wanted to know more about God.
Epicureans and Stoics
Two specific philosophies are mentioned in the New Testament: Epicureanism and Stoicism (Acts 17:18). The Epicureans followed a teacher named Epicurus, who lived in Athens from around 342 to 270 BC. Epicurus taught people practical ways to live a happy life by:
Being balanced in their behavior
Building good relationships with others
Epicurus thought that everything, including people, was made up of tiny pieces of material called atoms. He believed these atoms came together by chance, and that there was no divine plan behind it.
The Stoics, like the Epicureans, taught people to live balanced lives. But they had different beliefs about the world. They believed everything happens for a reason and that the world has a purpose. They taught that this purpose comes from something they called Logos (or "reason"). They believed the Logos was everywhere and controlled everything.
Like the Epicureans, the Stoics believed that everything in the world is physical or material—including people, gods, and even the Logos itself. Sometimes they even said the Logos was God.
When Paul was in Athens, he probably met another group of philosophers called "academic skeptics." These thinkers believed that humans cannot fully understand anything. They taught that people should be careful about saying something is definitely true or false. However, they understood that people still need to make choices in their daily lives. They were also very interested in learning what other people believed.
The Bible tells us that everyone in Athens at that time—both local people and visitors—loved to hear and talk about new ideas (Acts 17:21). This made Athens a place where people enjoyed having deep discussions about different beliefs.
Paul's Message to Athens
Since the people of Athens were so interested in new ideas, it made sense for Paul to share the good news about Jesus with them. He was able to convince some people to become followers of Jesus.
When Paul spoke to the Athenians, he started by finding things they could agree on. He quoted two of their own philosophers:
Epimenides, who lived in the 500s BC, said: "In him we live and move and have our being"
Cleanthes, a Stoic who lived in the 200s BC, said: "We are his offspring"
However, most of the philosophers did not accept Paul's message. They were especially troubled by two things Paul taught:
That Jesus was unique and special in a way no other person was
These ideas went against what the philosophers believed. They thought that when people died, that was the end—there was no coming back to life. This shows how different Christian beliefs were from the other philosophies of that time.