 |  |
"They live meanly, and despise delicacies in diet; and they follow the conduct of reason."
"When they determine that all things are done by fate, they do not take away the
freedom from men of acting as they think fit."
Of the Sadducees, Josephus writes:--
"Nor do they regard the observation of anything besides what the law enjoins them;
for they think it an instance of virtue to dispute with those teachers of philosophy whom
they frequent."
Of the Essenes he writes:--
"All things are best ascribed to God. They teach the immortality of souls . . . . . they
do not offer sacrifices . . . . . yet in their course of life better than that of other men . . . . .
they neither marry wives, nor are desirous to keep servants."
There is much food for thought in Josephus' analysis of these Jewish philosophies.
The following of "reason", the idea of "fate", the "despising of delicacies in diet", the
avoidance of "marriage", the view that disputation is a virtue, the avoidance of
sacrifice--all speak volumes. Here was a people who had received the oracles of God, a
revelation from on high, and this is where their reasonings and philosophies had led them.
They were all blind leaders of the blind.
The mixture of Jewish and Greek philosophy which emerged after the apostle's day is
known as "Gnosticism"; it is here seen in its early stages.
The Scriptures are able to make wise unto salvation, and to give a knowledge of the
will of God. Philosophy is a poor and harmful substitute.
Philosophy has two supports: the tradition of men, and the rudiments of the world.
These mischievous teachers would attempt to support their philosophy by appealing to
the tradition of men, and especially to that of the Elders. This would lend colour to their
speculations and help to make them less unattractive to those who still regarded the
Scriptures as sacred and true.
Tradition has usually been unscriptural largely because it has added to the Word of
truth. Christ accused the leaders of the Jews of transgressing the commandment of God,
and making it of none effect by their tradition (Matt. 15: 2-6).
The apostle Paul knew the bondage of tradition--so did also Peter (see Gal. 1: 14 and
I Pet. 1: 18). And to this day, it has a stifling grip upon many a child of God. Many a
belief, hoary with age, has become attached to the pure Word of God and been accepted
as truth. Philosophy's appeal to tradition is often quite enough; the hearer is
overwhelmed with great names and great words, accepts the enticing words of man's
wisdom for valid argument, and succumbs.