Early Christian Views on Philosophers and Philosophy

Origen, Against Celsus Direct teaching

...sehood as truth. So he says about such things, "Beware lest anyone spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, according to the tradition of men, according to the rudiments of the world, and not according to Christ." And since there was a kind of greatness shown in the words of the world's wisdom, he said that the words of the philosophers were according to the rudiments of the world. However, no sensible person would say that the words of Celsus were according to the rudiments of the world. Now the apostle called those words that contained some element of deceit "vain deceit," probably to distinguish them from a deceit that was not vain. And the prophet Jeremiah, noticing this, dared to say to God, "O Lord, You have deceived me, and I was deceived; You are stronger than I, and have prevailed." But in the language of Celsus, it seems to me, there is no deceitfulness at all, not even the kind that is vain. I mean the kind of deceitfulness found in the language of those who founded philosophical sects and were given no ordinary ability for such pursuits. And just as no one would say that some ordinary mistake in geometrical demonstrations was meant to deceive, or would describe

Cyprian, Epistles Direct teaching

...s and philosophers. And when the apostle says, "Beware lest anyone spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit," in Colossians 2:8, we must avoid those things that do not come from God's mercy, but are begotten from the presumption of an overly rigid philosophy. We also find it said in the Scriptures about Moses, "Now the man Moses was very meek," in Numbers 12:3. And the Lord says in His Gospel, "Be merciful, just as your Father also had mercy on you." And again, "Those who are well do not need a physician, but those who are sick," in Matthew 9:12. What medical skill can a man use if he says, "I heal only the healthy, who have no need of a physician"? We ought to give our help, our healing skill, to those who are wounded. And let us not think that they are dead. Rather, let us regard them as lying half alive, since we see that they were wounded in the deadly persecution. If they had been completely dead, they could never afterward, from among those same people, have become both confessors and martyrs.

Tertullian, De Anima (On the Soul) Direct teaching

... by using arguments that both sides admit are valid, and that sometimes even fit with our system of belief. In this way, the truth has almost been shut out by the philosophers through the poisons with which they have infected it. Therefore, if we consider both kinds of mixing that I have just mentioned, and both are equally hostile to the truth, we see the urgent need to do two things. First, we must free the ideas that we hold in common with them from the philosophers' arguments. Second, we must separate the arguments that both sides use from the philosophers' own opinions. And we can do this by bringing every question back to God's inspired standard, except in simple cases that are free from the confusion of preconceived notions, where one may fairly accept mere human testimony. For sometimes we must borrow plain evidence of that kind even from opponents, when our opponents have nothing to gain from it. Now I am not unaware of how great a mass of writing the philosophers have gathered on this subject in their own commentaries. I know how many schools of thought there are, how many conflicts of opinion, how many rich sources of questions, and how many confusing methods of solvi

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching

...m others, so all the others take it away from that sect. For those who accuse it of folly are still philosophers. Whatever sect you praise and declare to be true, philosophers condemn as false. Shall we therefore believe the one that praises itself and its own teaching, or the many that blame one another's ignorance? What is held by many must necessarily be better than what is held by one alone. For no one can rightly judge himself, as the famous poet testifies. Human nature is so made that people see and judge the affairs of others better than their own. Since, therefore, all things are uncertain, we must either believe all or believe none. If we are to believe no one, then wise men do not exist, because while they separately claim different things, they think themselves wise. If we are to believe all, it is just as true that there are no wise men, because all deny the wisdom of each one individually. Therefore, all are destroyed in this way. And like those fabled sparti of the poets, these men kill one another, so that none of them is left. This happens for this reason: they have a sword, but they have no shield. If, therefore, the individual sects are convicted of folly by th

Lactantius, The Divine Institutes Direct teaching

What could be said that is more contradictory? If the teachings of philosophy ought to be known, they ought to be known for this reason: so that we may live well and wisely. But if we must live as members of a community, then philosophy is not wisdom, if it is better to live according to society than according to philosophy. For if what is called philosophy is wisdom, then the man who does not live according to philosophy certainly lives foolishly. But if the man who lives according to society does not live foolishly, it follows that the man who lives according to philosophy lives foolishly. Therefore, by your own judgment, philosophy is condemned as foolish and empty. And you also, in your Consolation, that is, not in a work of lightness and amusement, expressed this view about philosophy: "But I do not know what error has taken hold of us, or what miserable ignorance of the truth." Where, then, is the guidance of philosophy? Or what has that parent of life taught you, if you are miserably ignorant of the truth? But if this confession of error and ignorance has been forced from your inmost heart, almost against your will, why do you not finally admit to yourself the truth: that ph

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

And about such people it is said, "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; I will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent." So the apostle adds, "Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world?" In this he sets, in contrast with the scribes, the disputers of this world, that is, the philosophers of the Gentiles. "Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world?" 1 Corinthians 1:19-20. This means, He showed it to be foolish, and not true, as they thought. And if you ask the cause of their seeming wisdom, he will say, "because of the blindness of their heart." Since, in the wisdom of God, that is, as proclaimed by the prophets, the world did not know, in the wisdom that spoke through the prophets, Him, that is, God, "it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching"—what seemed foolishness to the Greeks—"to save them that believe." For the Jews require signs, in order to faith. And the Greeks seek wisdom, plainly those reasonings called irresistible, and those others, namely, syllogisms. But we preach Jesus Christ crucified. To the Jews, a stumbling-block, because, though knowing prophecy, they did not believe the event. To the Greeks, foolishness

Tertullian, Apology Direct teaching

...Scriptures. Some from their group, along with their opinions, have even adulterated our newly given Christian revelation and corrupted it into a system of philosophical doctrines. From the one path, they have turned aside into many by-roads that cannot be explained. And I have mentioned this so that if anyone becomes acquainted with the variety of parties among us, he may not think this puts us on the same level as the philosophers, and condemn the truth because of the different ways in which it is defended. But we immediately make a formal defense against these corrupters of our purity. We declare that this is the rule of truth that comes down from Christ by transmission through His companions. And we will prove that those inventors of different doctrines all came later. Everything opposed to the truth has been produced from the truth itself, with spirits of error carrying on this work of opposition. By them, all corruptions of sound teaching have been secretly stirred up. By them also, certain fables have been introduced so that, by their resemblance to the truth, they might weaken its credibility, or support their own greater claim to be believed. Then people might think Chri

Cyprian, Epistles Supporting witness

And when the apostle says, Beware, lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, Colossians 2:8 we are to avoid those things which do not come from God's clemency, but are begotten of the presumption of a too rigid philosophy.

Cyprian, Treatises Supporting witness

Isaiah 29:14 Moreover, the blessed Apostle Paul, filled with the Holy Spirit, and sent forth for the calling and training of the heathen, bears witness and instructs us, saying, See that no man despoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the elements of the world, and not after Christ, because in Him dwells all the fullness of divinity.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

This voluptuous and selfish philosophy the apostle calls the wisdom of this world;

Archelaus, Disputation with Manes Supporting witness

Beware lest any one spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ.

Tertullian, Apology Supporting witness

And very right it should be so. For they are called philosophers, not Christians.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Direct teaching

...self is not the cause of the ship being pulled, but only together with the others. In the same way, philosophy, which is the search for truth, helps us understand the truth. It is not the cause of understanding by itself, but a cause along with other things, and a co-worker. Perhaps it may also be called a joint-cause. And just as several virtues are causes of one person’s happiness, and just as the sun, fire, a bath, and clothing all help one person become warm, so also truth is one, yet many things help in the search for it. But its discovery is through the Son. If we think carefully, virtue is one in its power. But when it appears in different matters, it is called prudence in some cases, temperance in others, and in others courage or righteousness. By the same comparison, truth is one, yet in geometry there is the truth of geometry, in music the truth of music, and in the right philosophy there will be Hellenic truth. But the only true and secure truth, which cannot be overthrown, is that in which we are taught by the Son of God. In the same way, we say that a drachma is one and the same coin. But when it is given to the shipmaster, it is called fare; to the tax collector, t

Justin Martyr, Hortatory Address to the Greeks Direct teaching

...of their religion not from those previously mentioned, but from those esteemed as the most renowned philosophers among them: Plato and Aristotle. They assert that these philosophers have discovered the perfect and true religion. However, I would like to ask, first of all, from whom they claim these men learned this knowledge, because it’s impossible for men who haven’t learned such great and divine matters from others who knew them, to understand them or teach them correctly. Secondly, I think we should examine the opinions of these philosophers. For we will see whether each of them doesn’t plainly contradict the other. If we find that even they don’t agree with each other, it’s easy to see they too are ignorant. For Plato, with the authority of one who claims to have descended from above and has seen all that is in heaven, states that the most high God exists in a fiery substance. But Aristotle, in a book addressed to Alexander the Great, clearly contradicts Plato, saying that God does not exist in a fiery substance. Instead, he invents a fifth substance, some kind of ethereal and unchangeable matter, claiming that God exists in it. Thus, he wrote: "Not, as some of those who ha

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

...so said, 'For we also are His offspring.'" Acts 17:22-28 From this it is clear that the apostle, by using poetic examples from the Phenomena of Aratus, approves what the Greeks had spoken well. He also suggests that, by "the unknown God," the Greeks were indirectly worshipping God the Creator. But it was necessary to know and learn Him clearly through the Son. Therefore it is said, "I send you to the Gentiles, to open their eyes, and to turn them from darkness to light, and from the power of Satan to God, so that they may receive forgiveness of sins, and an inheritance among those who are sanctified by faith that is in Me." Acts 26:17-18 These, then, are the eyes of the blind that are opened. The knowledge of the Father through the Son is the understanding of what the Greeks had expressed indirectly. And to turn from the power of Satan is to turn away from sin, through which slavery was produced. We do not, indeed, accept all philosophy without qualification, but only the kind Socrates speaks of in Plato. For there are, as they say in the mysteries, many thyrsus-bearers, but few bacchants. That means that many are called, but few are chosen. He then plainly adds, "These, in my o

Justin Martyr, Dialogue with Trypho Supporting witness

and these are truly holy men who have bestowed attention on philosophy.

Acts 17:11 Background

These were more fair-minded than those in Thessalonica, in that they received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so.

Acts 23:9 Background

And there arose a great cry: and the scribes that were of the Pharisees' part arose, and strove, saying, We find no evil in this man: but if a spirit or an angel hath spoken to him, let us not fight against God.

Dionysius of Alexandria, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness

I was uselessly puffed up and increased in wisdom. But it was not the wisdom God has given. It was the wisdom Paul speaks of when he says, "The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God," in 1 Corinthians 3:19. Solomon also experienced this kind of wisdom, a wisdom beyond ordinary prudence and beyond the measure of all the ancients. So he shows its emptiness, as the words that follow also make clear: "And my heart spoke many things: I knew wisdom, and knowledge, and parables, and sciences." But this was not true wisdom or true knowledge. It was the kind that, as Paul says, puffs up. It is also written in 1 Kings 4:32 that he spoke three thousand parables. But these were not spiritual parables. They were only the kind that fit the ordinary ordering of human life, such as sayings about animals or medicines. For this reason he adds, with a mocking tone, "I knew that this also is the spirit's choice." He also speaks of a great amount of knowledge, but not the knowledge of the Holy Spirit. Rather, it is the kind the ruler of this world produces and passes on to people in order to deceive their souls, through eager questions about the measurements of heaven, the position of the earth,

Origen, De Principiis (On First Principles) Supporting witness

yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of the world, that come to nought: but we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory: which none of the princes of the world knew: for had they known it, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

Now the human wisdom is that which is termed by us the wisdom of the world, which is foolishness with God;

Dionysius of Alexandria, Exegetical Fragments Supporting witness

not the wisdom which God has given, but that wisdom of which Paul says, The wisdom of this world is foolishness with God.

Origen, Against Celsus Supporting witness

The apostle, therefore, does not say simply that wisdom is foolishness with God, but the wisdom of this world.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought.

Tertullian, Against Marcion Supporting witness

because, as the wisdom of the world is foolishness with God, so also the wisdom of God is folly in the world's esteem.

Clement of Alexandria, The Stromata (Miscellanies) Supporting witness

but not the wisdom of this world, or of the princes of this world, that come to nought;

1 Corinthians 3:19 Direct teaching

For the wisdom of this world is foolishness with God. For it is written, He taketh the wise in their own craftiness.

1 Corinthians 2:6 Direct teaching

Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought:

1 Corinthians 1:20 Direct teaching

Where is the wise? where is the scribe? where is the disputer of this world? hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

1 Corinthians 3:18 Direct teaching

Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seemeth to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise.