Was Jesus a Philosopher?

[tonychanyt]

I would not object to people who call Jesus a philosopher but I would object if they think he's just a philosopher. Philosopher (lover of wisdom) is an artificial thing while Jesus is the Son of God.

What's Paul's take on philosophy?

Paul did not shy away from philosophy or philosophers. Indeed he engaged them in Athens, Act 17:

22 And Paul stood in the midst of the Areopagus, and said, Ye men of Athens, in all things, I perceive that ye are very religious. 23 For as I passed along, and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription, TO AN UNKNOWN GOD. What therefore ye worship in ignorance, this I set forth unto you.

The climax of the debate came:

32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”

At the end of that encounter, Paul successfully converted Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them (verse 34).

There are more important matters than human philosophies and theologies.

1 Corinthians 1:

20 Where is the wise person? Where is the teacher of the law? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22Jews demand signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.

1 Corinthians 2:2

For I resolved to know nothing while I was with you except Jesus Christ and him crucified.

Discerning the Philosophy of Jesus via the Bible is missing the most important point of the Bible: the resurrection of Jesus.

 

[Jesse Dornfeld]

I think you may have made a mistake in not quoting the one place in the Bible where the Greek word means philosophy.

"Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ." (Colossians 2:8) (Emphasis mine)

It's not that any and all philosophy is bad, it is what the philosophy is used for.

 

[tonychanyt]

I think you may have made a mistake in not quoting the one place in the Bible where the Greek word means philosophy.

"Be careful that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit based on human tradition, based on the elements of the world, rather than Christ." (Colossians 2:8) (Emphasis mine)

It's not that any and all philosophy is bad, it is what the philosophy is used for.

I am not sure what your point is.

There is good philosophy and there is bad philosophy, inside the Bible and outside.

 

[Jesse Dornfeld]

I am not sure what your point is.

I'm not really disagreeing with your point per se, just thought you should have added that particular verse since it is the only verse in the Bible that actually means philosophy in the Greek.

 

[tonychanyt]

I'm not really disagreeing with your point per se, just thought you should have added that particular verse since it is the only verse in the Bible that actually means philosophy in the Greek.

Right, now I see