A standalone study on examining what you believe and why it points to Christ.
The big question
Philosophy has a reputation for being abstract and intimidating, something for people in tweed jackets. But at its root it simply means the love of wisdom, and it asks a question every believer should be able to face: do you actually know what you believe, and could you explain it to someone who does not? This study uses Dr. CJ Rhodes’s opening lesson to recover philosophy as a tool for a faith you can examine and share.
Key takeaways
- Philosophy means the love of wisdom, the pursuit of wisdom, knowledge, and truth.
- The unexamined life takes its beliefs for granted. Wisdom slows down and asks why.
- Knowledge is facts. Wisdom is knowing how to live by them.
- If you cannot articulate your faith to an unbeliever, you do not yet understand it well enough.
- Followed honestly, the search for wisdom leads to Jesus, who is the truth.
Scripture to sit with
Proverbs 4:7. The beginning of wisdom is this: get wisdom. Scripture commands the very pursuit philosophy describes.
Proverbs 9:10. The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. The search has a starting point and a direction.
Colossians 2:8. See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit. Wisdom is good, but it must be measured against Christ, not against him.
James 1:5. If anyone lacks wisdom, let him ask God. The Christian does not pursue wisdom alone.
Quotes worth discussing
Rhodes says, “Philosophy comes to us from two Greek words, philos and Sophia. Together, they basically mean the love of wisdom.”
Quoting Socrates, Rhodes says, “the unexamined life is not even worth living.”
On the difference from mere facts, Rhodes says, “Wisdom is about applying knowledge to life.”
Pressing the believer, Rhodes asks, “When we say we believe that the Bible’s the word of God, are we able to articulate that to an unbeliever?”
Discussion questions
- Name one belief you hold mainly because you inherited it. Have you ever examined it?
- Where in your life are you knowledgeable but not yet wise, knowing the facts but not living them?
- If a coworker asked why you trust the Bible, what would you actually say?
- Colossians 2:8 warns about philosophy that takes you captive. How do you tell good wisdom from empty deceit?
- What would it look like this week to live a more examined life?
Go deeper
This study comes from the opening lesson of the Jude 3 Project’s Philosophy 101 course with Dr. CJ Rhodes. For a related conversation, see the Jude 3 episode Why Should Christians Study Philosophy.
A closing reflection
Pick one belief you have never really questioned and sit with it this week. Ask where it came from, whether you actually hold it, and how you would explain it to a friend. An examined faith is a faith you can give away.