Rejecting the Rudiments of the World

The apostle Paul bids us, “Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ” (Colossians 2:8).

Some of these worldly traditions include false ideas and teachings such as:

Any earthly mediators—male or female—that supposedly would come between Christ and humanity. Such presumption is a myth, “for there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5).

Temporal dominion and the doctrine of indulgences, whereby remission of sins could be supposedly bought or sold. On the contrary, there is only one price for our salvation: the precious blood of Christ. (See 1 Corinthians 6:20.)

Transubstantiation, whereby the Scriptural ordinance of the Lord’s Supper is supplanted by the idolatrous sacrifice of the mass, claiming that the symbolic bread and wine are the actual body and blood of Christ. In contrast, see 1 Corinthians 10:16; 11:23–26.

False teachings concerning the state of the dead and the end of the wicked. In contrast, see Job 14:7–14; Psalm 146:4; Ecclesiastes 9:5, 6, 10; Psalm 37:10, 20, 38; 145:20; Revelation 20:9. Popular theology teaches that the redeemed are already in heaven, acquainted with all that takes place here on earth, especially in the lives of friends and family members. For the actual truth, see 1 Corinthians 15:50–55; 1 Thessalonians 4:13–17; John 14:1–3.

The notion of the world being created in an indefinite period of time, instead of in six literal 24-hour days, as recorded in Genesis as the evening and morning.

The false theory of a temporal millennium of peace and prosperity to offer the dead a second chance at redemption. But in reality, “it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment” (Hebrews 9:27).

Universalism (teaching that all people will finally be saved) and the denial of the conditional nature of salvation in contrast to Matthew 7:21; Revelation 3:5; 22:14.

The false teaching of “faith, and faith only” in contrast to James 1:22–25; 2:14–17. “The desire for an easy religion that requires no striving, no self-denial, no divorce from the follies of the world, has made the doctrine of faith, and faith only, a popular doctrine; but what saith the word of God? . . . The testimony of the word of God is against this ensnaring doctrine of faith without works. It is not faith that claims the favor of Heaven without complying with the conditions upon which mercy is to be granted, it is presumption; for genuine faith has its foundation in the promises and provisions of the Scriptures.”1

The distorted doctrine of “once saved, always saved.” Ezekiel 18:23–26; Matthew 24:13 shows the presumptuous nature of this error. Examples in 1 Kings 13:26 and 2 Peter 2:15–20 provide further clarification. “There is no such thing in the Word of God as unconditional election—once in grace, always in grace. In the second chapter of Second Peter the subject is made plain and distinct.”2

The dangerous philosophy that humanity is self-sufficient and one needs only to develop his or her innate powers. We are warned against this in Jeremiah 13:23; John 15:5; Colossians 2:8. The peril is this: “If Satan can so befog and deceive the human mind as to lead mortals to think that there is an inherent power in themselves to accomplish great and good works, they cease to rely upon God to do for them that which they think there is power in themselves to do. They acknowledge not a superior power. They give not God the glory which He claims, and which is due to His great and excellent Majesty. Satan’s object is thus accomplished, and he exults that fallen men presumptuously exalt themselves as he exalted himself in heaven and was thrust out. He knows that if man exalts himself, his ruin is just as certain as was his own.”3

Titus 1:16 reveals that those whose mind and conscience are defiled may “profess that they know God; but in works they deny him, being abominable, and disobedient, and unto every good work reprobate.” Just as it was at the time when the tower of Babel was built, “there are tower builders in our time. Infidels construct their theories from the supposed deductions of science and reject the revealed word of God. They presume to pass sentence upon God’s moral government; they despise His law and boast of the sufficiency of human reason. . . .

“In the professedly Christian world many turn away from the plain teachings of the Bible and build up a creed from human speculations and pleasing fables, and they point to their tower as a way to climb up to heaven. Men hang with admiration upon the lips of eloquence while it teaches that the transgressor shall not die, that salvation may be secured without obedience to the law of God. If the professed followers of Christ would accept God’s standard, it would bring them into unity; but so long as human wisdom is exalted above His Holy Word, there will be divisions and dissension.”4