What the Bible Says About Philosophy

I would seek unto God, and unto God would I commit my cause:

Which doeth great things and unsearchable; marvellous things without number: unsearchable: Heb. there is no search without: Heb. till there be no number

Who giveth rain upon the earth, and sendeth waters upon the fields: fields: Heb. outplaces

To set up on high those that be low; that those which mourn may be exalted to safety.

He disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise. their enterprise: or, any thing

He taketh the wise in their own craftiness: and the counsel of the froward is carried headlong.

They meet with darkness in the daytime, and grope in the noonday as in the night. meet: or, run into

But he saveth the poor from the sword, from their mouth, and from the hand of the mighty.

So the poor hath hope, and iniquity stoppeth her mouth.

Behold, happy is the man whom God correcteth: therefore despise not thou the chastening of the Almighty:

For he maketh sore, and bindeth up: he woundeth, and his hands make whole.

He shall deliver thee in six troubles: yea, in seven there shall no evil touch thee.

In famine he shall redeem thee from death: and in war from the power of the sword. power: Heb. hands

I will say unto God, Do not condemn me; shew me wherefore thou contendest with me.

Is it good unto thee that thou shouldest oppress, that thou shouldest despise the work of thine hands, and shine upon the counsel of the wicked? work: Heb. labour

Hast thou eyes of flesh? or seest thou as man seeth?

Are thy days as the days of man? are thy years as man's days,

That thou enquirest after mine iniquity, and searchest after my sin?

Thou knowest that I am not wicked; and there is none that can deliver out of thine hand. Thou: Heb. It is upon thy knowledge

Thine hands have made me and fashioned me together round about; yet thou dost destroy me. have: Heb. took pains about me

Remember, I beseech thee, that thou hast made me as the clay; and wilt thou bring me into dust again?

Hast thou not poured me out as milk, and curdled me like cheese?

Thou hast clothed me with skin and flesh, and hast fenced me with bones and sinews. fenced: Heb. hedged

Thou hast granted me life and favour, and thy visitation hath preserved my spirit.

And these things hast thou hid in thine heart: I know that this is with thee.

If I sin, then thou markest me, and thou wilt not acquit me from mine iniquity.

If I be wicked, woe unto me; and if I be righteous, yet will I not lift up my head. I am full of confusion; therefore see thou mine affliction;

For it increaseth. Thou huntest me as a fierce lion: and again thou shewest thyself marvellous upon me.

Thou renewest thy witnesses against me, and increasest thine indignation upon me; changes and war are against me. witnesses: that is, thy plagues

Wherefore then hast thou brought me forth out of the womb? Oh that I had given up the ghost, and no eye had seen me!

I should have been as though I had not been; I should have been carried from the womb to the grave.

Are not my days few? cease then, and let me alone, that I may take comfort a little,

Before I go whence I shall not return, even to the land of darkness and the shadow of death;

The tabernacles of robbers prosper, and they that provoke God are secure; into whose hand God bringeth abundantly.

But ask now the beasts, and they shall teach thee; and the fowls of the air, and they shall tell thee:

Or speak to the earth, and it shall teach thee: and the fishes of the sea shall declare unto thee.

Who knoweth not in all these that the hand of the LORD hath wrought this?

In whose hand is the soul of every living thing, and the breath of all mankind. soul: or, life all: Heb. all flesh of man

Doth not the ear try words? and the mouth taste his meat? mouth: Heb. palate

With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.

With him is wisdom and strength, he hath counsel and understanding. With: that is, With God

Behold, he breaketh down, and it cannot be built again: he shutteth up a man, and there can be no opening. up: Heb. upon

Behold, he withholdeth the waters, and they dry up: also he sendeth them out, and they overturn the earth.

With him is strength and wisdom: the deceived and the deceiver are his.

He leadeth counsellors away spoiled, and maketh the judges fools.

He looseth the bond of kings, and girdeth their loins with a girdle.

He leadeth princes away spoiled, and overthroweth the mighty.

He removeth away the speech of the trusty, and taketh away the understanding of the aged. speech: Heb. lip of the faithful

He poureth contempt upon princes, and weakeneth the strength of the mighty. weakeneth: or, looseth the girdle of the strong

He discovereth deep things out of darkness, and bringeth out to light the shadow of death.

He increaseth the nations, and destroyeth them: he enlargeth the nations, and straiteneth them again. straiteneth: Heb. leadeth in

He taketh away the heart of the chief of the people of the earth, and causeth them to wander in a wilderness where there is no way.

Behold, in this thou art not just: I will answer thee, that God is greater than man.

Why dost thou strive against him? for he giveth not account of any of his matters. he giveth: Heb. he answereth not

For God speaketh once, yea twice, yet man perceiveth it not.

In a dream, in a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men, in slumberings upon the bed;

Then he openeth the ears of men, and sealeth their instruction, he: Heb. he revealeth, or, uncovereth

That he may withdraw man from his purpose, and hide pride from man. purpose: Heb. work

He keepeth back his soul from the pit, and his life from perishing by the sword. from perishing: Heb. from passing

He is chastened also with pain upon his bed, and the multitude of his bones with strong pain:

So that his life abhorreth bread, and his soul dainty meat. dainty: Heb. meat of desire

His flesh is consumed away, that it cannot be seen; and his bones that were not seen stick out.

Yea, his soul draweth near unto the grave, and his life to the destroyers.

If there be a messenger with him, an interpreter, one among a thousand, to shew unto man his uprightness:

Then he is gracious unto him, and saith, Deliver him from going down to the pit: I have found a ransom. a ransom: or, an atonement

His flesh shall be fresher than a child's: he shall return to the days of his youth: a child's: Heb. childhood

He shall pray unto God, and he will be favourable unto him: and he shall see his face with joy: for he will render unto man his righteousness.

He looketh upon men, and if any say, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, and it profited me not; He: or, He shall look upon men, and say

He will deliver his soul from going into the pit, and his life shall see the light. He: or, He hath delivered my soul, etc, and my life

Lo, all these things worketh God oftentimes with man, oftentimes: Heb. twice and thrice

To bring back his soul from the pit, to be enlightened with the light of the living.

It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter.

Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say?1161 other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection. babbler: or, base fellow

Because that which may be known of God is manifest in them; for God hath shewed it unto them. in them: or, to them

For the invisible things of him from the creation of the world are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even his eternal power and Godhead; so that they are without excuse: so: or, that they may be

For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. words: or, speech

For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent.

For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe.

And I, brethren, when I came to you, came not with excellency of speech or of wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony of God.

For I determined not to know any thing among you, save Jesus Christ, and him crucified.

And I was with you in weakness, and in fear, and in much trembling.

And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: enticing: or, persuasible

That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. stand: Gr. be

Which things also we speak, not in the words which man's wisdom teacheth, but which the Holy Ghost teacheth; comparing spiritual things with spiritual.

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. rudiments: or, elements make a prey: or, seduce you, or, lead you astray

Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: in meat: or, for eating and drinking respect: or, part

Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, beguile: or, judge against you in a: Gr. being a voluntary in humility

And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.

O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust, avoiding profane and vain babblings, and oppositions of science falsely so called: science: Gr. knowledge