Moving in the Apostolic

Warfare

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Romans, but influenced culturally by the Greeks. Philosophy was a major stronghold. Spirits of intellectualism and rationalization prevented many from believing that Christ had risen from the dead. College campuses are filled with these kinds of spirits. Spirits of intellectualism, rationalization, pride, debate and mind idolatry are ruling spirits in much of our education system. These are the same types of Greek spirits that the early apostles dealt with. Just as they were able to break through the arguments of pagan philosophy, so must we. The New English Bible says, "We demolish sophistries and all that rears its proud head against the knowledge of God" (2 Cor. 10:5). Sophists were Greek philosophers who specialized in dialectic argumentation and rhetoric. They were professional philosophers and teachers skilled in elaborate and devious argumentation. Sophism today is defined as plausible but fallacious argument. In other words, it is deceptive. At the root of deceptive philosophy is the devil himself. The Jews sought after a sign, and the Greeks sought after wisdom (see 1 Cor. 1:22). The Greeks, however, were not seeking after the wisdom of God. They were seeking after philosophy. Many viewed Christianity as just another philosophy open to debate. The Phillips translation calls the type of wisdom sought by the Greeks "an intellectual panacea." They viewed philosophy and education as a cure-all. But we preach Christ crucified—to the Jews a stumbling block, to the Greeks foolishness (see 1 Cor. 1:23). The Greeks considered the preaching of the Cross to be nonsense. It was into this pagan, Greek, philosophical world that the Early Church was thrust. They were carriers of an anointing that was able to pull down these strongholds. At the root of Greek philosophy was pride. The Greeks were proud of their philosophical heritage and argued when confronted with the truth of the gospel. Apostolic ministry confounds the philosophies of men. It is a ministry of power that breaks through the arguments that Satan has set up in the minds of men. God uses this ministry to make foolish the wisdom of this world (see 1 Cor. 1:20). We need this same kind of ministry