Clement of Alexandria, Miscellanies 8
Paul does not appear in his letters to be attacking philosophy as such. Rather, he insists that anyone who has shared in the height of true gnosis should never turn back to Greek philosophy. He treats that philosophy as the "elements of the world" — an elementary, preparatory stage for the truth. That is why, when writing to the Hebrews who were drifting back to the law from faith, he tells them they need someone to teach them all over again the first principles of God's oracles; they have become infants who need milk instead of solid food (Heb 5:12).
He makes the same point to the Colossians, who were turning from paganism: "See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elements of this world and not according to Christ" (Col 2:8), luring you back into that elementary teaching. Even if someone claims that philosophy was discovered by human reason among the Greeks, I find the Scriptures declaring that true understanding is a gift sent by God. The psalmist calls understanding the greatest gift and prays, "I am your servant; give me understanding" (Ps 119:125). David does not ask for mere breadth of knowledge; he writes, "Teach me goodness, discipline, and knowledge, for I have trusted in your commandments" (Ps 119:66).
It is acknowledged that the covenants belong to the Lord and are given to the more honorable. The psalm says of God, "He has not dealt thus with any nation, and He has not made His judgments known to them" (Ps 147:20). The phrase "He has not dealt thus" implies that He has dealt, but not in that way; the "thus" points by comparison to the surpassing privilege now given to us. The prophet could have simply said "He has not dealt" without adding "thus," but he chose the comparative form precisely to highlight this distinction. So too Peter, seized by the truth in Acts, declares, "Truly I understand that God shows no partiality, but in every nation anyone who fears Him and does what is right is acceptable to Him" (Acts 10:34-35).
Greek
ἐπεὶ καὶ Παῦλος ἐν ταῖς ἐπιστολαῖς οὐ φιλοσοφίαν διαβάλλων φαίνεται, τὸν δὲ τοῦ γνωστικοῦ μεταλαμβάνοντα ὕψους οὐκέτι παλινδρομεῖν ἀξιοῖ ἐπὶ τὴν Ἑλληνικὴν φιλοσοφίαν, στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου ταύτην ἀλληγορῶν, στοιχειωτικήν τινα οὖσαν καὶ προπαιδείαν τῆς ἀληθείας. διὸ καὶ τοῖς Ἑβραίοις γράφων τοῖς ἐπανακάμπτουσιν εἰς νόμον ἐκ πίστεως ἢ πάλιν φησὶ χρείαν ἔχετε τοῦ διδάσκειν ὑμᾶς, τίνα τὰ στοιχεῖα τῆς ἀρχῆς τῶν λογίων τοῦ θεοῦ, καὶ γεγόνατε χρείαν ἔχοντες γάλακτος καὶ οὐ στερεᾶς τροφῆς. ὡσαύτως ἄρα καὶ τοῖς ἐξ Ἑλλήνων ἐπιστρέφουσι Κολοσσαεῦσι· βλέπετε μή τις ὑμᾶς ἔσται ὁ συλαγωγῶν διὰ τῆς φιλοσοφίας καὶ κενῆς ἀπάτης κατὰ τὴν παράδοσιν τῶν ἀνθρώπων, κατὰ τὰ στοιχεῖα τοῦ κόσμου τούτου καὶ οὐ κατὰ Χριστόν, δελεάζων αὖθις εἰς φιλοσοφίαν ἀναδραμεῖν, τὴν στοιχειώδη διδασκαλίαν. κἂν λέγῃ τις κατὰ σύνεσιν ἀνθρώπων φιλοσοφίαν ηὑρῆσθαι πρὸς Ἑλλήνων, ἀλλὰ τὰς γραφὰς εὑρίσκω τὴν σύνεσιν θεόπεμπτον εἶναι λεγούσας. ὁ γοῦν ψαλμῳδὸς μεγίστην ἡγεῖται δωρεὰν τὴν σύνεσιν καὶ αἰτεῖ λέγων· δοῦλος σός εἰμι ἐγώ· συνέτισόν με. καὶ μή τι τὸ πολύπειρον τῆς γνώσεως αἰτούμενος ὁ Δαβὶδ γράφει· χρηστότητα καὶ παιδείαν καὶ γνῶσιν δίδαξόν με, ὅτι ταῖς ἐντολαῖς σου ἐπίστευσα. κυρίας δ’ εἶναι τὰς διαθήκας ὡμολόγηται καὶ τοῖς τιμιωτέροις δίδοσθαι. λέγει γοῦν ὁ ψαλμὸς πάλιν ἐπὶ τοῦ θεοῦ· οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτως οὐδενὶ ἔθνει, καὶ τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ οὐκ ἐδήλωσεν αὐτοῖς. τὸ δὲ οὐκ ἐποίησεν οὕτως πεποιηκέναι μὲν δηλοῖ, ἀλλ’ οὐχ οὕτως. ἐν συγκρίσει γοῦν τὸ οὕτως πρὸς τὴν ὑπεροχὴν τὴν καθ’ ἡμᾶς γινομένην· ἐξῆν δὲ δήπου τῷ προφήτῃ εἰπεῖν ἁπλῶς τὸ οὐκ ἐποίησεν ἄνευ τῆς προσθήκης τοῦ οὕτως. ναὶ μὴν καὶ ὁ Πέτρος ἐν ταῖς Πράξεσιν ἐπ’ ἀληθείας καταλαμβάνομαι φησίν, ὅτι προσωπολήπτης οὐκ ἔστιν ὁ θεός, ἀλλ’ ἐν παντὶ ἔθνει ὁ φοβούμενος αὐτὸν καὶ ἐργαζόμενος δικαιοσύνην δεκτὸς αὐτῷ ἐστιν.