Paul.lesson.2 Paul the Roman, Greek and Jew
•Download as PPTX, PDF•
1 like•597 views
This document contains information about Paul the apostle, including his Roman citizenship, interactions with the Roman justice system, and background as a Greek from Tarsus. It also discusses the philosophical influences on Paul of Socrates, Plato, Aristotle and various Greek schools of thought like Stoicism and Epicureanism. The document examines areas of similarity and difference between Greek philosophy and Christianity.
More Related Content
Viewers also liked
Similar to Paul.lesson.2 Paul the Roman, Greek and Jew
Similar to Paul.lesson.2 Paul the Roman, Greek and Jew (20)
More from John Wible
More from John Wible (20)
Recently uploaded
Recently uploaded (19)
Paul.lesson.2 Paul the Roman, Greek and Jew
- 1. Lesson 2 Beware of Greeks (and Romans) Bearing Gifts 10/18/15 1© John R. Wible
- 2. 10/4/15 2 The Hinge of History © John R. Wible
- 3. 10/4/15 3 From Saul to Paul © John R. Wible י ִבר ִע ת Persia Tarsus(Hittite) Assyria University
- 4. Paul – Roman Citizen 10/18/15© John R. Wible 4 Senatus Populus Que Romanus
- 5. 10/18/15© John R. Wible 5 Imperial Rome
- 6. Paul, the Roman Citizen 10/18/15© John R. Wible 6
- 7. Paul and the Roman Justice System 10/18/15© John R. Wible 7
- 8. Paul and Roman Justice 10/18/15© John R. Wible 8 Caesarea Maritima
- 9. Paul Before Felix and Festus 10/18/15© John R. Wible 9
- 10. Paul the Greek 10/18/15© John R. Wible 10
- 11. Greek Religion Before “the Seven Sages” 10/18/15© John R. Wible 11
- 12. Greek Philosophers – 470-322 BC 10/18/15© John R. Wible 12 •Socrates •Plato •Aristotle
- 13. Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC) 10/18/15© John R. Wible 13 Que • Socratic > Scientific Method • Questioning an hypothesis Why • Existence > function • Thing exists because it has function gods • God (g) arranges all for the best • Probably a polytheist, divine fatalist Ethics • Ethicist – Do the right, not the Expedient
- 14. • Founder of: Western Religion • Hypothesized Spirituality • Two realities: physical & “shadows” • Physical world mirrors the spiritual • Two heresies: asceticism & hedonism 10/18/15 14© John R. Wible Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC)
- 15. • Creator – God (however, subject “the Good”) • Truth and Morality are absolute (however, they exist outside God) • The unseen reality is of greater import (however, “dualism” denies the goodness of the Creation) • Immorality of the soul (however, Plato recognized “reincarnation”) • Materialism is the great enemy (however, the body is not a prison, as in dualism) 10/18/15 15© John R. Wible Platonism, a “Bridge” to Christianity
- 16. 1. God is supreme, not subject to the greater “Good.” God is good and “the Good.” Christianity’s God is infinite and “Omni-supreme” 2. God created all things good – they fell 3. The body was created good and has value, it is not a prison, it will be perfected, not discarded 10/18/15 16© John R. Wible Plato’s Underlying Difference with Christianity
- 17. • Tutor of Alexander the Great • Raised on Platonic dualism but changed to “”empiricism” • Knowledge is based on perception • Father of logical reasoning and gaining knowledge by observation of natural science 10/18/15 17© John R. Wible Aristotle (384 – 322 BC)
- 18. • People of color were naturally destined to be slaves – Rome, later was 50% slave • Paul attacks idea directly, indirectly – See Galatians 3:27 and 28 – Galatians 4:6 and 7 – Philemon VV. 15-18 10/18/15 18© John R. Wible Aristotle and Slavery
- 19. “When . . . it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them . . . to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them . . . 10/18/15 19© John R. Wible American Heritage Hangover Declaration of Independence
- 20. • Based in materialism • Denigrated the “gods” • “The Epicurean Paradox” • Pleasure the greatest good • Led to Hedonism – “do as you want” • Early challenger to Platonism • Later, main opponent of Stoicism 10/18/15 20© John R. Wible Epicureanism – Epicurus (circa. 307 BC)
- 21. 10/18/15 21© John R. Wible Skepticism - Pyrrho of Elis (365–275 BC)
- 22. 10/18/15 22© John R. Wible Alexander the Great’s Empire (356-323 BC)
- 23. 10/18/15 23© John R. Wible After Alexander – Circa. 323 BC
- 24. • Probably most influential on Paul • Taught in Tarsus by Athenodorus, and • Athenodorus taught Caesar Augustus, thus • Adopted by Roman Empire • Rejected Plato's and Aristotle's “form” • Invented the principle of reality with the Logos, Reason, or God • Determinists, fatalists, practical, ethical 10/18/15 24© John R. Wible Zeno and Stoicism - (334 – c. 262 BC)
- 25. • Materialistic vs God-centered • Pantheistic vs monotheistic • Invented the “Logos,” the creative force in the universe • Both highly moral • Stoicism absolutely determinist while • Christianity has complex idea of God’s influence in events 10/18/15 25© John R. Wible Stoicism vs Christianity
- 26. • Paul’s Mars Hill Speech quotes Stoic poet, Aratus of Soli in Cilicia (Note Cilicia) • See Acts 17:18 and 23 • Audience were Stoics and Epicureans • The “mockers” were Epicureans • Doctrines of creation, divine immanence, spirituality and fatherhood of God, would be familiar and acceptable to Stoics • Preaching on Christ, not so much 10/18/15 26© John R. Wible Paul and the Stoics
- 27. 10/18/15 27© John R. Wible Paul at Mars Hill
- 28. Let’s Pray About It 10/18/15 28© John R. Wible© John R. Wible
Editor's Notes
- The Good Life and Hard Times of the Apostle Paul Lesson 1 Introduction. How “Little Saul,” the Pharisaic Jew became “The Apostle Paul,” the flaming Christian evangelist. This study is prepared by John R. Wible from a variety of materials. I refer to myself as the “Editor” and “Redactor” rather than the author because very little material is original work. However, the introduction is mine.
- Genesis 1 tells us that In the Beginning . . . God created everything including history – all of it – the “whole ball of wax.” God is omni-dimensional and supra-temporal, without measure and outside of time. He created man to be linear and intra-temporal. He created time in which man can exist and progress in his lines or arcs. Here you see how God, without any compromise of free-will, orchestrates the activities of people and cultures within time all leading toward a central point in history – the Cross of Christ. How God can do this is a mystery known only to Him in His omniscience. This central point, is referred to by scholars such as Pastor Alan’s Professor Dr. Thom Wolf by a term coined by Alvin Toffler in his remarkable book, Future Shock, as the “Hinge of History.”
- The Hittites, Assyrians, and Persians Alexander and the Greeks Zeno, the founder of the Stoics Tarsus (Cilicia, Southern Turkey) Babylon Ezra the Scribe and Second Temple Judaism John Hyrcanus and his successor Jonothan Pharisees and their rivals the Sadducees, Essenes, and later the Zealots Hillel and his grandson, Gamaliel I and their rival school Shammai The Sanhedrin The Romans Jesus and His Disciples, especially Peter The Deacon Stephen
- Paul was born a Roman citizen . . . Roman citizens commonly had two names, one which indicated their background or heritage apart from Rome, and the other, which would be their Roman heritage. Paul's Roman name Saul Paulus was such a name. "He bore two names, the Hebrew Saul meaning "desired" or "asked for," and the Roman Paulus, meaning "small."
- Here we see Imperial Rome. The greatest civilization to its time. Some would argue the greatest civilization of all time. Senatus Populus Que Romanus translated from the Latin means the Senate and People of Rome. It was the Roman motto.
- Roman citizenship in Tarsus, even for the wealthy, was not automatic. Rome had made Tarsus a self-governing city, but did not grant Roman citizenship for every citizen of Tarsus. If a citizen of Tarsus was from a family of social standing of four generations or more, they were generally granted citizenship status. Paul's father more than likely inherited citizenship from his father, and Paul inherited citizenship from his father. Paul was born into a devout Jewish family in the city of Tarsus, capital of the small Roman district of Cilicia in Asia Minor. His father, a member of the ancient tribe of Benjamin, named him Saul, after Israel's first king. A man of standing in the community, he held the privileged status of Roman citizen, an honor rarely conferred upon Jews. His son inherited this legal advantage. To prove his citizenship, Paul would have carried a wooden diptych, which contained wax images of the certificate of citizenship and the names of the seven witnesses. It was a capital offense to fraudulently claim Roman citizenship.
- Paul knew well the Roman justice system. At least twice, if not three times Paul was a Roman prisoner and tried by Roman Courts. Paul his Roman citizenship to great advantage ultimately allowing him to give a witness by way of personal defense to (maybe) Emperor Nero himself.
- Even before this occurrence, Paul used the Romans to allow him to make his famous speech to the crowd in Jerusalem. (Acts 22.) The Roman officer, Lysias, shocked by Paul’s command of several language allowed his great address to all of Jerusalem. However, Paul was still taken to a Roman prison at Caesarea Maritima for about two years. Acts 21 37 As the soldiers were about to take Paul into the barracks, he asked the commander, “May I say something to you?” “Do you speak Greek?” he replied. 38 “Aren’t you the Egyptian who started a revolt and led four thousand terrorists out into the wilderness some time ago?” 39 Paul answered, “I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city. Please let me speak to the people.” 40 After receiving the commander’s permission, Paul stood on the steps and motioned to the crowd. When they were all silent, he said to them in Aramaic: Acts 22 1 “Brothers and fathers, listen now to my defense.” 2 When they heard him speak to them in Aramaic, they became very quiet. Then Paul said: 3 “I am a Jew, born in Tarsus of Cilicia, but brought up in this city. I studied under Gamaliel and was thoroughly trained in the law of our ancestors. I was just as zealous for God as any of you are today. 4 I persecuted the followers of this Way to their death, arresting both men and women and throwing them into prison, 5 as the high priest and all the Council can themselves testify. I even obtained letters from them to their associates in Damascus, and went there to bring these people as prisoners to Jerusalem to be punished. 6 “About noon as I came near Damascus, suddenly a bright light from heaven flashed around me. 7 I fell to the ground and heard a voice say to me, ‘Saul! Saul! Why do you persecute me?’ 8 “‘Who are you, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘I am Jesus of Nazareth, whom you are persecuting,’ he replied. 9 My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me. 10 “‘What shall I do, Lord?’ I asked. “ ‘Get up,’ the Lord said, ‘and go into Damascus. There you will be told all that you have been assigned to do.’ 11 My companions led me by the hand into Damascus, because the brilliance of the light had blinded me. 12 “A man named Ananias came to see me. He was a devout observer of the law and highly respected by all the Jews living there. 13 He stood beside me and said, ‘Brother Saul, receive your sight!’ And at that very moment I was able to see him. 14 “Then he said: ‘The God of our ancestors has chosen you to know his will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from his mouth. 15 You will be his witness to all people of what you have seen and heard. 16 And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.’ 17 “When I returned to Jerusalem and was praying at the temple, I fell into a trance 18 and saw the Lord speaking to me. ‘Quick!’ he said. ‘Leave Jerusalem immediately, because the people here will not accept your testimony about me.’ 19 “‘Lord,’ I replied, ‘these people know that I went from one synagogue to another to imprison and beat those who believe in you. 20 And when the blood of your martyr Stephen was shed, I stood there giving my approval and guarding the clothes of those who were killing him.’ 21 “Then the Lord said to me, ‘Go; I will send you far away to the Gentiles.’ ” Paul the Roman Citizen 22 The crowd listened to Paul until he said this. Then they raised their voices and shouted, “Rid the earth of him! He’s not fit to live!” 23 As they were shouting and throwing off their cloaks and flinging dust into the air, 24 the commander ordered that Paul be taken into the barracks. He directed that he be flogged and interrogated in order to find out why the people were shouting at him like this. 25 As they stretched him out to flog him, Paul said to the centurion standing there, “Is it legal for you to flog a Roman citizen who hasn’t even been found guilty?” 26 When the centurion heard this, he went to the commander and reported it. “What are you going to do?” he asked. “This man is a Roman citizen.” 27 The commander went to Paul and asked, “Tell me, are you a Roman citizen?” “Yes, I am,” he answered. 28 Then the commander said, “I had to pay a lot of money for my citizenship.” “But I was born a citizen,” Paul replied. 29 Those who were about to interrogate him withdrew immediately. The commander himself was alarmed when he realized that he had put Paul, a Roman citizen, in chains.
- A great deal happened during this Roman imprisonment including the testimony before Roman Procurator of Judea Antonius Felix (Acts 24) who was succeeded by Governor Porcius Festus who also heard Paul. (Acts 25.) It is suggested in The Apostle: A Life of Paul by {The Rev. Dr.} John Pollock that during this two-year imprisonment, Paul may have composed at least one of his prison epistles.] Note that as a Roman citizen, Paul had an absolute right to a trial upon any matter whether under Roman law or a client state’s. He also had an absolute right of appeal to Caesar when convicted even if on a local charge. In the following, we see Paul exercising these rights not so much to be freed as to have opportunity to speak the Gospel in the hearing of the powerful. Acts 24. Five days later the high priest Ananias went down to Caesarea with some of the elders and a lawyer named Tertullus, and they brought their charges against Paul before the governor. 2 When Paul was called in, Tertullus presented his case before Felix . . . 9 The other Jews joined in the accusation, asserting that these things were true. 10 When the governor motioned for him to speak, Paul replied: “I know that for a number of years you have been a judge over this nation; so I gladly make my defense. 11 You can easily verify that no more than twelve days ago I went up to Jerusalem to worship. 12 My accusers did not find me arguing with anyone at the temple, or stirring up a crowd in the synagogues or anywhere else in the city. 13 And they cannot prove to you the charges they are now making against me. 14 However, I admit that I worship the God of our ancestors as a follower of the Way, which they call a sect. I believe everything that is in accordance with the Law and that is written in the Prophets, 15 and I have the same hope in God as these men themselves have, that there will be a resurrection of both the righteous and the wicked. 16 So I strive always to keep my conscience clear before God and man. 22 Then Felix, who was well acquainted with the Way, adjourned the proceedings. “When Lysias the commander comes,” he said, “I will decide your case.” 23 He ordered the centurion to keep Paul under guard but to give him some freedom and permit his friends to take care of his needs. 24 Several days later Felix came with his wife Drusilla, who was Jewish. He sent for Paul and listened to him as he spoke about faith in Christ Jesus. 25 As Paul talked about righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix was afraid and said, “That’s enough for now! You may leave. When I find it convenient, I will send for you.” 26 At the same time he was hoping that Paul would offer him a bribe, so he sent for him frequently and talked with him. 27 When two years had passed, Felix was succeeded by Porcius Festus, but because Felix wanted to grant a favor to the Jews, he left Paul in prison. Acts 25 6 After spending eight or ten days with them, Festus went down to Caesarea. The next day he convened the court and ordered that Paul be brought before him. 7 When Paul came in, the Jews who had come down from Jerusalem stood around him. They brought many serious charges against him, but they could not prove them. 8 Then Paul made his defense: “I have done nothing wrong against the Jewish law or against the temple or against Caesar.” 9 Festus, wishing to do the Jews a favor, said to Paul, “Are you willing to go up to Jerusalem and stand trial before me there on these charges?” 10 Paul answered: “I am now standing before Caesar’s court, where I ought to be tried. I have not done any wrong to the Jews, as you yourself know very well. 11 If, however, I am guilty of doing anything deserving death, I do not refuse to die. But if the charges brought against me by these Jews are not true, no one has the right to hand me over to them. I appeal to Caesar!” 12 After Festus had conferred with his council, he declared: “You have appealed to Caesar. To Caesar you will go!”
- Paul had been raised in a Hellenistic (Greek thought, influence and customs) society. Acts 21 notes] that Paul spoke fluent [formal, as opposed to Koine] Greek to the Roman military captain, Lysias. . . . Barclay [says:] "The captain was amazed to hear the accents of cultured Greek coming from this man (Paul) whom the crowd were out to lynch." Paul was also fluent in Koine Greek, a Greek tongue commonly spoken in Tarsus, as well as being fluent in Classical Greek, which indicated to some that he had been exposed to Greek learning at the university level. Montague [states:] His mastery of the Greek literary technique of the diatribe and his occasional citation of Greek authors (Aratus in Acts 17:18; Meander in 1 Cor. 15:23; Epimenides in Tit 1:1) are considered by some as evidence that he frequented the Hellenistic schools of rhetoric. Here is the Acropolis dominated by the Parthenon in Athens where Paul argued using his Grecian learning.
- The Greek polytheistic religion probably reached its zenith in about the 8th century BC with the works of the blind to it Homer. Until about the 3rd century BC, these were prevailing among the Greek-Speaking people. However around the 3rd century BC. The people began to wonder what the gods were doing and if they were in fact “gods” all. While the Greek pantheon of gods existed on into the 3rd century AD, the Greek religion lost much of its fire in the times just before the birth of Christ. We see in this picture the goddess Athena Nike adjusting her sandal. This is from a frieze around a parapet (retaining wall) in the Temple of Athena created about 410 BC. The significance of this piece is that it demonstrates that a goddess needs to adjust her sandal. Perhaps if she needs to adjust her sandals, maybe she is not a god. While this could easily be passed over as merely a beautiful work of art, it represents a cultural statement of the questioning by first the philosophers and then the general population of the gods themselves. The “Seven Sages,” named in the paper are commonly thought of as the philosophical ancestors of Socrates, Plato and Aristotle. They held to the ancient polytheism and the pantheon of the gods whereas by the 3rd Century BC, these had come into question. Coterminous with this Greek questioning of the status of polytheism, in the 3rd century the watershed Babylonian captivity of the Jews took place. During this captivity, the rise of Judaism and its more modern form of monotheism began to gain traction and became prevalent to some extent under the leadership of the Scribe, Ezra as well. During this period in Babylon and in Jerusalem we had the three great prophets Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel. Together they are referred to as the JED. Some theologians believe that during this time, their writings were propagated from Jerusalem and Babylon throughout the Grecian world and had an influence on Grecian religion as on other religions of other peoples.
- When one thinks of the great Greek philosophers, Socrates, Plato and Aristotle come to mind. They were not the only ones of course. However, with Zeno, they have perhaps the greatest impact, if not Greek civilization in general, certainly on Paul as representatives of his Greek influences. We will also see others of note including Epicurus and Pyrrho of Elis.
- Problem - Socrates (470/469 – 399 BC) never wrote anything down. The “filter of his great pupil, Plato.” Plato wrote Dialogues Socrates. Principle contribution to Western thought (and Paul’s) - “Socratic method.” The teacher asks pointed questions to weeding out implausibility. The modern “Scientific Method” is based on Socratic thought. Believed all things were created because they have function thus “divinely ordained.” Probably a polytheist. Influenced ethics - Do the right, not the Expedient. Killed by drinking hemlock.
- Plato (428/427 or 424/423 – 348/347 BC) was Socrates’ greatest pupil. Prolific writer. Perhaps the most famous quote concerning Plato: “Alfred North Whitehead once noted: "the safest general characterization of the European philosophical tradition is that it consists of a series of footnotes to Plato. Founder of Western religion and spirituality. Influence on Christianity is a mixture of good and bad. Strong sense of the divine. Two “realities,” seen and. Unseen. Of the two, the real reality is that of the divine Makes a clear distinction between the two “realities.” This lead to a philosophy that has persisted for millennia.” He created the “world of shadows which holds that things that occur in the physical world are “shadows” of the things that occur in the spiritual world. The problem is that its natural progression leads to the heresies of asceticism and its converse, hedonism. The ascetic believes that since the physical world is not important, he should ignore it and try his best to get away from it. We see modern ascetism in monasteries both religious and non-religious. Over time, the spiritual is forgotten, ie. Modernism.
- I was also a Platonist. So ingrained in culture, it’s hard to shake. However, Platonism is at best a “bridge” to Christianity, not Christ in final form. Plato taught that there is a creator-god; however He is subject to “the Good” which controls all things. Truth and Morality are absolute (however, they exist outside God) The unseen reality is of greater import (however, “dualism” denies the goodness of the Creation) Immorality of the soul (however, Plato recognized “reincarnation”) Materialism is the great enemy (however, the body is not a prison, as in dualism)
- God is supreme, not subject to the greater “Good.” God is good and “the Good.” Christianity’s God is infinite and “Omni-supreme” not subject to the higher, principle of “the Good.” Genesis 1: 1, “In the beginning God . . .” Deut. 6:4, “Hear, O Israel: the LORD our God, the LORD is one;“ God created all things good, however, man fell spiritually and took the Creation with him. Genesis 1:31, “God saw all that he had made, and it was very good . . .” Gen. 3:16-19, “To the woman he said, “I will make your pains in childbearing very severe; with painful labor you will give birth to children. Your desire will be for your husband, and he will rule over you.” 17 To Adam he said, “Because you listened to your wife and ate fruit from the tree about which I commanded you, ‘You must not eat from it,’ “Cursed is the ground because of you; through painful toil you will eat food from it all the days of your life. 18 It will produce thorns and thistles for you, and you will eat the plants of the field. 19 By the sweat of your brow you will eat your food until you return to the ground, since from it you were taken; for dust you are and to dust you will return.” The body was created good and has value, it is not a prison, it will be perfected, not discarded. This is one misconception that Paul addressed in 1 Thessalonians 4:13-16, “13 Brothers and sisters, we do not want you to be uninformed about those who sleep in death, so that you do not grieve like the rest of mankind, who have no hope. 14 For we believe that Jesus died and rose again, and so we believe that God will bring with Jesus those who have fallen asleep in him. 15 According to the Lord’s word, we tell you that we who are still alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will certainly not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.”
- Plato’s pupil, Aristotle (384 – 322 BC,) seen in the famous 1663 painting by Rembrandt, Aristotle contemplating the bust of Homer, was most notably the tutor of Alexander the Great. This gave him the resources to crate great libraries and aid in the production of hundreds of books. Since he was a pupil of Plato, he was raised, philosophically, on Platonic dualism. However, later in life, his studies changed from Platonism to empiricism. He believed that all peoples' concepts and all of their knowledge was ultimately based on perception. Aristotle's views on natural sciences represent the groundwork underlying many of his works. Aristotle is viewed as the father of logical reasoning. Emanuel As teacher of Alexander the Great, Aristotle influenced the thought of all the conquered provinces with his emphasis on gaining knowledge from observation of the natural world. While this view gives a wonderful basis for the scientific method, it de-emphasizes, if not totally denies, the element of the spiritual in the cosmos. This leads us to rationalism that holds nature as god rather than God as God. We see this rationalistic idea in the basic documents of our American heritage.
- An unfortunate extension of Aristotle’s naturalistic views based in truth from that which can be observed is his view that people of color were naturally destined to be slaves. Paul indirectly, some say directly, attacks the truth of this view in Philemon, Galatians 3:27 and 28, Galatians 4:6 and 7 and a number of clearly indirect allusions. “For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free man, there is neither male nor female. . .” “Because you are sons, God has sent forth the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying, "Abba! Father!" Therefore you are no longer a slave, but a son; and if a son, then an heir through God. Galatians 4:6. 6 Because you are his sons, God sent the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, the Spirit who calls out, “Abba, Father.” 7 So you are no longer a slave, but God’s child; and since you are his child, God has made you also an heir. Paul indirectly, some say directly, attacks the truth of this view in Philemon vv. 15-16 and a number of clearly indirect allusions. 15 Perhaps the reason he was separated from you for a little while was that you might have him back forever— 16 no longer as a slave, but better than a slave, as a dear brother. He is very dear to me but even dearer to you, both as a fellow man and as a brother in the Lord.
- In the first sentence of the Declaration of Independence which is frequently omitted from quotation by political orators, we find this peculiar statement: When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. Jefferson, Thomas, Declaration of Independence, Clause 1.
- The Greek philosopher Epicurus, founded the school of thought known as Epicureanism around 307 BC. It is a system of thought based in materialism. The materialism of Epicurus caused him belittle the gods and not believe in superstition or divine intervention. God either wants to eliminate bad things and cannot, or can but does not want to, or neither wishes to nor can, or both wants to and can. If he wants to and cannot, then he is weak – and this does not apply to god. If he can but does not want to, then he is spiteful – which is equally foreign to god's nature. If he neither wants to nor can, he is both weak and spiteful, and so not a god. If he wants to and can, which is the only thing fitting for a god, where then do bad things come from? Or why does he not eliminate them? Epicurus believed that "pleasure" was the greatest good. This, however should be distinguished from the logical extreme of Epicureanism, Hedonism which is basically license to act in any way one pleases. To Epicurus, the way to attain “pleasure” was to live modestly and to gain knowledge of the workings of the world thus limiting the need for one's desires. This leads to tranquility. Epicureanism was originally a challenge to Platonism, though later it became the main opponent of Stoicism. While some of the later Roman rulers were Stoic in their persona, i.e., Marcus Aurelius, most resorted to the abuse of Epicureanism – Hedonism. Julius Caesar is said to have had “Epicurean leanings.”
- A brief mention should be made of Skepticism because it is among the Grecian philosophies that competed for the young Paul’s attention and the mature Paul’s attacks. Pyrrho of Elis (365–275 BC) is usually credited with founding the school of skepticism. He traveled to India and studied with the "gymnosophists" (naked lovers of wisdom), which could have been any number of Indian sects. From there, he brought back the idea that nothing can be known for certain. They believed that the senses are easily fooled, and reason follows too easily our desires. Ancient and modern-day skeptics alike tend not to believe in anything because they believe that nothing can be known for sure – and they surely know this.
- Leaving philosophy, politics and conquest ensue. Probably no one single person has had as much effect on the western world up until his time as Alexander the Great. (356 – 323 BC.) A bit of a philosopher, Alexander III’s greatest legacy is his conquering of the known world and inculcation of all the Greek ideas that had preceded him into the “warp and woof” of the societies of the conquered peoples. It is said that [Despite Brad Pitt’s pathetic portrayal of him in the movie,] Alexander's legacy includes the cultural diffusion his conquests engendered, such as Greco-Buddhism. He founded some twenty cities that bore his name, most notably Alexandria in Egypt. Alexander's settlement of Greek colonists and the resulting spread of Greek culture in the east resulted in a new Hellenistic civilization, aspects of which were still evident in the traditions of the Byzantine Empire in the mid-15th century and the presence of Greek speakers in central and far eastern Anatolia until the 1920s . . . He is often ranked among the world's most influential people of all time, along with his teacher Aristotle. See his Empire above. Note that the Empire stretched from Greece to India and from Libya and Egypt to ancient “Sogdiana,” modern day Iran, Tajikistan and Uzbekistan. After the death of Alexander, his Kingdom was divided among his generals. Note below the division. Note that the area of Paul’s interest was under the control of the several of the successors to him. Note, to that Paul’s Cilicia was not under direct Greek control by Paul’s time.
- After the death of Alexander, his Kingdom was divided among his generals. Note below the division. Note that the area of Paul’s interest was under the control of the several of the successors to him. Note, to that Paul’s Cilicia was not under direct Greek control by Paul’s time. Ptolemy ruled Palestine and others split Asia Minor. Note, to that Paul’s Cilicia was not under direct Greek control by Paul’s time.
- Of the many philosophical schools of the time, Stoicism, [founded by Zeno (334 – c. 262 BC) of Citium in Cyprus who taught in Athens circa 300 BC,] was probably the most congenial to Paul. One or two of the great Stoics came from Tarsus, and Paul may have remembered something about their teachings from his youth. Some scholars have suggested that Paul's acquaintance with Stoic philosophy was closer than this. In 1910 Rudolf Bultmann pointed out that Paul's reasoning sometimes resembles the Stoics' arguments. Both use rhetorical questions, short disconnected statements, an imaginary opponent to raise questions, and frequent illustrations drawn from athletics, building, and life in general. It is even possible to find phrases in Paul's teaching which could be taken to support Stoic doctrine; for example the statement that "all things were created through Him and for Him. He is before all things, and in Him all things hold together " (Colossians 1:16-17)... Paul's letters also often reflect Stoic terminology - as when he describes morality in terms of what is "fitting" or "not fitting" (Colossians 3:18; Ephesians 5:3-4). No doubt Paul would know [about] and sympathize with many Stoic ideals. This school, set up in the Painted Hall [In Athens](Stoa Poikile) by Zeno of Citium, Cyprus (335-263 BC,) taught a complete philosophical system which with certain modifications was to flourish throughout the Hellenistic period and to become the most popular philosophy during the first two centuries of the Roman Empire. It had several main tenets. The only good is in virtue, which means living in accordance with the will of god or nature - the two being more or less identified. One's knowledge of what that is depends on an understanding of reality, which (contrary to the views of the skeptics) can be acquired through the senses by a “perception conveying direct apprehension” (kataleptike phantasia), as the Stoic jargon described accepting the evidence of the senses. Such virtue is the only good: all else (if not positively evil) is indifferent. They invented the active principle of reality with the Logos, Reason, or God. Both Paul and John the Apostle deal with this idea of “the Word.” Stoic philosophy, it would appear, was embraced as the "popular philosophy" of the Roman Empire in Paul's day. It is easy to see how Paul, being taught Stoic fundamentals, used Stoicism in metaphorical language to get his audiences to understand his point. This approach would have been the one that would have made the most sense in the impartation of God's word. It is very easy to picture Paul intertwining Stoic philosophical techniques and ideas with the truths contained in the gospel, to assist Gentile audiences in their understanding of the word of God. Paul utilized his Grecian cultural and educational background as leverage in his efforts to convert and train Gentile hearers in the way of the Lord.
- Stoicism vs Christianity. While it differed from Christianity in fundamental ways (it was materialistic and pantheistic), nonetheless Christianity defined itself in an intellectual environment pervaded by Stoic ideas of the logos. Furthermore, for much of modern Western history, Stoic ideas of moral virtue have been second to none in influence. Stoic ideas regarding the natural order of things and of each rational soul as a divine element provided one basis upon which later ideas of natural law were erected. Materialistic vs God-centered Pantheistic vs monotheistic Invented the “Logos,” the creative force in the universe Both highly moral Stoicism absolutely determinist while Christianity has complex idea of God’s influence in events
- When "certain.... of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers encountered" Paul at Athens, and when, after the apostle had spoken on Mars' Hill, "some mocked; but others said, We will hear thee concerning this yet again" (Acts 17:18, 32), it is no improbable inference that the Epicureans mocked, while the Stoics desired to hear more. For they would find much in the apostle's teaching that harmonized with their own views. Paul's quotation from the classics in his Athenian speech was from the Stoic poet, Aratus of Soli in Cilicia: "For we are also his offspring." His doctrine of creation, of divine immanence, of the spirituality and fatherhood of God, would be familiar and acceptable to them. His preaching of Christ would not have been unwelcome to them, who were seeking for the ideal wise man. Paul's moral teaching as it appears in his Epistles reveals some resemblance to Stoic ethics. it is possible that Paul had learned much from the Stoic school at Tarsus. It is certain that subsequent Christian thought owed much to Stoicism. Its doctrine of the immanent Logos was combined with Philo's conception of the transcendent Logos, to form the Logos doctrine through which the Greek Fathers construed the person of Christ. And Stoic ethics was taken over almost bodily by the Christian church.
- Acts 17: 16-32. 16 While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with both Jews and God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there. 18 A group of Epicurean and Stoic philosophers began to debate with him. Some of them asked, “What is this babbler trying to say?” Others remarked, “He seems to be advocating foreign gods.” They said this because Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection. 19 Then they took him and brought him to a meeting of the Areopagus, where they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we would like to know what they mean.” 21 (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking about and listening to the latest ideas.) 22 Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said: “People of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 23 For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to an unknown god. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you. 24 “The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by human hands. 25 And he is not served by human hands, as if he needed anything. Rather, he himself gives everyone life and breath and everything else. 26 From one man he made all the nations, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he marked out their appointed times in history and the boundaries of their lands. 27 God did this so that they would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from any one of us. 28 ‘For in him we live and move and have our being.’[b] As some of your own poets have said, ‘We are his offspring.’[c] 29 “Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. 30 In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now he commands all people everywhere to repent. 31 For he has set a day when he will judge the world with justice by the man he has appointed. He has given proof of this to everyone by raising him from the dead.” 32 When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.”