Articles
Jesus Was Not a Stoic
Stoicism was a well-known human philosophy in the first century. Paul himself encountered it in Athens. Stoics were mentioned with the Epicureans (Ac 17:18), but the two groups were poles apart in their definition of man and their counsel of how to interact with the world.
In his Acts commentary Gareth Reese notes: “Stoic philosophers were advocates of the theory originally taught by Zeno of Cyprus who died in 264 B.C., after living to the age of 96. Because he regularly held his classes on one of the porches in the market place, his followers were called ‘Stoics’ (from the Greek word stoa which means ‘porch’) …
“Doctrines of the Stoics included these: (1) The world was created by Zeus. (2) All things were governed by the ‘Fates,’ to whom Zeus himself was subject. (3) Self-denial was thought to contribute to the highest end in life. Passions and affections were to be suppressed and restrained (‘Grin and bear it!’); apathy or indifference to either pleasure or pain, or mastery over all desires and lusts, so that none gained control of the man; these were what the Stoic aimed for. (4) They denied the immortality of the soul, some holding that the soul would exist only until the destruction of the universe, and others that it would finally be absorbed into the divine essence and become a part of deity (i.e., they believed in the transmigration of souls)” (622-623).
Reese’s footnote: “The Stoics have been called the Pharisees of the world of philosophy, for in their apathy they lost any feeling of sympathy (so much like the Pharisees who in their legalism also had little sympathy for their fellow men)” (ibid). Let’s briefly examine the four postulates listed above.
1. The world was created by Zeus. False. Men are certainly preoccupied with the question of origin, either their ethnic “roots” or the beginning of life on earth or how the cosmos came to be. But Zeus was created by men, not the creator of men: “Zeus was the chief god of all Indo-Europeans … As the god of the bright sky, Zeus was the lord of thunder, and the giver of weather, the ‘cloud-gatherer’ … Since mountain peaks give weather signs, Zeus was enthroned on heights, preeminently on Olympus … (Zeus) became the protector and ruler of the family …
“Since the state is the larger family, and requires a moral framework and foundation similar to that of the smaller unit, Zeus became the protector of law and justice, the supreme god, father of gods and men. Homer, whose epics became a sort of ‘Bible’ in the earlier Gr. centuries, impressed this concept of Zeus on the Gr. mind, and it survived the passing of the forms of kingship which had provided its first imagery” (Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 5, p. 1058).
Scripture, however, flips this script and shows how an eternal, omniscient and omnipotent Creator brought everything into existence. In fact, Jesus, the divine instrument of creation, “came to His own, and His own did not receive Him” (Jn 1:11). Zeus was lauded by the world who made him, but Jesus was rejected by the world whom He had made (cf. 1 Cor 1:20-21).
2. All things were governed by “the Fates” – including Zeus. False. This exposes Zeus’ lack of omnipotence, for in the Stoic mind Zeus did not control all things but was rather subject to forces greater than he was. Many people still believe in similar ideas of fate: “I guess it wasn’t his time …” or “It wasn’t meant to be.” This view is adopted to help people cope with life’s uncertainties, disappointments and tragedies – best to not get too emotionally involved with things that can’t be altered.
But Jesus shows over and over again that He was in complete control of His life. Yes, “God had a plan” for Jesus, and it is described in prophecy and executed by His Son in spite of man’s efforts to thwart it. Some nebulous, obscure power is not running the universe.
3. Passion and affection should be tempered by apathy and indifference so as to retain self-mastery. Mostly false. This element, like many false ideas, has a kernel of truth in it. Granted, we are not to let our carnal passions hold sway over lives. Our old man is to be “crucified with Him … that we should no longer be slaves of sin … Do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts …” (Rom 6:6, 12). The “works of the flesh” must be resisted (Gal 5:16-21). Anger is to be controlled (Eph 4:26) as is other injurious speech (Jas 3:1-10; Mt 5:21-22).
But Stoicism goes beyond this, denying its disciples even the joys of life approved by God: sexual intimacy in marriage; the elation of childbirth/parenthood; the enjoyment of delicious food; indulgence in the beauty of earth; etc. These and other pleasures experienced in moderation are legitimate and do not threaten the soul’s purity, priorities or strength. In fact, Paul warns against worthless Stoic tendencies in Col 2:20-23.
Jesus was not a Stoic: He ate at banquets (Lk 5:29; Mt 9:10-11); He was highly angry over the corruption of the temple (Jn 2:14-17); He grieved over Lazarus’ death and the anguish of his sisters (Jn 11:35, 38); He was in deep agony over His approaching death (Jn 12:27). Jesus did not emotionally distance Himself from the world, nor does He teach men to do so. Rather, we are to love the good, hate evil and keep a rein on our passions.
4. The soul is not immortal. False. Jesus Himself had the expectation of living beyond His crucifixion and told the disciples repeatedly of His coming resurrection (Mt 16:21; 20:19; 26:32; Mk 16:7; etc.). He told the criminal hanging beside Him that He would be with Him in Paradise that very day (Lk 23:43). He spoke briefly of life in heaven, indicating that marriage will not be part of that existence (Mt 22:30-32). On that occasion Jesus chided the Sadducees who didn’t believe in the soul: “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Mt 22:29).
If we reject the truth that God has revealed to us, then we will hopelessly shuffle from one tantalizing philosophy to another, never anchoring ourselves on solid ground. Stoics, hedonists, Marxists/communists, naturalists, humanists and cultists all think they have found the secret to a meaningful life, but without the foundation of Scripture they are building on sand. Jesus said, “Whoever hears these saying of Mine and does them, I will liken him to a wise man who built his house on the rock; and the rain descended, the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house; and it did not fall …” (Mt 7:24-25). Hurricane-proof your life; build on the rock of truth. Enjoy what is lawful; curb what you must; and learn the difference between the two.
