Philosophy, Fate or Faith?

 

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The apostle Paul had sensibly travelled far south to Athens following hostility to his message in northern Greece. While waiting for his friends, Silas and Timothy, to catch up, Paul, like any other tourist today, looked around the city, viewing the Acropolis, etc. He was quite moved by what he saw. 

 

Athens was then the cultural centre of the Roman Empire. It had been the cradle of democracy and was the centre of learning in just about every field of human interest: philosophy, music, theatre, religion, mathematics and science, etc. It reads like a list of university departments. Indeed, says the Bible, the whole city seemed to be given over to the full-time pursuit of novelty, ‘hearing and telling some new thing’. 

 

Paul followed his normal practice of preaching in the synagogue to Jews and Gentile proselytes. Still, in order to meet others, he went to the marketplace – The Agora - with its public debating place, the Hyde Park Corner of its day, and engaged in street preaching and debating with people he met. 

How would you define your life?

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How would you define your life?

From the earliest days, human beings have been fascinated and puzzled by the subject of life. The holy grail for different fields of knowledge all has to do with life. In biology, it is the creation of life from outside another life; in astronomy, it is the discovery of life from outside of planet earth; in medicine, it is the prolonging of life; in philosophy, it is the meaning of life. Whatever it may be, the subject of life is something that we cannot ignore.

Interestingly, the Bible, God’s Word, provides the answers to all these questions that are being asked by the scientific world. Only God is able to create life from nothing, which was what took place when He created this universe. God has placed mankind and all creatures on planet earth and on no other planet. The Bible clearly states that man will surely die despite the best efforts of doctors and medicine because of the problem of sin. God says that the true purpose of life is to serve and please God, Who first created it. If scientists of this world would just accept what the Bible says about life, our history books would be different; our society would be different, and some governments would not be spending billions of dollars on extraterrestrial programs trying to search for life on other planets.

But we come back to a very pertinent question on a personal level: What is your life?

The Bible says that your life is:

Short – just like a vapour from a boiling kettle that appears in a flash and then vanishes away, James 4.14. Peter echoes this truth: "For all flesh is as grass, and all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away" 1Peter 1.24. Seventy or eighty years may seem like a long time, but compared to eternity, it is like a grain of sand on a vast ocean bed! After our physical life ends, eternity starts either in a blissful heaven or in a dreadful, horrific hell. If you accept the Lord Jesus as Saviour in this life, you are guaranteed a place in Heaven. However, if you reject Him, God will likewise guarantee you a place in hell. "Whosoever believeth in Him (the Lord Jesus) should not perish, but have everlasting life" John 3.16.

Sinful – Sin is an element in life that is present from the moment we are born until the moment we die, and it is because of sin that we die. Romans 5.12, "Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned." The question of sickness, suffering, and eventually death directly results from the presence of sin in our lives and in this world. The Lord Jesus Christ died for our sins, so we do not need to be eternally accountable for them. If you accept the Lord Jesus, you can have God’s forgiveness and a place in heaven. Let God’s Word speak to you: Romans 5.6,8 "For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly ... God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

Special – because the God of Heaven values our lives so much, He gave His only Son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross for our salvation. "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son" John 3.16, to die for us. God asks you to accept and believe that Jesus Christ died for a sinner such as yourself, and you will receive forgiveness of your sins and eternal life.

So, what is your life?

Written by a Guest Blogger - Assembly Testimony

To access podcasts and videos explaining the good news of salvation through faith in Jesus Christ, visit www.seekthetruth.org.uk

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Debating in Athens

All photos courtesy of Unsplash

The apostle Paul, who wrote nearly half of the New Testament, had sensibly travelled far south to Athens following hostility to his preaching in northern Greece. While waiting for his friends Silas and Timothy to catch up, Paul, like any other tourist today, looked around the city and viewed the Acropolis. Athens was then the cultural centre of the Roman Empire. It had been the cradle of democracy and was the centre of learning in just about every field of human interest: philosophy, music, theatre, religion, mathematics and science.  Indeed, the Bible says, the whole city seemed to be given over to the full-time pursuit of novelty; ‘hearing and telling some new thing’.

Is there something worse than dementia or cancer?

Is there something worse than dementia or cancer?

Many people I know seem to have a relative with either a form of dementia or some type of cancer. When I was younger you seemed more likely that you would have a heart attack or a stroke. This might just be my impression based on very anecdotal evidence but that's the way it looks from where I am sitting. 

God is not a racist - Acts 17 - Part 2

 

In this passage we come across people who worship anything but the true and living God; that's a bit like people in our society. These are also people who like new ideas and philosophies. They loved to debate about something new. So how do you talk to people with this outlook on life. 

Paul, the Apostle starts with a 'Back to Basics' approach. Look at some of the key points that are made:

God made the world

He gave us life, 

He maintains our existence, 

We are ultimately dependant on Him,

We all come from the same stock therefore there should be no racism, 

God has defined the boundaries of life and it's times and seasons,

God has so arranged life so that we can seek him if we so desire and realise the importance of knowing God in this life,

God has overlooked much of human history, the despicable behaviour of mankind but he now commands us all to repent - there needs to be a change, we need to turn from our sin to God,

God will judge the world on a future set date. He will be fair and all sin and evil will be dealt with and punished justly. The judge has already been appointed - he is the Lord Jesus Christ. The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus confirm that fact that He, Jesus, is the only person appropriate to judge the world,

Some people accepted the message then but some people mocked,

Nothing has changed - the response is still the same today. 

Acts 17:15-34

15 And they that conducted Paul brought him unto Athens: and receiving a commandment unto Silas and Timotheus for to come to him with all speed, they departed.

16 Now while Paul waited for them at Athens, his spirit was stirred in him, when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry.

17 Therefore disputed he in the synagogue with the Jews, and with the devout persons, and in the market daily with them that met with him.

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

19 And they took him, and brought him unto Areopagus, saying, May we know what this new doctrine, whereof thou speakest, is?

20 For thou bringest certain strange things to our ears: we would know therefore what these things mean.

21 (For all the Athenians and strangers which were there spent their time in nothing else, but either to tell, or to hear some new thing.)

22 Then Paul stood in the midst of Mars' hill, and said, Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all things ye are too superstitious.

23 For as I passed by, and beheld your devotions, I found an altar with this inscription, To The Unknown God. Whom therefore ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto you.

24 God that made the world and all things therein, seeing that he is Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth not in temples made with hands;

25 Neither is worshipped with men's hands, as though he needed any thing, seeing he giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;

26 And hath made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on all the face of the earth, and hath determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of their habitation;

27 That they should seek the Lord, if haply they might feel after him, and find him, though he be not far from every one of us:

28 For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring.

29 Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

30 And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:

31 Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

32 And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.

33 So Paul departed from among them.

34 Howbeit certain men clave unto him, and believed: among the which was Dionysius the Areopagite, and a woman named Damaris, and others with them.

King James Version (KJV)

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