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The Unknown God

Author(s): Jacob P. Dunn


Source: The Biblical World, Vol. 42, No. 6 (Dec., 1913), pp. 351-361
Published by: The University of Chicago Press
Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/3142850
Accessed: 04-10-2016 00:11 UTC

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The Biblical World

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THE UNKNOWN GOD 351

formula, but to discover its value as a


individual lives, but in the social rela-
tions and common life which these in-treasury of Christian experience. It
dividuals maintain together. "Thus," summons us as individuals to a deeper
in the words of a well-known modern experience of the reality and saving
power
theologian, "the special incarnation in of God, and a clearer discovery
Christ requires as its complement theof his character, as these are revealed
wider incarnation in humanity; and thein Jesus Christ. It dignifies our human
life of Jesus remains incomplete till itnature
is with its evidence of our nearness
of kin to "the Father of our spirits."
contemplated in relation to the larger
social ideal whose realization it is de- And it heartens us for all our moral
signed to promote." struggle and social aspiration, with its
promise and prophecy of that final
So rich, then, is our spiritual heritage
in the doctrine of the incarnation, when consummation both of our personal and
of our common life, in which "God shall
we approach it, not in order to debate its
adequacy or accuracy as a theologicalbe all in all."

THE UNKNOWN GOD

JACOB P. DUNN
President, Public Library Commission of Indiana

A college student once said to a distinguished professor of history wh


to the roads Solomon built: "Do you mean to tell us that Solomon was a
I thought he was just somebody in the Bible." That is the way too man
about Paul. To make the apostle real he must be seen in connection wit
world in which he lived. Mr. Dunn attempts to show in a rather novel
relation to Platonism. His reconstruction of the address of Paul at Athen
only conjecture, but does it not help us to understand the effect whic
thoughtful persons?

The sermon of Paul on Mars Hill has method, many on its immediate effects,
long held a place in the front ranks of many on its permanent argumentative
examples of forensic oratory; and prop- force. And yet, when considered in the
erly no oratory holds such rank that is setting of its known surroundings, it
not effective, for the object of oratory seems singularly inadequate to the re-
is to convince, and that which lacks sults attained.
convincing power lacks the essential Paul had just arrived at Athens from
feature of true oratory. There have Berea. His preaching in Macedonia up
been many comments on this effort of to this point had not produced like
Paul, many reflections on its ingenious results. On the contrary, it had evoked

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352 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

persecution, and therein,


he seeing
had been
that he obliged
is Lord of heaven and
earth, dwelleth
flee from Philippi, from not in temples made with
Thessalonic
and from Berea. While he waited here hands;
for Silas and Timothy, his spirit was Neither is worshiped with men's hands,
as though he needed anything, seeing he
stirred by the idolatry of the city, and
giveth to all life, and breath, and all things;
he began disputing in the synagogue andAnd hath made of one blood all nations
in the market-place. Soon he attracted
of men for to dwell on all the face of the
the attention of the philosophers, Epi-
earth, and hath determined the times before
cureans and Stoics, men who devoted appointed, and the bounds of their habita-
their entire time to the hearing and dis-
tion;
cussion of new things, and especiallyThat they should seek the Lord, if haply
they might feel after him and find him,
to religious matters. These people took
though he be not far from every one of us:
him to the Areopagus-possibly, but
not probably, before the council whichFor in him we live, and move, and have
held sessions there-which was the most our being; as certain also of your own poets
have said, For we are also his offspring.
prominent place of public discussion,
Forasmuch then as we are the offspring
and said to him, with at least an appear-
of God, we ought not to think that the God-
ance of toleration and respect: "May head is like unto gold, or silver, or stone,
we know what this new doctrine, where- graven by art and man's device.
of thou speakest, is ? For thou bringest And the times of this ignorance God
certain strange things to our ears: wewinked at; but now he commandeth all
would know what these things mean." men everywhere to repent:
And now Paul stood up in the most Because he hath appointed a day, in
notably intellectual city in the world, which he will judge the world in righteous-
before an audience that probably could ness by that man whom he hath ordained;
not have been excelled at that time in whereof he hath given assurance unto all
men, in that he hath raised him from the
cultivation. It was not an address to
dead.
the masses. He was talking to the intel-
lect of the age. He was alone. ThereTo this version modern criticism has
offered little addition or change, the only
was not even a sprinkling of party allies
material suggestions being as to the
in the crowd to applaud a telling hit, or
to second his effort in any way. His phrases "too superstitious" and "to
words stood absolutely on their own the unknown God." It is generally
merit. And these are his words, as conceded that the words rendered "too

given in our Authorized Version: superstitious" may be properly rendered


"very religious," "very devout," "truly
Ye men of Athens, I perceive that in all
god-fearing," or in like terms having
things ye are too superstitious.
none of the offensive meaning that neces-
For as I passed by and beheld your devo-
sarily attaches to "too superstitious."
tions, I found an altar with this inscription,
To THE UNKNOWN GOD. Whom therefore As to the other, it was suggested by
ye ignorantly worship, him declare I unto some of the early church Fathers that
you. the inscription was probably in the
God that made the world and all thingsplural-" to unknown gods"; and con-

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THE UNKNOWN GOD 35S

jecture has been made that this


to join, and implied
it was a matter of give and
take for the
gods of foreign nations, whom all. The Greek philosophers
Athe-
nians fancied to have brought
were skilledills to trained particu-
debaters,
them, or who might do larly so. Modern
in this form of discussion, and would
critics usually accept the quickly
singular form, if they had any
have interposed
but as there is no article used in the
objection. But they did not, and this
Greek, the ordinary translation would
is vastly significant. For example, the
be "to an unknown god." This, how- fact that Paul directly attacked idolatry
and image-worship, in a city that was
ever is not obligatory, and the transla-
tion "to the unknown god" is generally
given over to it, and where it was estab-
admitted as proper. It would be more
lished by law, but without interruption,
demonstrates what we know also from
impressive to render it, as could properly
profane history, that at this time the
be done, just as it stands in the original:
"To Unknown God." educated Greeks did not believe in
idols, and made no pretense of believing
And when they heard of the resurrection
in them, even though they joined in the
of the dead, some mocked; and others said,
We will hear thee again of this matter. statutory rites.
So Paul departed from among them. With these two deductions in mind,
Howbeit certain men clave unto him and let us look at the speech again. It has
believed; among the which was Dionysius often been suggested that Paul was too
the Areopagite, and a woman named prudent, and too skilled an orator to
Damaris, and others with them.
call his audience "too superstitious,"
Taking the entire account as it stands in an offensive way, at the outset. That
two things seem obvious on its face.is a valid deduction; but we can add
First, the address as recorded must be a to it the certainty that his hearers did
mere summary of the actual discourse, not take offense at his words; and also
for it would require less than two that he did not intend them in an offen-
minutes for delivery. It is too briefsive or critical sense, because to have
for Paul's known sermonizing ability; done so would have been to overthrow
too brief for the occasion, with the spe- his own argument. How could he
cial trip to the Areopagus; too briefconsistently urge that the Athenians
for the distinguished audience. Second,were unduly superstitious for believing
nothing in the speech aroused criticismin an unknown god, and in the next
or dissent till he spoke of the resurrec- breath assure them that this god was
tion; and this point is important be- the only true god, whom they ought to
cause it implies assent to all that worship? Obviously the words ren-
precedes that. The common form of dered "too superstitious" were intended
all such discourses in Athens was dis- and accepted as commendatory.
putation or discussion. Paul himself In like manner, as to the inscription
was "disputing" in the synagogue and on the Athenian altar, we can be sure
the market-place when the philosophers that it was in harmony with the inter-
were attracted to him. It was a form pretation given to it by Paul. If the
of discussion in which anyone was inscription
free had been " to unknown gods,"

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354 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

be compared to Jehovah.
in a plural and indefinite form, But didor
the if it
had been, as St. Jerome conjectured,
Greeks recognize any such god? Was
"To the unknown gods
there any of
deity in their Asia,
pantheistic circle and
Europe, and Africa; to foreign and that would answer to these require-
unknown gods," and Paul had proceededments ? Unquestionably there was; and
to state that it was an altar to the one he was the supreme divinity of their
god "that made the world and all things most prominent religious sect-the Pla-
tonists. Plato had been dead for four
therein," he would have been interrupted
and mocked at once. Some philosopher
centuries, but his philosophy had lived;
would have said: "Thou art indeed a
and though it had ramified into almost
babbler, and ignorant, for this altaras
ismany
not sectarian forms as the teaching
to one god, but to all unknown of
gods."
Jesus Christ has since, this central
The assent of his audience can be
feature of one supreme, unknown god
explained only on the basis that this
was preserved in all of them, as it is in
altar was erected to an unknown god
all Christian beliefs. Moreover, it had
"that made the world and all things all other philosophies. The
tinctured
therein." Stoics believed in a supreme First Cause,
though they located it in matter, as our
Who Was the Unknown God?
materialists do. The Epicureans con-
But further, what is meantceded
by "thethe
possibility of such a being, but
unknown god" ? What could these
held that if he existed he dwelt apart,
words possibly mean to the
andGreeks?
took no heed of the affairs of men.
The word "unknown" is universally
And this the
was not wholly repugnant to
antithesis of "known "; and the phrase theory, for it held that
the Platonian
the Supreme
could not possibly mean anything to the Being created Jove, and
Greeks, or to anyone else, but " the
all the other known gods, and left to
unknown god" as distinguished them from
the minor creations, and the super-
their known gods. And how vision
did they
of mankind, while he returned
know any god? Not by personal to a state of eternal repose.
acquaintance. No one pretended to Of all the gods of the Greeks, this one
that. They knew their gods by their alone had no name. Plato refers to him
names and their images. Zeus, Hera, simply as "God," "the Deity," "the
Pallas Athene, and all the rest were Supreme First Existence"; and he
familiar to the Athenians by their names never received any name. When Cicero
and their images, just as Cupid, and had occasion to consider him, he referred
Liberty, and Santa Claus are to Ameri- to him as "the god of Plato." Neither
cans, but this altar was to a god who had was any image ever made of him by the
no name and no image. Greeks or by the Romans, any more
The necessary inference is that this than by the Jews. He was always and
god of the Greeks was one for whom they everywhere "the Unknown God" until
had no name, of whom they had no he revealed himself. But there was no
image, and yet whom they believed to reason why the Platonists should not
have "made the world and all things have erected an altar to him; and from
therein "-a god who could plausibly the known customs of the ancients there

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THE UNKNOWN GOD 855

God" (Ante-Nicene
was every reason to expectChristian Library,
them to do so
And we know fromV, 79),profane
"the unknown Father" (ibid.,
writers tha
pp. gods
altars to unknown 171, 289), "the
wereFather unknown to
not peculi
all" (ibid., pp.
to Athens. Pausanias, 80, 89), and "the Un-
Philostratus, an
Lucian mention their existence at other nameable;" and "the Unspeakable"
places. The hypothesis that this altar(ibid., p. 171). He also refers to him
was a Platonian altar to the supremeas "the unoriginated, inconceivable
Father" and the "Father who cannot
First Cause is the only one on which the
known historical facts and this account be named" (ibid., pp. 56, 1oI); and calls
of Paul's sermon can be reconciled. these heretics "those who know not
Furthermore, we know that this God" (ibid., p. 122); while he urges at
pagan conception of God was commonly great length that God is known to Chris-
referred to as "the unknown God" in tian believers (ibid., pp. 179, 239, 291,
315, 370, 390).
the early church literature. The gnostic
heretics all held to this conception in
Is Paul Platonizing?
some form, some even maintaining that
the Supreme Being was unknown to the Consider the sermon in this light.
The writings of Plato were known to all
inferior supernaturals whom he created.
This heresy was vigorously denounced the learned world at that time, and doubt-
by the orthodox Christians, who main- less were known to Paul, for he quotes
tained that God was known throughout from the Greek poets in this same ser-
mon, and was able to talk Greek to a
the spirit world, not only by the angels
who are his servants, but by Satan whoGreek audience. The God of the He-
was driven from his presence, by brewsevil was known to his audience. The
spirits who declared their knowledge Jews had a synagogue in Athens in
which disputations were held as well as
when cast out, and by the spirits of the
in the Athenian schools and in the
dead, for Christ said of little children,
"in heaven their angels do always be- market-place; and these philosophers
hold the face of my Father which is in made haste to inquire into all new
who
heaven." More than this, he was now things, especially in connection with
known to men, both through Christ and religion, did not overlook the Hebrew
through the Holy Spirit, whom Christ teachings. The controversial writings
had promised as a Comforter that should
of the ancients demonstrate clearly that
teach them all things-not fully of the Hebrew theology was very fairly
understood.
course, but as "seen through a glass
What Paul undertook was to main-
darkly," and so far as within finite com-
prehension. tain two theses in the Areopagus. The
Thus, Ignatius, in his epistle to first
the was that the God of Plato and the
God of Moses were in fact one God;
Trallians, recites, among other heresies
and this the Greeks heard with interest.
of the Gnostics, that, "They introduce
God as a Being unknown." Irenaeus, The second was that God had revealed
who wrote the first formal work against himself in Jesus Christ, and had proven
heresy that is preserved to us, speaks his personality by the resurrection; and
of the gnostic deity as "the unknown from this a part of his audience at once

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356 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

dissented. As to the first infer


we may reasonably of that
these,
the omittedth
inadequacy of the portions
recordedwere suchargument
as would probably is
at once apparenthave to anyone
been who has
considered satisfactory evi-
given any attentiondence by to Socratic
the Greeks, though of nodiscus
eternal
sion. With one exception,
weight to the worldthe recorde
at large; and there
sermon is pure assertion,
are points where and that of
the coherence excep
the
tion is the quotation from the Greek
argument seems to call specially for such
poets, "For we are also
matter. his the
For example, offspring."
words,
There is no other "Whom
proof therefore ye ignorantlyand
offered, wor- to
us this is small proof;
ship, him declare I unto you," are fol-the
but not so to
Greeks or their Roman successors. We lowed by what is apparently a conclusion
must remember that their conceptions
of an argument or exposition-" God
of God were derived wholly from thethat made the world and all things
light of reason, and a statement like
therein."
this from the poets was evidence of These
a gaps might have been filled
common belief. It did not mean that
by direct quotations from the Hebrew
it was conclusive evidence of the fact
scriptures and from Plato. As is com-
stated, but that it was the basis of a known, Plato's chief presentation
monly
tenable hypothesis, and this was as high
of his ideas of the Supreme Being is in
as the light of reason could reach. Thus,
his book entitled Timaeus, in which the
in Cicero's great argument on theastronomer
im- Timaeus presents to Socrates
mortality of the soul, which is probably
and his disciples the conclusions as to
as high a reach toward certainty
the as
divine nature and the creation of the
universe which he had deduced from
pure reason ever attained, after review-
ing the statements of the poets and astronomy and mathematics. This book
philosophers, he avows that he believes
was universally known and quoted, and
the soul immortal chiefly because all might
men naturally have been quoted by
believe it. And from the standpoint Paulof
on this occasion. Under these cir-
nature and reason this is the strongest
cumstances it will not be irreverent to
argument that can be made for anything
conjecture what Paul might have said
supernatural. For all men conceiveinGod this line; and the desire to present
to be just, and he has not implanted
myin thought more clearly may excuse the
us any desire or aspiration as to known
audacity of suggesting the following re-
things which is not capable of attain-
construction of Paul's sermon as a possi-
ment. This is the argument to whichbility.
Tennyson, with all his enlightenment,
turns back at last-- A Possible Reconstruction of the
Entire Speech
Thou wilt not leave us in the dust:
Thou madest man, he knows not why; Ye men of Athens, I perceive that ye are
He thinks he was not made to die; indeed devoted to the worship of the Deity,
for as I passed along, and observed the ob-
And Thou hast made him; Thou art just.
jects of your worship, I found among others
Omitted Arguments of the Speech
an altar with this inscription, To UNKNOWN
It being evident that the record of Him, therefore, whom ye worship
GOD.
Paul's sermon is the briefest summary,
without knowing, proclaim I unto you.

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THE UNKNOWN GOD 357

For this altar, as ible


is and
known to
not in a state of rest,all, was
but in exces-
sive agitation
erected to the Supreme and disorder,
Being who and then re-
created
the universe, and whose existence
duced it from disorder is de-
into order, conceiving
the latter to be far better
clared by the philosopher Platothan the to
former."
have
been discovered to the astronomer Timaeus
So, again, our sacred writings declare
that when God created the earth it was with-
through observation and contemplation of
the heavenly bodies and of the laws ofout form and empty, but he proceeded to
nature. bring the seas into their places and also the
land, and to make the land for man's wel-
Now Timaeus, as ye know, distinguished
first between the eternal spirit existences
fare by adding plants and animals for man's
use. And as each separate work was
and earthly things, or as he saith, "between
that which is ever-existent, and has no he contemplated it, and pronounced
finished
generation or creation, and that whichitisgood;
in and when all was finished he pro-
a state of generation, or coming into nounced
exist- it very good.
ence, but never really is. .... And what- But before proceeding with these works,
ever is generated is necessarily generated
there was another creation, for as Timaeus
saith: "Whatever has been generated must
from a certain cause; for it is wholly impos-
sible that anything should be generated necessarily have bodily shape, and be visible
without a cause..... Let this universe as well as tangible. But nothing can be
then be called heaven, or the world, visible
or by without the aid of fire," which is
any other name that it usually receives, to say, light. Wherefore after first mak-
.. (. (and we know) that it is generated;ing the heavens and the earth God created
for this universe is palpable, and haslight, a body;that all his works might be seen and
and all such things are perceptible (i.e., known. areAnd furthermore, being himself
to be apprehended by the senses); and and not created, it was his will that
eternal,
things perceptible, being apprehended man, who by is created and not eternal, should
reason in conjunction with perception, be givenap-a way to judge of eternal things.
pear to be in a state of generation. And as Timeaus further saith: "God
Wherefore,
again, with reference to what exists,resolvedit mustto form a certain movable image
necessarily have arisen from someofcause." eternity, and thus, while he was disposing
So likewise the sacred writings of the whose
parts of the universe, he, out of that
truth I bear witness declare that God is a eternity which rests in unity, formed an
spirit, and that "in the beginning God eternal image on the principle of numbers;
created the heavens and the earth." And and to this we give the appellation of Time.
again, the prophet Jeremiah saith: "He But besides this he contrived the days and
hath made the earth by his power; he hath nights, months and years, which had no
established the world by his wisdom; existence
and prior to the universe, but rose into
by his understanding hath he stretchedbeing out contemporaneously with its formation.
the heavens." All these are but the parts of time; and the
And Timaeus further testifies of the terms 'it was' and 'it will be' are varying
Creator, "He was good, and in the good and evanescent forms of time, which we have
envy is never engendered about anything wrongly and unawares transferred to an
whatever. Hence, being free from envy, eternal essence. For we say that an
he desired that all things should as much as
(eternal) thing was, is, and will be; while
possible resemble himself..... For as according to truth the term 'it is' is alone
the Deity desired, as far as possible, that suitable,
all 'was' and 'will be' being expres-
things should be good, and nothing evil,sions he suitable only to created things, which
accordingly took everything that was vis- move through time. .... With this design

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358 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

then, and after much reflection


their habitation: on
and hath willed that they the
generation of time,should
the seekDeity,
after God, if in
perchance
order they that
should reach
it might be produced inout to him and find
full him. And
operation,
created the sun, moon, and
it is his will five
that men other
should stars,
see his great-
which are denominated planets,
ness in his works, as Timaeusto
hath distin-
done;
for as the
guish and guard over David testifieth:
numbers of time."
And thus declare our sacred books: "And
The heavens declare the glory of God;
God said let there be lights in the firmament The firmament showeth his handiwork.
of heaven to divide the day from the night; Day unto day uttereth speech,
and let them be for signs and for seasons, And night unto night showeth knowledge.
and for days and years; and let them be for There is no speech nor language
Where their voice is not heard.
lights in the firmament of heaven to give
light upon the earth, and it was so. And Their line is gone out through all the earth
And their words to the end of the world.
God made the two great lights; the greater
light to rule the day, and the lesser light to And indeed God is not far from each
rule the night; he made the stars also." one of us; for in him we live and move,
But while he gave this image of eternity,and have our being: as certain of your own
God did not confuse language by using the poets have said:
same terms for eternal and temporal beings,
For we are also His offspring.
as Timaeus truly states that men do.
For when he gave his commands to Moses, Being then the offspring of God, and
and Moses asked him who he should say knowing his eternal nature, we ought not to
to the Jews had given these commands, hethink that the Deity is like unto gold, or
answered, "Tell them I AM hath sent thee."silver, or stone graven by art and device of
For this was the Eternal One, who existedman. Neither do ye believe this, but think
before time began, and before "was" andthat the worship of such images is fitting
"will be" arose as expressions of time. Asonly for those who have not by contempla-
David also says of him: tion and reason attained a knowledge of the
Eternal Spirit and First Cause of all things,
Before the mountains were brought forth,
Or ever Thou hadst formed the earth and the
which indeed it is not possible for all men
to do. For Timaeus himself saith: "To
world,
discover then the Creator and Father of this
Even from everlasting to everlasting, Thou art
God. universe, as well as his work, is indeed diffi-
cult; and when discovered it is impossible
Being persuaded then that God is eternal to reveal him to mankind at large."
and not created, but that he created all But as God is good, he desires that all
things, ye know that he should be wor- men shall know the goodness that is in him,
shiped as an eternal spirit. For that God and not only those who have the good for-
that made the world and all things therein, tune to meet with competent teachers, or
he, being Lord of heaven and earth, dwelleth to be able themselves to understand the
not in temples made with hands; neither teachings of his works. Nor, being good, is
is he served by men's hands as though he it his desire that men should deceive them-
needed anything; seeing he himself giveth to selves, and worship images of their own
all life, and breath, and all things: and he creation, which as ye know they do in igno-
made of one every nation of men to dwell on rance of the Deity himself. Wherefore he
all the face of the earth, having determined hath prepared a more certain testimony to
their appointed seasons, and the bounds of all men; and though in time of men's igno-

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THE UNKNOWN GOD 359

rance he overlookedForthis
the Jewsfalse
require a sign, and the
worship, h
now commandeth Greeks
all seek
men, everywhere, t
after wisdom;
repent; inasmuch asBut he hath
we preach appointed
Christ crucified, unto the a
day in which he Jews
will judgeandthe
a stumbling-block, unto the world
Greeks i
righteousness by foolishness.
the man whom he hath
ordained; whereof heBut unto them which
hath are called both
given assuranc
unto all men both the learned
Jews and Greeks, Christ and the
the power igno
of God,
rant, in that he hath raised
and the wisdom of God. him from th
dead. Because the foolishness of God is wiser
than men; and the weakness of God is
The Effect of the Speech upon Paul stronger than men.
Certainly Paul must have followedFor ye see your calling, brethren, how
that or
some such line of argument as this, not many wise men after the flesh, not
he would not have been able to hold themany mighty, not many noble are called:
But God hath chosen the foolish things
quiet attention of his hearers. Nor is it
of the world to confound the wise; and God
strange that he should make such an
hath chosen the weak things of the world
appeal on this occasion to the learned to confound the things which are mighty;
men of his day, whom he knew to believe And base things of the world, and things
in an eternal and supreme deity. It had
which are despised, hath God chosen, yea
the appearance of a promising field. If
and things which are not to bring to naught
they had so much of the light, why
things that are:
should they not be prepared for more That no flesh should glory in his presence.
light? But Paul never tried the experi- But of him are ye in Christ Jesus, who of
ment again. He learned at Athens the God is made unto us wisdom, and righteous-
ness, and sanctification, and redemption:
lesson of the futility of the appeal to
That, according as it is written, he that
mere worldly wisdom, which he used so
glorieth, let him glory in the Lord.
effectively thereafter. How forcibly he
And I, brethren, when I came to you
puts it in his epistle to the Corinthians:
came not with excellency of speech or of
For Christ sent me not to baptize, but wisdom, declaring unto you the testimony
to preach the gospel; not with wisdom of of God.
words, lest the cross of Christ should be For I determined not to know anything
made of none effect. among you, save Jesus Christ, and him cruci-
For the preaching of the cross is to them fied.
that perish foolishness; but unto us which And I was with you in weakness, and in
are saved, it is the power of God. fear, and in much trembling.
For it is written, I will destroy the wis- And my speech and my preaching was
dom of the wise, and will bring to nothingnot with enticing words of man's wisdom,
the understanding of the prudent. but in demonstration of the Spirit and of
Where is the wise ? where is the scribe ? power:
where is the disputer of this world ? hath not That your faith should not stand in the
God made foolish the wisdom of this world ? wisdom of men, but in the power of God.
For after that in the wisdom of God the
What a contrast to the sermon at
world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased
God by the foolishness of preaching to save Athens is presented by this preaching at
them that believe. Corinth; and remember that Paul went

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360 THE BIBLICAL WORLD

directly from Athens Professing


tothemselves
Corinth, to be wise,and
they wa
found there by Silas became fools,
and Timothy. His
changed attitude was And changed the glory of the incorrupt-
apparently fully
ible God for the likeness of an image of
understood by the brethren, for Luke
corruptible man, and of birds, and four-
says: "But when Silas and Timothy
footed beasts, and creeping things.
came down from Macedonia, Paul was
Wherefore God gave them up in the lusts
constrained by the Word, testifying toof their hearts unto uncleanness, that their
the Jews that Jesus was the Christ." bodies should be dishonored among them-
And this change was justified by the selves:
results, for "many of the Corinthians For that they exchanged the truth of
hearing believed"; and he continued to God for a lie, and worshiped and served
preach there for eighteen months. the creature rather than the Creator who
is blessed forever.
But the lesson of this experience con-
tinued to grow in Paul's mind, and he
Paulinism vs. Platonism
saw that worldly wisdom was an obstacle
Quite possibly the statement th
to salvation. Hence when he wrote to
the Romans, after saying that these
he is passages refer to the Platoni
"debtor both to Greeks and to Bar- will be met by the objection that if P
had
barians, both to the wise and to the referred to the god of Plato in
fool-
sermon
ish," he urges the superiority of faith on Mars Hill, there would h
over worldly wisdom, saying: been more explicit record of it. Is
credible that his treatment of Platonis
For I am not ashamed of the gospel: for and in his subsequent writings
there,
it is the power of God unto salvation to every
the Corinthians and the Romans, w
one that believeth; to the Jew first, have
and been
also left in so obscure a condition
to the Greek.
that they escaped notice in later times?
For therein is revealed a righteousness
Did not the principal faith of the Greeks,
of God from faith unto faith: as it is written,
and the one that has most profoundly
But the righteous shall live by faith.
For the wrath of God is revealed from affected the world since their day, call
heaven against all ungodliness and unright- for something clearer?
eousness of men, who hinder the truth in This objection has force at first blush;
unrighteousness; but consider the alternative. If these
Because that which is known of God is passages do not refer to Platonism there
manifest in them; for God manifested it is no reference whatever in the New
unto them. Testament to Platonism. Yet it was
For the invisible things of him since thethe chief faith of intellectual Greece, and
creation of the world are clearly seen, being
the apostles were preaching throughout
perceived through the things that are made,Greece and the Grecian colonies. Is
even his everlasting power and divinity;
that they may be without excuse:
this possible? Can you conceive of a
Because that, knowing God, they glori- new religion which should spring up in
fied him not as God, neither gave thanks; America, and whose history should make
but became vain in their reasonings, and no mention of Christianity? Can you
their senseless heart was darkened. believe that the apostles did not meet

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SCRIPTURES ETHNIC AND HEBREW-CHRISTIAN 361

and combat the highest form of religioushigher. It is faith that stands in the wis-
error of their day ? dom of men and not in the power of God.
Surely not. The record is too plain And Paul's words were perfectly intel-
that Paul thus became the leader in the ligible to his hearers, who were meeting
long fight which the church maintained these same teachings of Greek philoso-
against the votaries of "the unknown phy daily. To us, who look back over
God," who carried their trust in the the ages, Platonism seems something
wisdom of men, and their idea of per- wonderful and admirable, but it is only
missible indulgence in sensual sin, even
by contrast with other forms of heathen-
ism. To the primitive church it was
after professed conversion to Christian-
ity, in many cases. The generation is merely one form of error-worse, indeed,
than the rest, "because that knowing
not wholly passed; and the record still
remains with its lesson that when the
God, they glorified him not as God." It
was not a thing to be magnified or
appeal of the gospel is made to the wis-
extolled. Hence Paul's statements be-
dom of this world, it receives assent only
come clear and rational when we apply
so far as it coincides with the precon-
ceived opinions of the hearer. And when
the simple historical rule of interpreting
words in terms of the period and condi-
conviction of part of the truth comes from
the wisdom of the world, it never risestions of their use.

SCRIPTURES ETHNIC AND HEBREW-


CHRISTIAN

REV. GEORGE W. GILMORE


Brooklyn, New York

Christian systems of doctrine, in the


Few dogmas, formulated or implicit,
attitude
are so nearly moribund as one evenof Christian teachers and
recently dominant in theologicalpreachers
circles, toward the "so-called sacred
viz., that the inspiring impress writings"
of the (the quotation marks speak
divine upon the human as registered volumes)inof ethnic religions, and in the
literature was limited in duration to a pleas which were wont to be made for
comparatively few hundred years and missionary enterprise and zeal. It owed
in space to a little region east of the part of its force and tenacity to the
Mediterranean. To be sure, this dogma doctrine of the verbal inspiration of the
was unformulated; it could boast no Jewish-Christian Scriptures (at one time
conciliar authority, could appeal tosono extended as to include claims of
explicit authoritative enunciation. But divinity for vowel-points and accents
it was implicit in the teaching of all in the Hebrew!), part to the discern-

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