How Does Stoicism Differ From Christianity?

I recently heard some guys talking about Stoicism, which is a philosophy that is attracting young men in these days of outrage and confusion. They were asked how Stoicism differs from Christianity.

These guys are not overtly Christian, although I think both would claim to be, and their basic conclusion is that there really was no difference. This made me chuckle.

However, I understand why they think that. The best way to go about describing how Stoicism and Christianity are different is by defining what Stoicism is. Here’s the best definition I came across:

It stressed duty and held that, through reason, mankind can come to regard the universe as governed by fate and, despite appearances, as fundamentally rational, and that, in regulating one’s life, one can emulate the grandeur of the calm and order of the universe by learning to accept events with a stern and tranquil mind and to achieve a lofty moral worth.

The basic tenet of Stoicism is to control what you can and let the rest go. Being calm and free of emotional extremes lets you know you’ve arrived at Stoic peace.

For a man-made philosophy, Stoicism isn’t bad. I like lots of things they teach. However, it does differ from biblical Christianity in a fundamental way.

But here’s where moderns will think Stoicism is just like Christianity. The modern church teaches self-help, pop-psychology with Jesus tacked on. It has largely missed the entirety of the power of the Gospel, which is that by faith the believer is crucified with Christ, they are raised up to newness of life, and they are crucified with Christ and it’s no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me.

Instead of this, the Church teaches a few pointers for you to make your life better by ripping a few verses out of context and giving you three ways to improve your marriage and six ways to pay off your mortgage, etc.

Stoicism sees no spiritual help at all. It’s you being in control. You ignoring what you can’t control, which probably does lead to a level of emotional equilibrium.

It will also lead you to give up entirely on other people! Other people are out of your control, their emotions, reactions, thoughts, will, etc. are all out of your control. So if I’m having trouble with my wife who has a bad attitude (just a random example), I cannot control her emotional weirdness, what do I do? Check out? Sit in the corner feeling emotionally calm and superior?

Whereas the Gospel, which says I’m already dead and now am living to serve others as Christ gave His life for me, tells me to lay down my life for my wife. To do everything in my power to serve her regardless of whether she bends to my control.

Stoicism is a macho view of life. It’s the quiet lone ranger, the Clint Eastwood and Mel Gibson characters in the movies. Notice they always have terrible relationships with women! One of the guys who was saying Stoicism is just like Christianity recently got a divorce. Shocking.

Life is more than just about you and your emotional state. This is the main problem with all humanistic philosophy: it’s egocentric. It’s all about me. Pride is the main driver—don’t let anything get to you. Live above it. Be better than that. Pride is the main driver. It also looks awesome and others will pat you on the back for being so manly and in control.

I see the allure, but I also see how ridiculous it is. Jesus Christ gave His life for what was “out of His control.” I know that line will bug Calvinists, but it’s true. Jesus cried over Jerusalem because He would have gathered them as a hen gathers her chicks, but they would not come to Him.

Christ gave His life as a propitiation for the sins of the world, many have responded to His love and sacrifice by trampling the Son of God underfoot.

You lay down your life for your wife whether she responds the way you want or not. You do it because Christ did it for you. You don’t do it to control your wife or even to control you. You do it because Christ did it for you.

Stoicism says you are in control of you. Don’t let anything or anyone else get to you.

Christianity says you are gone. You no longer live. You are now to give your life for everything and everyone you come in contact with! Esteem others better than yourself. Use your strength to bear the burdens of others. You don’t just passively sit by and calmly watch the weak suffer, you give your life to build them up.

I’m sure a Stoic person would disagree with my assessment, but when I tack together all I’ve heard from these Stoic guys pretending they are nailing it in life, this is how what they say differs from true Christianity.

Jesus was no Stoic. He flipped tables. He cursed fig trees. He wept tears of blood. He gave Himself for those who did not deserve it. He did everything in His power to redeem a fallen world. The world is still fallen.

Your job in life is not to be above it all, but to place yourself beneath others to lift them up and carry their burdens no matter how much it hurts and how often it brings tears to your eyes.

It aint easy and it looks and feels miserable. Stoicism feels cool and calm and smart. It’s way more popular. Don’t think for a minute that this brand of Greek philosophy is on par with the teachings and life of Jesus Christ. In the end it won’t work. Jesus Christ is always the answer. His Gospel is what our life should be.

Would People Die for a Lie? Yup!

A popular apologetics line says, “People wouldn’t die for a lie.” This is stated about the disciples and the accusation that they lied about seeing the resurrected Christ.

To defend the historical veracity of the resurrection, apologists say that the disciples wouldn’t have stuck with their lie to the point of martyrdom. Since they were martyred, we know they weren’t lying.

This isn’t a convincing argument to me. People die for lies every day! Not even just extreme examples like Muslim bombers blowing themselves up, but for everyone stuck in materialism and humanism. We’re all stuck in lies to some degree.

Don’t forget that the heart is deceitful above all things. Satan, our foe, is a liar and his lies fill our world system, even our churches are filled with lies and bad interpretations of Scripture.

Lies are everywhere including in our heart. We give our lives for many of these lies and until Judgment Day may not even be aware of them and the power they held over us.

I’ve seen people give their lives for lies. This argument doesn’t work for me.

A slight variation comes from Paul Little, who wrote the evangelistic classic, “How to Give Away Your Faith.” He stated it like this:

“Men will die for what they believe to be true, though it may actually be false. They do not, however, die for what they know is a lie.”

His nuance is that yes, people die for lies, but they think they are living for the truth. They think the lie is true, therefore they give their life for it. On the flip side, if they knew a thing were a lie they would check out of the charade before death took them out.

I like the clarification and think this quote is better, but I’m still not convinced!

There are a lot of people who know the truth of the Gospel, they know it’s true and it deserves their life, but they also really like sin. They will invent false doctrines to assuage the guilt and the truth they don’t like. They will indeed give their lives for a lie.

I know several people who clearly understand the Gospel and the demands it makes on them, yet they fight it with all their energy. In moments of clarity they even see what they are doing. But they can’t stop their sin, and in fact, don’t really want to.

They know the Gospel might even grant power to overcome sin and kill off temptation, but nope, sin has them trapped. They will, and some I know already have, go to the grave clinging to their lie.

There are many proofs for the historical reality of the resurrection. I don’t think this “the disciples wouldn’t die for a lie” is a strong one. It might have a small point, but in reality, I think it completely misunderstands human nature, which has knowingly lived and died for lies for thousands of years now!

It Is God Who Grants Repentance

Was reading some John MacArthur and got to yet another portion where he drops into his Calvinistic beliefs and proceeds to make no sense! Just blows my mind how he can be so good with Scripture on so many subjects and then completely implode on Calvinistic stuff.

Here’s the sentence that got me:

It is God who grants repentance.

The context is him talking about salvation, what is required to be saved as part of his Lordship Salvation stuff. He says salvation is only known by a changed life; if no changed life then no salvation.

But, since he’s Calvinistic, he can’t actually say we do anything; God does it all. He maintains that repentance is required for true salvation, but then has to walk it back by saying that God is the one who grants you the ability to repent. In other words, God does everything, you have nothing to do with it. You repent because God made you repent.

But here’s the kicker of his point, here’s how the sentence shows up in total:

It is God who grants repentance (Acts 11:18; 2 Timothy 2:5).

Now remember, this is in a whole paragraph about how God does everything in salvation, God is the one who makes people repent. He lists two verses to prove that God makes people repent. One would expect these verses to say that God makes people repent!

Here’s Acts 11:18

When they heard this, they had no further objections and praised God, saying, “So then, even to Gentiles God has granted repentance that leads to life.”

He uses this verse to prove a Calvinistic point that God makes people repent. The context is Peter explaining to Jewish religious leaders that Gentiles are coming to faith in the Messiah. God has granted repentance just as much to Gentiles as Jews. That’s the point. It isn’t a point about how God makes the individual believer repent. It just isn’t. Stop it.

OK, so here’s the second verse he lists to prove the point that God makes people repent, 2 Timothy 2:5

Similarly, anyone who competes as an athlete does not receive the victor’s crown except by competing according to the rules.

I’m just going to go ahead and assume he put the wrong verse down because this has nothing to do with anything he’s talking about! It almost, in fact, makes the exact opposite point!

Always look up the references people use to “prove” their points; rarely do the verses actually do that, especially if the point is a Calvinistic point! It’s just not in there.

Christian Theology has Eliminated the Power of the Gospel

Many Christians emphasize Christ’s death as taking care of our sins. They will say things like: “Jesus died to take the penalty for our sins,” or, “Jesus paid the price for our sins.”

There may be some truth to these summation statements of the Gospel, but I don’t think they capture the New Testament’s stress about the Gospel.

I prove my point in two ways.

The first way is that the New Testament doesn’t really talk about Christ’s death as a payment for sins or taking the penalty or punishment for my sin. I know Christians say that all the time, but it’s not really in the Bible.

Even if you look these words up in the NIV you won’t find them used in relation to the Gospel! There are mentions of “punishment” toward sinners in the present, as in punishments handed out by those in authority, and also of punishment in hell. If you believe in Christ as Savior you will not go to hell, thus you will not get punishment. I see that logical conclusion, but does it imply that “Christ took the punishment for our sin?” I don’t think so.

As far as Jesus “paying the price for our sins,” I don’t even know what this means. We are told twice in the New Testament that we were bought with a price, but that refers to redemption, me being bought out of slavery to sin, it’s not about Jesus paying the price for my sins.

Yes, the wages of sin is death and Christ died when He bore our sins in His own body on the tree. But “wages” and “price” are two different things! Wages are what I get for what I do; a price is what I give for a thing. What is the price of sin? I don’t even know how to answer that.

It is always best to explain biblical concepts the way the Bible does. These kinds of statements are not how the Bible describes the Gospel; therefore I don’t think we should use them.

The second point is that when the New Testament talks about the Gospel it isn’t so much about what Christ did to or for my sins, as it is what Christ did for us.

My sins are not paid for. Jesus didn’t take the penalty or punishment for our sins. Jesus made sin a non-issue.

Sin is a symptom of our greater disease. Our greater disease is that we are in the flesh, part of a fallen world with a propensity to sin. Jesus didn’t die to handle sin; Jesus died to make me a new creation in Christ Jesus where I would be set free from the power of sin. He didn’t just take care of the symptom; He cured the underlying disease!

This freedom from sin can be experienced in part even while on this earth through the regenerating power of the Gospel, the work of the Spirit, and the sanctifying ministry of the Spirit-taught Scriptures.

In Christ believers aren’t just people who don’t go to hell now because Jesus did something or other with our sin. Believers are new creations in Christ Jesus. Old things are passed away, behold all things are new. I am crucified with Christ and it is no longer I who lives. I am crucified to the world and the world is crucified to me.

Jesus didn’t just die to do something to sin. He died to give us new spiritual life, a new life where we are overcoming sin. Yes, we are freed from punishment for sin through this, but that’s not because Jesus did something to sin; it’s because Jesus did something to us!

Two thousand years of Christianity have distorted the Gospel and eliminated its power. This is very unfortunate. One thing the modern talk about the Gospel does is it almost entirely skips the resurrection. Jesus didn’t just die to pay the penalty for our sin; He rose again to give us new life. If there’s no resurrection we are yet in our sins.

But there is a resurrection and because of it believers are raised up to newness of life. Believers are no longer in sin, no longer sin’s slaves, but now Christ’s.

This is great stuff. Not sure why we eliminate it. Probably because a new life in Christ means responsibility and having to do new things when we still find the old things so captivating and fun. No one likes giving up what they enjoy.

So, instead we’ve invented a Gospel where Jesus does it all and we just keep on in our sin.

All heresy is a result of eliminating personal responsibility. When you understand this, you can see heresy everywhere. You can also understand why it’s there.

Skip all that noise and get your head in the Word. It’ll keep you straight and change your life, which is precisely why you’re not in it now.

What Does “The Joy of the Lord Is Your Strength” mean?

I was reading in Nehemiah this week. It’s one of my favorite books. It has so much real emotion and his prayers that wind through the book are a great example of what “pray without ceasing” means.

The book is very emotional. Sadness has overtaken Nehemiah because of the state of his previous home. Jerusalem and the temple have been wiped out. Through rebuilding the walls and the temple some joy returns, but it’s always mixed with sorrow.

In the midst of all this is the phrase, “The joy of the Lord is your strength.” This is undoubtedly the most famous verse in the book, one which is repeated often by happy Christians.

I actually posted on this phrase and the peril of happy Christianity about eight years ago, which is cool because it shows I haven’t changed much on this subject, which clearly means I’m right then!

The thing that struck me in this reading was wondering exactly what “the joy of the Lord” is. We’re obsessed with joy and happy in our day, so I imagine most just think it’s happy feels because Jesus. But it has to mean something more specific.

MacArthur’s Study Bible says the joy of the Lord Is based on the fact that although God judges sin, and had done so in a terrific way against Judah and Jerusalem, He also blesses obedience. It’s a call to return to the covenant relationship and enjoy God’s blessings if they obey. Joy of the Lord is God’s blessing for Judah’s obedience.

Keil and Delitzsch say the joy of the Lord is in the joyous festival they were encouraged to participate in. Yes, the past has been terrible and you all messed it up royally. And yes, the future will be difficult with the rebuilding and intent to return to the covenant, but today! Today is to be a day of joy.

Most commentaries combine these two ideas: God is still with them and will bless them and all this is being marked out by this festive day of rejoicing. This fits the context quite well.

Nehemiah 8 shows the people crying over their nation’s sins and the terrible results it has had. When they heard the law, they saw how terrible they were and were devastated. The point going forward of reading the law is to encourage them to return and be blessed by God in their rebuilding project.

“This day is holy unto the Lord your God; mourn not, nor weep. For all the people wept, when they heard the words of the law” (8:9).

Then they are told, “Go your way, eat the fat, and drink the sweet, and send portions unto them for whom nothing is prepared: for this day is holy unto our Lord: neither be ye sorry; for the joy of the Lord is your strength” (8:10).

This phrase is not meant as a general call to life, as in every day should be a riotous, happy feast. It’s in the context of a mourning people in a tough spot being encouraged.

We drop the context and keep the happy appeal, a typical affluent church tactic. We use it to buck up our lives of comfort and entertainment and claim that all our comfort and entertainment is what God wants us to have!

But their joy was not in comfort and entertainment; it was in the Lord, in obedience to His covenant promises, and His protection and safety at a time when they did not feel these things.

Whenever you hear happy phrases from the Bible repeated over and over by happy Christians, look up the context. We happy people do not need any reminders to be happy. We’re happy enough.

However, we’re heading toward a time of total destruction in the church and the world, so I think we’ll need this verse as a reminder pretty soon. Times are getting darker.

This will be a good thing even though it’s going to hurt and will include much sorrow. But it’s in the dark where light shines brightest. It’s coming. Get ready and when it happens, don’t forget that the joy of the Lord is your strength.

Should Christians Worry About Being No Earthly Good?

Lately I’ve been going on Twitter and getting immediately depressed or annoyed by what I see there. I actually have several accounts, one is mostly Christian stuff while the other is sports and news and hobbies.

I typically only go on the one that follows Christian accounts. Rarely do I check the other one. Can’t take it. Even sports is all about politics and scandals and weird sex stuff.

Unfortunately, most of the Christian feed is filled with this junk too. Either with actual scandals in Christianity, or at least Christians pontificating and giving their “hot take” about the latest worldly news: transgender Bud Light cans to political scandals.

It’s really annoying and gets me down.

I know, the easy answer and the advice I’ll get is: Well, doesn’t happen to me because I don’t go on those sites.

And that’s fine. The problem is I’ve really gained a lot from these sites. I’ve met cool people and been edified repeatedly. I just hate big news days when all the good stuff is covered by the worldly stuff.

It got me to thinking about Colossians 3:2, “Set your affections (sometimes translated “minds”) on things above, and not on things of the earth.”

Great verse. One I quote frequently. I don’t think we’re supposed to know this much about what’s going on in the world. I don’t think it’s healthy.

I looked up “affections” in Strong’s Dictionary. The definitions were fascinating! Here are a few that caught my attention:

to exercise the mind, that is, entertain or have a sentiment or opinion—we’ll see this idea a few definitions down, but note this one is about entertaining opinions, considering them, listening to other people’s opinions! I imagine this includes the Opinion section and the “talking heads” with their jokes and insights.

intensively to interest oneself in (with concern or obedience)—how intensely do you go after worldly information? Being overly concerned with such things makes you concerned and eventually obedient to those issues. Soon the Gospel is lost as a priority because you have so many social fights to arm up for.

Here are a few definitions from Thayer’s Greek Definitions:

to think or judge what one’s opinion is—knowing enough about a subject to develop an opinion about it is too far according to this verse! How many opinions do we have on things we shouldn’t even know about?

to be of one’s party, side with him (in public affairs)—and here’s ultimately where it will lead—you will shack up with your party. You’ll pick sides and Us vs. Them talk and actions will follow.

This verse is making it very clear that Believers should avoid fixations on worldly subjects. We should be ignorant about such things. Remember Paul elsewhere: be simple concerning evil; wise concerning what is good? “Simple” means unmixed, not tainted, no evil is mixed in with your brain activity. Wow.

Now the objection to all this is that we won’t be relevant. We have to know what’s going on around us, how will we ever have discussions with people? Which will inevitably lead someone to quote the old trope, “Christians are so heavenly minded they are no earthly good.”

First, I doubt anyone would ever achieve such heavenly mindedness to not do anything good on the earth. Fearing this prospect seems a waste of time. Second, who says we have to be considered earthly good? Where’s the verse that says our priority is getting the world’s approval?

Heads explode here.

But seriously, do we build bigger barns? Do we go after the things the unbelievers go after, fighting and quarrelling for it, or do we seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness? Why are their wars and fightings, James? Because you’re going after earthly things. No man can serve two masters.

The church has gotten too sucked into earthly things. I think the abortion issue has largely caused this. I’m against abortion and think it is evil, and murder, and a consistent demonstration of the Devil’s devices. I have no qualms about calling it evil and disgusting.

But the abortion issue has been hijacked by politics. So now Christians have to be politically involved. We have to “win the culture war.”  The “culture war” is nothing more than earthly things.

So, what am I saying? Am I saying we just turn our backs on the unborn and on cultural rot?

Nope, I’m saying we confront it appropriately: we become more heavenly minded and live by the Gospel and Jesus Christ and continually present it as the ONE AND ONLY ANSWER TO ALL EARTH’S PROBLEMS.

Politics cannot win this issue or any other issue. The Gospel, the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness are what do any heavenly good and I’m guessing the earth would benefit by default, but the earthly good is not the goal, it’s a mere byproduct.

But instead we’re getting sucked into cultural issues and believing the lie that trust in princes will work better than trust in God.

Study to be quiet, work with your own hands, mind your own business, that you may walk honestly toward them that are without and will have lack of nothing (1 Thessalonians 4:11-12).

So many verses on this subject, you’d think we’d hear about this more. But we don’t because we have to win the next election and get everyone fired up to win the culture war.

Easter Cliches

Easter brings about many Christians saying many things that may or may not be entirely helpful.

For some reason, people saying “He is risen,” all over the place annoyed me this year. It’s not like He just rose today. He’s been risen for quite some time now.

I know it’s a good reminder, I’m just saying. Do you really understand the power of the resurrection if you need to be reminded of it? I don’t know, maybe. It just annoys me that there’s a suddenness to the statement, as though it just happened. As though we weren’t aware of the resurrection before Easter Sunday, but we can talk about it today now until we forget again.

I don’t know. I have a bad attitude about such things.

I also see many people saying how great the resurrection is because “now my sins are taken away.” I’m not saying the resurrection didn’t take away your sins, it certainly played a huge part in that, but that’s not all there is to it.

I fear that most Christians think the only thing the resurrection does is forgive sins and “save us.” Now I can die and go to heaven.

When you read how the New Testament talks about the resurrection, it has to do with new life in Christ. A new life that begins at salvation and continues to mature, grow, and bring forth fruit until it fully blossoms in blessed righteous perfection for eternity. The power of the resurrection isn’t just about getting sins forgiven; it’s about getting new life.

Old things are passed away, behold all things are new. It’s no longer I who lives but Christ who lives in me. We are new creations in Christ Jesus. We were buried with Him and now raised up with Him to newness of life.

It saddens me that this is ignored when this is a huge part of the resurrection’s power. We’re told to remember what Christ did and be happy our sins are forgiven. For some reason we drop out when it comes to living a new life raised up to look like Christ’s righteous life. Easter rarely has applications about putting off the old man with its lusts and putting on the new man and walking in righteousness, even though that is exactly what the resurrection equips us to do.

People get lost there. “Sounds like legalism and hard work. Jesus died and paid it all so I don’t have to do anything. He said “it is finished,” which means I don’t have to do anything.”

This is where I get annoyed.

Many of Easter’s clichés sound a lot like easy believism and people turning grace into license, rather than a true appreciation for the power of the resurrection.

So anyway, I guess I’m just an old man muttering in the corner at this point. Carry on.