The Stoics
and Christianity
Who
were the Stoics? Many American Christians do not know this important history.
The Ancient Antiochene Church of God has taught much unknown history to the
American church in the last 8 years through this ministry, “The Shepherds Way
& Nugget of Truth”. We are grateful to be able to reach many for free. This
ministry has become a blessing for many Christians.
Christians today need to understand that the ancient world
where Jesus was raised was full of religion and religious ideas. Christianity
did not just appear on a “blank shelf”. The Greco-Roman Pantheon of “gods”
existed. Many Romans basically held up Caesar as “god” - emperor worship. There
were many “mystery religious” clicks in operation, these were trendy like
todays so called “non-denominations” are.
Also, the Greek philosophy had enriched the Roman culture
and even affected Jewish thinking. The older Egyptian gods also influenced
religious thinking. There was much in the department of “religion mixing” going
on. Kind of like our modern New Age movements do today.
The more popular influences came from Platonism, Gnosticism
(“Gnostics” before Christianity), Neo-Platonism, Epicureanism, and finally
Stoicism. Here we wish to focus on Stoicism. Why? Because it was one of the
most popular “religions” during the time of Jesus Christ. Most all of the
Greeks in the region at this time had Stoic ideas and practices. Many Romans
thought Stoicism was very likable. So, what is Stoicism?
Stoicism was started by a character named Zeno sometime
between 340 and 265 BC. This being said, there were actually ideas of Stoicism
going back to 560 BC under Heraclitus. Stoicism thinking did not recognize a
personal God. Instead, the idea was that “reason” with some “logic” controlled
everything. They would call this force Absolute Reason. To be “stoic” (Greek:
stoikos) basically meant to become indifferent to pleasure and pain – a sort of
non emotional attachment to anything.
The word “stoic” was a reference to the Painted Portico were
Zeno taught his philosophy. He taught that a person needs to learn “perfect
self-control”. Complete control with sentimental practices. For the Stoic there
was no way that man could have a personal relationship with God. The Stoics did
have a decent idea of morality and ethics which made them attractive.
Stoicism became popular because all the older religions were
so contradictive with their so many Gods, who could differentiate and know whose
God was the real God? It became more popular to accept an impersonal idea of
God – you could never be wrong. During this time the ancient teachings of
Heraclitus of Ephesus were mixed with Stoicism. The idea was that the “Logos”
(Greek: “Word”) was the “impersonal power” holding everything together.
Heraclitus taught this as early as 560 BC. Heraclitus taught that creation was
held together by a “matrix” which was controlled, even though everything was
experiencing constant change on all levels.
He taught that there was some purpose and guidance to all that
was being accomplished. Who controlled all of this? The Logos. So, when we come
to the time of Jesus and the apostle John writing the “gospel of John”, we find
John using stoic terms, Stoic language to convince the Greeks of the idea of
the “incarnate Jesus Christ.” John was teaching that this impersonal power
(God) that you Greeks call the “Logos” has now become very personal – this
invisible, non-personal force now becomes the visible God in the person of
Jesus Christ. This caught the Greeks attention.
The
invisible God becomes visible in the person of Jesus Christ.
Even today many have wondered why so many Gentiles (Greeks
included) became part of a Jewish offshoot religion called “Christianity”? The
key to this goes back to the use of the word “Logos” in the philosophy and religious
thinking of the time. We read in the book of Acts where apostle Paul visits a
party where all the “gods” are represented by portable altars and images. He
notices a statue dedicated to the “unknown god”; this no doubt was for the
Stoics. Paul informs them all that he came to introduce them to this once
unknown God as being the person of Jesus Christ.
When the Greeks learned about their incarnated “Logos”
coming in the person of Jesus Christ they also became aware of the Jewish
prophecies found in the Jewish Bible which predicted this event. This caught
the “reason” and “logical” mind of the Greeks, now all of this became actually documented through
prophecy. This whole process, the revelation of Christianity, became mind
blowing for the intellectual Greek. Not only had the Logos now become known but
this Logos also fixed the moral problems with God. Complete restitution,
reconciliation, propitiation and atonement had become accomplished by this
incarnate Word.
Now the Jewish understanding of “the Word” and the Greek
understanding of “the Word” come powerfully together in Christianity. The Jews
understood the “Logos” as the word of the Lord. God spoke, and it became. God
created by His word and also made and kept promises by His word. So, it was the
idea of God as the “Logos” that ultimately brought Jewish and Greek thinking
together. God had prepared the soil of the Gentile mind so that at the “right
time” the proper understanding and acceptance of His only begotten Son would
become a reality.
The Bible states that God does everything “in His time”. The
Scriptures even command us to sometimes “wait” on the Lord. God’s timing is
perfect. Those who have studied with us here at the Ancient Antiochene Church
of God are educated regarding the dispensations and ages of time that God has
already brought the entire human race through. You also know that we are living
in the Seventh Church Epoch now and that the light of the Seventh Angel’s
Message is coming through clear.
We ask that you continue to study your Bible’s with us here
at “The Shepherds Way & Nugget of Truth”. Keep your Bible’s with you at all
times. Share what you learn with fellow brothers and sisters in Christ.
May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.
AACG (January 6th 2026)
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Christian Response to Stoics
Above: Presbyter King gives important message to even modern "Stoics".
All Christians need to understand this important history.
*Greek Influence in Christianity
