All truth is God's truth

Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good”. Romans 12:21

The philosopher Socrates lived over 400 years before Jesus. This puts him roughly into the same period as the biblical prophets Haggai and Zechariah, and the two nation-builders Ezra, priest and scribe, and Nehemiah, builder and administrator.

In other words, this is the time when the events recorded in the Old Testament are coming to an end – a time when, after the misery and humiliation of the “exile” in Babylon (catch a strong flavour of that in Psalm 137), God’s people are re-establishing themselves as a nation.

Socrates, then, knew nothing of Jesus. Presumably he will have known something of the Jews and their God, but as a Greek he was part of a great flowering of learning, philosophy and culture with which that nation is still associated. He never wrote a book, but his disciple Plato recorded many of his dialogues, and passed on his legacy.

Most of us – certainly me – know next to nothing about Socrates. And why should we, when we have Jesus as saviour, lord and teacher? Fair enough. But the fact that we acknowledge Jesus as Lord doesn’t mean that there aren’t other fascinating figures in human history, figures from whom we can learn and who might even point in a dim way towards Jesus.

Certainly, various opinions Socrates is remembered for could be taken as anticipating the teaching of Jesus. One of the best-known and simplest is this: it is worse to do wrong than to suffer it. It may not feel that way at the time; but could any of us, having thought about those words as Christians, possibly disagree with them?

And for Socrates they weren’t just empty words, for he himself died what might be called a martyr’s death.

He was condemned by the authorities in Athens. His crimes were “impiety” - that he didn’t believe in the city’s gods – and that he “corrupted the youth by his teaching” – this because he encouraged them to think things through for themselves and not just swallow whole the stories of the gods and heroes of the Greek legends, including their grossly immoral behaviour.

He was made to drink the poison hemlock, which he did with calm and dignity. The night before he died he was offered the chance to escape, but he turned it down, preferring to spend the time in discussion with his friends.

A man worthy of our attention, I would say.

I don’t know if Jesus ever heard of Socrates. But he certainly would have agreed with that saying - that it is worse to do wrong than to suffer it. He put much the same thought in even more startling terms with his command: “Do not resist an evil person. If anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to them the other also” (Matthew 5: 39). He told his followers: “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you” (Matthew 5:43).

Paul sums it up perfectly when he writes “Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good” (Romans 12:21).

What a wonderful world this would be if everyone followed that command! It reminds us that those who follow Jesus are not just “ordinary” people - nice people tidied up a bit - but transformed people, people who are being made a little more like Jesus every day.

Is that how you see yourself? Truly a “new creation” in Christ? Again, Paul puts it perfectly in 2 Corinthians 3:18: “we all (note that “all”!) … are being transformed into his image from glory to glory”.

Christian, you are already glorious today! - and tomorrow you will be even more glorious. And one day…!

Why did I, a Christian, start this blog with Socrates? Because I want to put him on a par with Jesus? Of course not. To be honest, I just came across his name in something I was reading. But perhaps there were two reasons lurking at the back of my mind.

First, while of course the Bible is always our priority, we need to remember that this world presents us with all sorts of individuals who had fascinating things to say, and who, for better or worse, changed the course of human history. Socrates was not, as far as I know, a particularly “religious” man, but he had convictions, and he lived a particular kind of life, which fed into the flow of religious ideas.

It’s said that “everything is connected to everything else”. As long as Jesus is always at the centre, isn’t it good if we Christians have what I would call a hungry mind, eager to expand our knowledge?

More specifically, thinking about Socrates takes us to that “gap” period between the two testaments, between Malachi and Matthew. A lot happened in those years! – but we tend to be woefully ignorant of the main developments, the lead-up to Matthew’s compelling words, “This is how the birth of Jesus the Messiah came about…” (Matthew 1:18).

Is it time to plug a gap in our knowledge?

Father, you love the whole world and all its peoples, not only Israel in days gone by and your church today, but “all tribes, nations, peoples and tongues”. Give me a desire to learn about “all people that on earth do dwell”, and to see them in the light of Jesus. Amen.

There are many good books, both Christian and non-Christian, which help to fill in the gap between the testaments and generally to help us see how the Bible hangs together. My very warm recommendation would be the Lion Handbook to the Bible. True, it won’t tell you much about Socrates, but it is an absolute goldmine of information provided by well-qualified authors. Lots of colour pictures! Lots of maps, charts and other graphics too; and all in colour. The charts on pages 26-29 are a perfect starting-point for anyone interested in exploring the Christian faith in its wider world-wide context. Next time somebody asks you what you’d like for Christmas…

(And just in case you’re wondering… no, I’m not on commission from Lion.)