Ancient Philosophies

“ For as I walked around and looked carefully at your objects of worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: to AN UNKNOWN GOD. So you are ignorant of the very thing you worship—and this is what I am going to proclaim to you.” – Acts 17:23 Yesterday, I reflected on the spirited debates that unfolded on Mars Hill, where the Apostle Paul courageously proclaimed his faith and engaged the foremost philosophers of his era. In Athens, the intellectual heart of the Roman world, two influential schools of thought—Stoicism and Epicureanism—dominated the conversation. Stoicism: a philosophy that emphasizes mental discipline, emotional resilience, and the pursuit of inner tranquility through acceptance of fate and the subduing of passions. On the other hand, the Epicureans, often compared to atheists, advocated for a life focused on minimizing pain and maximizing simple pleasures, rather than indulging in excess.The Epicureans valued modesty and self-restraint, embracing