In the shadow of the Parthenon, the Epicureans represented one of the two dominant philosophical schools that confronted the Apostle Paul in Athens. They were the advocates of a world without divine judgment, seeking peace in a godless void.
The Testimony of the Times
Founded by Epicurus in the 4th century B.C., this school of thought reached its peak during the Roman era. In the first century, they were the intellectual rivals of the Stoics. While the Stoics were pantheistic and stressed duty, the Epicureans were materialists. They believed the universe was composed of atoms and that the gods—if they existed at all—were indifferent to human affairs. Their primary goal was ataraxia (tranquility), which they sought by avoiding pain and fear, especially the fear of death and the afterlife.
The Scriptural Exhibit
The Epicureans are explicitly named in the book of Acts during Paul’s missionary journey to Greece:
- The Encounter: “Then certain philosophers of the Epicureans, and of the Stoicks, encountered him. And some said, What will this babbler say? other some, He seemeth to be a setter forth of strange gods: because he preached unto them Jesus, and the resurrection.” (Acts 17:18, KJV).
- The Mockery: “And when they heard of the resurrection of the dead, some mocked: and others said, We will hear thee again of this matter.” (Acts 17:32, KJV).
The Forensic Analysis
The Epicurean worldview was diametrically opposed to the Gospel of Jesus Christ in three critical areas:
- Denial of Creation: Epicureans believed the world happened by chance through the swerving of atoms. Paul countered this directly at the Areopagus by declaring, “God that made the world and all things therein…” (Acts 17:24).
- Denial of Divine Providence: They believed the “gods” lived in a state of detached bliss, uninvolved in human history. Paul corrected this by stating that God “giveth to all life, and breath, and all things” and is “not far from every one of us” (Acts 17:25-27).
- Denial of Judgment: Because they believed the soul dissolved into atoms at death, they saw no reason to fear a future judgment. This is why they “mocked” when Paul preached the Resurrection. If there is no resurrection, there is no accountability; if there is a resurrection, their entire philosophy of “eat, drink, and be merry” collapses.
The Verdict
The Epicureans represent the “modern” secular mind in an ancient setting. Their philosophy was designed to provide comfort without conviction and peace without a Prince of Peace. By dismissing the Resurrection as “babbling,” they sought to remain in their tranquil ignorance, unaware that the God they claimed was indifferent had actually “commanded all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).
The Epicurean legacy is a warning: a life lived purely for the absence of pain and the pursuit of comfort is a life that ultimately misses the “Unknown God” who is the source of all true life.