Aug
21
2013
Quintessential Apologist
Posted in Christian Worldview 4 Comments
I was doing research for something I was writing.
I called a university library that had a collection of letters by the author in question.
I talked to the quintessential librarian.
I could picture him in my mind’s eye: glasses, professorial in appearance.
He spoke with a New England accent.
A true gentleman; his demeanor made me smile.
He was quick, efficient, and very helpful.
Though the beginning of our conversation didn’t start out that way.
I left a voice mail with my request.
He called back within the hour.
He talked quickly and explained their phone system to me.
It seems that their phone system translates verbal messages to text.
The sound of my voice, my intonation, or my volume turned the text to “gibberish”.
I though of auto correct on my phone and how very often that can be gibberish, too.
The system, that was to make things easier for the librarian, actually made more work.
I needed to translate the translation.
When I explained my request, we were on the same page.
He could not answer my question; however, but helped me know the next step.
I thought of a journalism professor I had in college.
She wore various eyeglasses that matched her outfits.
She told us in no uncertain terms that the phone would be our best friend.
In the late 70’s and early 80’s, that was indeed true.
You can find anything you need with one phone call, she would say.
We were skeptical until she explained that one phone call led to another and to another.
Finally at the end of that chain, you have your answer.
I have found that to be true, even in Internet searches as well.
My quintessential librarian ended the phone call quickly but awkwardly.
Well, Goodbye, when there was nothing left to say.
Ancient Rome had many scholars and philosophers.
They were men who spent their days finding answers to their questions.
If the answer was unknown they would come back the next day, and the next.
While Paul was waiting for them in Athens, he was greatly distressed to see that the city was full of idols. So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the God-fearing Greeks, as well as in the marketplace day by day with those who happened to be there…Paul was preaching the good news about Jesus and the resurrection…”May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? You are bringing some strange ideas to our ears, and we want to know what they mean.” (All the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there spent their time doing nothing but talking and listening to the latest ideas.) Paul then stood up in the meeting of the Areopagus and said, ” Men of Athens! I see that in every way you are very religious. 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. Now what you worship as something unknown I am going to proclaim to you. (Acts 17:16-23)
Quintessential scholars and philosophers, questioning and debating every new idea.
Paul reasoned with them; trying to persuade them with a rational argument.
Paul had a brilliant mind; he was able to quote their poets as he laid out his apologia.
Paul was in their world, but not of their world.
Paul used their altar to an unknown God as the way to make Jesus known.
Brilliant!
The men of Athens covered all their bases; there were altars to every god imaginable.
But something was still missing.
An altar to an unknown god would cover it.
If we missed a god along the way, this altar would appease him.
They missed One alright!
THE Living God; the One True God.
The God who made the world and everything in it is the Lord of heaven and earth and does not live in temples built by hands. And He is not served by human hands, as if He needed anything, because He Himself gives all men life and breath and everything else. From one man He made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth and He determined the times set for them and the exact places they should live. God did this so that men would seek Him and perhaps reach out for Him and find Him, though He is not far from each one of us. For in Him we live and move and have our being. As some of your own poets have said, “We are His offspring.” Therefore since we are God’s offspring, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image made by man’s design and skill. In the past God overlooked such ignorance, but now He commands all people everywhere to repent. For He has set a day when He will judge the world with justice by the man He has appointed. He has given proof of this to all men by raising Him from the dead. When they heard about the resurrection of the dead, some of them sneered, but others said, “We want to hear you again on this subject.” (Acts 17:24-32)
Gibberish.
Some sneered; some thought it was just another debate topic.
Paul knew it was the Truth that would bring them Life!
The quintessential apologist reasoning with the quintessential skeptics.
Only God could break through and demolish the strongholds that bound them.
Search the Scriptures yourself.
Know God’s Word so that you can tell others.
Perhaps only one will really hear.
Only one for God’s Kingdom, who may tell one…who may tell one…
At the end of that chain, you have your Answer.
Great post Gina. So true. Also one of the most valuable lessons my mom the librarian taught me was how to find the information that I was looking for. Once you know that you can know everything!
Al,
How wonderful it must have been to have a mother who was a librarian! Your childhood must have been filled with wonderful books and wonderful times of reading aloud. What a blessing!
Gina
That’s right… and once I picked up a good book and started reading two things happened. 1. It was impossible to get my attention. 2. I was unable to put the book down until it was read through and savored. They would even catch me reading the encyclopedia and then whisper to each other “Look what he is reading now!” Extensive reading helps with ones reading, grammar and spelling. As long as you read the right books!
Al,
That is the way it was in our house as well.
Books everywhere, read aloud times, talking about what we were reading…wonderful memories!
Gina