Philosophia: Redemption Cubed

When we receive the mind-blowing opportunity to introduce other humans to our infinite and yet personal God, our first step is often to declare Him as the maker of heaven and earth. This is certainly true, and I will explore more of how relevant this Truth is in my next Apologia post. For now though, I wish to share an even more effective method for revealing Christ, even through beliefs which seem alien and opposed to Him… using the redemptive analogy.

Consider that when Yahweh (the trinity/Godhead) revealed Himself personally as Jesus (the Son/God in human flesh), His 33 years on Earth contained allusions or “shout-outs” to other heroes of deliverance in Jewish history. For example:

• “Jesus” as a Hebrew name is no different than “Joshua”, who led the Israelites against enemies that outnumbered and towered over them and into the homeland promised to them.
• His birth in Bethlehem, royal lineage, and homage from the wisemen connect our Lord with David, who unexpectedly rose to the throne and loved God with all of his heart (despite and through serious moral faults).
• Just as the prophet Elijah passed on authority and “a double-portion of his spirit” to his disciple Elisha as they part near the Jordan river, John the Baptist is privileged with immersing Christ in those waters, where the Holy Spirit descends upon Him.

There are many more parallels in the gospels and epistles. I will hold myself back from listing more of them, because the ultimate point is that God reveals Himself and His salvation through stories; the role-models of redemption become a reflection of the ultimate Redeemer.
Now, you might not find this concept surprising if you’re already familiar with sermons and Biblical study, in which case you’ve heard of prophecies and “types and shadows” between the Old Testament and New. However, there is a third dimension which brings this method of communicating Christ to an even more scandalous level, seen in the second half of Acts chapter 17.

Paul enters the stage: the “rogue” apostle who once murdered Christians, but was commissioned by none other than Jesus Himself for carrying the life-transforming and community-binding power of the Gospel to outsiders at any cost.

He is in the city of Athens, which is littered with man-made images of artificial gods. His spirit is provoked, not in a way that brings him to rage or despair, but in a manner that spurs the apostle to reason with Jews and Gentile relentlessly.

Eventually, he is noticed by Epicurean and Stoic philosophers (the ancient equivalent for today’s skeptical agnostics and New Age pantheists). These curious critics bring Paul to the Areopagus, which is their courtroom for civil and criminal cases. The Athenians put the Gospel on trial, hoping to categorize it within a box as just one more foreign religion, and confirm that it will not disrupt the status quo of their society.
Little do they know, Paul is already prepared to answer in a way that puts their beliefs on trial.
So Paul, standing in the midst of the Areopagus, said: “Men of Athens, I perceive that in every way you are very religious. For as I passed along and observed the objects of your worship, I found also an altar with this inscription,‘To the unknown god.’ What therefore you worship as unknown, this I proclaim to you.

-Acts 17:22-23 (ESV)

This altar and others like it were constructed centuries before, when one influential Athenian theorized that a devastating famine in their land was caused by the anger of a deity they did not yet know.
He used their pagan mythology to lead them to Christ. By claiming that they unknowingly acknowledged Yahweh, Paul on one hand humbly admits that his culture has no absolute monopoly for divine knowledge… but he also asserts that God has chosen the Jews as His first instrument for making Himself clearly known.
If that wasn’t controversial enough already, Paul establishes God as the sustainer and originator of life not through Bible verses, but by quoting Greek poetry. Perhaps a modern way of reframing the scenario is that the apostle used “secular” song lyrics as a profound part of his sermon.
The effect is that people see God not as just some tribal deity, but the Lord of all creation, for Whom all of creation is yearning for.
Is this something that Christians today would dare to do today? Can the boldness of Paul become our own? Will we invest in opportunities to delve into other worldviews, demonstrating Jesus as the fulfillment of their anticipations, so mind-blowing beyond what they dreamed?
I am not the model of this practice; sometimes I’m inclined to flinch when I hear of wisdom from another worldview, mainly because I am wary of the extremes they may lead to outside of a Gospel foundation. I’m trying to improve.
Focus instead on Paul as he’s following Jesus. Because he affirmed facets of Truth within a culture pagan and secular, some of the Athenians did understand and chose to follow Jesus. Other rejected and ridiculed the Gospel, yes, but they were disarmed of reasonable grounds to persecute Christians as a threat to the state.
Analogies that point to Jesus - along with other helpful nuggets of wisdom - abound. They are embedded in enduring belief systems, grasped towards within philosophic inquiry, and dreamt of among inspiring works of fiction. If we listen and search for them as useful tools given from above, redeeming the stories of redemption wherever they are found for our Redeemer’s honor, I believe it will have a pivotal impact on how our fellow citizens see Christians… and more importantly people will see the Lord Jesus in a new way for who He is.