"The natural mind never can attain to a higher, closer, and more
perfect thinking than the Greek mind did. In that is portrayed the perfection of human thinking without God.
But what did it do for them?
That is the question.
--What did their literature do for them?
--What did their philosophy do for them?
--What did their art do for them?
--What did their religion do for them?
Philosophy, philo sophia-the love of wisdom.
What was that wisdom?-It was absolute foolishness. God says so. What was their religion?-It was mythology only.
What was their art?-God says it was idolatry.
The Word of God does not say that as Paul walked among those statues and saw their art, he admired their art. No, it says: His
spirit was stirred within him when he saw the city wholly given to idolatry. (Acts 17:16)
Then what was it?-Idolatry.
Yet even to-day men, women, and children take the remains of that which was only idolatry, and worship it, and call it art, and copy it. Their minds dwell upon it, they prepare books on it, and they teach and study it in the schools of the country.
But someone will say, Is not their literature invaluable?
whole world of Greek literature before him, and the Roman, too, for that matter.
Yet he found only three short sentences in the whole realm that were worth picking up and putting in this treatise on the science of salvation. I will give you them. One of them is in the 17th chapter of Acts. It is quoted from a Greek writer by the name of Aratus, and is this. I read from the 28th verse. Paul is speaking, and says:-
"Certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his
offspring." A Greek writer said that man is the offspring of God. The Lord picked that up, and said, That is true.
Another one is in the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, and the 33rd verse. The first part of the verse is, "Be not deceived." These are the Lord's words. The rest of the verse is quoted from a Greek writer named Menander: "Evil communications, corrupt good manners."
The other one is in Titus, the 1st chapter and the 12th verse, and is from Epimenides, as follows: "The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies."
Those three passages were all that the Lord was able to find in the whole realm of Greek literature that were worth taking up and
putting his endorsement upon.
Well, then, I do not say that this is all that anybody can use to profit. There are historical facts in the Greek language that are of value. But God is teaching the things that are most valuable to all mankind; he is teaching the principles of right and truth, not simply bringing before the world an array of facts."
A.T. Jones
But what did it do for them?
That is the question.
--What did their literature do for them?
--What did their philosophy do for them?
--What did their art do for them?
--What did their religion do for them?
Philosophy, philo sophia-the love of wisdom.
What was that wisdom?-It was absolute foolishness. God says so. What was their religion?-It was mythology only.
What was their art?-God says it was idolatry.
The Word of God does not say that as Paul walked among those statues and saw their art, he admired their art. No, it says: His
Then what was it?-Idolatry.
Yet even to-day men, women, and children take the remains of that which was only idolatry, and worship it, and call it art, and copy it. Their minds dwell upon it, they prepare books on it, and they teach and study it in the schools of the country.
But someone will say, Is not their literature invaluable?
--Let us see what God thought it was worth.--
At the time when through the Greek language he was introducing the science of salvation throughout the world, the Lord had the 
Yet he found only three short sentences in the whole realm that were worth picking up and putting in this treatise on the science of salvation. I will give you them. One of them is in the 17th chapter of Acts. It is quoted from a Greek writer by the name of Aratus, and is this. I read from the 28th verse. Paul is speaking, and says:-
"Certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his
Another one is in the 15th chapter of 1st Corinthians, and the 33rd verse. The first part of the verse is, "Be not deceived." These are the Lord's words. The rest of the verse is quoted from a Greek writer named Menander: "Evil communications, corrupt good manners."
The other one is in Titus, the 1st chapter and the 12th verse, and is from Epimenides, as follows: "The Cretians are alway liars, evil beasts, slow bellies."
Those three passages were all that the Lord was able to find in the whole realm of Greek literature that were worth taking up and
Well, then, I do not say that this is all that anybody can use to profit. There are historical facts in the Greek language that are of value. But God is teaching the things that are most valuable to all mankind; he is teaching the principles of right and truth, not simply bringing before the world an array of facts."
A.T. Jones
