Paul On Epimenides
One of the Cretans, a prophet of their own, said, "Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons." - Titus 1:12
The person Paul quotes is believed to belong to the Cretan poet Epimenides. One thing troubled me though: Was Paul aware of this statement's paradoxial nature?
For, the quote clearly says that Cretans are always liars etc. If it is true, then this statement is false!
However, a quick glance on Paul's use of quotations from other pagan poets (Such as in Acts 17:28) shows that he did it to make a point rather than to use it seriously. I propose that Paul's quotation should be taken lightly, and only used by him to make a point. In this regard, I think the skeptics are wrong to say that Paul didn't know the nature of what he was quoting.
The person Paul quotes is believed to belong to the Cretan poet Epimenides. One thing troubled me though: Was Paul aware of this statement's paradoxial nature?
For, the quote clearly says that Cretans are always liars etc. If it is true, then this statement is false!
However, a quick glance on Paul's use of quotations from other pagan poets (Such as in Acts 17:28) shows that he did it to make a point rather than to use it seriously. I propose that Paul's quotation should be taken lightly, and only used by him to make a point. In this regard, I think the skeptics are wrong to say that Paul didn't know the nature of what he was quoting.
This entry was posted
on Wednesday, September 07, 2005 at 3:13 PM.
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