A few days ago I was told someone was offended or displeased about the quotations I use on my blog because some of them proceed from unbelievers. I understand the practice causes no problem for most of us, but for the sake of the individual who was thereby annoyed or disgruntled—or any other who might possibly find the practice offensive—I consider it proper to state the reason of such usage, together with my conviction that these quotations should not offend anyone if what is being written is true.
A discrepancy
That an unbeliever can say something true and constructive is accepted by nearly all Christians, including Jesus and the apostle Paul. This is the reason why most of us have learned from unconverted teachers in the past, and many continue to do so at present. To maintain that only believers can teach mechanics profitably would amount to an unreasonable claim. The same is true about mathematics, literature, history, thermodynamics, architecture, and many other branches of knowledge.
To allege that all verbalizations proceeding from an unbeliever is rubbish, or contaminated, or useless, is a claim the Scriptures have nothing to do with. Reason itself denies the allegation and experience challenges the claim.
To learn from unbelievers in the classroom or on the Web, or perhaps on the construction site, and then turn around and say: “Look at this one, he uses quotations proceeding from unbelievers”, seems little reasonable. It exposes a sort of legalism based on invalid presumptions.
Why I use quotes from unbelievers
I use quotes from unbelievers for at times they are written with amazing clarity and truthfulness. For instance, several weeks ago I used a quote written by Carrie Fisher. Her statement was simply too clear and veracious to be ignored. It was not only straightforward, it was also confessional, for only a person having experienced the problem could have written about it so clearly. Here is what she wrote: “Resentment is like drinking poison and waiting for the other person to die.” The words are well selected, incisive and concise. They provoke a loud “Amen!” and trigger reflection. As a Christian I doubt I could have put it any clearer, and I challenge any believer to attempt to do better. Her statement is simply stunning.
Jesus & quotations
As far as I am concerned I believe unconverted people can verbalize profitable truths. Jesus seems to agree with such a claim when He says:
Whenever you see a cloud rising out of the west, immediately you say, ‘A shower is coming’; and so it is. And when you see the south wind blow, you say, ‘There will be hot weather’; and there is. Hypocrites! You can discern the face of the sky and of the earth, but how is it you do not discern this time?”(Luke 12:54–56).
Here Jesus is attributing discernment to these unbelievers and maintains that what they were saying in regard to weather was true. The problem with these people was not their inability to express relevant truths, but rather their unwillingness to accept all truths and live accordingly. So Jesus quoted their sayings although they had been uttered by hypocrites, and He quoted them because they were true.
Obviously to quote truths spoken by unbelievers doesn’t bother Jesus, and therefore should not bother any of His followers either.
Agreeing with the truth
The importance must be put on truth, not on the vessel carrying it. If a man of God says two plus two equals four, I say “Amen!”; and if a thief makes the same claim I still say “Amen!” To act otherwise would lead to superciliousness, to a sort of evangelical snobbery which should have no place among God’s people.
The person who accepts the truth solely when uttered by believers must show himself disloyal to the truth several times a day. Balaam’s donkey for instance was not converted; yet God made him speak words of truth and soberness (Numbers 22:28–30).
Josiah
Most of us have heard about Josiah, king of Judah. He was possibly the godliest king Judah has had. The Scriptures attest “there was no king like him who turned to the Lord with all his heart, with all his soul, and with all his might, according to all the Law of Moses; nor after him did any arise like him” (2 Kings 23:25).
Do you remember how this great king died? He was killed on the battlefield because he didn’t give heed to the words of Pharaoh Necho, a pagan king. God had spoken through that heathen, but Josiah didn’t believe his words. So he died in the heat of the battle, shot down by the archers. Here is the report:
After all this, when Josiah had set the temple in order, Necho king of Egypt came up to make war at Carchemish on the Euphrates, and Josiah went out to engage him. But Necho sent messengers to him, saying, “What have we to do with each other, O King of Judah? I am not coming against you today but against the house with which I am at war, and God has ordered me to hurry. Stop for your own sake from interfering with God who is with me, so that He will not destroy you.” However, Josiah would not turn away from him, but disguised himself in order to make war with him; nor did he listen to the words of Necho from the mouth of God, but came to make war on the plain of Megiddo. The archers shot King Josiah, and the king said to his servants, “Take me away, for I am badly wounded.” So his servants took him out of the chariot and carried him in the second chariot which he had, and brought him to Jerusalem where he died and was buried in the tombs of his fathers. All Judah and Jerusalem mourned for Josiah” (2 Chronicles 35:20–24).
Brethren and friends, God can speak through unbelievers. Blessed is the man who discerns the truth and receives it at all times in humility and subjection.
Valuable quotes from pagan philosophers & pagan poets.
The apostle Paul was among those quoting from unbelievers. He wrote to Titus saying:
One of themselves, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons”” (Titus 1:12).
The apostle is here quoting the pagan poet and philosopher Epimenides. He calls him “a prophet of their own”, not because of his moral status but due to the fact that what he had written 600 years earlier was accurate. “This witness is true”, Paul attests in the following verse. He then exhorts Titus to act in accordance to the words of Epimenides, or better said, in accordance to the truth.
In Acts 17:28 we read: “for in Him we live and move and have our being, as also some of your own poets have said, ‘For we are also His offspring.’” Here Paul is quoting the stoic thinker and poet Arastus (“Phaenom.,” v. 5). The phrase is also found in Cleanthus in a hymn to Jupiter.
We have also 1 Corinthians 15:33 where Paul quotes another pagan: “Do not be deceived: ‘Evil company corrupts good habits’ ”. The line is taken from Euripedes’ play Aiolos. It also appears in a play called Thais by Menander.
Obviously the apostle was not denigrating all statements proceeding from unbelievers. When the statement was true he received it with respect and gratefulness, and often used it as valuable material.
One thing is certain, Paul didn’t experience any phobia about using quotations proceeding from unbelievers, and the Holy Spirit—Who inspired him—didn’t seem to be bothered by the practice either. Let us learn from them, thus avoiding evangelical loftiness.
If you think this post can help somebody else you can share it with the options presented bellow.
