Epictetus is Wrong?

Over the past years, I have grown quite fond of Stoicism. I have enjoyed reading works by Marcus Aurelius, Epictetus, and others. I have learned a lot from these writings. Their words have helped me embrace difficulties, cultivate virtue, and build discipline.

Stoicism has aided me in living more intentionally and purposefully. It has helped me stay calm in the storm and unmoved in the winds. It is an approach to living that was built by great thinkers from all walks of life. These philosophers, slaves, emperors, and playwrights who forged Stoicism into what we know today are this philosophy’s greatest architects while all at once also being its greatest weakness. For, these men – as wise and experienced as they were – were still only men.

Epictetus writes, ‘I cannot escape death, but at least I can escape the fear of it.’

I believe Epictetus is wrong.

He speaks only of the world of men, the physical world that we can see and touch, but he does not account for the spiritual world. He does not account for a living God.

When I see a cookie, I assume there is a baker.

When I see a house, there must also be its maker.

And when I observe creation, I know there is a creator.

I find evidence of this living God in the world around me that does not exist merely by chance. I feel His breath in me and His compass in my conscience. I find His word and history in the writings of the bible.

And yes, our bodies are doomed to die; I have witnessed that with my own eyes. I have seen life flee the vessel as the heartbeat stops.

But true death, death of the spirit, has been conquered. God sent His son to earth. His son lowered himself from the realm of a deity to the life of a man. He was named Jesus, and He promised, ‘I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live even though he dies; whoever lives and believes in me will never die.’¹

Jesus claimed that He was not merely a man but God when he explained, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I am.’²

Jesus is the Logos that has been with God since the beginning.³ And it was through Him that death was conquered.

He was flogged, had a crown of thorns placed upon his head, and mocked.

He was accused of blasphemy and sentenced to die on the cross.

He carried His cross to Golgotha, and nails were driven through His hands and feet.

And he died. For us.

And that was the plan.

He died.

And it was complete.

A transgression requires a sacrifice.

We are the transgressors, Jesus the lamb.

His lifeless body was removed from the cross and entombed.

And then.

Jesus returned to the world of the living in spirit and in flesh.

He conquered death.

It is through Jesus that we have a path to our creator God. And it is only through Jesus that we have this path. And it is through faith in Jesus that we can receive everlasting life.

Because of His sacrifice, we do not fear death, for we have escaped it.

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Citations:

¹ John 11:25

² John 8:58

³ John 1:1

Additional references used:

John 19:1-3

John 19:7

John 19:17-18

John 19:30

John 19:38-42

John 20

John 14:6

John 3:16