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 When
Paul was in Athens certain philosophers asked, 'What will this babbler
say?" (KJ) Marshall translates this, "ignorant
plagiarist," and Vine explains its literal meaning of
"seed collector," used in Greek
slang for a half-witted sort of person who picks up bits of
information he does not understand. They called Paul a
"fool," a "seed picker." (Acts 17:18)
Then
Festus said, "Paul, thou art beside thyself; much learning
doth make thee mad." (crazy) (Acts 26:24) Paul replied,
"I am not mad, most noble Festus; but speak forth the words
of truth and soberness."
Evidently
there were others who accused Paul of being crazy, for in his
letters to the Corinthians Paul wrote, 'Whether we be beside
ourselves, it is to God: or whether we be sober, it is for your
cause." And, "Let no man think me a fool; if
otherwise, yet as a fool receive me, that I may boast myself a
little." Then, in irony, "For ye suffer fools gladly,
seeing ye yourselves are wise." (2 Cor. 5:13 11:16, 19) If
name-calling could have stopped Paul we would never have heard
of him. But Paul survived, and his attitude
toward the whole matter is
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enlightening.
In
Athens he ignored their taunts and used their idle curiosity as
an open gate for his message. His reply to Festus is calm and
straightforward — a self-contained refutation of the
Governor's charge. Sometimes when we are called
"fanatic" or some like name, we prove the label by our
reply. A "hot" letter to some accuser may furnish him
written proof of what had formerly been but a nasty bluff.
Paul
turned the tables on his Corinthian attackers. If they gloried
so in the flesh he would show them -- (he said, "I speak as
a fool") that he had the more reason to so glory.
But
whatever the type or content of his response, the outstanding
characteristic is his determination that it should be to the
glory of God. 'Whether we be beside ourselves — or sober
-- " "we are fools for
Christ's sake." (1 Cor. 4:10) Fool of God! So completely
dedicated to his heavenward climb he used "crazy" as a
step.
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