- Are you
always the same person,
00:00:00.86\00:00:02.26
even when nobody's looking?
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If you knew for sure you could
do anything you wanted to do
00:00:04.50\00:00:07.50
and never ever get caught,
00:00:07.50\00:00:09.87
what would that thing be?
00:00:09.87\00:00:11.31
That's our topic
today on "Authentic."
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[upbeat music]
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Gene and I recently took a
trip to the city of Athens,
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which of course is one of those
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historically important places
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where thoughts and
culture actually went viral
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thousands of years ago.
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And to a large extent,
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you and I still think
like those ancient Greeks,
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because the writings
of the Greek philosophers
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played such a critical role
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in the development
of our civilization.
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For example, it had a
profound impact on the growth
00:00:57.35\00:01:01.02
of the Christian Church.
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In the beginning,
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when the Christians started
to contrast biblical thought
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with the ideas of the Greeks
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and then again later as we moved
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into the fourth
and fifth centuries,
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when there was an
awful lot of effort
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by some Christians to
harmonize their thinking
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with Pagan thinking.
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And that kind of was both
a good and bad development,
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depending on how you look at it.
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You see, on one hand,
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Christianity really took root
in the Greek based cultures,
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which was quite a feat
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because if you remember,
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Paul said the gospel
was a really tough thing
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for a Greek mind to accept.
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"For Jews demand signs and
Greeks seek wisdom," he wrote.
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"But we preached
Christ crucified,
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a stumbling block to Jews
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and folly to Gentiles."
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The the ancient Greeks didn't
really see the wisdom in a God
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who became human and
then sacrificed himself.
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And of course, Paul knew
what he was talking about.
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Over beside the
Acropolis in the city of Athens,
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there's a big outcropping
of rock that overlooks
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the ruins of the ancient city.
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When you stand on it,
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you're in the
shadow of the Parthenon,
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and you can see the
temple of Hephaestus,
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one of the best
preserved ruins of the city.
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This rock itself is known
as Mars Hill or the Areopagus.
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And this is the spot
where Paul spent a day
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trying to convince a
bunch of Greek philosophers
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that they were
actually inadvertently
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worshiping the one true God.
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And while Paul found a
handful of converts that day,
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it was pretty tough going.
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For the gospel to
make its way into Greek
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or Pagan culture was,
well, to put it bluntly,
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not very likely.
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And of course, even
though adapting the teachings
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of the Bible to a local
culture can be a good thing,
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because I mean,
the Bible is a message
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designed for all
people in all times,
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sometimes I think
we've gone too far
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and we end up compromising,
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distorting what the
scriptures actually say.
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A really notable example of this
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is the way that ancient
Christians took Greek ideas
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about the afterlife
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and imported them
into the Christian Church,
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to the point where
we really still haven't
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freed ourselves from
some of those imported ideas.
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A lot of the
imagery that you and I use
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to talk about things
like death or the afterlife
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aren't actually
found in the Bible.
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And over the last few years,
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I've spent a lot of time
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looking at some of
those importations.
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Now just in
case you missed that,
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you can look for a
copy of this little book
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called "Draining the Styx,"
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which takes a really good look
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at how our thinking
about death has changed
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over the last 2000 years.
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You can find this
book by going to vop.com
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and just clicking
on the store link.
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But you know, for today,
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I wanna move on to another story
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that comes from
the city of Athens
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because it raises
some really good questions
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about what it means to
live a good and moral life.
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And I think it's really
important that we do this
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because we've come to a point
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where people are questioning
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whether or not there really
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is a right or a
wrong way to live.
00:04:04.47\00:04:06.94
We seem to have
adopted this idea
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that there is no such
thing as objective morality.
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But you know, I've noticed
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that when you actually
press somebody to explain that,
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that thinking
starts to fall apart.
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There are things that
pretty much everybody still
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considers to be
universally wrong.
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Even today's college undergrads
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who say there is no
objective morality still
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somehow how and protest
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when it comes to wrong
behavior like racism or sexism.
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We all seem to know those
things are objectively wrong.
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Which brings me to the Greek
story I wanna look at today.
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Most of you were probably forced
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to read Plato's
"Republic" in school,
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and I still have the
copy I was required to buy
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as a first year
philosophy student.
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Now personally, I tend to
favor Aristotle over Plato,
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but I'm still glad I
was forced to read this
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because this book
played such an important part
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in the
development of our culture.
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At the beginning of book two,
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we find this guy named Glaucon
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who tells the story
of Gyges the Shepherd,
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a man who wandered into a cave
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that suddenly
appeared after an earthquake.
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And in the cave he
discovered the corpse
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of an ancient
giant wearing a ring.
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He figured that the dead
giant no longer needed the ring
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because after all, he's dead.
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So Gyges took it.
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Then later on at his
monthly shepherds meeting,
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he was playing with the
ring, twisting it this way
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and that until it
suddenly made him invisible.
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Now this was in the
day before DNA testing
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or fingerprinting.
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So Mr. Gyges realized that he
could now do really bad things
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and probably get away with it.
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So what did he do?
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He made his way to the palace
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where he had an affair with
the queen and murdered the king.
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And of course,
it's just a story.
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It's an ancient
thought experiment.
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It didn't
actually happen because
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you and I both know
there's no such thing
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as a ring of invisibility.
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But it does raise some
really important questions.
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For example, what would
you do if you knew for sure
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that nobody would ever know?
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Nobody's ever gonna see you,
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nobody's ever
going to know you did it,
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and you would be
completely invisible.
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Now, I'll admit
that when I was a kid,
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I dreamed up all
kinds of things I could do
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if I was invisible.
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I'd sneak into people's houses
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and listen to
their conversations,
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or I'd walk into a
bookstore or some other shop
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and just take whatever I wanted.
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I could walk into the Oval
Office and sit on the couch
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and listen to the
President's conversations
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with foreign heads of state.
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I could go places
where kids were forbidden
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and nobody would ever know.
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Now, of course, I'm not
really condoning any of this,
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I'm just being honest
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and telling you that
those thoughts crossed my mind
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when I was little.
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Truth be told, I was
about eight years old
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and I learned about such things
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from reading "Lord of the Rings"
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where Mr. Tolkien
described the downfall
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of a hobbit named Smeagol
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who murdered someone to
obtain a ring of invisibility.
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But owning it
actually turned him
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into such a hideous creature
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that he had to go
live in isolation.
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Now I don't know for
sure that Mr. Tolkien
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lifted that idea from
the ancient story of Gyges,
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but I'd be very
surprised if he didn't.
00:07:14.20\00:07:16.56
Because Lord of
the Rings is saturated
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with imagery
from ancient paganism.
00:07:19.20\00:07:21.64
It's more Celtic and
Teutonic than it is Greek.
00:07:21.64\00:07:24.87
But I still have little doubt
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that we can think
Plato forgiving Tolkien
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the idea about that ring.
00:07:29.44\00:07:31.45
And of course, it
would be good to know
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what the point of
this Gyges story really is.
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Plato didn't
include it in his work
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just to amuse his audience
with an ancient fairytale.
00:07:40.29\00:07:43.63
He was making a
really important point.
00:07:43.63\00:07:46.53
As Glaucon finished the
story of the invisible shepherd,
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he suggested that everybody
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would behave
exactly the same as Gyges
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if they had a ring
that made them invisible.
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"Give an unjust
man a ring like that
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and he'll do horrible
things just like you'd expect.
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But give a just man
that same ring," he argued,
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"and you get the same result."
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He's gonna stop being just
and start doing bad things.
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"And in so doing," he argued,
00:08:13.62\00:08:15.36
"one would act no
differently from the other,
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but both would go the same way.
00:08:17.49\00:08:19.59
And yet, someone could
say that this is a great proof
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that no one is willingly just,
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but only when
compelled to be so."
00:08:25.73\00:08:28.80
In other words,
00:08:28.80\00:08:30.11
he's saying that
human beings are only good
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if we're forced to be good.
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I'll be right back after this.
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[upbeat music]
00:08:37.88\00:08:40.45
- [Narrator] Here at
The Voice of Prophecy,
00:08:40.45\00:08:41.85
we're committed to
creating top quality programming
00:08:41.85\00:08:44.39
for the whole family.
00:08:44.39\00:08:45.82
Like our audio adventure
series, "Discovery Mountain."
00:08:45.82\00:08:48.92
"Discovery Mountain"
is a Bible-based program
00:08:48.92\00:08:51.53
for kids of all
ages and backgrounds.
00:08:51.53\00:08:53.83
Your family will enjoy
the faith building stories
00:08:53.83\00:08:56.60
from this small
mountain summer camp and town.
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With 24 seasonal
episodes every year
00:08:59.43\00:09:01.94
and fresh content every week,
00:09:01.94\00:09:04.11
there's always a new
adventure just on the horizon.
00:09:04.11\00:09:07.88
[upbeat piano music]
00:09:07.88\00:09:10.11
- Right before the break,
00:09:10.11\00:09:11.35
we were discussing
the story of Gyges,
00:09:11.35\00:09:13.38
this humble shepherd who
discovered an invisibility ring,
00:09:13.38\00:09:17.02
and he used it to
do things he'd never do
00:09:17.02\00:09:19.55
if somebody was
actually watching.
00:09:19.55\00:09:22.16
Plato included that
story in "The Republic"
00:09:22.16\00:09:24.76
as a way of exploring the
nature of justice and morality.
00:09:24.76\00:09:28.86
The argument that one
of his characters makes
00:09:28.86\00:09:30.83
is that you and I
only behave in a just
00:09:30.83\00:09:32.93
and moral fashion
if we're forced to.
00:09:32.93\00:09:35.80
And of course, that does
raise a really big question.
00:09:37.07\00:09:40.31
Is morality really
just a matter of coercion?
00:09:40.31\00:09:43.35
I mean, if you look at the way
we've structured our society,
00:09:43.35\00:09:46.82
you'd almost have to
think that Glaucon had a point.
00:09:46.82\00:09:49.75
I mean, we've got laws
for absolutely everything,
00:09:49.75\00:09:52.65
and they're
designed to keep people
00:09:52.65\00:09:54.22
from harming or
taking advantage of others.
00:09:54.22\00:09:57.69
And if human beings
were naturally good,
00:09:57.69\00:10:00.86
why would we need so many laws?
00:10:00.86\00:10:03.23
Why would we
need harsh penalties
00:10:03.23\00:10:05.13
to prevent crimes
like theft or murder?
00:10:05.13\00:10:08.20
Why do we have to keep
going back to the drawing board
00:10:08.20\00:10:10.54
every time somebody finds
a new loophole in our laws?
00:10:10.54\00:10:13.48
And why do people try so hard
00:10:13.48\00:10:16.11
to find those
loopholes in the first place?
00:10:16.11\00:10:19.55
I mean, let's take the
example of a computer hacker.
00:10:19.55\00:10:22.75
In the early days
of personal computing,
00:10:22.75\00:10:24.92
it really wasn't that
hard to cause problems.
00:10:24.92\00:10:27.89
I remember when I was
a high school student,
00:10:27.89\00:10:30.13
there was this piece of
software called Locksmith,
00:10:30.13\00:10:33.23
which allowed you to make
copies of protected software.
00:10:33.23\00:10:36.90
That in itself is an
illustration of what I'm getting
00:10:36.90\00:10:40.67
at. It was
illegal to steal software,
00:10:40.67\00:10:43.00
and somebody
went to great lengths
00:10:43.00\00:10:45.01
to circumvent those protections.
00:10:45.01\00:10:47.68
But then a friend and I
took it one step further,
00:10:47.68\00:10:49.84
we made a phony
copy of Locksmith
00:10:49.84\00:10:52.05
that looked like it was
making a copy of some software,
00:10:52.05\00:10:55.52
but in reality,
00:10:55.52\00:10:57.05
it was quietly destroying
all the data on every drive
00:10:57.05\00:11:00.76
in your entire system.
00:11:00.76\00:11:02.32
Now of course,
at 14 years of age,
00:11:03.29\00:11:05.16
we figured that
was really funny,
00:11:05.16\00:11:06.90
and we also figured
it was just deserved
00:11:06.90\00:11:08.90
for anybody out there
trying to break the law.
00:11:08.90\00:11:11.23
In reality, we were
just being teenage jerks,
00:11:11.23\00:11:14.50
laughing as we imagine
the faces of the people
00:11:14.50\00:11:17.07
who suddenly realized
they just lost everything.
00:11:17.07\00:11:20.98
But here's the real point.
00:11:22.04\00:11:23.88
Back in the beginning
of personal computing,
00:11:23.88\00:11:25.91
somebody like me
could cause trouble
00:11:25.91\00:11:27.85
because home computers
were really pretty simple.
00:11:27.85\00:11:30.95
Move forward 40 years though,
00:11:30.95\00:11:32.72
and it becomes a
lot more sophisticated.
00:11:32.72\00:11:35.19
Why?
00:11:35.19\00:11:36.73
Well, it's because of the sheer
determination of evil doers.
00:11:36.73\00:11:39.73
Every time we find a way to
make our computers more secure,
00:11:39.73\00:11:43.10
there's always somebody out
there who finds a workaround.
00:11:43.10\00:11:46.10
And every time you figure out
00:11:46.10\00:11:47.30
how to keep your identity safe,
00:11:47.30\00:11:49.54
someone's going to
find a new way to steal it.
00:11:49.54\00:11:52.21
But those are
evil people, right?
00:11:53.31\00:11:55.14
And you would never do it.
00:11:55.14\00:11:57.45
Except that, remember,
00:11:57.45\00:11:59.31
Plato argued that
everybody would do these things
00:11:59.31\00:12:01.92
if they could, if
there were no constraints.
00:12:01.92\00:12:04.75
Invisibility allows
you to break the law
00:12:04.75\00:12:07.06
and get away with it
00:12:07.06\00:12:08.56
and it also allows you to
circumvent social pressure.
00:12:08.56\00:12:12.53
If nobody knows
you're doing something wrong,
00:12:12.53\00:12:14.76
then they can't use shame
to make you feel uncomfortable.
00:12:14.76\00:12:19.00
Now all of this raises a
really important question,
00:12:19.00\00:12:21.87
and that question
is this, who are you?
00:12:21.87\00:12:24.21
I mean, really.
00:12:24.21\00:12:25.64
Are you exactly the same
person when nobody's looking?
00:12:25.64\00:12:28.88
Or is your
public persona different
00:12:28.88\00:12:30.71
from your private one
because of social pressure?
00:12:30.71\00:12:34.18
What would you do if
you couldn't be caught?
00:12:34.18\00:12:37.72
Or what would you do if
you possess so much power
00:12:37.72\00:12:41.06
that nobody could stop you?
00:12:41.06\00:12:43.12
Tragically, we don't
have to look all that far
00:12:43.12\00:12:45.53
to actually find
those kinds of people.
00:12:45.53\00:12:47.93
I mean, take the case of
authoritarians and dictators.
00:12:49.30\00:12:52.20
They start out by lying,
00:12:52.20\00:12:53.90
telling people they want
to improve life for everybody.
00:12:53.90\00:12:56.81
And as long as they
need people to stay in power,
00:12:56.81\00:12:59.41
they keep making
those kinds of promises,
00:12:59.41\00:13:01.44
and they might
even keep some of them.
00:13:01.44\00:13:03.88
But if they get to the place
00:13:03.88\00:13:05.15
where their power
is completely secure,
00:13:05.15\00:13:07.78
you're likely gonna see
their behavior suddenly change.
00:13:07.78\00:13:10.99
It just seems
there's this essential flaw
00:13:10.99\00:13:13.25
in our human character
that takes over as soon
00:13:13.25\00:13:15.86
as legal and social
constraints disappear.
00:13:15.86\00:13:19.73
Sometimes these people promise
00:13:19.73\00:13:21.13
to make society more equitable,
00:13:21.13\00:13:22.80
hoping you'll
support their rise to power,
00:13:22.80\00:13:25.27
and then they succeed
00:13:25.27\00:13:26.94
by making everybody
equally poor and miserable
00:13:26.94\00:13:29.40
while they themselves
become incredibly wealthy.
00:13:29.40\00:13:32.81
High ranking party
members get a really good life.
00:13:32.81\00:13:35.68
They have cars and nice houses
00:13:35.68\00:13:37.41
and a great deal more freedom
00:13:37.41\00:13:39.18
than the little
people they govern.
00:13:39.18\00:13:41.48
It's a little bit like
that ring of invisibility.
00:13:41.48\00:13:43.79
Once these people
achieve enough power
00:13:43.79\00:13:45.55
to shield
themselves from consequences,
00:13:45.55\00:13:48.22
well, they can do
whatever they want,
00:13:48.22\00:13:50.29
at least until
the uprising happens.
00:13:50.29\00:13:53.36
This is the reason the
founders of this nation
00:13:53.36\00:13:55.40
had to create so
many checks and balances.
00:13:55.40\00:13:57.40
It's because they knew the truth
00:13:57.40\00:13:59.77
about our fallen human nature.
00:13:59.77\00:14:01.20
They knew how the
human heart works.
00:14:01.20\00:14:04.97
But in spite of that,
00:14:04.97\00:14:06.07
you'll notice
that when somebody's
00:14:06.07\00:14:07.01
out on the campaign trail,
00:14:07.01\00:14:08.41
they're usually making
an awful lot of promises.
00:14:08.41\00:14:11.58
Yet, once they
achieve enough power
00:14:11.58\00:14:13.21
to feel secure in their post,
00:14:13.21\00:14:15.22
everything seems to change.
00:14:15.22\00:14:16.48
It's no longer about you.
00:14:16.48\00:14:18.52
And honestly
that's not a comment
00:14:18.52\00:14:20.39
on any particular
political party or government.
00:14:20.39\00:14:23.36
It's just the
way it usually goes.
00:14:23.36\00:14:25.76
Now again, I'm
not a fan of Plato,
00:14:25.76\00:14:28.76
but he does raise some
very important questions.
00:14:28.76\00:14:32.33
We might publicly
protest that we would always,
00:14:32.33\00:14:35.00
always, always do
the right thing even
00:14:35.00\00:14:37.11
if we knew we
wouldn't get caught.
00:14:37.11\00:14:39.57
But do you really believe that?
00:14:39.57\00:14:41.51
I mean, you might not start
with murdering your enemies.
00:14:41.51\00:14:44.15
The beginning might be
a little more innocuous.
00:14:44.15\00:14:47.18
Let's say it's
something really small.
00:14:47.18\00:14:49.32
You pull up to an
automated toll on the highway,
00:14:49.32\00:14:51.85
one of those older
ones with the coin basket,
00:14:51.85\00:14:54.89
and you don't quite have
enough coins to pay the toll,
00:14:54.89\00:14:58.19
but the barricades open somehow.
00:14:58.19\00:15:00.70
And you know
nobody's ever gonna catch you.
00:15:00.70\00:15:02.53
I mean, ever.
00:15:02.53\00:15:04.00
And maybe you even tell yourself
you'll mail the money in
00:15:04.00\00:15:06.80
the moment you get home.
00:15:06.80\00:15:08.60
But of course, doing
that requires a lot of effort,
00:15:08.60\00:15:10.81
and it just seems
really easy to forget.
00:15:10.81\00:15:14.04
How sure are you that
you would never cheat?
00:15:14.04\00:15:17.01
And I mean, absolutely never.
00:15:17.01\00:15:20.62
The problem is that it's
that our unaided human judgment
00:15:20.62\00:15:24.19
is radically flawed.
00:15:24.19\00:15:25.95
"There is a way that seems
right to a man," the Bible says,
00:15:25.95\00:15:29.06
"but its end is
the way of death."
00:15:29.06\00:15:32.63
Even when you think you
know the right thing to do,
00:15:32.63\00:15:35.66
your perception is tainted
by your selfish orientation.
00:15:35.66\00:15:39.73
You see in the scriptures,
00:15:39.73\00:15:41.04
sin is not just a list
of forbidden activities.
00:15:41.04\00:15:43.71
It's actually a fundamental
flaw in your human makeup.
00:15:43.71\00:15:47.91
All of us are
somewhat morally colorblind.
00:15:47.91\00:15:51.08
Our selfish disposition keeps
us from truly understanding
00:15:51.08\00:15:54.88
just how awful sin really is.
00:15:54.88\00:15:58.15
Of course, we don't
have a lot of trouble
00:15:58.15\00:16:00.22
spotting sin in
other people though, do we?
00:16:00.22\00:16:02.46
In fact, we often hyperbolize
how wrong somebody else is.
00:16:02.46\00:16:06.93
But at the same time,
00:16:06.93\00:16:08.30
we have this tendency to
downplay our own transgressions
00:16:08.30\00:16:11.73
When somebody
else does something,
00:16:11.73\00:16:13.34
"Wow, that's horrible."
00:16:13.34\00:16:15.00
But when we do it,
00:16:15.00\00:16:16.60
well, there always seems to
be a reason you had to do it.
00:16:16.60\00:16:19.97
So I guess in
some ways that means
00:16:19.97\00:16:21.71
that you and I are already
wearing an invisibility ring.
00:16:21.71\00:16:25.91
It's not actually
hiding you from other people,
00:16:25.91\00:16:27.92
it's hiding you from yourself.
00:16:27.92\00:16:30.35
It's taking the very
worst parts of your character
00:16:30.35\00:16:32.92
and obscuring them
to the point where,
00:16:32.92\00:16:35.19
well, you think they're great.
00:16:35.19\00:16:37.49
I mean, if you're unnecessarily
argumentative and combative,
00:16:37.49\00:16:40.70
you just tell yourself
you're in search of the truth.
00:16:40.70\00:16:43.43
If you're rude to
people without justification,
00:16:43.43\00:16:45.77
you convince yourself
that you're doing them a favor
00:16:45.77\00:16:48.10
or teaching them a lesson.
00:16:48.10\00:16:49.94
If you cheat on your taxes,
00:16:49.94\00:16:51.71
you tell yourself,
00:16:51.71\00:16:52.97
well, that's okay
because the government
00:16:52.97\00:16:54.54
was already stealing from me.
00:16:54.54\00:16:56.68
I mean, I think
you get the point.
00:16:56.68\00:16:59.21
Now, it's just about
time for another break.
00:16:59.21\00:17:01.52
So let me tell you
what we're gonna do.
00:17:01.52\00:17:03.52
I'm gonna show you a remarkable
passage from the Bible
00:17:03.52\00:17:06.25
that vividly describes
00:17:06.25\00:17:07.79
why we're so
attracted to the wrong things
00:17:07.79\00:17:10.86
and gives us a
really good reason
00:17:10.86\00:17:12.83
to behave in a moral way
even when nobody's looking.
00:17:12.83\00:17:16.93
And oddly enough,
00:17:16.93\00:17:18.20
it's a passage
that a Greek philosopher
00:17:18.20\00:17:20.07
probably would've loved
00:17:20.07\00:17:21.50
because it describes the
importance of pursuing wisdom,
00:17:21.50\00:17:24.97
which was the
Greeks' number one obsession.
00:17:24.97\00:17:27.98
But I only have
time to kick that ball
00:17:27.98\00:17:29.61
down the field right now.
00:17:29.61\00:17:30.88
So I'm gonna take
a really quick break,
00:17:30.88\00:17:32.65
and that means
I'll have a few seconds
00:17:32.65\00:17:35.62
where you can't see me
and I can do whatever I want.
00:17:35.62\00:17:39.45
I'll be right back after this.
00:17:39.45\00:17:41.29
[upbeat music]
00:17:42.66\00:17:45.33
- [Narrator] Life
can throw a lot at us.
00:17:45.33\00:17:47.76
Sometimes we don't
have all the answers,
00:17:47.76\00:17:51.10
but that's where
the Bible comes in.
00:17:51.10\00:17:53.54
It's our guide to a
more fulfilling life.
00:17:53.54\00:17:56.64
Here at The Voice of Prophecy,
00:17:56.64\00:17:58.17
we've created the
Discover Bible guides
00:17:58.17\00:18:00.38
to be your guide to the Bible.
00:18:00.38\00:18:01.94
They're designed to
be simple, easy to use,
00:18:01.94\00:18:04.41
and provide answers to many
of life's toughest questions,
00:18:04.41\00:18:07.42
and they're absolutely free.
00:18:07.42\00:18:09.48
So jump online
now or give us a call
00:18:09.48\00:18:11.82
and start your
journey of discovery.
00:18:11.82\00:18:14.59
- The first thing I do
every day early in the morning
00:18:14.59\00:18:17.06
is to slip into my
little study by our bedroom
00:18:17.06\00:18:19.96
and spend some
time reading my Bible.
00:18:19.96\00:18:22.86
And recently I
was working my way
00:18:22.86\00:18:25.10
through the Book of Proverbs,
00:18:25.10\00:18:26.74
which has some passages
00:18:26.74\00:18:28.10
that would've really
resonated with the Greeks.
00:18:28.10\00:18:30.81
You see, the Greeks personified
the concept of wisdom
00:18:30.81\00:18:34.71
as Sophia,
00:18:34.71\00:18:36.01
which is how philosophy
actually got its name.
00:18:36.01\00:18:38.58
It's Philo or love,
combined with Sophia,
00:18:38.58\00:18:41.52
which is wisdom or knowledge.
00:18:41.52\00:18:43.69
Philosophy is
literally the love of wisdom.
00:18:43.69\00:18:47.62
And the Book of
Proverbs kind of uses
00:18:47.62\00:18:50.33
some of the same imagery to
teach us about God's wisdom.
00:18:50.33\00:18:53.70
The Bible
describes wisdom as a woman
00:18:53.70\00:18:55.70
who calls to us invites us,
00:18:55.70\00:18:58.40
but then it tells us
we have another suitor,
00:18:58.40\00:19:01.00
a seductress
who wants to indulge
00:19:01.00\00:19:03.54
in selfish desires instead.
00:19:03.54\00:19:05.84
So in Proverbs chapter five,
00:19:05.84\00:19:08.31
we find some
advice that on the surface
00:19:08.31\00:19:10.81
appears to be about marriage,
00:19:10.81\00:19:13.01
and it's really good advice.
00:19:13.01\00:19:14.32
It's telling us to be
faithful to our spouses,
00:19:14.32\00:19:17.35
but then warns us of
the terrible consequences
00:19:17.35\00:19:20.22
that follow infidelity.
00:19:20.22\00:19:22.56
On the surface,
00:19:22.56\00:19:23.86
it seems to be
talking about sexual purity,
00:19:23.86\00:19:26.73
but at the same time,
00:19:26.73\00:19:28.16
it's telling us to be
faithful to the wisdom of God.
00:19:28.16\00:19:31.40
Let's just read a
little bit of this.
00:19:31.40\00:19:32.80
Starting at the top of
Proverbs, chapter five,
00:19:32.80\00:19:35.27
where it says,
00:19:35.27\00:19:36.47
"My son, be
attentive to my wisdom.
00:19:36.47\00:19:39.81
Incline your ear
to my understanding,
00:19:39.81\00:19:41.74
that you may keep discretion
00:19:41.74\00:19:43.31
and your lips
may guard knowledge."
00:19:43.31\00:19:46.41
So let's think about
the fact that this wise King
00:19:46.41\00:19:48.92
is being so very careful
to tell his son to be wise.
00:19:48.92\00:19:53.42
And if the world wasn't
a morally dangerous place,
00:19:53.42\00:19:55.89
I mean, think about this,
00:19:55.89\00:19:57.13
he wouldn't have
to give that advice.
00:19:57.13\00:19:59.56
But the king knows the
same thing Jesus taught.
00:19:59.56\00:20:02.46
The narrow road to the
kingdom is much more difficult
00:20:02.46\00:20:05.70
than the wide and easy
road that leads to death.
00:20:05.70\00:20:09.30
He continues with
a vivid description
00:20:09.30\00:20:11.24
of just how attractive
bad thinking can seem.
00:20:11.24\00:20:15.38
"He says, for the lips of
a forbidden woman drip honey,
00:20:15.38\00:20:19.48
and her speech is
smoother than oil.
00:20:19.48\00:20:22.02
But in the end, she
is bitter as wormwood,
00:20:22.02\00:20:24.05
sharp as a two-edged sword.
00:20:24.05\00:20:26.15
Her feet go down to death.
00:20:26.15\00:20:28.19
Her steps follow
the path to Sheol.
00:20:28.19\00:20:30.99
She does not
ponder the path of life.
00:20:30.99\00:20:33.09
Her ways wander and
she does not know it."
00:20:33.09\00:20:36.90
So in a way this is kind
of another invisibility ring.
00:20:36.90\00:20:40.64
The wise man is telling us
00:20:40.64\00:20:42.00
that the price of wicked living
00:20:42.00\00:20:43.67
is much, much higher
than you think it is,
00:20:43.67\00:20:46.88
and someone has made
the price tag invisible.
00:20:46.88\00:20:51.01
The wrong decision
can be very attractive
00:20:51.01\00:20:53.42
because it serves
our selfish impulses,
00:20:53.42\00:20:55.95
but it's always
gonna leave a really
00:20:55.95\00:20:57.99
bad taste in your mouth.
00:20:57.99\00:21:00.36
"Wickedness," the
wise man tells us,
00:21:00.36\00:21:02.42
"does not ponder
the path of life."
00:21:02.42\00:21:05.93
You see, your life is supposed
to follow a designated path.
00:21:05.93\00:21:09.50
There is a reason
for your existence
00:21:09.50\00:21:11.53
and a goal for you to obtain
00:21:11.53\00:21:13.10
in the time that
you have on this planet.
00:21:13.10\00:21:15.70
Godly wisdom
gives you a safe path
00:21:15.70\00:21:18.07
through a morally
hazardous landscape,
00:21:18.07\00:21:20.21
and it provides deep
and lasting satisfaction
00:21:20.21\00:21:22.81
because you're
now living the way
00:21:22.81\00:21:24.85
that humanity
was designed to live.
00:21:24.85\00:21:27.05
You're actually
living an authentic life.
00:21:27.05\00:21:29.98
But when you and I cave
into our baser instincts
00:21:31.12\00:21:33.32
when we live as if
we're never gonna have
00:21:33.32\00:21:35.12
to answer for our crimes,
00:21:35.12\00:21:37.16
that actually robs
our life of purpose.
00:21:37.16\00:21:40.03
Wicked behavior
never takes into account
00:21:40.03\00:21:42.56
the path you
were supposed to walk
00:21:42.56\00:21:44.57
or the destination
you're supposed to arrive at.
00:21:44.57\00:21:47.50
It's completely
blind and meaningless.
00:21:47.50\00:21:50.97
You might accomplish
some tiny selfish purpose
00:21:50.97\00:21:53.58
in the short run,
00:21:53.58\00:21:55.21
but you'll be
wondering in immoral wilderness,
00:21:55.21\00:21:57.38
wondering why your life
is so, well, disappointing.
00:21:57.38\00:22:02.35
By contrast, here's what we
find in the previous chapter
00:22:03.75\00:22:05.55
where it says, "Get
wisdom, get insight.
00:22:05.55\00:22:08.72
Do not forget,
00:22:08.72\00:22:10.13
and do not turn away
from the words of my mouth.
00:22:10.13\00:22:12.83
Do not forsake her,
and she will keep you,
00:22:12.83\00:22:15.20
love her and she will guard you.
00:22:15.20\00:22:17.60
The beginning of wisdom is this,
00:22:17.60\00:22:19.57
get wisdom and
whatever you get, get insight.
00:22:19.57\00:22:23.14
Prize her highly
and she will exalt you.
00:22:23.14\00:22:25.54
She will honor you
if you embrace her.
00:22:25.54\00:22:27.78
She will place on your
head a graceful garland.
00:22:27.78\00:22:31.21
She will bestow on
you a beautiful crown."
00:22:31.21\00:22:35.02
It's telling us that
godly wisdom will help you
00:22:35.02\00:22:37.72
find the meaning of life.
00:22:37.72\00:22:39.35
It's not the easy path,
00:22:39.35\00:22:40.96
which is why we're
told we have to pursue it
00:22:40.96\00:22:43.43
to fight our animal instincts,
00:22:43.43\00:22:46.23
but it will be worth
it, the Bible promises.
00:22:46.23\00:22:48.53
It says, "She will bestow on you
00:22:48.53\00:22:50.83
a beautiful crown."
00:22:50.83\00:22:52.57
So if you think about it,
00:22:52.57\00:22:53.74
the Book of
Proverbs actually affirms
00:22:53.74\00:22:56.14
what Glaucon was saying.
00:22:56.14\00:22:58.37
All of us behave
badly if nobody's looking.
00:22:58.37\00:23:01.11
It's our basic
fallen human nature.
00:23:01.11\00:23:03.51
And in thousands of years,
00:23:03.51\00:23:05.31
we haven't had a lot of luck
00:23:05.31\00:23:07.42
when it comes to
changing that nature.
00:23:07.42\00:23:10.12
It's the reason we have
so much pain and suffering
00:23:10.12\00:23:12.19
in this world.
00:23:12.19\00:23:13.72
We seem helpless to change
our basic selfish orientation,
00:23:13.72\00:23:17.56
and worse than that,
00:23:17.56\00:23:18.93
a lot of the time we
don't even want to change it.
00:23:18.93\00:23:22.06
But then the
Bible holds out this
00:23:22.06\00:23:23.47
very attractive alternative.
00:23:23.47\00:23:25.30
There's an
external reference point
00:23:25.30\00:23:27.47
that can help us
overcome our moral blindness.
00:23:27.47\00:23:30.07
It can pull evil out
from behind its hiding place
00:23:30.07\00:23:32.61
and expose it for what it is.
00:23:32.61\00:23:34.94
The God who created
us in his own image.
00:23:34.94\00:23:37.71
This image that we
have distorted so horribly,
00:23:37.71\00:23:40.82
he's offering to coach
you with a better way to live.
00:23:40.82\00:23:44.65
Someone who can see
the end from the beginning.
00:23:44.65\00:23:46.92
Someone who is not
deceived by selfish impulse
00:23:46.92\00:23:50.23
can teach you to see the
world from his perspective
00:23:50.23\00:23:53.56
and gain the crown
he wants to give you.
00:23:53.56\00:23:56.83
I'll be right back after this.
00:23:56.83\00:23:58.73
[upbeat music]
00:23:59.70\00:24:02.80
- [Narrator 2] Dragons,
beasts, cryptic statues,
00:24:02.80\00:24:07.31
Bible prophecy can be
incredibly vivid and confusing.
00:24:07.31\00:24:11.65
If you've ever read
"Daniel: A revelation"
00:24:11.65\00:24:13.85
and come away scratching
your head, you are not alone.
00:24:13.85\00:24:16.92
Our free Focus
on Prophecy guides
00:24:16.92\00:24:19.29
are designed to help you unlock
the mysteries of the Bible
00:24:19.29\00:24:22.09
and deepen your
understanding of God's plan
00:24:22.09\00:24:24.53
for you and our world.
00:24:24.53\00:24:26.16
Study online or
request them by mail
00:24:26.16\00:24:28.60
and start bringing
prophecy into focus today.
00:24:28.60\00:24:32.20
- Just before the break,
00:24:32.20\00:24:33.50
we were looking at the
way the Bible describes
00:24:33.50\00:24:35.47
a lack of wisdom.
00:24:35.47\00:24:37.04
It's a condition where you
do not ponder the path of life
00:24:37.04\00:24:40.18
and where the steps
follow the path to Sheol
00:24:40.18\00:24:43.75
and Sheol in the
Bible is the grave.
00:24:43.75\00:24:47.05
What the author is
saying is that going it alone
00:24:47.05\00:24:49.22
and resorting to
your personal instincts
00:24:49.22\00:24:51.55
will never take you
anywhere except your casket.
00:24:51.55\00:24:55.82
Now, of course,
00:24:55.82\00:24:57.36
all of us are headed for
the grave one way or the other.
00:24:57.36\00:24:58.99
But what the Book of
Proverbs offers is a better,
00:24:58.99\00:25:02.13
more satisfying way to
live a more authentic life.
00:25:02.13\00:25:06.50
One path leads to a crown
00:25:06.50\00:25:08.50
because you're fulfilling
the purpose of your life
00:25:08.50\00:25:10.47
by living in
harmony with your creator.
00:25:10.47\00:25:12.87
But the other
path, it's aimless.
00:25:12.87\00:25:15.44
Always seeking pleasure
in a wrongheaded attempt
00:25:15.44\00:25:18.15
to attach some kind of
meaning to your existence.
00:25:18.15\00:25:20.98
And at the end,
there is no crown.
00:25:20.98\00:25:23.32
There's just a
hole in the ground.
00:25:23.32\00:25:25.69
The problem we face is that
our pride never seems to admit
00:25:25.69\00:25:28.42
that we aren't self-sufficient.
00:25:28.42\00:25:29.92
I mean, not really.
00:25:29.92\00:25:31.59
We like to tell
ourselves that our understanding
00:25:31.59\00:25:33.90
of the world is enough.
00:25:33.90\00:25:35.33
But down in verse 11,
00:25:35.33\00:25:36.87
it shows us the end of that
kind of thinking where it says,
00:25:36.87\00:25:40.17
"And at the end of
your life you groan,
00:25:40.17\00:25:43.34
when your flesh
and body are consumed."
00:25:43.34\00:25:47.38
So let's imagine for a moment
00:25:47.38\00:25:49.41
that you really do
have the ring of Gyges,
00:25:49.41\00:25:51.65
and you can make
yourself invisible.
00:25:51.65\00:25:53.38
Nobody's ever
gonna know what you did.
00:25:53.38\00:25:56.02
I would still submit
that character matters
00:25:56.02\00:25:59.19
because you were
made in the image of God
00:25:59.19\00:26:00.96
with a specific purpose.
00:26:00.96\00:26:02.82
Live as you
please, do what you want,
00:26:02.82\00:26:04.83
and you're still gonna
wind up in a very hard place.
00:26:04.83\00:26:08.40
You might never face
criticism from people,
00:26:08.40\00:26:10.47
you might never see
the inside of a prison,
00:26:10.47\00:26:12.63
but at the end of your life,
00:26:12.63\00:26:13.90
you will groan and the person
00:26:13.90\00:26:16.54
you were supposed to be
will be consumed by evil.
00:26:16.54\00:26:19.87
Here's what it says in verse 12,
00:26:19.87\00:26:21.68
"And you say, how
I hated discipline,
00:26:21.68\00:26:23.81
and my heart despised reproof.
00:26:23.81\00:26:26.01
I did not listen to
the voice of my teachers
00:26:26.01\00:26:28.18
or incline my ear
to my instructors."
00:26:28.18\00:26:30.92
I mean, let's just admit it.
00:26:31.72\00:26:33.69
None of us likes to
be told how to live.
00:26:33.69\00:26:36.96
And there's a reason that
00:26:36.96\00:26:38.19
so many of us
00:26:38.19\00:26:39.49
find this story about
an invisibility ring so,
00:26:39.49\00:26:42.33
well, compelling.
00:26:42.33\00:26:44.00
It sparks our imagination.
00:26:44.00\00:26:46.30
You see, at some level,
00:26:46.30\00:26:47.67
we all understand that
we behave in a good fashion
00:26:47.67\00:26:50.34
because we're told to,
00:26:50.34\00:26:52.24
and there are
consequences if we don't.
00:26:52.24\00:26:55.14
We don't like instruction
00:26:55.14\00:26:56.41
because our hearts
are driven by pride.
00:26:56.41\00:26:59.31
And if we're really honest,
00:26:59.31\00:27:00.75
we'll admit that we all
kind of hate discipline.
00:27:00.75\00:27:04.25
But the price of
ignoring God's wisdom,
00:27:04.25\00:27:07.49
it's a lot higher than
just swallowing your pride
00:27:07.49\00:27:10.86
and admitting to God that
you could use a little help.
00:27:10.86\00:27:14.56
"He dies for
lack of discipline,"
00:27:14.56\00:27:16.33
the writer tells us,
00:27:16.33\00:27:17.60
and because of his
great folly he is led astray."
00:27:17.60\00:27:21.84
So maybe let me wrap
this up by saying this
00:27:21.84\00:27:24.47
and let's just be honest.
00:27:24.47\00:27:26.74
Some of you avoid this book.
00:27:26.74\00:27:28.81
Some of you avoid the Bible
00:27:28.81\00:27:30.75
because, well,
you hate discipline
00:27:30.75\00:27:33.42
and you really despise reproof.
00:27:33.42\00:27:36.22
I get it.
00:27:36.22\00:27:37.19
It's not comfortable.
00:27:37.19\00:27:38.59
It's not comfortable to find out
00:27:38.59\00:27:40.12
that you're doing life wrong,
00:27:40.12\00:27:42.22
but some of you have
now lived long enough
00:27:42.22\00:27:44.26
that you are starting to
regret doing life your own way.
00:27:44.26\00:27:47.40
You're starting to realize
just how flawed your reasoning
00:27:47.40\00:27:50.50
has been over the years.
00:27:50.50\00:27:52.23
So let me
suggest to you right now
00:27:52.23\00:27:53.80
that even though it
might be late in your life,
00:27:53.80\00:27:57.27
it's actually not too
late to open this book
00:27:57.27\00:28:00.64
and find out what
God would have you do
00:28:00.64\00:28:02.81
with the time
that you've got left.
00:28:02.81\00:28:05.01
I'm Shawn Boonstra.
00:28:05.01\00:28:05.91
Thanks for joining me.
00:28:05.91\00:28:07.22
This has been another
episode of "Authentic."
00:28:07.22\00:28:11.02
[upbeat music]
00:28:11.02\00:28:13.66