2. Socrates’ Influence
-Socrates had an undeniable influence on him.
-He stated the Academy, which would be very important. Aristotle was there for 20 years, for instance.
-Socrates (468-399). He was a son of a stonemason and a midwife. His wife is Xanthippe.
-He had some wealth, because he served as a hoplite, but he certainly died poor.

3. Voices
-Who is speaking? Plato, Socrates, or a combination of the two?
-Should we harmonize Plato or read his dialogues separately? Did he ever change his views?

II. Some main points:
1. Persuasion
-Problem of persuasion vs. the pursuit of truth.
-His issues with sophists is that they are able to persuade people of anything, even if is false!
-At times Plato does not give us an answer – he just shows us why others are wrong. In a word, he deconstructs arguments.

2. Gender
-Plato on gender and women – in his ideal republic, women should not be barred from what men do. Women can become warriors and philosophers, just like the men.
-That said Plato also believes that women would perform on a lower level than men.
-The very fact that women are defined in what men can do says a lot about Plato’s view on gender. However, in the end, Plato must be seen as a step forward for women.

3. Virtue and Happiness
-Eudaimonia (happiness)
-Plato gives a surprising answer – happiness is not achieved by wealth or some achievements, but through virtue.
-A good example of this is Socrates’ death, where he does not compromise his virtues even in the face of death.
-Often times being virtuous is also against society.
-An example of this is the expulsion of poetry and drama. Why? It would cause people to imitate what is ignoble.

4. Political views?
-It is very difficult to know what Plato’s political leanings are, but in an ideal republic, it would be run by philosopher kings. In short, it would be run by “experts.”
-In this sense, he is against democracy, but from a realistic point of view, democracy is tolerable.

5. The Soul
-Plato is rightly called dualistic – body / soul (or mind) distinction.
-Phaedrus – 2 horse chariot, whose rider is reason, tries to control two forces – spirit and desire.
-The mind should control the lesser parts of the human composition.

6. Theology
-Plato, unlike most of his contemporaries, believed that the gods were good.
-The one who created the world was a craftsman who had to work with what was available and made the best he could.

7. Forms
-Hard to talk about the forms, because there is no sustained discussion on them.
-Plato divides existence into two realms – material and transcendent.
-Example – baseball – apart from size, color, and weight, it is round. It has the property of roundness apart from the ball. All other round things partake in the property of roundness.
-All of this means: forms do not exist in time and space (transcendent) and they are pure, that is, they do not have other properties. Baseballs have several properties.
-Hence, the forms are what are ultimately real.
-Examples: Symposium 210-211; Phaedo 73-80; Allegory of the cave.

III. Conclusions
-Plato does not give us all the answers, but he calls us to be a part of the discussion to find out what the good life is all about.

With that said, I will go out on a limb and name a few urgent needs as I see them. First, we need to build the networks for world missions, while there is time. More specifically, the building of infrastructure is essential, if the church is going to grow even during hard time. There has to be more resources poured out in the East, as the West is much wealthier in many areas. To put it more pointedly, churches in the West need to pray for, build up, give more, and send more people to “unreached” groups of the world. As the economy slows and the world becomes a more difficult place to live, thinking of others will be harder. If we do not support now, we will most likely not support later.

Prayer and worship are also urgent, as I see it. There are so many distractions and voices in our world that it is hard to discern anything. It is hard to sustain devotion. What we need is greater discernment and we are only going to get this through corporate worship and prayer. The obvious challenge is that we are all busy doing many good things. However, what is better is the posture of Mary, who chose to sit at the feet of Christ. Wisdom and strength will be the outcome. With this wisdom and strength, we will be in a position to know what are the urgent needs with greater discernment.

Why is it important to talk about loving the church?
In my opinion, there are three main reasons why it is important to remind people about loving the church. First, to be completely honest, the church is not very lovable. For this reason it is important to remind people to love the church. The default mode of many in our post-modern age (where people are keen to examining dynamics of power) is probably to look at the church with suspicion. In addition, our individualistic world does not help all that much either. Many people believe that a personal relationship with God is better than a relationship with people in a church community. Does not God look at the heart any way? In this critical context, it is important to call people to love the church. Second, there are a growing number of people that criticize the church and even feel as though that the “age of the church” is over. Perhaps the most famous case of this is Harold Camping, who actively tells people to leave the church. His explicit statements are implicit in many hearts. Third, God calls us to love the church. Why? It is his bride and his body, to use two imageries from the New Testament. If these imageries are true, then to neglect the church is to neglect something that God loves. Furthermore, it is to neglect something for which Christ died. To love what Christ loves is to love the church. This point alone makes it important to remind people to love the church.

What is the church?
Definitions are notoriously difficult to establish. The challenges are even greater in defining the church, because the Bible does not offer a single definition. In light of this, perhaps it is best to start with what the church is not. It is not a building, as many people assume. The church, according to some of the dominant imageries of the New Testament, is the temple of God, the bride of Christ, and the body of Christ. For our purposes, it would not be wrong to say that the church is the people of God in whom God dwell and loves. When people come together to worship God, then we have a church.

Why should I attend church?
The most important reason why we should attend church is because God loves the church. I do not disagree with anyone who sees hypocrisy and weaknesses in the church. I have seen my fair share. No one denies this. In fact, this is an important point to keep in mind, because God does not love only those who are lovable. The wonder of the gospel is that he loves sinners and people who are even opposed to him. In the end, who of us can stand before God by our own merits. The answer is no one. If we hold onto the grace of God in our own lives, does it not make sense to extend this to the church? Therefore, we ought love the church, because God loves it and gave himself for it. This is the ultimate basis to love the church. It is all rooted in grace.

One of the greatest examples of this comes from the book of 1 Corinthians. Most likely, the church at Corinth was the worst church in all of the Greco-Roman world in Paul’s day. They were factious, elitist in mentality, unloving, immoral, doctrinally bordering on heresy, and proud. If a church like this existed today, it would be in the headlines. Yet it is clear that God love this church, and so did Paul. This shows grace.

What can I expect as I commit to the church?
There are so many benefits that I will have to be selective. I will name only three. First, spiritual maturity takes place, because God has ordained the church to conduct very important means of grace. There is the preaching of the word from a person who is called to the ministry. When the minister is faithful to the Bible, then we can say that God speaks in his church. Second, the sacraments are administered in the church to remind people of the person and work of Christ. Grace and encouragement is the outcome. Third, the church, when it functions properly, also administers discipline. This aspect of the church is not talked about too much in our day when everyone wants to be polite at the expense of love. However, when the church disciplines well, it loves well and growth will be one of the outcomes.

Second, genuine community is experienced. Before I go on, there is a paradox that needs to be explained. If we go to church to have our needs met, then we will not end up with much. The reason for this we are actually seeking to use people for our own gain, whether we see it or not. It is all about our needs. However, if we go to church to meet God and to bless others, then we will experience true community on a deep level. The most beautiful relationships always have a dynamic where people seek to outdo one another in service and love.

Finally, when people commit to the church the church functions optimally and we find that there is something bigger than us, which is liberating. To use the illustration of the church as the body of Christ, when we come together the body functions properly. There will be unity in diversity. The outcome is that the church blesses its members and the world. The implication of this is: if we do not serve the church, then we necessarily hurt the church. Why? We are members of it, but we take no role in it. There is challenge not simply to attend, but to use your gifts in the church to be a blessing. When this happens, we begin to realize that we are part of something much bigger than our own lives.

What are some challenges?
It will not be easy to commit to a church. There will be many people with whom you do not necessarily get along. If we flip things around a bit, then we should also realize that many people do not get along with us. The key is to allow the love of God to shed light on how to love. We love, because we are loved. It is good to remember that God never asks us to give to another what he has not already given to us in Christ.

There is also the deeply ingrained cultural idol of comfort with which we will need to struggle. A great missionary once said that it is never convenient to serve God. Sacrifice challenges comfort, but when we see the sacrifice of Christ, then sacrifice becomes an opportunity for worship.

There is also the hardship of persevering. It is fairly easy to start well, but it is very difficult to end well. To be faithful to a church for years is no easy task. However, when we persevere, we will mature. This is the biblical pattern of growth – suffering leads to perseverance, which produces endurance, and endurance produces character that is able to hope in the glory of God. In light of this, it will behoove us to press on. This is the path towards growth and a great harvest of life.

What should I do next?
It is always wise to pray. You might want to ask God for illumination. Ask him to give you a heart that resembles his heart with respect to the church. In time, God will show you the beauty of his bride by his grace. Second, commit to a church and move from being one who attends to one who serves the church. Talk to the leadership or others who have been there a while. They will tell you where the needs are or how you can get to know people in the community to love them and be loved. Keep in mind that service does not have to be official. No titles are needed. In fact, much service goes on informally through relationships.

As soon as Jehoida passed away, King Joash forgot the Lord and sought the counsel of ungodly people. 2 Chronicles 24:17-18 recount the unfortunate words that Joash followed the counsel of unnamed princes of Judah and abandoned the house of the Lord. He must have continued down this path for a long while, because when he was confronted by Zechariah, the son of Jehoida, he did not take it well. In fact, Joash was so incensed that he gave the command to kill Zechariah.

The words of Psalm 50:17-18 are fitting:

“For you hate discipline
And you cast my words behind you.
If you see a thief, you are pleased with him
And you keep company with adulterers.”

What started off as a great start for Joash ended horribly. Joash did not fight the good fight or run his race to the end well. Part of the reason for this was the lack of godly counsel. Wise people will seek the counsel and fellowship with godly people.

The wisdom of this proverb takes great faith.

What if the king or those in power never see your good deeds, accomplishment, contributions, or talent? What if someone less than you, at least as you perceive it, gets the promotion instead? What if people angle to get ahead and you do not? Does not the world tell you that those who speak up get ahead? As you can see, to apply this proverb takes faith.

More specifically, this proverb presupposes that there is a God who is in control, who sees, and who cares. The dynamic is very similar to Matthew 6 – where religious people do acts to be seen by men (giving to the needy, praying, and fasting), where as godly people have an audience of one. The voice of the verb “to see” is teased out in this chapter.

The whole point is that we must not do things to be seen, because God sees, which is far better. Great faith, indeed, is necessary. The words of the book of Hebrews are appropriate: “Without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and the he rewards those who seek him.” (Hebrews 11:6)

The flipside of all of this is that leaders, who are wise, will learn to view people in the way that God does. This, too, requires faith. For example, you cannot put a price tag on things like obedience and character. By God’s grace may this dynamic be seen in the church.

In the end, we all need to trust in the Lord with all of our heart, mind and soul.

At this point, we would expect Paul to come to the Thessalonians with great authority and perhaps a domineering spirit, but he used his authority to serve and love. He remarkably states the following words:

“But we were gentle among you, like a nursing mother taking care of her own children. So, being affectionately desirous of you, we were ready to share with you not only the gospel of God by also our own selves, because you had become very dear to us.” (1 Thessalonians 1:7-8)

In light of these points, we can say that Paul’s method of missions was love. He really loved these new converts and the people there. Herein lies the crux of the matter. Where there is deep love, there will be success. Love cannot be faked; people can see through rhetoric, cunning, and other worldly things. However, when God pours forth love, there is great power. In light of this, we can say that a simple but profound measure of the success of a ministry is genuine love. If ministers love their congregations – even during hard time, can we say that the Spirit of God is working and present? I think so. Love is the most important element in any ministry.

All of this should not really surprise us. Paul anticipates this two thousand years ago. Paul says to Timothy these words, which appears as if they were written yesterday.

“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season: reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching. For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but have itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit they own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths. As for you, always be sober-minded, endure suffering, do the work of an evangelist, fulfill your ministry.” (2 Tim. 4:1-5)

Paul makes it abundantly clear that in the last days people will shop for teachers to justify their own tastes and passions. For this reason, he exhorts Timothy to teach in all seasons – who knows when God will open hearts, to reprove when necessary, and to endure all hardships with great perseverance. Hard work and endurance is the high calling of Timothy and all Christians (especially leaders).

The applications to today’s culture are tremendous. First, for leaders, they need to learn to fear the Lord, so that they will not ultimately fear man. If the fear of man is central, then leaders will never be able to be complete servants of God. They will not be able to teach, reprove and correct, or even love the way God loves. We need to keep in mind that God’s love is transformative and seeks to change people.

Second, churchgoers should check their hearts. These are some questions to ask: “Am I teachable to what God’s word has to say? What has God been teaching me, especially things that go against my assumptions? Do I view the church as a product to consume, or do I see it as the body of Christ to love and serve? When I attend church is my mind mostly on how I feel, or do I consider the needs of others?” By asking some of these questions, we might be able to break through the cultural idols of consumerism.

Finally, I love how this chapter ends. Paul encourages us by giving a perspective of his own life. He has fought the good fight and finished the race. (2 Tim. 4:7). He has made it to the end. He also gives us his secret: “The Lord stood by me and strengthened me, so that through me the message might be fully proclaimed…The Lord will rescue me from every evil deed and bring me safely into his heavenly kingdom.” (4:17-18) In light of this, I appeal to churchgoers – love the church and serve it. Know that when things are hard it is time to commit more (lest you fall away – just think of Demas) and to have teachable hearts.

One of the words that is used repeated in Ecclesiastes 7:1-13 is the word, “better.” It is used no less than seven times. From this observation alone we can say that the author of Ecclesiastes in enjoining his readers to live better lives. To put it another way, wisdom is able to see what is better and embrace it. Herein lies the challenge, what is better is counterintuitive, and at first brush most will likely reject what is better. Let us hear the words of Ecclesiastes:

7:1 “A good name is better than precious ointment.”
7:2 “It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting.”
7:3 “Sorrow is better than laughter.”
7:5 “It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools.”
7:8 “Better is the end of a thing than its beginning and the patient spirit is better than the proud spirit.”

It really does take wisdom to say that it is better to have a good name than ointment, riches than fame; sorrow and morning than feasting and laughter; rebuke than praise; the end than the beginning. It goes against almost every aspect of our modern sensibilities. Perhaps this is why there are very few wise people in our world. To grow in wisdom, according to the book of Ecclesiastes is to know certain things and act accordingly.

Wise people will know that a person’s name or integrity is more important than all the riches of the world. To put it another way, the means is more important than the ends. This requires trust in a God who sees. It requires a mentality that has an audience of one. It requires devotion to God and great love for him. Wise people will say with the Psalmist:

The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?
The Lord is with me; he is my helper. 

I look in triumph on my enemies.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord 

than to trust in humans.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes. (Psalm 118:6-9)

Wise people will also grapple with the end of all men – death. There will be a level of sobriety in thinking. Things unseen will be more important than things seen. (2 Cor. 4:18) Things eternal will matter more than thing that pass. Even suffering will be seen in a new light. We can do no better than to look at Paul’s own testimony in 2 Corinthians 4:8-18

“We are hard pressed on every side, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not abandoned; struck down, but not destroyed. We always carry around in our body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be revealed in our body. For we who are alive are always being given over to death for Jesus’ sake, so that his life may also be revealed in our mortal body. So then, death is at work in us, but life is at work in you.
It is written: ‘I believed; therefore I have spoken.’ Since we have that same spirit of faith, we also believe and therefore speak, because we know that the one who raised the Lord Jesus from the dead will also raise us with Jesus and present us with you to himself. All this is for your benefit, so that the grace that is reaching more and more people may cause thanksgiving to overflow to the glory of God.
Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Wise people will not reject counsel, correction and even rebuke. In fact, they will thank you for it. They know that they all have blind spots, areas where they need to be corrected and refined. In a broken world, where no one is righteous, not even one, rebuke will always have a place. Wise people may even seek it and submit to the counsel of the wise. Proverbs 9:7-10 states:

“Whoever corrects a mocker invites insults;

whoever rebukes the wicked incurs abuse.
Do not rebuke mockers or they will hate you;

rebuke the wise and they will love you.
Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still;

teach the righteous and they will add to their learning.”

Proverbs 17:10 graphically states:

“A rebuke impresses a discerning person

more than a hundred lashes a fool.”

Finally, wise people will rejoice more in the completion of things than the beginning. Most people know that it is relatively easy to muster support for new projects. Cast a vision, a glorious one, and people will be inspired. Who does not want to be a part of something bigger than themselves? However, a few seasons pass – perhaps a few years – and you will see that zeal lags and the rate of attrition grows. Finishing well, fighting the good fight, running to the end the race marked out for us is not easy. It takes character, endurance, sacrifice, and most of all faith in God. Wise people will know this and view the beginning and the end in a different way. Growth takes place not when people start well but when they end well.

With all this said, there is something still better, indeed, it is the best, and it is finally revealed in the New Testament. It is to know the love of God in Christ Jesus. This is why Paul says some of the most radical things, such as “to die is gain,” in Philippians 1:21. Paul, then, goes on to say:

“But whatever were gains to me I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them garbage, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. I want to know Christ—yes, to know the power of his resurrection and participation in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, attaining to the resurrection from the dead.”

To know Christ is best. Nothing comes as close. Wisdom will come to this conclusion and prioritize all on account of this. Wisdom will derive all of life in light of the knowledge of Christ. Let us seek to grow in wisdom.