The great thinker and teacher named Zeno of Citium lived from 332 to 262 B.C. Most teachers of his day rented a room where students could come to hear them teach. But Zeno went right out to the people, like a street-corner preacher might do today. In Athens, many beautiful columns stood in rows around the main city shops and public spaces. This area was called the Stoa. Because Zeno taught from this public area, the name Stoics was given to him and his followers. Chrysippus of Soli studied with Zeno’s pupil Cleanthes of Assos and is considered one of the most important of the early Stoics.

The Stoics thought that the universe was a living being that had a god-like mind and purpose. They called this purpose “nature.” They thought all humans had the ability and the responsibility to live according to nature’s plan. This ability they called “conscience.” If they lived by nature’s plan, their lives would be filled with goodness and peace. If they didn’t, fighting and destruction would happen. The Stoics believed that the only way people could control their lives was by controlling how they were affected by events in the world. By giving up the desire to control things that weren’t in their power, Stoics sought to live without fear of the future.

Some Stoic ideas were taken over by Jewish writers, such as the author of The Wisdom of Solomon. Tarsus, the apostle Paul’s hometown (Acts 21:39), was a major center in Asia Minor for teaching Stoic ideas. When Paul gave a speech in the Stoa of Athens he used some statements that would have been familiar to people who had studied Stoic teachings (Acts 17:16-34). In Galatians, Paul described what the Spirit of God does in the lives of people. These qualities that the Spirit produces were the same as qualities the Stoics thought would come to people who lived according to nature. These include kindness, gentleness, patience, faithfulness, and self-control (Gal 5:22,23).