The Screwtape Letters Chapters 1-2

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Life and Culture

It sounds as if you supposed that argument was the way to keep him out of the Enemy’s clutches. He doesn’t think of doctrines as primarily “true” or “false”, but as “academic” or “practical”, “outworn” or “contemporary”, “conventional” or “ruthless”. Jargon, not argument, is your best ally in keeping him from the Church. Don’t waste time trying to make him think that materialism is true! Make him think it is strong, or stark, or courageous—that it is the philosophy of the future. That’s the sort of thing he cares about.
In every place that Christianity has ever gone to, culture has had to be overcome. No matter the country, the race, the time period, traditions and culture had to be dealt with and overcome. Even the Jews themselves had difficulty overcoming their own biases and preconceived notions about God and religion.
At some point in a societies time, there will come a point where the status quo will be thrown out for a new way of thinking or “a philosophy of the future.” We will want new, progressive, nontraditional ways, but some of these things will drag us further away from Christ.
Acts 17:1–9 ESV
1 Now when they had passed through Amphipolis and Apollonia, they came to Thessalonica, where there was a synagogue of the Jews. 2 And Paul went in, as was his custom, and on three Sabbath days he reasoned with them from the Scriptures, 3 explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead, and saying, “This Jesus, whom I proclaim to you, is the Christ.” 4 And some of them were persuaded and joined Paul and Silas, as did a great many of the devout Greeks and not a few of the leading women. 5 But the Jews were jealous, and taking some wicked men of the rabble, they formed a mob, set the city in an uproar, and attacked the house of Jason, seeking to bring them out to the crowd. 6 And when they could not find them, they dragged Jason and some of the brothers before the city authorities, shouting, “These men who have turned the world upside down have come here also, 7 and Jason has received them, and they are all acting against the decrees of Caesar, saying that there is another king, Jesus.” 8 And the people and the city authorities were disturbed when they heard these things. 9 And when they had taken money as security from Jason and the rest, they let them go.
People do not like change, especially on the things they believe are right. How many people have had difficulties bringing people out of the world or coming themselves out of the world. Story of Anna.
How many companies have failed because they failed to change due to the times. Sears stopped putting out their catalog and failed to go online. Amazon launched around the same time and look where they are now! We look for a “more excellent way” and that leads to a growth mindset where one comes to full repentance, commitment, and service.
Acts 17:10–12 ESV
10 The brothers immediately sent Paul and Silas away by night to Berea, and when they arrived they went into the Jewish synagogue. 11 Now these Jews were more noble than those in Thessalonica; they received the word with all eagerness, examining the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so. 12 Many of them therefore believed, with not a few Greek women of high standing as well as men.
When presented with things, we must search the scriptures. We must search for the truth. Do not be content with what you know now. So many, especially Christians, are content with what they know right now, they have no desire to go any further.
Acts 17:16–21 ESV
16 Now while Paul was waiting for them at Athens, his spirit was provoked within him as he saw that the city was full of idols. 17 So he reasoned in the synagogue with the Jews and the devout persons, and in the marketplace every day with those who happened to be there. 18 Some of the Epicurean and Stoic philosophers also conversed with him. And some said, “What does this babbler wish to say?” Others said, “He seems to be a preacher of foreign divinities”—because he was preaching Jesus and the resurrection. 19 And they took him and brought him to the Areopagus, saying, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? 20 For you bring some strange things to our ears. We wish to know therefore what these things mean.” 21 Now all the Athenians and the foreigners who lived there would spend their time in nothing except telling or hearing something new.
The other side of the coin is people who want new teachings. There are some things that never change, like the word of God. Some people, myself included, can get burned out on the same information over and over again, so there comes a certain point where they will search for something new.
The danger is that new things reduce stability. Conflicting things that do not harmonize will cause chaos for the one trying to reconcile old beliefs with new ones. This leaves two options: 1. Throw everything out and start over with the new information, or 2. Stick with what you know and test everything new.
In our world, everyone wants new teachings. Go to school, learn new things. Go to college, learn new things about a field. Youtube, learn new things. Google, learn new things. It is ingrained into our society to learn new things. Unfortunately, we don’t teach how to filter this information.
The Greeks here in chapter 17 were the smart people, the Homers, Platos, Socrates of the day. A group of people obsessed with learning to the point that they were really no good except to learn and speculate.
When Paul begins teaching these leaned men, he sites two of their own writers in Acts 17:29 “29 Being then God’s offspring, we ought not to think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by the art and imagination of man.” Epimenedes and Aratus. Surely we can learn Biblical principles from just about anything, but nothing will be as progressive or preserving as the word of God. It is powerful, all consuming. Nothing else can truly motivate a man to leave behind everything and pursue the life that Christ has created like the gospel, so long as it is clear.
In our world today, we are in information overload. Social media, news, Tik Tok, Google, Youtube, all of these things have given us so much knowledge at our fingertips that sifting through it all becomes almost impossible.
Ways to Sift Information:
Check it out-search for sources
Ask from a trustworthy person their advice
Don’t just dwell on it

The Disappointment of the Church

One of our great allies at present is the Church itself. At his present stage, you see, he has an idea of “Christians” in his mind which he supposes to be spiritual but which, in fact, is largely pictorial. Work hard, then, on the disappointment or anticlimax which is certainly coming to the patient during his first few weeks as a churchman. I have been writing hitherto on the assumption that the people in the next pew afford no rational ground for disappointment. Of course if they do—if the patient knows that the woman with the absurd hat is a fanatical bridge-player or the man with squeaky boots a miser and an extortioner—then your task is so much the easier. All you then have to do is to keep out of his mind the question “If I, being what I am, can consider that I am in some sense a Christian, why should the different vices of those people in the next pew prove that their religion is mere hypocrisy and convention?”
Have you ever visited (or even here) a congregation for worship and felt like no one wanted to be there? Or no one came and talked to you? Or everyone looked down on you for whatever reason? Or you could tell everyone was faking it? I’ve personally experienced this myself, and it is one of the most discouraging things in the world. Not every congregation is like this, but one bad church can spoil the whole bunch. When we have someone new come among us, we need to make sure that individual is surrounded, loved, cherished, cared for, and welcomed.
Disappointment kills energy and momentum. Sometimes things get overhyped, movies, songs, even churches. “We are a loving group of people” but never do anything together. “We care about the world” but do nothing to reach the lost. Be careful on selling something that you cannot deliver on, because a soul might depend on it.
1 John 2:7–11 ESV
7 Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard. 8 At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining. 9 Whoever says he is in the light and hates his brother is still in darkness. 10 Whoever loves his brother abides in the light, and in him there is no cause for stumbling. 11 But whoever hates his brother is in the darkness and walks in the darkness, and does not know where he is going, because the darkness has blinded his eyes.
Our love should be felt by everyone. We know we are going to fail at one point or another, but we should not be delivering chronic disappointment. 1 Corinthians 13 tells us a lot about love and what that looks like.
1 Corinthians 13:1–8 ESV
1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have prophetic powers, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give away all I have, and if I deliver up my body to be burned, but have not love, I gain nothing. 4 Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant 5 or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; 6 it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. 7 Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. 8 Love never ends. As for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away.
1 Corinthians 13:13 ESV
13 So now faith, hope, and love abide, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
What this chapter of the screwtape letters points to is the easiest way to get somebody back out of Christ is ceremony over obedience. We will put on a show to make people think we are holy, but the reality is that we are just as lost and decrepit as the rest of them. We must be genuine. Otherwise we end up looking like King Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22 “22 And Samuel said, “Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to listen than the fat of rams.”
Romans 12:9–21 ESV
9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good. 10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality. 14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them. 15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.
We have to be sincere with our actions. We can’t just put on a face and go with the flow in this world. Souls depend on it.
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