Why Does St. Paul Quote Pagan Poets in the Bible?
St. Paul as an icon of true Christianity: Hebrew, Greek, and Roman
Why would St. Paul cite Greek pagans in the New Testament?
Well, the answer lies in St. Paul’s education. He benefited from both Hellenistic formation and Pharisaic training.
But his use of pagan thought is a sign of something much larger—an indelible Greek mark upon Christianity.
Many think Greek thought is a threat to Christianity—but in reality, it is an indispensable part of it.
In fact, St. Paul is an image of true Christianity—a harmony of the Hebrew, Greek, and Roman.
He invites you to a much deeper understanding of Christianity.
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Who was St. Paul?
St. Paul, originally named Saul, was born around 5-10 AD in Tarsus, a prosperous Hellenistic city in Cilicia (modern-day Turkey), renowned for its intellectual culture, into a devout Jewish family of the tribe of Benjamin who held Roman citizenship by birth. As a child and young man in this diaspora setting, he grew up immersed in Koine Greek as the everyday language (the language the New Testament is written in), likely receiving a standard Hellenistic education that included grammar, rhetoric, and exposure to classical Greek literature.
At the same time, reflecting his family’s strict Pharisaic heritage, Paul was sent to Jerusalem (likely in his early teens) where he was “brought up” and rigorously educated “at the feet of Gamaliel” (Acts 22:3), the esteemed rabbinic scholar and member of the Sanhedrin known for his moderate yet faithful interpretation of the Torah and oral traditions. This dual formation—Hellenistic cultural fluency from Tarsus combined with advanced Pharisaic training in Jerusalem—equipped Paul uniquely as a “Hebrew of Hebrews” (Philippians 3:5) who could zealously persecute the early Church before his conversion, yet later bridge Jewish scripture and Greek thought to proclaim the Gospel to Gentiles across the Roman world.
In many ways, St. Paul is an image of the New Testament itself—a harmony of Biblical faith and Greek reason under Roman order.
Does St. Paul cite pagan texts in the New Testament?
Yes! In his Areopagus address (Acts 17:28), he cites the Cretan poet Epimenides (”In him we live and move and have our being”) and the Stoic Aratus (”For we are indeed his offspring”)—lines originally referring to Zeus—to affirm humanity’s dependence on the true God and redirect pagan insights toward the Gospel. Epimenides was a semi-legendary Cretan poet and philosopher of the 7th–6th century BC famous for the “Cretan liar” paradox and his religious purifications, while Aratus was a 3rd-century BC Hellenistic poet from Soli best known for his astronomical poem Phaenomena.
In Titus 1:12, St. Paul, “the Apostle,” as St. Thomas Aquinas called him, again quotes Epimenides (”Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons”) to lend cultural authority to his warning against local false teachers. Similarly, in 1 Corinthians 15:33, he draws from the comic dramatist Menander (”Bad company corrupts good morals”) as a proverbial caution against influences denying the resurrection.
These deliberate appropriations were not endorsements of pagan religion but masterful rhetorical bridges, repurposing partial truths from Greek literature to point toward the fullness of revelation in Christ.
It is the formation of St. Paul, Hellenistic and Jewish, bearing fruit in the inspired New Testament.
Is there a Hellenistic imprint on Christianity?
Yes! The Hellenistic imprint on the New Testament begins long before Christ with Greek culture influencing Judaism. It is important to note that the first Old Testament canon was written in Greek! The Septuagint (c. 250 BC) was the first complete canon of the Jewish Bible, what Christians call the Old Testament. More importantly, this Greek Old Testament was foundational to Judaism and was the Old Testament cited by both Jesus and St. Paul.
Also, several of the last books in the Septuagint, like the Book of Wisdom, are not Greek translations of Hebrew but were written in Greek originally. It should also be noted that the Book of Wisdom does two important things. First, it makes a distinction between the old pagans that worship idols and the new pagans who seek God in nature, i.e., the Greek philosophers and their adherents (Wisdom 13). Second, the Book of Wisdom cites the same four cardinal virtues—now central to Christian ethics—that are listed in Plato’s Republic (Wisdom 8:7).
The New Testament is an inheritor of this Hellenized Jewish tradition. First, like the Septuagint, the New Testament is also written in Greek (Koine). While St. Paul’s incorporation of Greek thought in service of the Gospel is important, the zenith of this Hellenized Jewish thought is St. John’s use of the term Logos to describe the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity (John 1:1)—as the term logos has a rich, multifaceted history within Greek thought. And while it is more accurate to speak of a broader Hellenized influence than reducing it to a specifically Platonic one, the New Testament arguably defaults to Platonic metaphysics—insofar as underneath St. Paul’s comments you see the general truth that matter images spirit (e.g., Ephesians 3:14-15).
Though Greek and Jewish culture did experience a mutual enrichment prior to the coming of Christ, there were violent clashes as well—as described in 1 and 2 Maccabees.
Overall, Christians believe that Jesus came in the “fullness of time,” as St. Paul comments, which means the culture that received the Incarnation was tilled by Providence to do so. To wit, as our friends at Ascend are fond of saying, Greek reason coupled with Hebrew faith under Roman order prepared the world for Christ.
The Problem of Dehellenization
Some Christians attempt to claim there was a “pure biblical faith” that was later corrupted by Greek thought—but history shows that the Greek influence started with Judaism and continued on into Christianity. The problem is not a hellenized Christianity but a dehellenized Christianity. A Christianity that is divorced from the native culture that informs its basic, immutable principles. A dehellenized Christianity is gutted and open to perversion, as it is easily stuffed with modern ideologies that pervert its core teachings and identity. Oftentimes, the attempt to discover a “pure biblical faith” ends with a Christianity remade with the moral norms of the day.
Christianity is rich combination of Greek, Roman, and Jewish concepts—and exploring these will enrich your spiritual life.
They are not a danger to Christianity—but an invitation to know the faith more deeply.
Post Script: Want to explore these topics more? Check out Do Christians owe a debt to Homer? and Why Christian Education Needs Paganism?
Dcn. Harrison Garlick is a deacon, husband, father, Chancellor, and attorney. He lives in rural Oklahoma with his wife and five children. He is also the host of Ascend: The Great Books Podcast. Follow him on X at Dcn. Garlick or Ascend.
Because Paul wasn’t a radical Fundamentalist. He knew that natural revelation was important
I think this is a good concept, but I don't think dehellenizing Christianity is as big of a danger as this is making it sound. Yes, church history and the works of the apostles should be exegeted through a lens of Greco-Roman philosophy at times, but the foundation of Christianity stands out of culture. I agree that a hypothetical, detached Christianity could be endangered, but putting in this intense of a light is wholly overcompensating and is just as dangerous. Furthermore, the line 'Christianity is rich combination of Greek, Roman, and Jewish concepts—and exploring these will enrich your spiritual life.' is a little heretical. Christianity, is Divine concepts, and while cultures and beliefs can mirror the divine, we should only base Christianity off of the specific revelations that God has given us.