Finally, Luke 17:5-6 is about lack of faith. One did not just think as a Stoic, but one lived as a Stoic. The Gospels recorded the basic lesson and message and not his full words: only things that stuck were written down. Despite having been the teacher of a philosopher, Epictetus, who himself taught one of the more famous and well-respected by pagan or Christian emperors: Marcus Aurelius. Individual pages signify the copyright for the content on that page. We have the same inclinations as they do; we just lack opportunities to act on them. These examples were, unfortunately, how people could best understand the point. Therefore, the good man lives without regret, and according to nature by accepting death fearlessly and boldly in his old age, living happily and honorably till the end. Carrier considers Matt. Not to disparage one person to make another look better, but I want to point out where I believe Musonius is a bit unjustly harsh in his judgment, the sort of thing that we do not see in Jesus. Such persons feel “Svadesho bhuvanatrayam” [ All the three worlds are native land]. Rather, Musonius insists that practice is more important than theory, as practice more effectively leads us to action than theory. Little is known about his life or thought, however, apart from a handful of surviving lectures and sayings, and some scattered references about him by other authors. She must be free from sexual improprieties and must exercise self-control over other pleasures. The authenticity of this letter, dated about 862, has not been completely established. Musonius never addresses the issue of a superficially "good" beggar. In 67 AD, Nero commanded 6,000 slaves to dig the Corinth canal with pickaxes and spades but a year after work commenced he died and the project was abandoned. I'd argue the examples and parables Jesus gave are much more relatable and memorable than straightforward instruction. William O. Stephens He advocated a commitment to live for virtue, not pleasure, since virtue saves us from the mistakes that ruin life. Given that all must die, it is better to die with distinction than to live long. He rejected the view that there is one type of virtue for men and another for women. Indeed, Musonius was of the opinion that those who eat the least expensive food can work harder, are the least fatigued by working, become sick less often, tolerate cold, heat, and lack of sleep better, and are stronger, than those who eat expensive food. For example, Jesus tells all the disciples that they would abandon him at his arrest. Wicked people are unjust and savage and have no concern for a neighbor in trouble. It's not about never worrying about something, but making that worry your life's focus when it won't do any good. Again, we can't be certain Jesus didn't have a few jokes that weren't recorded. He judged bodies that are healthy, normal in form, and able to function on their own, and souls that are naturally disposed towards self-control, justice, and virtue, as most fit for marriage. Why do we criticize tyrants, when in fact we are much worst than they are? If the issues of pointless legalism is invoked, then this would be true only if the Law was something inflexible or outdated itself; and by Law, what is meant is the righteous, spiritual interpretation of the law (Galatians; Marxsen). Luke 17:3-4 is a statement about forgiveness, far more profound in my opinion than the quoted example of Musonius.