"Know Thyself"

We are going to start in a place that may seem a little unusual.

That is ancient Greece and the Oracle of Delphi. The Oracle of Delphi is also known by Delphic oracle, Pythia, and Pytho. She is considered the most famous ancient oracle who was believed to deliver prophecies from the Greek god Apollo. One of the things the Oracle of Delphi did was force travelers to investigate themselves before asking any questions of the Gods. Because this, and nothing else, was considered the starting point for understanding the world.

The sibyls were wise women who’d trained since childhood to reveal the message of the oracles. In their room, the following inscription was written:

“I warn you, whoever you are, Oh! You who want to probe the “Arcana of Nature”, that if you do not find “within yourself” that which you are looking for, you shall not find it outside either! If you ignore the excellences of your own house, how do you pretend to find other excellences? Within you is hidden the treasure of treasures! “Know Thyself” and you will know the Universe and the Gods.”

Aristotle also said:

“Knowing yourself is the beginning of all wisdom.”

Hmmmm… that sounds very familiar:

Psalm 9:10
“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom: and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”

Knowing who God says you are and who you will become is critical. Therefore this week, as we continue our study of Heaven, we will focus on Knowing Thyself, from the perspective of who we are now as Christians and who we are becoming.