In this article, our discussion of the influence that Greek philosophy has had on the Western world extends into the arena of Christian theology.

This may come as a shock to some who have devoted much of their lives to careful study of the Bible with the aid of Bible college courses and commentaries that seem to have stood the test of time. Yet when eyes are opened we realise that much of our theological education teaches a form of Christianity that is more founded on Greek academic logic than it is on the life of faith.

When we construct our theological systems, even if they are based entirely on our interpretation of Scripture, we must ask ourselves if we are falling into the realms of Greek philosophy more than growing in our relationship with God:

• Are we learning to know about God rather than learning to know him relationally?
  
• Do we fence ourselves in with our systematic theologies as a defence against those who challenge the weakness of our faith?
  
• Does this separate our denominations rather than unite us as one body of disciples of Yeshua?

In his prayer recorded in John 17:1-4, Yeshua prayed that we might know the Father – it was his great prayer for us before his sacrificial death. To know God personally is the purpose of our lives as believers.

Early Church ‘Fathers’

Where did it begin, this turning of attention more to Greek philosophy than to the life of faith? We can uncover many of the roots in the writings of the so-called ‘Early Church Fathers’. Richard Booker, in his book No Longer Strangers, covers this briefly, noting that many of the early ‘fathers’ of Christianity actually rejected God’s continuing purposes for Israel, substituting a worldview based on Greek philosophy - as if Plato had been the means of God’s preparation for the Gospel to be understood in the Gentile world.¹

The Emperor Constantine continued to consolidate the separation of the Christian Church from its Hebraic/Jewish foundations when he claimed a vision whereby Christianity became secularised as the religion of the Roman Empire. All this is worthy of careful consideration in the Church today, where a desire for a new Reformation is beginning to well up.

When the early Church Fathers rejected their Hebraic foundations, Christianity was re-defined on different foundations and this was reinforced through the humanistic Empire of Rome.

When the early Church Fathers rejected their Hebraic foundations, Christianity was re-defined on different foundations and this was reinforced through the humanistic Empire of Rome.

Modern Implications

In assessing the way this impacts us today, consider the implications of Greek being the language of the New Testament. It is not the Greek language itself that is at fault, especially if we interpret Greek ideas through the lens of Hebraic thought.² Nevertheless, if the use of the Greek language for the New Testament has led to the idea that a Greek worldview is more relevant than a Hebraic worldview, then we need to reconsider this quite urgently.

If we look at the variety of systematic theology books that emerged after the Reformation, we find evidence of the Greek worldview in attempts to define biblical terms (in rather complex ways) and build more of a philosophy than an encouragement to walk in relationship with God. This is the reason that many who go to Bible college come out as philosophers - quite eloquent in their oratory (reminiscent of the Greek theatre!) but lacking the life of the Spirit of God.

Terms such as hermeneutics have crept in as part of the science of studying the Bible. This word refers to Hermes, the messenger of the Greco-Roman ‘gods’! The more our eyes are opened to the Greek philosophy that pervades much of our theology, the more we see how the Greek worldview pervades Christianity as a whole.

Example: Calvinism

The theology of Calvin, distilled by his followers and referred to in an earlier article in this series, illustrates the point we are making.

Calvin’s followers distilled their theology into five main points, under the acronym TULIP. The letters, in turn, refer to the ideas of all mankind being so lost in Total depravity that they have no means of responding to God, Unconditional election whereby God has chosen those to whom he will extend mercy (the rest of mankind being destined for the wrath of God), Limited atonement whereby only the elect will benefit from the atonement purposed by Jesus' sacrifice, Irresistible grace, whereby the human resistance of the elect will be overcome by the power of God to save them, and Perseverance of the saints, whereby there is a continuance of the elect in communion with God to the end (this too being a work of God alone).

The theology books of Calvinism are all framed around these five principles. But what if the drive of human logic to define God and his ways – to contain God within a theoretical box - leads to errors? However influential the box, we are right to challenge it.

What if the drive of human logic to contain God within a theoretical box leads to errors? However influential the box, we are right to challenge it.

Philosophy vs Halakhah

Earlier in this series, we saw how every worldview needs founding axioms on which to build. It is clear that the founding axioms of Greek thinking have influenced Christian theology, as human reason and logic are applied to the Bible to try to pin down universal mysteries. This leads to theological ‘experts’ deriving complex terms like supralapsarianism, infralapsarianism, soteriology and the like, words that do not appear in the scriptures and are based more in philosophy than in the life of faith and ‘halakhah’ (walking) with God.

The long-term effect of such Greek-inspired theologies has done much harm. As we noted a few weeks ago , one implication has been the rise of an individualistic culture of faith, such that community life has suffered. There are other repercussions too. The form of Calvinism taken to South Africa with ideas of elect and non-elect (some destined for eternal life and some destined for exclusion from eternal life) contributed strongly to the acceptance of apartheid! One might also suspect that such a worldview could fan the flames of anti-Semitism.

In Romans 9:19-24, Paul is not setting forth a theology of salvation. He is indicating that it is above our level of understanding and responsibility to work out God’s ways whereby some are saved and some are not – in other words, leave it to God.

Renewing Our Minds

If we restore a Hebraic worldview, we will find ourselves understanding many ideas differently. We will focus more on community - God predestined a body, not a group of individuals!

In his article From the Theatre to the Home, Karl Coke argues convincingly that the structure of many church meetings is more reflective of the academic schools of Greece than the interactive Hebraic culture of rabbinic teaching that Yeshua used with his disciples. This could be a reason for the modern-day move of many small groups to meet in homes rather than in auditoriums of church buildings.

If we refuse to let Greek philosophy define the parameters of our belief in God, we will cease to box God into humanly-derived concepts. We will seek again the inspiration of the Holy Spirit in the life and membership of the Church, perhaps going back to understanding again the reason and result of the Council of Jerusalem (Acts 15).

We will conclude this series next time with a further consideration of the Hebraic worldview that leads to a walk with God.

You may also be interested in our 2015 series Christianity, Israel and the Jews, especially part 24 and part 27.

References

1 See also the archives on the tishrei.org website.

2 In fact, there are convincing arguments to support the view that much of the New Testament began in the Hebrew language (Jerome, in translating the Vulgate, referenced a copy of Matthew in the Hebrew language that he found in Bethlehem). Also the Eastern Church lays convincing claims that their Aramaic (a Semitic language very close to Hebrew) version of the Bible precedes the Greek manuscripts. Whatever the arguments relating to the use of the Greek language to spread the Gospel message, it is not the Greek language, but the Greek worldview that is our main concern.