The Historical Encounter of Hellenism and Judaism

The Historical Encounter of Hellenism and Judaism

Writter: Evangelos D. Kepenes (February 4, 2025, 16:50)

The historical encounter between Hellenism and Judaism during the Hellenistic period - although Hellenism posed a threat to Judaism's existence - ultimately resulted in the merger of their opposing thoughts and gave birth to the religious syncretic Roman formation known as "Patristic or Greek Orthodox Christianity" which its dogma clothed the "fulfilled promises of Judaism" and the "foolishness of the Apostles' preaching" with philosophy, thus elevating the Ancient Religion which Hellenism represented.

The side effects of this unnatural union gave birth to a new trinitarian God, a variation of ancient beliefs, a dual-natured "heavenly-earthly" redeemer, and numerous other misconceptions and superstitions. Even the Hellenistic Jews, due to the intense spiritual confusion they experienced, identified the only God who elevated Solomon to kingship with the trinitarian Greek god Zeus. (Zizioulas, 2008: 22-23)

However, the Apostle Paul preached neither Homer nor Plato nor Zeus, but "Christ crucified." Born in the Hellenistic city of Tarsus in Cilicia, a center of Stoic philosophers like Athenodorus, and educated in Jerusalem "at the feet" of the Pharisee Gamaliel, who had 500 students of Greek wisdom and 500 of Torah, he was knowledgeable about Greek wisdom and its contrasts with Judaism. He had early on sounded the alarm about those who would "take you captive through philosophy and empty deceit" pointing out that "the world through wisdom did not know God."

“See to it that no one takes you captive by philosophy and empty deceit, according to human tradition, according to the elemental spirits of the world, and not according to Christ. For in him the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily, and you have been filled in him, who is the head of all rule and authority.” (Col. 2:8-10)

“For the word of the cross is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God. For it is written, “I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and the discernment of the discerning I will thwart.” Where is the one who is wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the debater of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since, in the wisdom of God, the world did not know God through wisdom, it pleased God through the folly of what we preach to save those who believe. For Jews demand signs and Greeks seek wisdom, but we preach Christ crucified, a stumbling block to Jews and folly to Gentiles, but to those who are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. For the foolishness of God is wiser than men, and the weakness of God is stronger than men.” (1Cor. 1:18-25)

The intense opposition between biblical Judaism and Hellenism, beyond the obvious, is clearly depicted in the first steps of Judaism's new sect, the new Way that Jesus carved out and the Hebrew apostles preached.

“And he (Paul in Jerusalem) spoke and disputed against the Hellenists (Jews). But they were seeking to kill him”. (Acts 9:29)

And the Jews who remained faithful to their fathers' religion and had not been Hellenized considered even the entry of Greeks into the Temple an abomination.

“When the seven days were almost completed, the Jews from Asia, seeing him in the temple, stirred up the whole crowd and laid hands on him, crying out, “Men of Israel, help! This is the man who is teaching everyone everywhere against the people and the law and this place. Moreover, he even brought Greeks into the temple and has defiled this holy place.” For they had previously seen Trophimus the Ephesian with him in the city, and they supposed that Paul had brought him into the temple.” (Acts 21:27-29)

Flee from religions. Christ is our life.

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