Hebrew vs Greek Thought (2 of 3)

Greek Abstract Thought

Parallel to concrete thought is abstract thought.  Non-Semitic languages, such as Greek, are predominantly abstract in nature, though they are not void of concrete thought. Abstract thought consists of several characteristics:

Psychological & Appearance

Expression of absolute thought uses words that are understood through the mind: imagination, emotion, feeling, spirituality, etc.

Romans 7:22-23 KJV - "22 For I delight in the law of God after the inward man: 23 But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members."

Expression of absolute thought uses words that describe an object by its appearance: color, shape, measurements, etc.

Matthew 17:2 KJV - "And was transfigured before them: and his face did shine as the sun, and his raiment was white as the light."

Analytical & Provoking

Expression of absolute thought is analytical: logical, investigative, philosophical, computational, etc.

Revelation 13:18 KJV - "Here is wisdom. Let him that hath understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six."

Expression of absolute thought uses words to provoke contemplation, consideration, computation, creativity, etc.

Matthew 20:22 KJV - "But Jesus answered and said, Ye know not what ye ask. Are ye able to drink of the cup that I shall drink of, and to be baptized with the baptism that I am baptized with? They say unto him, We are able."

Allegories & Metaphors

Allegories use words as symbols to cloak the true meaning.

• Matthew 16:11 uses an analogy to refer to leaven as doctrine.

Matthew 16:11-12 KJV - "11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

Metaphors use words outside of their original meaning to represent something else.

• Revelation 1:20 reveals the metaphors of the stars and golden candlesticks.

Revelation 1:20 KJV - "The mystery of the seven stars which thou sawest in my right hand, and the seven golden candlesticks. The seven stars are the angels of the seven churches: and the seven candlesticks which thou sawest are the seven churches."

Parables are metaphorical narratives.

• In Matthew 13:31 Jesus likens the kingdom of God to a grain of mustard seed.

Matthew 13:31 KJV - "Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:"

Distinguishing & Indirect

Abstract thought uses pattern recognition to distinguish similar characteristics of objects.

• In Matthew 16:12, both leaven and doctrine are objects that spread and affect everything that comes into contact with it.

  
  

The distinguished characteristics are indirectly related to the original meaning of the word.

• In Matthew 16:12, leaven is indirectly related to doctrine. The disciples did not understand the abstract meaning.

Matthew 16:5-6, 11-12 KJV - "5 And when his disciples were come to the other side, they had forgotten to take bread. 6 Then Jesus said unto them, Take heed and beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees. ... 11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees? 12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees."

Abstract English in Scripture

English scripture will use abstract words in place of concrete words to help the reader better understand.

Exodus 32:22 KJV - "And Aaron said, Let not the anger of my lord wax hot: thou knowest the people, that they are set on mischief."

Root Expression - "And Aaron said, Let not the nose of my ruler grow warmer: thou knowest the people, that they are set on bad."

• Anger - אף awph: “nose” or "nostril" (breathing hard when angry flares the nostrils.)

• Lord – אָדוֹן adon: "to rule"; "ruler"

• Wax hot – חָרָה chara: "glow" or "grow warmer"

• Mischief – רַע rah: "bad"; from רָעַע ra'a: to spoil (literally, by breaking to pieces)"

Greek Relative Thought

Greek abstract thought is synergistic with relative thought. Relative thought consists of several characteristics:

Relativity

Relative thought claims abstract facts are not absolute and anything claimed to be an absolute truth must be proven.

John 18:38 KJV - "Pilate saith unto him, What is truth? And when he had said this, he went out again unto the Jews, and saith unto them, I find in him no fault at all."

Transitory

Something that is relative, does not always exist, is wavering, uncertain, and indefinite.

James 1:6 KJV - "But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed."

Relative theories are only true until they are proven otherwise.

Hebrews 10:23 KJV - "Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful that promised;)"

Subjective

Relative thought is theoretical. Truths are dependent upon perspective, provability and quantifiability.

Truths can exist with opposing truths.

Relative thought is finite: having limits and being subject to other factors.

Galatians 1:10 KJV - "For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ."

Colossians 2:8 KJV - "Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world, and not after Christ."

Compromising

Relative thought encourages persuasion of the mind. Truths are negotiable and convincible through debate.

Galatians 3:1-3 KJV - "1 O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you? 2 This only would I learn of you, Received ye the Spirit by the works of the law, or by the hearing of faith? 3 Are ye so foolish? having begun in the Spirit, are ye now made perfect by the flesh?"

Dispositional Implications

Thinking that is primarily abstract and relative has both positive and negative influences on a persons dispositions.

Positively Discerning

Abstract thinkers may exercise discernment.

John 1:47-51 KJV - "47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile! 48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee. 49 Nathanael answered and saith unto him, Rabbi, thou art the Son of God; thou art the King of Israel. 50 Jesus answered and said unto him, Because I said unto thee, I saw thee under the fig tree, believest thou? thou shalt see greater things than these. 51 And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man."

Positively Reflective

Abstract thinkers may self-reflect and compare ones character to standards of morality.

Luke 7:6-9 KJV - "6 Then Jesus went with them. And when he was now not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to him, saying unto him, Lord, trouble not thyself: for I am not worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof: 7 Wherefore neither thought I myself worthy to come unto thee: but say in a word, and my servant shall be healed. 8 For I also am a man set under authority, having under me soldiers, and I say unto one, Go, and he goeth; and to another, Come, and he cometh; and to my servant, Do this, and he doeth it. 9 When Jesus heard these things, he marvelled at him, and turned him about, and said unto the people that followed him, I say unto you, I have not found so great faith, no, not in Israel."

Positively Persuadable

Abstract relative thinkers may be persuadable to accept the truth.

John 4:22-23, 25-26, 28-29 KJV - "22 Ye worship ye know not what: we know what we worship: for salvation is of the Jews. 23 But the hour cometh, and now is, when the true worshippers shall worship the Father in spirit and in truth: for the Father seeketh such to worship him. ... 25 The woman saith unto him, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when he is come, he will tell us all things. 26 Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am he. ... 28 The woman then left her waterpot, and went her way into the city, and saith to the men, 29 Come, see a man, which told me all things that ever I did: is not this the Christ?

Negatively  Insecure

Relative thinkers may lack an authoritative foundation for security and provision.

Matthew 6:28-32 KJV - "28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin: 29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and to morrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith? 31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed? 32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things."

Negatively Unstable

Relative abstract thinkers may be unstable in their ways and beliefs.

Ephesians 4:14 KJV - "That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;"

Relativity In Greek History & Culture

The arrival of the Hellenistic culture, during the reign of Alexander the Great, brought with it abstract and relative thinking along with extensive polytheistic idolatry.  Protagoras, a well known philosopher influenced a man named Plato, who was a student of another well known philosopher named Socrates. Plato picked up several philosophies from Socrates, such as, "government must be just and should accommodate alternative views." Protagoras heavily influenced Plato in seeking the nature of truth. One of the well known interpretations of Protagoras' teachings came from Plato, who claimed that the statement, "Man is the measure of all things", means, "there is no objective truth. Whatever individuals deem to be true is true." Plato then taught, another well known philosopher, Aristotle and he also taught Alexander the Great.

This gave rise to Platonism (the philosophies of Plato), which tremendously influenced Greek thought. By the start of the first century A.D., Plato's philosophies had been around for well over three hundred years. Philosophers Diogenes, and Epicurus, were also known during this time period.

There were a wide variety of beliefs at the time and both Rome and Greek took to their own mix of deities along side worldly philosophies, including:

• Their gods had human like natures and could sin

• Their gods would pour out wrath if they didn't receive what they wanted

• Good luck meant their gods were happy and despair meant their gods were angry

• Their gods enjoyed war, would engage in battle, and spontaneously change sides

• Their gods would change their mind on what they wanted from people

• New gods would be created for new areas of life or situations

• Their gods were pleased by intellectual ability and physical strength

• People looked for signs from their gods like omens (good or bad) to direct them

Many believed in moral relativism, some of which believed in moral diversity (that morals are relative to culture and society), and others believed in moral skepticism (that morals cannot be factual knowledge)

Nothing was absolute in the Greek mindset. Outside of governmental laws, whatever a person thought was right to believe, they followed after. Religious practices were accepted as so long as it did not disrupt civilian order or cause a threat to the empires regime.

*Review definitions.

*This study concludes in Hebrew vs Greek Thought 3 of 3