GREEK PHILOSOPHY AND THE NEW TESTAMENT

It is commonly charged that the Bible, particularly the New Testament, had been influenced by Greek thought. Most often, John's (1:1) "logos" is cited as evidence, where Jesus is identified as the “logos” or the "Word." In Greek thought, the “logos” was the creative power from which the world emerged.

However, rather than being influenced by Greek thought, John had merely co-opted the term, not the philosophy, to argue that Jesus was the creative power through which the world had been created.

Here is an illustration of this distinction. If I claim that Jesus was the only “self-actualized” human, it doesn’t mean that the Jesus that I believe in has been influenced by Abraham Maslow. Instead, I am merely borrowing popular terminology to make a point to those who esteem this concept.

If the critic is truly serious about the wellsprings of the NT, he should observe that the NT quotes or alludes to the OT perhaps on 1000 occasions. It is therefore clear from where its inspiration and worldview arise.

To use an example – Some claim that the NT understanding of the Messiah-as-God is a NT invention. However, we find many OT references to the Messiah-as-God. Here are several:

·       Psalm 2:7 I will declare the decree: the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee. Psalm 2:12 Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him. (According to the OT, Israel was to put their trust in God alone.)

• Isaiah 7:14 Therefore the Lord himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel [translated as “God with us”].

• Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

• Jeremiah 23:5-6 Behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth. 6In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD [“Yahweh”] OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

• Jeremiah 33:15-16 In those days, and at that time, will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land. 16In those days shall Judah be saved, and Jerusalem shall dwell safely: and this is the name wherewith she shall be called, The Lord our righteousness.

• Micah 5:2 But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.

• Proverbs 30:4 Who hath ascended up into heaven, or descended? who hath gathered the wind in his fists? who hath bound the waters in a garment? who hath established all the ends of the earth? what is his name, and what is his son's name, if thou canst tell?

Therefore, it is unnecessary to comb through Greek philosophy in order to find parallels to Messiah-as-God. It can even be argued that every NT doctrine finds its origin on the OT. Consequently, we don’t need to look towards Greek sources to understand the origins of the NT.