Hebraic & Greek Mindsets

Hebraic & Greek Mindsets

In Singapore and many parts of the world, we are all educated and schooled under a very Greek setting and worldview; open to globalization, new age and humanism, ultimately leading to the worship of man instead of the Creator.

Humanism is not harmless. As defined in the dictionary, it is "the denial of any power or moral value superior to that of humanity; the rejection of religion in favor of a belief in the advancement of humanity by its own efforts." And it is rooted in Greece. We are actually coming against the prince of Greece in Daniel 10:20.

As we are being schooled, the same mindsets and mentality prevail and follow us into our churches. Greek philosophy gears towards the tree of the knowledge of good and evil; satisfying the minds and intellect; whereas the Hebraic philosophy gears towards the tree of life, satisfying the hearts and issues of life.

The Apostle Paul exhorted us in Romans 12:1-2:

"I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service. And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God."

I have tabulated a comparison of these two mindsets for your perusal:

Hebraic	Greek
Active Appeals to the heart	Cognitive Appeals to the intellect
Motive Love of God and others Life viewed as a pilgrimage leading to ultimate culmination Suffering seen as necessary for development of Christ-like character	Motion Pursuit of self-interest and knowledge Life viewed in circular terms, to some day achieve a higher state of existence Suffering to be avoided; people and activities weighed for self-gratification: "How does this person/event benefit me?"
Process Oriented Stresses direct participation Emphasizes age and wisdom Role modeling, mentoring, and discipleship indispensable – life shared Leadership by personal example Character of leader essential Personal relationships imperative	Program Oriented Heavy program prominence Emphasizes education Presentation, mass communication and training programs – information transfer Leadership by showmanship Leader’s personal life immaterial Personal relationships optional
Biblical Application Doers of the Word Bible—reality that must be confronted Focus on trust and obedience Goal—to develop Christlikeness	Biblical Knowledge Belief without personal cost, hearers only Bible—data that must be taught Focus on rules—do’s and don’ts Emphasizes distinct denominations
Ministry Participation Small intimate groups Leader as facilitator Cooperative, participatory planning Spiritual gifts shared Frequent scheduled and unscheduled gatherings	Ministry Activity Large impersonal groups Leader-directed and controlled Organizational roles important Acquisition of knowledge Emphasized reliance on scheduled gatherings
Function Love, acceptance, forgiveness Transparency encouraged Active participation "How you serve" vital Each believer trained to serve Produces mature believers	Form Mutual toleration Transparency discouraged Passivity and lethargy "What you know" vital Trained professionals utilized Produces spectators