Greek vs Hebrew Education
What we now consider “The Church” is almost nothing like the Early New Testament Church. Think of an archeologist digging through layers to find out what life was like in ancient times.
Historians concur that the Greeks were destroyed by moral decay. Pursuing knowledge without God is a recipe for disaster. We simply cannot survive without clear moral direction. Look at the differences in education goals:
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Ancient Greek Education
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Ancient Hebrew Education
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Goal
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Prepare individuals to serve the state. | Prepare individuals to serve God. |
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How
Accomplished |
1) Memorize the laws of Lycurgus, the Spartan lawgiver. 2) Memorize selections from Homer. 3) Develop physical excellence through games, exercises, and the pentathlon (running, jumping, throwing the discus, casting the javelin, and wrestling) |
1) Transmit knowledge and skills from generation to generation. 2) Increase knowledge and skills. 3) Concretize cultural values into accepted behavior |
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Teach students to trust the state.
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Teach children to trust God in everything.
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| Prepare for the state. | Prepare for eternity. | |
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Examine the world by classifying whole things into parts by removing them from the Creator. Redefine knowledge: Final reality is impersonal matter or energy, shaped into its present form by impersonal chance.
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Look at God’s world as a whole—interconnecting—revealing God in every area. The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmaments sheweth his handywork (Psalm 19:1).
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| Immerse students in literature written by ancient Greek philosophers. | Teach children to love learning so they will become self-motivated, lifelong learners. | |
| Focus on self-esteem, emotional adjustment, and external training of the body. Develop endurance, resourcefulness, and physical prowess. | Discover a child’s God-given gifts and talents, and develop them to their fullest potential. Focus on spiritual training. | |
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Result
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Self-centered: “My will be done.” Violence, corruption, pornography, racial tension, promiscuity, abortion, infanticide, etc.
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God-centered: “Thy will be done.” Authority with responsibility. Literacy, strong family ties, love of learning, security, independent thinking, high morals and values.
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Curriculum
Subjects
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Humanism
Evolution Social Studies |
Bible
Creation Science “His Story” (true history) Character Self-government (internal obedience to God) |
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Curriculum
Content
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Trivium, the three stages:
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The three main orders of study in ancient Israel consisted of:
with the basis of all knowledge being the fear of the Lord (Psalm 111:10; Proverbs 1:7). |
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Curriculum Text
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Books by Homer, Aristotle, Virgil, Pliny, Cicero.
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God’s Word. Orthodox schools did not study subjects derived from Classical tradition.
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Heroes
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Homer, Plato, Socrates, Aristotle, Epicurus, Zeno
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Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joshua and David (Old Testament)
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Philosophy
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Lawlessness:
To each his own. Look out for Number One. There are no absolutes. |
Lawfulness:
Love one another. The last shall be first. Deny thyself. Obey God’s Commandments. |
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That this is a rebellious people, lying children, children that will not hear the law of the Lord (Isaiah 30:9).
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Submit yourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord’s sake: whether it be to the king, as supreme; or unto governors, as unto them that are sent by him for the punishment of evildoers, and for the praise of them that do well (1 Peter 2:13–14).
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To understand the Early Church we must dig through layers of a mountain of man’s influences shoveling off and discarding man’s traditions, theories, interpretations, and philosophies from Greek and Roman civilizations, Aristotle, Constantine, Marcion, etc., to be able to examine the Early Church.
During the Reformation, men such as Wycliffe and Calvin were digging in the right spot. They dug up and discarded many theological errors and found a view of God’s plan of salvation by grace, but anti-Semitic layers remain and now there are new layers of tradition, interpretations, western thought (a return to the Greek and Roman philosophy) and conditioning that need removal. Only then can we have a clear view of the Early Church.
Greek philosophy between Aristotle and Augustine is the foundation of Western thought (Aristotle tried to merge the Bible and Plato = Hellenistic Philosophy). This is the reason for so much Greek philosophy in the church. Explore the differences between Eastern and Western thinking and how it affects each culture with this Interactive data file at FollowtheRabbi.com – Jesus, our Rabbi and Savior.
Want to Learn More?
Assumptions That Affect Our Lives takes the reader back to the roots of the modern conflict between Christianity and secular humanism through a comparison of ancient Greek and Hebrew culture. What the reader will discover is that the current tension between evangelical Christians and the non-biblical ideas with which they are surrounded is an age-old conflict. By viewing the current situation in the context of the ancient Greeks and Hebrews, contemporary Christians can be better equipped to deal with the challenges of living in today’s predominantly Greek-based culture.
Also see
- My Big Fat Greek Mindset by Tim Hegg, homeschooler speaking on Worldviews.
- Is Your Homeschool Greek or Hebrew? Take the Quiz
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Comment by galesk988 on 9 April 2009:
Very interesting. I was researching unleavened bread recipes for the Feast of Unleavened Bread and found your site. A very nice expose’ on Greek versus Hebrew thinking. The one thing that I would add is that the Saviour was given a Hebrew name at birth, not a Greek one. Jesus is not a proper transliteration of the Hebrew name. Since Acts 4:12 says “There is no other name under heaven given among men whereby man may be saved,” it behooves us to ascertain exactly what that name is. There are some different ways presented to pronounce the Hebrew letters of the Savious’s name that mean Yah savese but Yahshua or Yahusha or Yahushua would be more correct that Jesus. The enemy definitely tries to deceive the whole world even presenting his demons as messengers or ministers of light. Just as we had to dig out to find the original assemblies or church, we also need to do so on the sacred names. They were hidden many years ago by the rabbis and translators as being to sacred to be spoken; however, it is evident from reading the scriptures that the Almighty doesn’t want his name hidden.
Comment by Peter Rubel on 20 April 2009:
One might add that there is evidence in the Bible of the failure of the Hebrews to follow the religious, familial, inter-generational educational model you outline.
Comment by Jo! on 25 April 2009:
Boy oh boy! The left column reads like a classical christian school/curriculum summary.
to boot, the classical mindset, IMO, is the quickest route for “christian education” to go Christ-less!
Christ is all but eclipsed in Classical education.
NOW OF COURSE proponents say, we want to “take EVERY thought captive to the obedience of Christ” But you can’t take The Odyssey and The Red Badge of Courage captive to the obedience of Christ if the authors didn’t!
We don’t learn contrary to the paradigms of some in order to “influence” We proclaim Jesus to Drs, lawyers, philosophers, laymen, garbage men, plumbers, and atheists, all while being regular old people, (fisherman even like the apostles).
People aren’t “influenced” into Christ, they are birthed by The Holy Spirit into Christ, via the Gospel. Our Gospel, The Gospel we, whoever we are, share.
We don’t need to be like a pretentious academic or professional in order to bring the good news unto salvation. I say this because behind a lot of Classical Education is this inaccurate thought and theology that in order to reach leaders “In our culture” we need to understand how they think or have the same high position or else they won’t listen. In other words, “we could never reach an impacting leader (mover and shaker) if we are just regular joes/Joannas. Sorry, but that thinking is not pleasing to our Lord. It takes faith away from him and puts it into achieving an intellectual height.
Solo Christo/ Sola Scriptura,
Jo!
Comment by Kathy A on 25 April 2009:
Robin,
You have once again “said it right.” Thank you for confirming that the way we educate our own children at home is the Hebrew way, through God’s Grace.
He is using you, Robin, to greatly encourage my heart! Thank you so much for sharing what you’ve been learning is true, Robin! You are a gem in The Lord’s crown!
Kathy A. in northeast TN
Comment by Jamie on 25 April 2009:
I find it hard to break out of the more Greek style of education because it’s so much more like what I grew up with, but I know the Hebrew style is what I really want to be doing with my daughter, and I’m getting there gradually. Thanks for this great post.
Jamies last blog post..Eighties Flashback
Comment by Carol G on 25 April 2009:
Good stuff. I just wish it were easy. I see God taking me more and more down the path of Hebrew thinking, and yet it is such a long and slow road… Will I ever get it figured out before my kids are grown?!
Comment by Janis Miller on 25 April 2009:
I have enjoyed this post, Robin, and appreciate the effort that went into presenting it. I am not certain that the Greek Philosophy was lawlessness unless your reference is to God’s law since the “Goal” was to serve the state. I did resonate with the quote from Isaiah 30:9. I am also reminded of Isaiah 3:5 “And the people shall be oppressed, every one by another, and every one by his neighbour: the child shall behave himself proudly against the ancient, and the base against the honourable” also 2Timothy 3; & 2Timothy 4:3.
Comment by Lynn Hao on 8 August 2009:
With an intention to learn how to begin self-studying Greek and Hebrew, I found this site. Thank each one of your for sharing your insights. Do you have any suggestions on how I could start studing Greek or Hebrew on-line? What would you recommend on studying the Bible in Greek and Hebrew? I would appreciate any suggestions.
Lynn
Comment by Mr Knox on 7 November 2009:
Great blog post. I look forward to reading more from you
Comment by Darcy Terry on 27 November 2009:
Aristotle tried to merge the Bible and Plato = Hellenistic Philosophy).(?) (cut and pasted from your site)
Is this a typo? Aristotle died 300 years before Jesus was born. There was no “Bible” though certainly many of the OT writings were probably available in the educated Mediterranean World at that time. Augustine, was born only 25 years or so after the canon was adopted by the Council of Nicea. Did he try to merge Greek philosophy with scripture? I’m not following something.
As far as the self-study of Greek: a dad with a seminary degree in Greek in our homeschool group recommended Elementary Greek-Koine for Beginners by Christine Gatchell. It was written for homeschoolers, has two volumes with both a text and workbook, flash cards for alphabet and words and accompanying CD for each volume. We love it and could do it on our own but the weekly 1 hour tutorial is an added benefit.
Comment by Michelle Armbrust on 16 January 2010:
Hi. The link for Assumptions Affect Our Lives doesn’t work. I am interested in reading it. Please help?
Thank you.
Comment by Michelle Armbrust on 16 January 2010:
Not sure where to post this comment…but in How to get started…there is a link for the HOW Year One Deluxe that doesn’t work either. Help please? Thanks!