Thursday, May 30, 2013

Just Believe

How did people ever get to believing in just believing? Well you can blame the Greeks. Our western culture today is influenced by a Greek mindset. If you have ever seen the movie, "My Big Fat Greek Wedding" you will remember the father saying, "Give me a word and I will tell you the Greek word it comes from."
There is of course truth to this. The Bible was translated to Greek because it was the predominantly influential culture. The Bible is still a Jewish book written by Jewish people and inspired by a Jewish God who was manifest in the flesh. Jesus not only knew the culture, but He lived it better than any other Jew. He fulfilled the law and showed us how it can be done. 
The Hebrew mindset is more concrete whereas the Greek mindset is abstract. The Jews related everything to what they could see, feel, and touch. That is why when it was translated you have many physical aspects describing God, i.e. hand, face, arm...
Just believing came from Greek thinking whereas Hebrew thinking requires belief and action. That is why Peter could command people to be baptized in Jesus name. 
  Mark 16:16 >>
He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he thatbelieveth not shall be damned. Photo has a small excerpt of a lesson from Sandy Bruce