Tertullian writing in the 2nd Cendury AD, asked the question, "what does Jerusalem have to do with Athens?" It was a warning against the pernicious influence of Greek philosophy on Christian doctrine. This question also lies at the heart of the question of why are "Mormons" accused of not being Christian. Although "Mormons" literally do everything they do in the name of the Savior "Jesus Christ", still they are criticized for not being Christian! Why?? Mordern orthodox Christians, from the ancient Catholic and Orthodox Church to the modern Fundamentalists and Charismatics, all share a common heritage and a common concept of God. It is this common concept of God that is vehemently opposed by Mormons. The concept of God that is common to these Christian churches is the God of Greek Philolsophy; while Momons believe in the God of the ancient Hebrews, the God of the Bible. When Christianity was fighting for survival in AD 68-70, they suffered multiple catastrophies. Nero had executed Paul and Peter. James had fallen to Herod; and the other Apostles were martyred in quick succession, leaving the early Church leaderless. At the same time Nero died and the Roman empire was left leaderless. In a few months four Roman Emperors rose and fell giving the Jewish rebels in Judea a ideal opportunity to rebel. Vespasian and his son Titus arose, responding by destroying, not only the Jews, but the Jewish Christian Church leaving only the Greek Christian Church. The Jewish Christians had been killed and scattered, not because they were Christian but because they observed and practiced the Law of Moses as Jews, as is documented throughout the New Testiment. The Greek Christians however were in no sense Jewish. But they were not just simply Christian. They like the Jewish Christians were the product of their culture and education. Free public Greek education had started as early as 400 B.C. and Roman public education had started as early as 200 B.C. Both taught the concept of the monotheistic, unknown, and unknowable God of Plato, Aristotle and the popular Greek schools. Not having revelation and fighting the horrilbe heresies of the gnostics and others,the remaning Bishops of the Church did their best while quietly adopting the God of their education, the bodiless God of Greek Philosophy.

Tags: Christian Apostacy Romans Greek

Bookmark: