The Greek

Filter

      A Presbyterian preacher yesterday referred to the 'Greek Filter'  in which as evangelism of the apostles spread to

the gentile world, which was 'greek' predominantly from the time of Alexander the Great, some church doctrine or dogma matters took on familiar widely accepted philosophic notions, and I would argue even from 

a governance perspective mutated to take on familiar structures of authority.  The gnostic gospels, considered inauthentic because they far post date the resurrection are case in point in development of incorporation of a greek dualism where

the material world is deemed evil and somehow extrinsic to the spirit world. This is a classically greek notion and Plato wrote on it. The Greek Gods were spirits, the jewish messiah however, deemed Divine, was a human.

The more Greek it became the less Jewish it looked. Jesus, however, is and was and ever shall be a Jewish man. So the more authentically Jewish the closer to the real Christ not the hellenized one.

     In terms of authority structure, the Jewish world had a Sanheidren, a body of Pharisees and Saduccees, which 

was a more consensus oriented structure than an 'empire' with one Ceasar at the top. The roman catholic church 

took on an authority structure which served it's expansion well throughout the world with a model of authority very linear

with only one Ceasar god-like figure at the head to which strict obedience was demanded and free thought 

suppressed- at times, brutally inquisition style .  The priests to this day wear roman aristocratic robes everywhere in the world, nevermind large parts of the world don't put men in dresses or robes any longer. 

The Augustinian monk reformed Martin Luther sought to make it more

like the first century church where Peter was one among many Apostles- and the conception of "petra" or you the rock, Cephas, upon which I build my church, referenced to the sort of building blocks with Christ himself as the 'cornerstone' 

that make a stone church as it were. The reference in that context meant, some argue, Peter as described and named by Jesus, is and was a foundation stone- and the reference to the keys to heaven are given to the collective church, not one seat of peter as it were. The binding on earth as in heaven reference is thus understood by protestants to refer to the ability of the body of christ and each member to bind on earth the same way each member in christ has authority to lay hands on the sick and heal or cast out demons in His name.

    The earlier church, closer to the Jewish authority model  had councils and Bishops and was modeled naturally more after the Jewish spiritual authority structure and it was not until after the fall of Constantinople when the church headquarters was moved to Rome that it took on a more

gentile notion of authority after a Ceasar or Alexander the Great model with near deification of the head as opposed to the priestly hierarchy of Jesus' time in the jewish world--which also had a chief priest, (Caiphas) who was not like a Pope or greek god figure. He was the head of the priests in the same way that there is a majority leader in the US Senate.

     This greekification or hellenization of church structure has caused the church problems- it has in the 'infallibility of the Pope' notion created almost a greek god of him.

     It clearly causes people to be oppressed if they differ in theological approach historically. It creates a blind loyalty to an emperor who is wrong on occasion when no one allows him to be.  It also translated into a royalty model, where the higher up one goes in clerical life, it takes on more worldly status complete with more elaborate robes and accoutrement- something the antithesis of Jesus's preaching.  Blind loyalty to authority structures that disallow free thinking is something that easily allows heresies to take root, and doctrine to evolve to protect the hierarchy. Hence, the 'scandal' and resistance to serious institutional changes to prevent it. 

It also allows some priests once elevated to become authoritarian, even when incredibly ignorantly wrong- to a point of abusiveness. There is no shortage of historic examples or even in modern times. 

     The church is being called to purify its ego. It insults Jesus when it operates from any place other than Love. Because God is not a Pope. God is Love.