Gospel PuritySyncretism in the NT World

Gospel PurityThe missionary journeys of Paul thrust the gospel into the wide and diverse world of secular religions and philosophies.

With every opportunity the gospel had to impact the Gentile world, the Gentile world also had the opportunity to impact the gospel…

SyncretismThe blending of belief systemsNaïve syncretism: new converts who bring attitudes

and teachings from past life into the churchInvasive syncretism: outsiders that pervert the gospel

message as a way to gain influence and wealthCompromised syncretism: compromising beliefs in

order to avoid persecution or alienation

Is all syncretism bad?Many belief systems share common truths with ChristianityFacilitate connection/common ground (Acts 17) Does not make them equally valid or completely compatible

Greco-Roman Pantheon of GodsGreek Name

Roman Name

Responsibility Reference in Acts

City Event

Hermes Mercury god of heralds 14:12 Lystra Paul healed cripple, called Hermes

Zeus Jupiter ruler of the gods (high god of every nation), god of sky (thunderbolt)

14:12-13 Lystra Barnabas called Zeus as he was the leader

Ares Mars god of war and thunder

17:22 Athens Paul’s evangelistic Mars hill message (Aeropagus means “hill of Ares”)

Artemis Diana goddess of fertility/childbirth

19:24, 27-28, 35

Ephesus Riot instigated by Demetrius’ greed & “concern for Diana”

Schools of PhilosophyGreco-Roman world venerated classical philosophy as foundation for civilization.

Skeptics Stoics (Acts 17) Epicureans (Acts 17)Negative view of gaining truth

Material world governed by “logos”

“gods” are uninvolved in human affairs

“suspension of judgement”

Logos: divine energetic substance that imposes order

Closed universe, chance and random activity(modern evolutionists?)

Modify with probability Logos, nature, god are interchangeable

Pursuit of pleasure is greatest good

Often at odds with Stoics Devotion to duty and morals to live in accordance with logos

Pleasure is not excess, balance and moderation important to happiness

Mystery ReligionsThese local and imported religions from the east had secret rituals

that promised direct connection/revelation to divine.

Mithras (Persian) Dionysius (Greek) Cybele (Asia Minor)Men-only, popular with soldiers God of wine/revelry Goddess-centered, religio licita

(200 BC)

Rival to Christianity in church age (Rome)

“new age”, soul is trapped in man’s body

Sacred prostitution, bizarre ecstasy (sounds/instrument)

Mithraism seemed to borrow from Christianity (baptism, communion)

Ritual drunken revelry channel spirit of divine, prophetic insights

Influence in the Corinthian church?(prostitution, tongue-speaking)

Ephesians 5:18? I Corinthians 6, 13?

Emperor CultRome attempted to deify emperors to promote Roman patriotism,

nationalism and unity (especially on frontiers)Caesar Augustus rejected this. Caligula, Nero, Domitian enforced it.Reign of Domitian – demanded title “Lord and God”, RevelationPergamum – Revelation 2:13 “where Satan has his throne”, center

of Asian pagan worship where temple was built to Emperor HadrianChristians could never acknowledge the deity of another human,

but Christ, even if only for purposes of patriotic loyalty

Astrology, Magic, SuperstitionIn the ancient world many believed that mysterious

external forces (not self) determined one’s outcome.Divination/astrology – practice of predicting future

outcomes by reading things in nature (stars, flight of birds, animal entrails, etc.)

Magic – manipulate or release persons from influence of mysterious forces

Act 19:19 – Repentance in Ephesus, burning magic scrolls

GnosticismGnosticism had a syncretistic nature – blended Christianity,

Judaism, Greek philosophy, Eastern religion

Gnostics taught that saving truth is in knowledge. Special revelation > philosophy/rationalism

Gnosticism’s basic heresies: exaltation of intellect (gnosis) and spirit onlybelief that matter is inherently evil

GnosticismGnostic focus was intellectual, but produced 2 different modes of extreme lifestyle (both condemned in NT): Ascetic – if matter is evil, then we must strictly deny ourselves of all material pleasures

Libertine – if my spirit is all that matters, then what I do with my body is irrelevant…I do whatever I please.

Key PointsGospel’s penetration into diverse Gentile world also opened up threat of

perverting gospel itself.Syncretism is the blending of belief systems, and can happen for a

number of reasons.Gentile world had pagan gods, schools of philosophy, mystery religions,

emperor cults, magic/superstition and gnostic influences.Gnosticism in particular posed a threat to many Christian churches by

the 2nd century; based on belief that matter is evil and intellect/spirit is good and can be redeemed by the revelation of special knowledge.

Gnosticism produced 2 extreme opposite lifestyles - ascetic and libertine – both condemned in NT.

Gospel PurityRefuting False Doctrines

As I urged you when I went into Macedonia, stay there in Ephesus so that you may command certain people not to teach false doctrines any longer – Ephesians 1:3

Sound DoctrineI Timothy 4:16“Healthy doctrine”: interplay between belief and life

is key for health of the churchNT Books addressing syncretism (and false teaching)

Most of them!In particular - Johannine epistles, I and II Timothy,

Ephesians, Colossians, Jude, 2 Peter, Revelation

Sound DoctrineAsia Minor (Turkey) became a nexus for Greco-Roman and Eastern religions and philosophies, and a popular breeding ground for syncretism.Letter to Colossians addresses many such influences2:8 – deception of human philosophies2:18-19 – discredits revelations of mystery religions and special

knowledge2:20-23 – challenges ascetic gnosticism

Sound DoctrineEpistle of I John, writing in EphesusDue to the matter/spirit duality of Gnosticism, Gnostics presented twisted

views on the nature of Jesus Christ, denied the humanity of Christ (4:2-3), saying that he only seemed to be

human, so John wrote that he actually touched Jesus (1:1). denied the deity of Christ by claiming “Christ” descended as a spirit onto

Jesus at baptism but left him on the cross before death. John replied that Jesus Christ came both by water (His baptism) and by blood (His death) (5:6).

John challenges libertine gnostic lifestyle in (1:6, 8, 10; 3:4-10) – obedience and actions of love are best refutation of gnosticism

Sound DoctrineParallel material in Jude and 2 Peter 2 show rising alarm in churches to battle syncretic false teaching and gnostic influenceBoldness of false teachers and their claims: gnostics appealed

to special knowledge/revelation as basis for their salvationJude 4, 2 Peter 2:18-19 – libertine gnostic influence, sinful

lifestyle2 Peter 3:16 – distortion of Paul’s writings, gnostics favored

Paul’s emphasis on faith and grace to twist/pervert gospel message

2nd Century ProblemsSyncretism went from an external threat to an internal threat and presented a major challenge to the churches. The book of Revelation previews the threat for the 2nd

century church as three of the seven churches (Ephesus, Pergamum, Thyatira) deal with problems of doctrinal purity.

Patristic writings indicate Gnosticism is most frequently cited heretical problem

Historical HighlightMarcion – 140ADNative of Pontus (Black Sea), shipbuilder, convert to Christianity

influenced by GnosticismBelieved that OT God and NT God were different beingsRejected Jewish Scriptures and Yahweh as inferior deity that Christ

supersededPublished his own “Bible” containing highly edited versions of

Gospel of Luke and Paul’s writings (rejected all else)Prompted the need for canonization of New Testament