Changes

121:6.1 By the close of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_BC first century] before Christ the religious [[thought]] of [[Jerusalem]] had been tremendously [[influenced]] and somewhat [[modified]] by [[Greek]] cultural teachings and even by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy]. In the long contest between the [[views]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Eastern and Western schools] of [[Hebrew]] thought, [[Jerusalem]] and the rest of the [[Occident]] and the [[Levant]] in general adopted the Western Jewish or modified [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenistic viewpoint].

121:6.1 By the close of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/100_BC first century] before Christ the religious [[thought]] of [[Jerusalem]] had been tremendously [[influenced]] and somewhat [[modified]] by [[Greek]] cultural teachings and even by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy]. In the long contest between the [[views]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Eastern and Western schools] of [[Hebrew]] thought, [[Jerusalem]] and the rest of the [[Occident]] and the [[Levant]] in general adopted the Western Jewish or modified [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenistic viewpoint].

121:6.2 In the days of [[Jesus]] three languages prevailed in [[Palestine]]: The common people spoke some [[dialect]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic Aramaic]; the [[priests]] and rabbis spoke [[Hebrew]]; the educated [[classes]] and the better strata of [[Jews]] in general spoke [[Greek]]. The early [[translation]] of the [[Hebrew scriptures]] into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint Greek at Alexandria] was responsible in no small measure for the subsequent predominance of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Greek wing of Jewish culture and theology]. And the [[writings]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint#Christian_use Christian teachers] were soon to appear in the same language. The [[renaissance]] of Judaism dates from the [[Greek]] [[translation]] of the [[Hebrew scriptures]]. This was a [[vital]] [[influence]] which later determined the drift of [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]'s Christian [[cult]] toward [[the West]] instead of toward [[the East]].

121:6.2 In the days of [[Jesus]] three languages prevailed in [[Palestine]]: The common people spoke some [[dialect]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aramaic Aramaic]; the [[priests]] and rabbis spoke [[Hebrew]]; the educated [[classes]] and the better strata of [[Jews]] in general spoke [[Greek]]. The early [[translation]] of the [[Hebrew scriptures]] into [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint Greek at Alexandria] was responsible in no small measure for the subsequent predominance of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Greek wing of Jewish culture and theology]. And the [[writings]] of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint#Christian_use Christian teachers] were soon to appear in the same language. The [[renaissance]] of Judaism dates from the [[Greek]] [[translation]] of the [[Hebrew scriptures]]. This was a [[vital]] [[influence]] which later determined the drift of [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]]'s Christian [[cult]] toward [[the West]] instead of toward [[the East]].

121:6.3 Though the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenized Jewish beliefs] were very little [[influenced]] by the teachings of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureans Epicureans], they were very materially affected by the [[philosophy]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Plato] and the [[Asceticism|self-abnegation]] doctrines of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoics]. The great inroad of Stoicism is exemplified by the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Maccabees,_4 Fourth Book of the Maccabees]; the penetration of both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Platonic] philosophy and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoic] doctrines is exhibited in the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Wisdom_of_Solomon Wisdom of Solomon]. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenized Jews] brought to the [[Hebrew scriptures]] such an [[allegorical]] [[interpretation]] that they found no [[difficulty]] in conforming [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_theology Hebrew theology] with their revered [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Aristotelian philosophy]. But this all led to disastrous [[confusion]] until these problems were taken in hand by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo of Alexandria], who proceeded to [[harmonize]] and systemize [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophy Hebrew theology] into a compact and fairly consistent [[system]] of religious [[belief]] and [[practice]]. And it was this later teaching of combined [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophy Hebrew theology] that prevailed in [[Palestine]] when [[Jesus]] lived and taught, and which [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] utilized as the [[foundation]] on which to build his more advanced and enlightening [[cult]] of [[Christianity]].

121:6.3 Though the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenized Jewish beliefs] were very little [[influenced]] by the teachings of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Epicureans Epicureans], they were very materially affected by the [[philosophy]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Plato] and the [[Asceticism|self-abnegation]] doctrines of the [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoics]. The great inroad of Stoicism is exemplified by the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Book_of_Maccabees,_4 Fourth Book of the Maccabees]; the penetration of both [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plato Platonic] philosophy and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoic] doctrines is exhibited in the [http://nordan.daynal.org/wiki/index.php?title=Wisdom_of_Solomon Wisdom of Solomon]. The [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hellenistic_Judaism Hellenized Jews] brought to the [[Hebrew scriptures]] such an [[allegorical]] [[interpretation]] that they found no [[difficulty]] in conforming [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hebrew_theology Hebrew theology] with their revered [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aristotle Aristotelian philosophy]. But this all led to disastrous [[confusion]] until these problems were taken in hand by [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo of Alexandria], who proceeded to [[harmonize]] and systemize [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophy Hebrew theology] into a compact and fairly consistent [[system]] of religious [[belief]] and [[practice]]. And it was this later teaching of combined [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Greek_philosophy Greek philosophy] and [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jewish_philosophy Hebrew theology] that prevailed in [[Palestine]] when [[Jesus]] lived and taught, and which [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] utilized as the [[foundation]] on which to build his more advanced and enlightening [[cult]] of [[Christianity]].

121:6.4 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo] was a great [[teacher]]; not since [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses Moses] had there lived a man who exerted such a [[profound]] [[influence]] on the [[ethical]] and religious [[thought]] of the [[Occidental world]]. In the matter of the combination of the better elements in contemporaneous systems of [[ethical]] and [[religious]] teachings, there have been [[seven]] outstanding [[human]] [[teachers]]: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth Sethard[, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses Moses], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroaster Zoroaster], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao-tse Lao-tse], [[Buddha]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo], and [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]].

121:6.4 [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo] was a great [[teacher]]; not since [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses Moses] had there lived a man who exerted such a [[profound]] [[influence]] on the [[ethical]] and religious [[thought]] of the [[Occidental world]]. In the matter of the combination of the better elements in contemporaneous systems of [[ethical]] and [[religious]] teachings, there have been [[seven]] outstanding [[human]] [[teachers]]: [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Seth Sethard], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moses Moses], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zoroaster Zoroaster], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lao-tse Lao-tse], [[Buddha]], [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo], and [[Paul, the Apostle|Paul]].

121:6.5 Many, but not all, of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo]'s inconsistencies resulting from an [[effort]] to combine [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_religion Greek mystical philosophy] and Roman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoic] doctrines with the legalistic [[theology]] of the [[Hebrews]], [Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] recognized and wisely eliminated from his pre-Christian basic theology. Philo led the way for Paul more fully to restore the [[concept]] of the [[Paradise Trinity]], which had long been dormant in Jewish theology. In only one matter did Paul fail to keep pace with Philo or to [[transcend]] the teachings of this [[wealthy]] and educated Jew of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria], and that was the doctrine of the [[atonement]]; Philo taught deliverance from the [[doctrine]] of [[forgiveness]] only by the shedding of blood. He also possibly glimpsed the [[reality]] and [[presence]] of the [[Thought Adjusters]] more clearly than did Paul. But Paul's [[theory]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin original sin], the doctrines of hereditary [[guilt]] and innate [[evil]] and redemption therefrom, was partially [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraic] in origin, having little in common with Hebrew theology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo]'s philosophy, or [[Jesus]]' teachings. Some phases of Paul's teachings regarding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin original sin] and the [[atonement]] were original with himself.

121:6.5 Many, but not all, of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo]'s inconsistencies resulting from an [[effort]] to combine [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mystery_religion Greek mystical philosophy] and Roman [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stoicism Stoic] doctrines with the legalistic [[theology]] of the [[Hebrews]], [Paul, the Apostle|Paul]] recognized and wisely eliminated from his pre-Christian basic theology. Philo led the way for Paul more fully to restore the [[concept]] of the [[Paradise Trinity]], which had long been dormant in Jewish theology. In only one matter did Paul fail to keep pace with Philo or to [[transcend]] the teachings of this [[wealthy]] and educated Jew of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alexandria Alexandria], and that was the doctrine of the [[atonement]]; Philo taught deliverance from the [[doctrine]] of [[forgiveness]] only by the shedding of blood. He also possibly glimpsed the [[reality]] and [[presence]] of the [[Thought Adjusters]] more clearly than did Paul. But Paul's [[theory]] of [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin original sin], the doctrines of hereditary [[guilt]] and innate [[evil]] and redemption therefrom, was partially [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mithraism Mithraic] in origin, having little in common with Hebrew theology, [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philo Philo]'s philosophy, or [[Jesus]]' teachings. Some phases of Paul's teachings regarding [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Original_sin original sin] and the [[atonement]] were original with himself.