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Ancient Greek Philosophy and the New Testament

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Submitted By SheilzCastillo
Words 904
Pages 4
Sheila Castillo
Survey of Literature 1 (LITR 1157)
Miss Sangster
March 27, 2014
Plato, Ancient Greek Philosopher relation to the New Testament
Christopher Stead, a professor of the University of Cambridge argues in his Book Philosophy in Christian Antiquity, that Christianity was influenced by panoply of Greek philosophy, including Plato (Shandon L. Guthrie par. 2). Plato was an Athenian citizen of high status, a classical philosopher that lived from 429–347 Before Christ Existed. He died at age 81; he believed strongly in logic and reason. Moreover, his works contained discussions in aesthetics, political philosophy, theology, cosmology, epistemology, and the philosophy of language (Plato par 1). Although Plat existed way “Before Christ Existed” and even before the New Testament was developed, his philosophy seems to have some sort of relation to The New Testament and as Professor Shandon Guthrie mentioned the New Testament for a fact was influenced by Greek philosophers, especially Plato. Their commonalities involve their belief of the immortality of our human souls and dualism, the theory that human beings are made up of two independent constituents, the body and the mind or soul. These facts will present how Plato and the New Testament had relations of their views.
Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather, be afraid of the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell. (Matthew 10:28, NIV). Firstly, stated this bible verse it emphasizes to not fear the “One” who destroys both soul and body, but also let us focus on the part that states ‘body and soul’. Plat believed in the dualism, and as previously stated it a theory that humans have two parts, the body and the soul. Also, the bible states in Ephesians 4:4 that “there is one body and one Spirit”, the spirit being internal to the soul, meaning there are indeed, two parts to the human body. Plat states that ‘life is a preparation to death’ and that when we die our ‘human souls separate from the body” and also that “death is a release of a body limitations”. (Garth Kemerling par. 11). Plat added that “what happens when we die, after all, is that the human soul separates from the human body, and it is concern for the soul rather than the body that characterizes a philosophical life.”
“The nations were angry; and your wrath has come. The time has come for judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small and great and for destroying those who destroy the earth” (Revelations 11:18). In the New Testament Paul uses the terms death, destruction, corruption, perish and die defining the destiny of those who resist God and refuse to believe in Jesus (Fudge). Similarly, Plato uses these terms and also says that none of these things befall a soul because it possesses immortality and that there is life after death. In addition, Plato believed that some would be punished forever even after death. Indeed, Plato’s answer to Cebes objection of life after death’ was that the conception of the role of the Forms or the theory of forms (Garth par. 22), a theory that focuses on abstract property or quality as defined by the St. Anselm College.
Each form is the cause of all of every particular instance that bears its name: the form of Beauty causes the beauty of any beautiful thing; the form of Equality causes the equality of any pair of equal things; etc. But then, since the soul is living, it must participate in the Form of Life, and thus it cannot ever die. The soul is perfectly and certainly imperishable, not only for this life, but forever. (Kemerling par 22)
So does the bible states “But the fearful, and unbelieving, and the abominable, and murderers, and whoremongers, and sorcerers, and idolaters, and all liars, shall have their part in the lake which burneth with fire and brimstone: which is the second death”. (Revelation 21:8 KJB). In other words, the second death refers to the everlasting burning in hell not the eternal vanishing of the human soul. The human soul is immortal as Plat emphasized. Plato was not a God believer, yet he believed in this eternal life and immortality of the soul.
After all, although Plato was not much of a religious believer, as illustrated but he did relate to some aspects of Christianity in the New Testament. Plato’s view of dualism that relates to the New and the Old Testament and also his view of ‘immortality’ of the human soul and the fact that there are punishments after the death of the human flesh that the human souls are held accountable for eternity, similar to what the bible verses state. Also, his existence before Christ makes believe that his philosophy was what influenced The New Testament, but over all despite his non religious believe Plato’s philosophy does relate to the New Testament.

Works Cited Guthrie, Shandon L. “The Philosophy of the New Testament and the Question of Greek Influence”. sguthrie.net. n.p. n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.
Garth K. “Plato: Immortality and the Forms”. philosophypages.com . n.p. 1997. Web. 27 Mar. 2014.
“Plato's Theory of Forms”. anselm.edu. St. Anselm College. n.d. Web. 26. 2014.
“Plato”. Encyclopaedia Britannica Inc. n.d. Web. 26 Mar. 2014.

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