If you ever do a deep dive into the book of Hebrews, you will come across books, commentaries, and journal articles that suggest that the author of that book—whoever he is—used platonic categories to describe the relationship between heaven and earth. Or at least, most evangelical commentaries will rightly argue that Hebrews is not platonic in its cosmology. While this suggestion arose among critical scholars who treated Hebrews as human document influenced by other human philosophies, David Allen is right when he says, “It is generally considered to be a settled issue in the interpretation of the book that the author was neither dependent on a Platonic/Philonic philosophical background, nor was he or his readers influenced by Gnostic notions of aeons.”[1]
1. David L. Allen, Hebrews, (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman, 2010), 111.
While David Allen and I have had our disputes about the extent of the atonement and other matters found in Hebrews, this is a point on which we agree. Hebrews’ vertical typology, as Ardel Caneday demonstrated, is not dependent on Plato, Philo, or any other ancient philosophical system. Instead, the relationship of heaven to earth, type to antitype, old to new, shadow and substance is found in the Bible itself. As we discussed in our podcasts with Tom Schreiner, James White, and Matt Emadi, Hebrews is a Master Class on reading the Old Testament and reading all of Scripture in light of Christ.
While Platonism, as a system of thought developed from the writings of Plato (428–347 BC), was present in the first century, it is unlikely it had a significant role in forming the thoughts of New Testament authors. Nevertheless, in the centuries after the New Testament, the impact of Plato and what came to be known as Neo-Platonism did have an impact on the church. And in recent years, as interest in the early church has increased, Christian Platonism has grown in the interest, too.
But what is Christian Platonism? And why does it matter? And if it doesn’t change the way we read books like Hebrews, why give it a second thought?
The answer is that, whether you think about Christian Platonism or not, there are many training future pastors who are thinking about Christian Platonism and incorporating it into new books, commentaries, and journal articles. And thus, like the evangelical scholars that evaluated the claims that Hebrews was Platonic, we in our day need to do the same.
When someone with a prominent position says, “No Plato, No Bible,” we must decide—is that true? Is that overstated? Do I need to add Plato to my devotional reading? Who was Plato and what is this thing called “Christian Platonism”?
This month, we will answer those questions. And below, Steve Wellum will explain further why this month matters. But first, let me step back and rehearse how Christ Over All decides its monthly themes.
A Method to Our Madness: How Christ Over All Builds the Calendar
If you have kept up with Christ Over All, you know that every month we take up a new topic that is related to the Bible, theology, church, or culture. We intersperse these topics throughout the year to provide a well-balanced diet of biblical exposition, constructive theology, cultural commentary, polemical apologetics, and more. Some of these months are more devotional—albeit theologically devotional. Some of these months are more cultural and political.
Like Samuel Rutherford, we want to address matters of public theology, as he did with Lex Rex, while simultaneously, delighting in the beauty of Christ, as he did with The Loveliness of Christ. Without claiming to possess his skill or sublimity, our editorial process strives to balance polemics and piety.[2] At a time when a commitment to winsomeness at all costs has led some to shrink back from addressing error out loud and in public, the reactionary error of bellicose public theology can obscure the simple command to “consider Jesus Christ, the apostle and high priest of our confession” (Heb. 3:1). Avoiding both ditches, we want to produce material that helps the church love Christ more, even as we engage in spiritual battle.
2. Additionally, for a vision of piety that is outward-facing and avoids passive quiescence, see C. R. Wiley, The Household and the War for the Cosmos: Recovering a Christian Vision of the Family (Moscow, ID: Canon Press), 2019.
To that end, we have considered Jesus in the book of Hebrews. And come November and December, we will again turn to Christ, his kingdom, and the praise he deserves. These two months will follow two heavily political months, as we offer counsel on voting to the glory of God in September and living wisely in a Leviathan state in October. In these four months, we hope to balance a vision of Christ with a framework for exalting Christ in all of life.
Still, before we enter the fall, this next month will be little more esoteric and academy-specific. That is to say, if terms like Plato, Platonism, Plotinus, and Participatory Exegesis are foreign to you, you may greatly benefit by reading the works presented this month; they will stretch you to learn church history as well as some of the contemporary trends of modern evangelical thought.
At the same time, these things may sound overly-esoteric. If so, you can take time to read through another month. And you can pray for the professors and institutions who are training the next generation of pastors. Indeed, this is why we take up Christian Platonism this month. For in those halls of sacred learning, discussions about this topic are being had today, and they will be trickling down to a church near you in the very near future.
As scholars of a previous generation introduced ideas of Platonism to the book of Hebrews, and other scholars, for the purpose of understanding God’s Word, had to dispute those claims, so too we have to discern the claims of Christian Platonism. Only, in this case, it is not a matter of questioning if Plato and Platonism impacted the inspiration of the Bible. It is a case, instead, of comparing what Scripture says to the ways that Scripture has been interpreted. In this way, we will engage church history this month, but also we will evaluate the gifts that Greeks bring.
Here’s a preview of that evaluation.
Beware of Greek’s Bearing Gifts: Plundering Plato without Becoming Platonists (by Steve Wellum)
Every generation of Christians has to decide what has priority in our doing of theology and applying the gospel to our lives. Is it Scripture as our final and supreme authority or is it Scripture plus some version of non-Christian thought? Throughout the ages, syncretism has been a constant temptation for the church. At its heart, syncretism seeks to combine the truth of Scripture with some form of non-Christian philosophy, science, psychology, etc. but when it does, the teaching and authority of Scripture is often compromised.
For example, the first great heresy of the early church was Gnosticism. Gnosticism prioritized Greek philosophy over Scripture, yet it also appealed to Scripture. In the end, its theological “synthesis” led to a denial of crucial biblical truths such as creation out of nothing, the importance of the material world, the reality of the incarnation, and the need for the bodily resurrection. In fact, the heresy of Arianism was indebted to a form of Gnosticism that led to a denial of the deity of Christ and the doctrine of the Trinity.
In addition, various hermeneutical debates such as the debate over a “literal” reading of Scripture versus an “allegorical” reading was also due to the embrace of Greek thought at the expense of reading Scripture on its own terms and due to its inspiration by which God communicates his truth to us through the agency of human authors. Examples could be multiplied where false teaching has crept into the church due to theologians not fully embracing Scripture alone as our final authority and the standard by which we evaluate all non-Christian thought.
Today, a number of influential, evangelical scholars are calling the church to embrace what is known as “Christian Platonism.” Their claim is that without some version of “Platonism” governing our theology, evangelical theology won’t be able to fully embrace the historic confessions of the church, especially regarding the doctrine of God, and we won’t have a sufficient answer to the secular, postmodern thought of our day. But is this claim true? That is the question we will answer this month.
No doubt, Christian Platonism requires careful definition and it can be used in a number of ways, even ways that are helpful. However, our concern is that it may inadvertently lead to a new form of “syncretism” that will eventually hinder our doing of theology and the health and life of the church. For this reason, we want to think about this “new” movement and some of its implications for the doing of theology. In other words, we want to reflect on its strengths and weaknesses and provide a preliminary evaluation of it for the church. Although the issue is complicated, we are concerned that Scripture is given priority in all of our thinking and lives, and that the thinking of any age is brought under the Lordship of Christ and his Word.
With this goal in mind, our focus this month will be to first understand what Christian Platonism is before we discuss some of its potential dangers for evangelical theology and practice.
In addition, we will get to know Plato, as well as some of the theological giants from the past who interacted with Greek thought without succumbing to a syncretistic form of theology. Indeed, we want to learn how to “plunder the Greeks,” without being ruled by them. As in every age of the church, we must learn to stand under God’s Word as our final authority, and thus to bring every thought captive to Christ.
May this month of reflection on this important trend in evangelical theology not only inform us about what is currently being debated in the academy, but also encourage us not to be held captive to the thought of our day (or the thought of the past) so that we are found faithful servants of our Lord Jesus Christ, who alone is our wisdom, righteousness, and truth.
Getting into the Book of Hebrews
So that is where we are going. But as we enter the new month, we do not want to forget the rich resources provided last month on the book of Hebrews.
As one of the most glorious expositions of Christ in the Bible, Hebrews provides a rich display of Christ’s priesthood, sacrifice, covenant mediation, kingship, and more. It is written to encourage disheartened saints to keep going and to not shrink back. And in the essays and podcasts listed here, we pray you may find the same grace (longforms in red).
“An Introduction to the Book of Hebrews” • Episode 3.34 • Thomas R. Schreiner, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview
“The Newness of the New Covenant” • Episode 3.35 • James White, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview
“The Kingdom of God in Hebrews” • Episode 3.36 • Matthew Emadi, David Schrock, Stephen Wellum • Interview
The Kingdom of God in Hebrewsby Matthew Emadi • The kingdom of God is foundational to the storyline of the Bible. Throughout Scripture, God is working to establish his rule over his people in his place. The book of Hebrews shows us that this kingdom has finally been brought about with the reign of our resurrected king. READ ESSAY
An Introduction to the Book of Hebrews by Thomas R. Schreiner • In this excerpt from his commentary, Dr. Thomas Schreiner introduces us to the book of Hebrews and its major themes. READ ESSAY
Stir Up One Another to Love and Good Marriages by Trent Hunter • Marriage matters. And since marriage matters, we should strive to prize and protect it. READ ARTICLE
Measuring the Tabernacle in Hebrews: How to See Biblical Types on Earth as They Are in Heaven by Ardel Caneday • Was the tabernacle a type of something greater to come or an antitype of a heavenly reality? The answer is “Yes.” Let’s allow the author of Hebrews to help us expand our understanding of biblical typology. READ ARTICLE
From Deuteronomy to Hebrews: The Promised Land and the Unity of Scripture By Gareth Lee Cockerill • When we trace the theme of the promised land across the canon, what do we find? That God is bringing his people into a final rest with him. Let us therefore press on to enter that land. READ ARTICLE
The Father’s Exaltation of the Son: The Book of Hebrews’ Use of Psalm 110 to Explain the Significance of the Resurrection, Ascension, and Session of Christ by Ryan Rippee • Why should we draw near to God with confidence? Why can we endure the arduous race set before us with hope? Because King Jesus lives, reigning over his creation and interceding on our behalf. READ ARTICLE
The Land Promise in Hebrews by Matthew Emadi • The book of Hebrews stirs up our longing for the Promised Land. This is no earthly city, however, but rather the heavenly city where we will dwell with our God. READ ARTICLE
Hearing God Right: A Closer Look at Hebrews 1:5 by Jim Dernell • In order to hear God rightly, we must know how to listen well. And we learn to listen well by paying careful attention to how the biblical authors themselves listened to Scripture. READ ARTICLE
Perfected and Perfecting: The Theme of Perfection in Hebrews by David G. Peterson • In order to dwell with God, God’s people needed to be perfected. And there was one man fit for the job—the God-man who had been perfected himself. READ ARTICLE
Does Hebrews 6 Teach You Can Lose Your Salvation? By Ardel Caneday • Does the warning in Hebrews 6 mean a Christian can lose his salvation? No. These warnings are a grace from God that helps true believers finish the race of faith. READ ARTICLE
ENCORE: Ten Reasons Why the Bible is the Greatest of the Great Books by Jim Orrick • While many great books have been written, the Bible has surpassed them all. Here are ten reasons why. READ ARTICLE
Our Priest in the Pattern of Melchizedek: Eight Conclusions Hebrews 5–7 Draws about Jesus the Messiah from Genesis 14:18–20 and Psalm 110:4 by Andy Naselli • The author of Hebrews knew how to read his Bible. What can we learn from him about the mysterious character of Melchizedek? READ ARTICLE
Why Did God the Son Become Human? By Stephen Wellum • Why did Jesus need to take on flesh to save us? Here are four answers from the book of Hebrews. READ ARTICLE
Christ Over All News and Notes
Finally, let me highlight two things as we wrap up.
First, if you live in Minnesota or are willing to walk, drive, or fly to the land of 10,000 lakes, the guys from Christ Over All will be there twice in September. I (David) will be speaking on the theme of priesthood in the life of the local church at The Pastor’s Seminar at Eden Baptist Church on Tuesday, September 17. And later that week (September 20–21), Steve Wellum, Brad Green, and Ardel Caneday will be speaking at Christ Bible Church on the subject of “Political Engagement in the Light of the Lordship of Christ.” If you can make either of those events, we’d love to see you.
Second, we invite you to prayerfully consider giving to the work of Christ Over All. As we come to the second half of the year, we are working on developing our website, adding a store, and continuing to provide resources to you for free. To make that happen, we depend on the gifts and financial contributions of friends and churches. If you are able and willing to help in this work, please talk to us or simply go to Christ Over All to make a one-time gift or become a monthly partner.
That’s it for this month. Until next time, let us all remember that Christ is Lord and all things are under his feet, so in all things let us exalt Christ.
Soli Deo Gloria!
