Reclaiming One's Heart: How Christology Lost Its Devotional Core

“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” — Psalm 51:10

This cry, manifesting in the poetic layers of the psalmist’s soul, is the revelation of the Bible’s underlying philosophy. At its core, the Hebrew Scriptures call for inward transformation through a sincere acquaintance with its words: “Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace... lay up his words in thine heart” (Job 22:21–22). Knowledge, to the Bible’s mind, is not propositional or metaphysical. It is personal, reflective, and intimate: “...through knowledge shall the just be delivered” (Proverbs 11:9).

But what became of this simple, yet meaningful devotional experience, in early Christianity?

Paul and the Early Shift Toward Metaphysics

According to Marshall (1967), Paul's writings represent a critical theological shift. While Paul's letters include moral exhortations and personal struggles, his Christology primarily conceptualizes the Jesus character as a supramundane figure (p. 78), a being of divine essence who stands in metaphysical proximity to his God. In Galatians 4:4, Paul refers to his Christ as being sent from God, implying a preexistent, divine being rather than a prophetic teacher rooted in human history.

Marshall shows that by the time Paul writes, within only two decades of the Jesus character’s supposed crucifixion, a Hellenistic ontology begins to dominate, even an abstract framework emphasizing this figure’s divinity in cosmic, rather than existential, terms (pp. 86–88). This early Christian turn was not accidental; it was fueled by contact with Greek ideas of the “divine man” and Gnostic notions of a descending redeemer. Jesus was no longer merely to be thought of a real and living man, one who taught his hearers to be clean-minded before God, but a metaphysical solution to “sin”— a celestial ransom.

From Jesus’ Simplicity to Council Complexity

Zachhuber (2021) highlights how this metaphysical focus deepened as Christianity moved into the fourth and fifth centuries. The Church councils, particularly Chalcedon (451 CE), did not just define who the Jesus character was—they codified him into philosophical categories derived from Greek metaphysics, such as physis, ousia, and hypostasis (Zachhuber, 2021, pp. 209–211).

As Zachhuber (2021) laments, Christology became so scholastic and technical that it lost the organic vitality of earlier Jewish spirituality. What once was a moral and relational appeal for a “renewed spirit” became a debate over whether “Jesus” had one nature or two, or whether his hypostasis aligned with divine or human substance. The devotional conversation had been colonized by the conceptual tools of Stoicism and Middle Platonism, not by the philosophy within the Psalms or the Proverbs.

Hellenistic Philosophy and the Loss of Hebrew Intimacy

The shift wasn't merely theological; it was philosophical. Zachhuber (2021) notes how later theologians like Gregory of Nyssa or Cyril of Alexandria absorbed and restructured Christian thought to mirror Platonic and Neoplatonic metaphysics (pp. 212–214). In doing so, the Jesus character was no longer primarily a teacher of the inward way but became the cosmic Logos—the rational principle of the universe.

This is a far cry from the personal yearning of the Hebrew Bible, where true knowledge is internalized in the heart and mind. As Psalm 51 indicates, devotion was never about metaphysical comprehension, but ethical devotional sincerity and inner transformation.

The False Images: Paul's Cosmic Christ and the Gospel Jesus

Both Marshall and Zachhuber help us see that the Christ of Paul—and even the progressively mythologized Jesus of the Gospels—represent a theological departure. As the church absorbed Greek categories, it replaced the Hebrew notion of “acquaintance with God” with allegiance to a doctrinal system.

Jesus becomes functionally divine in Paul’s letters, but that functionality is tied to sacrificial substitution rather than the transformation of character. In the Gospels, Jesus is slowly mythologized as a miracle-working demigod, drawing from Hellenistic Jewish and pagan traditions. The result: the devotional emphasis on the heart and spirit gives way to belief in personhood and doctrine.

Marshall (1967) warns us not to overlook this subtle but powerful transition. He writes, “It would be most curious if the early church had proceeded to use this title [Son of God] in a purely functional manner,” and yet this is precisely what occurred in both Pauline and post-Pauline theology (Marshall, 1967, p. 84).

The Way Back: Knowledge That Delivers

The Bible’s spirituality, as Proverbs teaches, rests on the deliverance brought through knowledge, not metaphysical speculation, but knowing in the Hebrew sense: encountering, internalizing, and embodying. “Acquaint now thyself with Him…” (Job 22:21) is not a call to creeds, but to presence.

Christian theology has spent centuries drifting from this central point. Zachhuber is keenly aware of this when he observes that the technical debates of the fourth century often "exact a real loss of religious meaning as the price for doctrinal sophistication" (Zachhuber, 2021, p. 216). The church may have constructed cathedrals of logic, but it did so on the ruins of Hebrew philosophical devotion.

To reclaim one’s clean heart, the devotional conversation must step away from the illusion of Christological precision and return to the raw, honest prayer of the psalmist’s soul. Not a metaphysical Jesus, nor a politicized Gospel Jesus—but a conversation with the living God, the one whose words renews and delivers.

Let the Heart Speak Again

Christians must reckon with the fact that what has been handed down to them (in their religious theory) is a compromised inheritance—one shaped more by Plato and Philo than by Moses and the Prophets. Paul's Jesus, and also the Gospel Jesus, have been so layered with foreign philosophy that one’s original devotional experience and conscience has been obscured.

But the Psalms still call. The Proverbs still promise deliverance through knowledge. Nothing has changed. And Job still reminds us that peace comes not through theology, but through acquaintance with the Bible’s words. The time has come to let our devotional heart speak again—unmediated, unencumbered, and undistracted by the philosophical scaffolding of a church that forgot how to pray, learn, and reflect.

References

Marshall, I. H. (1967). The Development of Christology in the Early Church. Tyndale Bulletin, 18(1), 77-93.

Zachhuber, J. (2021). Christology in the fourth century: a response.

The Mystery Cult Influence on Paul's Salvation Doctrine

Paul’s doctrine of salvation, as seen in his epistles, presents a profound transformation of the individual—akin to an initiation into a higher spiritual reality. This process bears striking similarities to the initiation rites of Greco-Roman mystery religions, which promised their adherents a form of spiritual rebirth and access to “divine” knowledge. However, Paul’s view of salvation also diverges sharply from the Bible’s concept of salvation, which is mainly inward and experience-based.

Paul’s Doctrine and Initiation Into Salvation

Paul’s doctrine of salvation demonstrates notable parallels with the mystery religions' initiatory frameworks of his day, but is also marked by certain philosophical divergences.

1. Baptism as Initiation into Salvation:
In Paul's theory, baptism serves as the gateway to salvation, mirroring the initiatory rites of the mystery cults. In Romans 6:3-5, Paul presents baptism as a participation in his Christ’s death and resurrection—a spiritual death to the old self and rebirth into new life. This language echoes the death-rebirth motifs in cults like Mithraism and Dionysian rites, where initiates symbolically die and are reborn​.

Despite employing the very same rite of baptism from within mystery religions, Paul’s baptism carries a different theoretical significance. It is not merely a symbolic act, but an assumed ontological transformation, uniting the believer with his Christ in a relational, rather than mystical, sense. Unlike mystery cult initiations, which often blurred individual identity in “divine” absorption, Paul yet emphasizes personal identity and agency. The believer remains distinct yet in communion with his Christ—a “life hidden with Christ in God” (Colossians 3:3)​. He took the rite of baptism and re-worked it.

2. The Eucharist and Mystical Communion:
The Eucharist in Paul’s writings mirrors the sacred meals of the mystery religions, particularly the communal feasts in Mithraism and Dionysian rites. In 1 Corinthians 11:23-26, Paul presents the bread and wine as the body and blood of his Christ, fostering unity among believers and communion with his Christ. However, while the mystery cults’ sacred meals often symbolized the literal consumption of the deity (theophagy), Paul’s Eucharist, while nevertheless maintaining a yet literal stance of mystical union, serves as a supposed symbolic memorial and proclamation of his Christ’s death​.

3. Faith-Mysticism vs. Ritualistic Mysticism:
Paul’s theology introduces a unique form of faith-mysticism, distinct from the ritualistic mysticism of the mystery cults. For Paul, faith—not ritual—is the primary means of accessing “divine grace.” This is evident in his doctrine of justification by faith (Romans 3:28), where salvation is a “divine gift,” received through trust in his Christ rather than through elaborate rites​.

This diverges from the mystery cults, where elaborate initiation rituals were the primary means of salvation. While mystery cults emphasized emotional ecstasy and sensory experiences to foster divine union, Paul focuses on an internal, ethical transformation initiated by faith and sustained by the “Holy Spirit​.” Oddly enough, Christianity would move away from Paul’s stoic approach to a mystery religion and embody the spirit of former Greco-Roman cults.

4. Divergence in the Concept of Salvation:
While both Paul’s version of the Christian religion and the mystery religions are redemptive, their conceptions of salvation differ fundamentally. Mystery cults promised a form of mystical immortality—often tied to the natural cycles of death and rebirth—as in the myths of Osiris or Attis. Paul’s soteriology, however, emphasizes salvation from both the guilt and power of sin, achieved yet through his Christ’s atoning death and resurrection​.

Moreover, Paul introduces a forensic dimension to his theory salvation, absent in mystery cults. Justification in Paul’s theology is not about mystical transformation alone, but also about being legally declared righteous before “God”—a judicial act grounded in “divine grace” rather than ritual efficacy​. Again, as time would pass, the Christian church would find herself embracing a religious lifestyle that Paul sought the philosophically reform.

From the Bible’s Inward Transformation to Paul’s Theological Supernaturalism

Paul’s theology represents a significant divergence from the Bible’s focus on an inner, personal relationship with the living God, emphasizing instead a supernatural framework where salvation is externalized and anchored in the redemptive act of his Christ. While passages like Psalm 51:10 (“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”) and Job 22:21-22 (“Acquaint now thyself with him, and be at peace: thereby good shall come unto thee”) emphasize internal renewal and a personal encounter with the Bible’s words, Paul introduces a theoretical theological model grounded in a supernatural act of grace, often externalized in sacramental forms.

1. Inward Salvation by Wisdom vs. Paul’s Theological Supernaturalism

The Bible frequently highlights the inner dimensions of salvation—the heart, wisdom, and spiritual renewal. In Proverbs 9:10, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” salvation begins with reverence, leading to a deeper understanding of truths found within the pages of the Bible. Ecclesiastes 7:12 echoes this sentiment, stating that “wisdom giveth life to them that have it,” emphasizing an internal acquisition of knowledge as a path to life.

Paul, however, shifts this internal focus to a supernatural model of salvation, where the redemptive act is initiated not by inner spiritual awakening but by “God's” external intervention. According to Paul, salvation is not ultimately an organic growth of self through inward wisdom, but a “new creation” that results from the resurrection of his Christ—a supernatural event applied to believers through faith​.

2. From Justification through Understanding to Justification by Faith

A pivotal divergence is Paul’s doctrine of justification by faith. In contrast to the Bible’s emphasis on cultivating a pure heart (Psalm 51:10) and growing in wisdom and knowledge of the Bible’s devotional character (Proverbs 9:10), Paul introduces a forensic element where the believer is declared righteous by “God,” irrespective of their inner moral state. This legal declaration stems from his Christ's atoning sacrifice, shifting the focus from inward transformation to legal acquittal​, which clearly defies the saying, “…through knowledge shall the just be delivered,” Proverbs 11:9.

While passages like Job 22:21-22 advocate for a personal, experiential knowledge of the living God—“Receive, I pray thee, the law from his mouth, and lay up his words in thine heart”—Paul proposes that the wisdom given directly from investigating the scriptures cannot truly bring about righteousness, even if the scriptures clarify that such an experience leads into the intended righteousness. Instead, faith in his Christ, despite whatever mental exercises one embraces, becomes the sole means of salvation. This theological shift moves away from the Bible’s relational approach to the living God and centers on a faith-based, supernatural justification​.

3. Wisdom and the Spirit: Pauline Mysticism vs. Bible

Paul's letters, especially 1 Corinthians, present wisdom not as something attained through fear of the living God (as in Proverbs 9:10), but as a mystery revealed through the “Spirit” to those “mature” in “faith.” This “hidden wisdom” is accessible only through “divine revelation,” contrasting with the Bible’s more democratic view of wisdom as accessible to all who fear​, which is why it says in Isaiah 66:2, “...to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word.”

Paul’s understanding of the “indwelling Spirit” greatly diverges from the Hebrew Scriptures. In the Bible, the outpouring of the living God’s spirit means the manifestation of understanding, even like as it says in Proverbs 1:23, “...I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you.” Paul changes and radicalizes this by claiming that his Christ himself dwells within the believer, existing in the form of a personal indwelling rather than an abstract influence. This indwelling shifts the focus from the cultivation of the devotional character by wisdom and understanding to the mystical presence of a “Christ” within.

4. The Experience of Salvation: Internal Awakening vs. Supernatural Act

The Bible emphasizes salvation as an inward journey—a process of the devotional character becoming acquainted with the Bible’s devotional character, developing wisdom, and cultivating a renewed heart. Paul, on the other hand, frames salvation as a supernatural event enacted by “God,” independent of human effort. Salvation, according to Paul, is “not an affair of the human will,” but the result of “God’s sovereign act” through the resurrection of his Christ​.

This theological stance minimizes the role of personal spiritual development in favor of an externalized, supernatural imposition of “grace.” While Psalm 51:10 focuses on the heart’s cleansing through repentance and creation, Paul emphasizes a “new creation” brought about by “God,” bypassing the gradual inner transformation highlighted in the Bible.

A Shift from Inner Wisdom to Supernatural Redemption

Paul’s doctrine of salvation stands at the crossroads of Jewish and Hellenistic religious thought. It absorbs the transformational motifs of Greco-Roman mystery cults—death, rebirth, and mystical union—while simultaneously breaking with the concept of salvation within the Hebrew Scriptures. In Paul’s vision, salvation is an initiation into his Christ’s death and resurrection, a mystical participation in the “divine life” that surpasses genuine inward personal devotional growth and development. Whether consciously or unconsciously, Paul employs the language and structure of mystery religions to articulate a faith that is both deeply mystical and radically inclusive.

Paul’s theology represents a radical departure from the inner-focused, wisdom-based salvation found in the Bible’s philosophy. Where Psalm 51:10, Proverbs 9:10, Ecclesiastes 7:12, and Job 22:21-22 highlight the transformative power of the Bible’s wisdom, fear of the living God, and internal spiritual renewal, Paul centers salvation on a supernatural act—the resurrection of his Christ—applied to believers through faith.

This shift moves the emphasis from an internal experience of growing into the Bible’s wisdom and character to an externalized, legal declaration of righteousness, thereby altering the Bible’s philosophy of salvation as an inward journey into a supernatural act of “divine grace,” an act that, in and of itself, is nothing less than a wielded religious law, something that Paul oddly protested, and yet subtly magnified through his Christ.

 references

Angus, S. (1921). The Mystery Religions and Christianity. Review & Expositor, 18(3), 317-341.

Fraser, C. G. (1998). The Jewish and Hellenistic influences on Paul: A case study of" mysterion".

Machen, J. G. (1925). The origin of Paul's religion. Eerdmans.

Moyer, E. W. (1932). The mystery-religions and their influence upon Paul's conception of Christian belief (Doctoral dissertation, Boston University).

How Platonism Led Christianity Away from the Hebrew Scriptures

Christian theology underwent profound changes as it encountered Greek philosophy, particularly Platonism. While this philosophical framework offered early theologians tools to articulate their faith within the intellectual climate of the Greco-Roman world, it also caused Christianity to diverge significantly from the character and philosophy of the Hebrew Scriptures. Key biblical passages such as Psalm 51:10 (“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me”), Proverbs 4:7 (“Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding”), and Proverbs 1:23 (“I will pour out my spirit unto you, I will make known my words unto you”) highlight a deeply personal and inward communion with the Bible, rooted in practical, devotional growth.

This blog examines how Christian theory’s reliance on Platonic thought reshaped its doctrines about “God,” the soul, and morality, moving away from the personal, practical philosophy of the Hebrew Scriptures.

Platonism and the Nature of God

The Hebrew Scriptures depict its God as being consciously relational and involved in the daily lives of its people. Passages like Psalm 51:10 reveal a God who works directly within the human heart and mind, creating renewal and fostering a deeply personal transformation. This reflects a God who is not distant but intimately connected to the inner lives of individuals, guiding them through their struggles and joys.

However, Platonism introduced a more abstract concept of God. Plato’s idea of the Forms—eternal, unchangeable ideals—reshaped Christian theology, presenting God as a distant, immaterial entity. Early Christian thinkers like Augustine embraced this framework, equating God with the ultimate Form of the Good, emphasizing God’s transcendence over God’s immanence.

This philosophical shift marked a departure from the Hebrew Scriptures’ portrayal of a God who walks with his people, interacts personally, and responds to their cries for renewal. Instead of the practical and relational connection seen in Psalm 51:10, “God” became an abstract object of contemplation. This shift minimized the personal, inward aspect of faith, replacing it with an intellectual pursuit of understanding God’s nature.

Platonism and the Soul

The Hebrew Scriptures offer a holistic view of being human. The soul, or nephesh, is not a separate, immaterial entity but a unified representation of the person, encompassing and influencing their mind, body, and personality. Passages like Proverbs 1:23 emphasize this integrated approach, where “God’s Spirit” is poured out onto the mind to bring wisdom, understanding, and regeneration to the individual’s entire being. The focus is on a personal communion with the Bible’s words through the character of “God’s Mind” within those words, leading to practical, inward transformation.

Platonism, however, introduced a dualistic understanding of human nature, where the soul is distinct from and superior to the body. Plato described the soul as eternal and pure, trapped within the corrupt material world. This perspective heavily influenced early Christian theology, particularly through Augustine, who viewed salvation as the liberation of the soul from the physical body.

This dualistic framework diverged from the Hebrew Scriptures’ holistic philosophy, where renewal and wisdom are experienced in both the spiritual and physical realms. The Platonized emphasis on the soul’s escape from the material world shifted the focus of Christianity, leading to an undervaluation of the physical body and earthly existence, both of which are celebrated in the Hebrew worldview.

Platonism and Morality

Morality in the Hebrew Scriptures is deeply practical, rooted in personal resurrection and the pursuit of wisdom through the Bible’s words. Proverbs 4:7 states, “Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding,” emphasizing the importance of actionable wisdom that shapes daily life. Similarly, Proverbs 1:23 highlights the inward communion that the devotional conversation’s conscience is to have with the Bible’s words, where the character of those words is to be digested for practical and devotional growth.

Platonism, however, shifted morality toward the pursuit of abstract ideals. Plato’s concept of the Good—an eternal, unchanging standard of virtue—redefined Christian ethics, aligning it with intellectual contemplation rather than practical, lived wisdom. Early theologians equated the Platonic Good with God, turning morality into a rational endeavor focused on aligning with philosophical ideals rather than engaging in personal, transformative communion with the Bible’s words.

This departure minimized the relational and practical approach seen in the Hebrew Scriptures. Where the Bible calls for a personal relationship with its words to guide moral decisions, Platonism encouraged Christians to seek virtue through intellectual abstraction, often disconnecting morality from the lived realities of daily life.

How Platonism Departed from the Hebrew Scriptures’ Philosophy

The Hebrew Scriptures, beneath its allegory, emphasize a life of practical mental and philosophical devotion and inward renewal, as seen in passages like Psalm 51:10 and Proverbs 4:7. These verses reveal an experience of words working within the hearts of individuals, providing wisdom and guidance for real-life joys and challenges. The philosophy of the Hebrew Scriptures is deeply relational, focused on personal growth and the maturity of the whole person.

Platonism, however, introduced a framework that prioritized the immaterial over the material, the intellectual over the practical, and the abstract over the relational. By adopting Platonic ideals, Christian theory distanced itself from the Bible’s worldview, which values inward communion with its words for practical wisdom as the foundation for personal and communal life.

Early Christian theologians, influenced by Platonism, sought to make their faith intellectually respectable in the Greco-Roman world. However, this intellectual synthesis often came at the expense of the deeply personal and practical philosophy of the Hebrew Scriptures. The result was a religion (Christianity) that emphasized philosophical abstraction over the actionable wisdom and renewal found in the Bible’s words.

The Lasting Impact of Platonism on Christianity

The integration of Platonism into Christian theology fundamentally altered its trajectory, leading to doctrines that were often at odds with the Hebrew Scriptures. While Platonism provided a framework for engaging with the intellectual culture of the Greco-Roman world, it also caused Christianity to lose touch with its supposed biblical roots.

The Hebrew Scriptures call its student to seek wisdom, pursue inward renewal, and commune with the living God through the Bible’s words. These practical and relational principles stand in stark contrast to the abstract, intellectualized morality and theology introduced by Platonism.

Recognizing this departure is essential for understanding how Christianity evolved and for reclaiming the Bible’s emphasis on personal, devotional growth. By returning to the underlying wisdom of the Hebrew Scriptures, we can reconnect with an experience that is practical, transformative, and deeply relational.

 

References:

Boone, M. J. (2015). The Role of Platonism in Augustine's 386 Conversion to Christianity. Religion compass, 9(5), 151-161.

Mosheim, J. L. (1852). Institutes of Ecclesiastical History, Ancient and Modern. Edward Howell.