Much has been said about the differences between a Greek and a Hebrew mindset. Recognizing how Greek and Hebrew thought processes work, along with the cultures within which they operated, can open a much deeper understanding of the Scriptures, both the Old Testament (Tanakh) and the New Testament (Brit Chadasha). It helps us get inside the minds of the writers and what they are – and aren’t – trying to convey.
And on the list of controversial and heavily debated topics in the Hebrew Roots community, the subject of the calendar ranks very near the top. It seems we just can’t figure out how calendars were determined in Bible times or what we should use and follow today. So, we end up divided with different groups celebrating the Biblical Festivals at different, and sometimes competing, times.
Is this controversy tied in any way to Greek and Hebrew thought processes? Are we claiming to incorporate one thought process while in practice we exhibit something else? Could we in one way be right, and in another way be wrong, all at the same time?
Greek and Hebrew Thought Processes
It is beyond the scope of this article to do a detailed explanation of the differences between Greek and Hebrew thought, often called Western thinking and Eastern thinking respectively. If that interests you, I highly recommend Brad Scott’s book Let This Mind Be In You, available on Kindle at Amazon or on his website. Brad had a unique way of presenting tough subjects in a concise, clear, and sometimes humorous manner. He is easy to read and he covers this topic very well in just about a hundred pages.
This is important because both thought processes are evident in the Scriptures. The Tanakh is in Hebrew, written from a Hebrew mindset, though most of the oldest copies are conveyed in the Greek language (i.e., the Septuagint). Much of the Gospels also clearly come from a Hebrew mindset, although they also are written down in Greek. Paul, on the other hand, most definitely writes in a Hellenized Greek style.
There are two primary characteristics, though, that will come into play here. The first is to recognize that the Greek language is centered around things and built around nouns. The Hebrew language, on the other hand, is focused on action. The primary component is the verb, and other parts of speech are derived from there.
Hebrew or Eastern thinking focuses much more heavily on verbs than Western thinking. Western thought focuses much more heavily on nouns: people, places, and things in the Scriptures. The Hebrew language starts with the action first, and proceeds from there. Western thinking is more static and sedate.
Brad Scott in Let This Mind Be In You, page 50
Brad goes on to state “Hellenistic [Greek] thought is much more consumed with the intellectual process than is Hebrew… Greek is very highbrow and definitive” (page 51). He points out that in Greek thinking, we study the Scriptures to know about God. But in Hebrew thinking, we study to know and exalt God.
A second point to consider is how Western thought is concerned with the form of something. This follows naturally, since the foundation is the noun – a thing. Hebrew thought, however, is much more concerned about function. This also follows naturally, being verb- and action-based.
Our [Western] culture focuses more on what things look like. Hebrew directs more attention to what something does or how it works.
Brad Scott in Let This Mind Be In You, page 52
How does this tie into the calendar controversy? First, let’s consider this “timely” example offered by Brad:
For example, if, while representing the Western mind-set, I asked you to tell me about a watch, you would describe the watch. You would tell me that it has a round face and a gold band around it, or that it has a white face with small black numbers lined up in a circle, with two gold hands travelling in a clockwise direction passing the black numbers. However, if you were Hebrew and I asked you the same question, you would tell me that it keeps time for you. In other words, the Western mind would tell you what it looks like and the Eastern mind would tell you what it does.
Brad Scott in Let This Mind Be In You, page 52
The Calendar Controversy
As I write this in the Fall of 2024, I have this question for you. When did you keep the Feasts this year? Let’s start with Passover. Did you keep Passover on March 25, give or take a day? Or was it April 22? Perhaps it was April 2? When was the first day of Sukkot? Was it September 19? October 17? October 2?
Actually, if you answered yes to any of those dates, it shows that you are using the Gregorian calendar. We just overlay it with some other calendar and transfer the dates. That is normal and there is nothing wrong with it. Forsaking the Gregorian calendar, we would have a very difficult time functioning in the modern world. But the correct Biblical answers to the two questions above are: the 14th day of the first month, and the 15th day of the seventh month. Or, 14 Aviv (Nissan) and 15 Tishrei.
There were, however, three primary calendars used to determine the Feasts by large groups within the Hebrew Roots community in 2024. One of them based the start of the year on the phase of the moon at a time when certain agricultural conditions were discovered in a specific location, and it continued counting months based on moon phases. Another group used a calendar established by some rabbinical authorities many centuries back, sometimes with variations based on observed phases of the moon. And yet another group determined the start of the year solely by the position of the sun, then continued counting months according to a fixed pattern.
And all of them were right. Just ask those who followed them.
None of these can be proven beyond question by the 24 books of the Tanakh, or the 66 books of the Protestant Bible, or the 73 books of the Catholic Bible. We think we know – I think I know – but the truth is, without reading something into the text, Scripture just doesn’t provide that detail. The only specific markers are that the first month is in the Spring and the Sabbath is, consistently and without variation, every seven days. If your calendar doesn’t do those two things, it is unbiblical. If it does, it might be correct, or it might not be.
Greek and Hebrew Thoughts on the Calendar Controversy
So what mindset, what thought process, is appropriate when we consider the calendar controversy? Will the Greek thought approach and the Hebrew thought approach reveal the same or a different outcome? And if they are different, which is best for the Hebrew Roots community?
Employing a Western mindset, the Greek thought process, we can zero in on exactly what form the calendar should be. Using logic, we can pour over the Scriptures and, through deductive reasoning and a few assumptions, come up with what we believe to be the correct calendar for determining when to celebrate the Feasts. Of course, we have already done that, resulting in at least three different calendars for 2024. But with Scriptural support, we can all be confident that we are right.
Following a Hebrew thought process, we focus on the function of the calendar. When God told us when to celebrate his Feasts, what was his intent? Was it to establish a fixed point in time, or was it to bring his people together? The calendar has a purpose. A Hebrew mindset is focused on what the calendar does rather than what it looks like.
Which thought process – Greek or Hebrew – is your mindset as you consider the calendar? Are you focused on its form, or its function?