Jewish thinking vs. Greek thinking

When we read the Bible, we must understand that first century Jews didn’t think like we do today.

Today, in America, we think like the Greeks did. We love bullet lists. If someone were to ask a Greek to describe God, he would say, “He is powerful. He is all knowing,” etc.

The Jews, however, thought differently. They saw things in pictures and in illustrations. If someone were to ask a Jew to describe God, he would say, “He is my shepherd. He is a rock. He is living water,” etc.

We can’t understand what these pictures mean unless we understand the Jewish culture and customs. What does a shepherd do anyway?

By learning the Jewish culture, we are able to understand the pictures and illustrations used throughout the Bible.