Asher Sisneros

Christianity and Greek Hellenism were fundamentally at odds in Rome. Over the centuries, one religion rose in prominence while the other dissolved into irrelevance. Zeus’ worshipers controlled the cultural norms, but now they are an insignificant and minuscule number on paper. This radical change occurred because of the truth of the Gospel. It fascinated civilization and resonated with their hearts. Due to the faithfulness of Christian evangelists and missionaries, the religion spread across the globe. The faces of Christianity and Hellenism were Jesus and Zeus, respectively. There was something in both saviors of each religion that was noticeably different to the populace. The answer was ethics. Unlike Christianity, there was a fundamental ethical disconnect between Zeus and his Hellenism, and that was responsible for the growing disfavor with the Greek gods. 

Zeus was unethical. He was a murderer and adulterer. In Ovid’s Metamorphoses, Zeus kidnapped and raped the girl Io. When his wife descended from heaven to catch him in the act, he transformed the girl into a heifer. He was selfish, disregarding the pleas of men to satisfy his personal lusts. Even his wife opposed him. Suspecting foul play, she took the heifer and gave it to Argus, the god with a hundred eyes. However, Zeus was unrelenting in his fornication. The Olympian hired Mercury as a mercenary to kill Argus. Gods died, and there was bloodshed. Why? Because of Zeus’ lust. His wife was betrayed; his comrades were killed; and human beings, his servants, were tortured for Zeus’ pleasure. This was the ultimate selfishness. 

Jesus Christ was the opposite of Zeus. He was the only ethical person to ever live. All others sinned, but He lived perfectly. Through His ministry, He healed the sick and fed thousands. As the Son of God, He could have called legions of angels onto the earth to conquer it. His kingdom could have been vast, stretching across the earth as He put the world into forcible subjection. However, He refrained. Unbelieving men executed Jesus. Willingly, He let them do it. That was why He came to the earth: to offer salvation through His blood. Blinded, men killed their Savior. They murdered their God. Pontius Pilate offered the treasonous decree, and the Messiah was spat on, beaten, and hung on a tree with sinners. The murderer Barabbas was set free in Jesus’ place. Christ’s death was the ultimate injustice. Through it, He made the greatest sacrifice in offering His life for the salvation of His people. He died for the salvation of His murderers. It was the ultimate act of selflessness.  

Where Zeus punished creation in selfishness, Jesus Christ delivered creation in His selflessness. Zeus was a murderer, adulterer, and kidnapper. However, Jesus was perfect. He committed no sin, and where Adam failed in keeping the law, Jesus succeeded. As a mediator between Jehovah and men, He gave the human race hope. It is in many respects remarkably poetic how in refraining from militarily conquering the world, Jesus spiritually conquered the world. Death could not hold him, and sin bent the knee to Christ as its God. The Christian victory was won at the cross. Satan, the father of lies, was defeated, and all his lies with him—including the lie that the dumb, speechless, and powerless idol Zeus was ever a god.

In conclusion, Jesus Christ and Zeus were fundamentally polar opposites ethically speaking. Jesus was a selfless giver who healed, but Zeus was the great destroyer disguised in a shepherd’s clothing. Where Zeus walked, disaster followed. He plundered and raped for himself. This is diametrically opposite to Jesus. Christ was the great Healer, Physician, Prophet, Priest, and King. This ethical dissension is one reason among many why Hellenism fell into disfavor while Christianity grew exponentially. In the end, God’s truth reigns triumphant. John 8:31-32: “Then Jesus said to the Jews who believed Him, ‘If you abide in My word, you are My disciples indeed. And you will know the truth, and the truth will set you free.’”