Reverse Borrowing: Part I

   What is reverse borrowing? Well, first understand two problems with humans. First, we humans tend to oversimplify things. Second, we think chronologically. Together, these two things can be dangerous. The application is that it is simple for the skeptic to look at things before Christianity and say, they came first, therefore anything in Christianity was borrowed from the earlier acount. It’s nice, neat and logical, so it satisfies both of the criteria we stated. But the truth may lie in a deeper examination, What I will ask you to consider is the exact opposite; that the ‘Christian’ view actually came first (at least in some circumstances). To do this, I am going to ask you to follow me on a ‘rabbit trail’ and I promise it will make sense at the end.

The Magi
Have you ever wondered how a bunch of pagans (The Magi) from the east figured out the truth?

‘…there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews?’
Mat 2:1,2

   Different people assume different things. We think east, and we believe it is Persia, we read that they ‘saw his star’ and maybe we wonder if they were using astrology, or perhaps we just simply assume that God told them in a dream, as he did at other times on the trip and ask no more questions. The first thing I would assume is that God did not use the practice of astrology, which was a crime punishable by death in the Old Testament. I would assume that God revealed this to them in some fashion, but I would not assume that the magi were pagans. All Jews did not live in Jerusalem. All we have to do is look at the second chapter of Acts to notice that there were Jews in other places, among them; ‘Parthians, and Medes, and Elamites’(Ac 2:9) all of which were part of ancient Medo-Persia. It is possible that these magi were Jews. consider:

‘It pleased Darius to set over the kingdom a hundred and twenty princes, which should be over the whole kingdom; And over these three presidents; of whom Daniel was first: that the princes might give accounts unto them, and the king should have no damage. Then this Daniel was preferred above the presidents and princes, because an excellent spirit was in him; and the king thought to set him over the whole realm.’ -Daniel 6:1-3

   Darius was the king of the Medes, and Daniel was the most popular. He did not return from the captivity, and stayed under Cyrus of Persia Dan (6:28). It appears that Cyrus worshipped YHWH (2Chr 36:23, Ez 1:7), although probably not exclusively.