Prior Weeks

Extra Credit:  Answer with at least ½ pg. For each question.  You will receive up to 4 points for each question….that means each one could replace 2 wrong answers. 

 1. Can Jesus and his message be understood outside the context of his Jewish heritage?

Why or why not?

 2. Summarize the story of either Abraham or Moses and tell what one or the other

contributed to our knowledge of God’s nature.

 3. What is the meaning of the name of God revealed to Moses? Explain the significance of this divine revelation.

 4. Why did God send a series of plagues on Egypt at the time of Moses? Identify the tenth plague, and describe the first Passover.

 5. Why is the Covenant of Sinai one of the central events in the Scriptures and in the history of the Jews?

 6. By describing what happened in the kingdom of Israel between about 1000 and 587 b.c.e., build an argument supporting or opposing this proverb: United we stand, divided we fall.

 7. The experience of exile has the potential of increasing one’s appreciation for one’s blessings or of embittering a person. Briefly describe the impact of the Exile on the remnant, including how it seemed to have affected them spiritually.  How would you respond in a similar situation?

 8. What was the Jews’ reaction to Greek rule? How was the following period of Jewish independence undermined, and what effect did that have on Judaism? How did the mainline Jews of Judea regard the Jews of Idumea, Samaria, and Galilee around the time of Jesus’ birth?

9. Describe the political situation in Palestine during the time of Jesus.   

10. What did the Jews expect from the Messiah they longed for? Did Jesus fulfill that expectation? Explain.

Chapter 3 - Lecture Notes

 Jesus the Jew:

1. Deeply faithful Jew
2. Jesus in the Synagogue:  Look at the Q’s on pg 50
3. Need to understand where he was coming from to understand why he said what he did –weeping over Jerusalem, cleansing of the temple, reading from the scroll, proclaiming himself as the fulfillment of it.

Brief History –1900-1750 BC w/ Abraham. 

1. Bunch of tribes…the Hebrews
2. Abram loved 1 God in an age of multiple gods
3. Their gods were mean
4. Personal, covenantal relationship between Y and (now) Abraham
5. They got land, and protection.  Y got love and loyalty
6. Women were neglected in biblical records
7. Isaac–son of Abraham and Sarah…Abraham to sacrifice him?
8. Jacob – Son of Isaac and Rebekkah…the twins
9. Jacob – married Leah and Rachel and had 12 sons (1 daughter)
10. Jacobs new name was Israel…as a sign of his relationship with Y
11. Settled in Egypt…Joseph ultimately the Hebrews prospered in Egypt
12. That was the end of the patriarchal period of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob
13. Israelites became dominated by the Egyptians

 Story of Moses – 1290 BC

1. God’s revelation on Mt. Sinai…God’s name Y pg. 53
2. Sidebar…meaning of YHWH, LORD, and Jesus
3. Important…Y revealed His name it wasn’t made up by the people
4. Some would never call God by name.  They called him not Y but Lord
5. First Passover – and the death of the Egyptian 1^st born sons
6. Covenant of Sinai – God extends the covenant to all of the people –Slaves become chosen ones.  They just have to follow the law…10 C’s are the corner stone but there are lots more. The law is a sign of love between Y and his people.  They are now a Covenant Community
7. They are given the name Israel
8. Law would become misused
9. 40 years in the desert

Life in the Promised Land

1. about 1250 crossed Jordan into Canaan
2. lots of wars as others already there
3. Judges…warriors lead the people
4. Land divided into 12 areas named for 12 tribes…not actually their descendants
5. 1050 the new enemy were the Philistines.  Israel is divided and they are a powerful enemy.  They took the Ark
6. They needed a leader and appointed Saul in 1020

 Kingdom of Israel

1. Saul– Warrior King…brave yet weak over saw all tribes
2. Kingdom in 2 main groups 10 tribes…Israel, 2 Judah in the south…the North and South
3. Choosing of Jesse’s son David
4. North followed Saul’s son…who was defeated
5. 1000 The greatest king…David joined the 2 groups, defeated the Philistines, conquered a lot of territory, made Jerusalem the center of worship, made a colossal mistake
6. Solomon – wisdom, ruled 40 years, built the temple…Solomon ended up turning on God
7. Kingdom divides after Solomon north and south

 Prophets

1. Weak kings, religious disgrace
2. Great prophets arose to call them back – they didn’t listen so…by 721 north taken by Assyria
3. South – because somewhat more faithful to the covenant…lasted 100 yrs longer
4. Isaiah prophesied the South would fall….stump from tree of Jesse…a new branch (IS 11:1-9) Xns understand this to be J

 Babylonian Exile

1. 597 Jerusalem overrun and “influential people" carried off to Babylon, the south  had been destroyed.  N went to Assyria, S to Babylon
2. Jeremiah urged them to settle and God would return them
3. By 587 Jerusalem destroyed and more thousands of captives taken
4. Others left the country and established the Diaspora…Paul visited these people in his travels
5. God promised His love and a new covenant as told by Jeremiah (Jer. 31:31-33)

 History re-cap

1. 1900 bce…history begins w/ Abraham in Canaan…A and Sarah have Isaac who married Rebekah who had Jacob father of the 12 tribes.  Joseph went to Egypt and after famine so did the “family” where they prospered about 150 years
2. 1500-1290…slavery in Egypt
3. 1290-1000….Exodus led by Moses, Covenant of Sinai, Promised Land – Canaan.  1200-1020 time of the Judges
4. 1000…Kingdom forms w/ Saul, David who established Jerusalem, Solomon who built the Temple.  922 Solomon dies and kingdom splits…N = Israel, S= Judah
5. 721-587 N- destroyed by Assyria S (597) leaders taken to Babylon. 587 Jerusalem and Temple destroyed and Babylonian Exile begins
6. 538 – 515…Persians defeat Babylonians and Exiled return to Jerusalem…The Jews from Judah.  515 Temple rebuilt

 Renewal of Covenant Community

1. Faithful remnant…renewed faith in Y. Exile = saddest time in history but the remnant lived in faith and saw this as a positive…they were brought back to Y and his chosen ones
2. Second Isaiah’s promise…He predicted the return from exile.  Writings added to Isaiah, most poetic, suffering servant passages (53:1-12)  Prophecy of one who suffers to bring victory = oxymoron
3. Returned to Judah… re built the Temple, now a religious community under a high priest.  Now religion is Judaism.  2 leaders rose up – Priests who did temple duty and scribes who taught the law of Moses

 Greeks in Palestine

1. Alex the Great lived 33 years,…From Macelonia, educated by Aristotle and accepted Greek vision of civilization.  Became King of Macedonia @ 20 and swept Greece along with his victories.  Had Med to India under his control
2. Death brought division by generals.  Palestine was divided by 2 of them who didn’t get along.  Ruled 150 years.  1 seated in Syria other in Egypt.  Palestine was in the center of their struggle. 
3. Greek influence for 1^st 100 years from Egypt. Left them alone in leadership, but Greek culture did have impact especially language
4. Galilee in N under Syrian Greek control who had much more influence…sometimes Galilee of the Gentiles.  Jews from there were looked down on.
5. Egyptian Greek rule ended in 198.  Syria now in control of all.  Taxation began to be burdensome

 Reactions – 2 types

1. In Judea where Jerusalem was “upper classes” tried to get along so that they could keep what the had.
2. Hasidim – pious ones felt that to compromise was a slap in Y’s face
3. From these 2 came Pharisees and Sadducees

Victory over Greek Rule

1. Rebels tried to over throw the Greeks
2. Greeks sacked the city, desecrating the Temple w/ altar to Zeus
3. Maccabeus (hammer) led the war defeating the Syrian Greeks
4. 164 Temple re-dedicated
5. 100 years of self rule

 Jewish Independence

1. Not strong leaders lasted only 100 years
2. Gift of the Priesthood which gave rise to factions

 The Factions

1. Sadducees – priestly class who “worked things out” with whom ever was in power
2. Essenes – Withdrew from society and were strictly religious, not mentioned in scripture
3. Pharisees – looked for middle ground, but refused to budge on religious beliefs and therefore lost some influence.  People respected them however

Geographical Factions in Palestine

 Judea

1. settled by the faithful remnant returned in 6 bce
2. Religious hub because of Jerusalem
3. Those with political power sought to expand control outwards

 Idumea

1. South of Judea
2. Absorbed by Israel and forced to be Jewish by those in political power
3. Their faith was suspect

Samaria

1. also suspect because of their faith
2. descendants of the northern tribes conquered by Assyria 721 bce
3. Had lost touch with those in the south
4. Not been exiled to Babylon
5. Different traditions, scripture and practices from the mainline
6. The remnant rejected them completely
7. The south destroyed their temple, tried to force them into mainline
8. Serious hatred between 2 groups

 Galilee

1. annexed by Jewish leaders and non Jews converted or left
2. Many accepted but were newbies and therefore lesser in the eyes of the mainline
3. Can anything good come out of Nazareth?

 Appeal to Rome

1. Inept leadership = near civil war
2. Pharisees and Sadducees asked for help and got a lot!
3. 63 bce Rome took control – completely

Israel under Roman Domination

1. Wisdom in rule – leaders from the conquered
2. By 37 Herod was in control – but he was an Idumean…was he really a believer?
3. Herod ruled until 4 around when J was born when his sons carried on the reign
4. Herod the Great: Good political leader, restored  the Temple.  Very cruel…slaughter of the innocents and later adults?
5. Sons were lousy leaders and also cruel
6. H Antipas…Galillee and Perea e. of the Jordan…relationship to his wife in Matt. 14:3-12 (see Barclay) Jesus called him a fox…maybe called H the tetrarch (1/4 of country)
7. Third son (other got NE - Palestine) so bad Rome put in  a governor or Procurator…installed first in 6 ce the 5^th began his rule in 26 just before J started his ministry – He was Pontius Pilate

 Summary:

323-200 – Alex the Great dies and Greek empire divided.  Leaders in Syria and Greece took over control of Palestine.  Greeks in Egypt ruled most of I for about 100 years.  They were influential and not absorbing

 198-142 – Syrian Greeks took over control…had heavy taxation and factions religious and political developed.  Greeks Desecrated the Temple…Jews rebelled…Maccabees/Hannukah in 164 and self control came in 142

 142-63 – Independence…poor leaders…Factions defined Sadducees (political) Essenes (religiously conservative and monastic), Pharisees (religious) Tensions between regions too.

 63-36 (ce) Roman rule – 37 came Herod the Great, he died and Palestine was divided, one was taken out of control and in came Pontius Pilate…Jesus crucified during his term about 30

 66-70 Zealots revolt and crushed, 70 = destruction of the temple and Jerusalem and the Pharisees enabled the faith to survive.

 Destruction of Jerusalem

a.       Strong anti- Roman sentiment grew, and exploded as they remembered the success against the Greeks. 

b.      The Zealots led the revolt about 66, but Rome was too strong

c.       Destroyed Jerusalem and Temple in 70

Chapter 2 – The Gospels

 How do we read the Gospels?

1. Jesus is revealed thru the eyes of people who believed him to be the X
2. Why faith sources vs. historical sources
3. Objectivity: the only test for truth?
4. Those who believe it’s not a “news account” therefore not true…it must be accurate and objective
5. Others…written under inspiration of the HS  therefore they’re totally accurate
6. Both positions emphasize objectivity….reporting facts alone
7. Objectivity isn’t only truth
8. Heilsgeshicte- example of world event ie 9-11
9. Similarities…different points of view all historical info is interpreted thru eyes and perspective of those recording it
10. No one is totally objective

Good News, not Daily news

1. Gospels written from a perspective shaped by the culture, language, geography, history, and religious traditions
2. Different literary styles common to the time, place
3. Used exaggeration, figures of speech, approximation and poetry
4. Written for the people of their time.  They reveal meaning and significance of J for people of his time
5. Used just some of the information available
6. Sometimes summarized or combined stories
7. Gospels aren’t biographies
8. Gospel = Godspell…middle English for good news or glad tidings
9. Then translates into Greek evangelion = proclamation of announcement of the good news
10. Evangelist from evangelion
11. Purpose of the Gospel to proclaim a message of faith in Jesus and the impact he had on their lives
12. Written by believers, but are still reliable sources of info
13. They’re testimonies of faith…their purpose isn’t accurate history
14. Gospels share the experiences of the faithful with the world
15. Just as we share stories without every detail
16. Understanding the Gospels requires understanding of the culture and faith perspective

Searching for Religious Truth

1. Focus on the main message…look for religious truth
2. OT and NT filled with this type of truth
3. Interpreted in light of their faith convictions
4. Xns confident that  they are written with essential truth
5. Stories of community – reveal meaning and significance of Jesus for the people
6. Story of the one who is the Son of God –revealing the nature of God in his person
7. Can’t rely on interpretations of 1 person or group-- get a balanced understanding
8. How?  Guidance of the HS, re-interpreting for each generation and culture.  Look to “experts”
9. Scripture, Reason,  Tradition – how to understand the faith as taught by the church.  This is partly where sacraments came from….some things are implied in scriptures but not explicitly mentioned

Development of the Gospels – 3 major stages

1. Time Jesus lived
2. Death and Resurrection…proclamation to the Roman Empire
3.  Gospels…evangelists edited the materials

Stage 1

1. Jesus and his disciples
2. Must understand he is from Palestine and 2000 years ago and at the foundation a real man
3. The “facts”  Born a Jew about 5 BC, raised in small village of Nazareth, learned the trade of carpentry
4. At 30 began public ministry and beginning of new Era…Kingdom of God…at the least a wonder worker 
5. Preaching and actions stirred great interest among Jewish people – prophet, or sorcerer, heretic, threat to establishment- Jewish and Roman
6. Brought to trial, executed by crucifixion in about 30   A-F = Historical Facts
7. Most people of all religions believe J is an extraordinary person
8. Believers add in Messiah and Son of God
9. Resurrection: pivotal event
10. Why did people believe he was more…experiences after his death
11. Resurrection radically changed understanding of all he’d done and said while he was alive
12. Identifying mark of Xn = belief in resurrection.  This stopped them from fleeing and denying him
13. Experience of Resurrection left them not hiding, but proclaiming
14. Called him Lord…Jews called God Y a name too sacred to be uttered thus they called Y  Lord…thus Jesus claimed as divine which was shocking
15. Resurrection is central
16. Christ not Jesus last name – Jesus = Yeshua…Y saves
17. Christ is anointed one.  Christos from Greek = Hebrew messiah
18. To the post resurrection community, Expectations of the Messiah…Jesus the Christ becomes Jesus Christ.

Stage 2

1. Disciples and early community of faith
2. Drawn in by J…then he’s killed, then he’s back
3. What do they do?  Share the story…not write it down…wait for him to return
4. They have little time to change their lives…some even advise against death
5. Spread news …intense missionary campaign…spreads like wildfire all the way to Rome
6. Kept things in terms of the past history….the Jewish bible
7. As they spread the Good news the picked and chose stories some have been lost.   Sometimes the way the Gospels are recorded seems harsh…too direct
8. Oral tradition from which Gospels emerged, Evangelists uses these stories to write their Gospels
9. No one person is responsible for total development of the Gospels
10. Worship communities formed and liturgies too
11. Many layered drawing…Portrait of J, then understanding in light of the resurrection, in light of their time, in light of 2000 years of tradition

 Stage 3

1. The Early Community of Faith and the Evangelists
2. Died around 40 and 1^st Gospel in 70
3. Decades of oral traditions
4. Mark’s 1^st near 70, John’s last near 90-100
5. Time and need for continued instruction made writing necessary
6. Time… “church” concept emerging vs. “weird Jews” .  Realized J wasn’t coming back as soon as they’d thought, need to pass things down the generations
7. Continued instruction – of existing communities for inspiration and faith all over the roman empire
8. Each unique to its author w/ common threads

 4 Portraits of Jesus

1. lots of material available told over and over in community worship
2. words of J recalled day after day in prayer and applied to life experience
3. insights drawn about J and history of Jewish people
4. told to different  audiences
5. No one person responsible for total development
6. Scholars still trying to understand their evolution and always have new speculations

Mark

1. common name and John Mark is attached to this gospel
2. 1^st Gospel
3. from Jerusalem and might have learned about Jesus from Peter (Acts 12:25)
4. Xns met at JM’s mother’s house for prayer
5. Written between 65 and70
6. Some say another written earlier and is lost
7. Sense of Suffering, trials and persecutions referring to Nero who blamed Xns for burning Rome in 64, Jewish revolt between 66 and 70 and Rome’s retaliation
8. For whom?  Why? In Rome for Gentile (non-Jewish) readers…Mark explains the Jewish traditions
9. Stresses human suffering of J in passion and death…encouraging Xns being persecuted. 
10. J’s death is the central point of Gospel all else seems to be an intro.
11. Mark explains that suffering is an essential part of Xn life and tries to give them courage
12. Humanity of J, strong emotions…trying to counter the claim that J was only divine
13. Intimate portrait, shortest

 Luke

1. 1^st of 2 parts…Gospel of Jesus, Gospel of the HS…Acts is the HS working in the early church
2. Who and when…physician, well-educated Gentile, Colossians has Luke identified as a physician and some say Gospel shows knowledge of medicine, but this is limited.  3x’s a companion of Paul, not a Jew…only non Jewish writer of NT
3. Written in Antyoch, Syria one of the largest cities in empire
4. Date?   Might have known Mark’s Gospel.  Thus after 70…probably about 85
5. For whom?  Why?  Theophilus, Luke didn’t know the area nor did his audience who may have been Gentiles and wealthy Xns
6. Demonstrates continuity w/ Judaism
7. Emphasizes the HS, presence of Jesus thru HS in Acts
8. Stresses J’s mercy and compassion
9. Message for everyone…even the least
10. Joy of those who experience God’s forgiveness and Love
11. J loves all people
12. Beautifully written

 Matthew

1. By whom and when…who knows the author…seems to have used all of Mark and relied on Luke…did he rely on stories from the “school” of the apostle Matthew?
2. Dates…about 90…his insights are more developed than those of L and M
3. For whom and why?  Different structure…like the Pentateuch?  Showing J as the Messiah?  Proof texting
4. 5 great discourses…J as powerful teacher…full fillment of promises…the new Moses.  130 OT references
5. Interest in the church…only one to use word church (16:18, 18:17) and concerned with communal life and church org.  and teaching of believers
6. Organization makes it one of the most accessible

 John

1. M, M and L are the synoptics with similar sources
2. John is unique, last gospel – symbolic, imagery, profound insight and useful for prayer
3. By whom and when?  Who knows?  Common name.  Apostle John…a very old man?  Who also wrote Revelation?  Or the disciple whom J loved…the beloved disciple?
4. Common thought today…members of  the school or community founded by the beloved disciple not the Apostle John. 
5. Meditations on leaders understanding of J and gained more profound understandings
6. Epistles of John out of the same traditions
7. Some say an unknown Xn prophet wrote Rev.
8. Written around 95
9. For whom and why? Church had deepened its understanding with time
10. Strong attempt to show J as divine Son of God…Synoptics give us more “historical”
11. John is most theological and reflective, poetic and prayerful…light of the world, good shepherd, bread of life

Chapter 1 Lecture Notes:

Who Is Jesus?

Jesus of History, Christ of Faith:

Goal of the course:  to help you reach a mature understanding of J and learn how he evolved in to X of  Faith

1. Genuine historical figure
2. Palestinian Jew whose life and message profoundly influence people
3. Historical records verify his life
4. During his life people saw him as a teacher
5. Jesus of History refers to the divine Son of God as he walked on earth
6. Christ of faith recognizes the conviction that he was resurrected and encounters with him
7. Christ means anointed one sent by God to redeem the world from sin
8. He was divine from the beginning…didn’t do something to make himself this way
9. He is one with God since the beginning of time but took on flesh so as to redeem us from our sins
10. Evolution of faith based on post resurrection experience
11. Jesus must be experienced personally
12. J of History and X of faith are one in the same, just experienced in 2 ways

How do we learn about Jesus?

1. Faith sources – parents, pastors, other faithful people
2. The church looks to tradition…those who have gone before
3. Biblical scholars
4. Theologians – those who study history, beliefs and teachings of the church
5. Teachings of the apostles – how did they pass things on?
6. Have things been accurately preserved?
7. How do we reconcile early Christians experiences with our own?

 The Christian Scriptures – the foundation for faith and the church’s teachings

1. Xn scriptures are the OT covenant with the people of Israel and NT
2. Covenant and testament are the same…a solemn promise between people
3. OT = 46 books
4. NT = 27 books
5. Authors inspired/guided by the HS.  They were written by human authors with their perspective and intent
6. Literal vs. inspired text
7. Faith sources –written by believers not historical “fact” Heilsgeshicte
8. Gospels: Matt, Luke, Mark, John different eyes
9. Other “Gospels”

 Historical Sources – we know about JC because of other sources

1. Josephus:  Jewish historian, late 1^st century, reports disturbances about a man named Jesus…a wise man, doer of wonderful works, teacher who receive truth with pleasure, talks about the crucifixion.
2. Tacitus:  Roman who relates in 64 a man named Jesus.  Quote on pg. 17, Nero tortured Xns and they are a testimony of their faith
3. Pliny the Younger:  Roman governor of a province around 110 asked how to deal with J’s followers
4. Suetonius:  Roman lawyer and historian around 120.  reports on riots caused by followers of Chreustus…believed to be Christ

Development of NT

1. 27 books with different authors and styles…letters homilies, gospels, etc
2. Date from about 50 to 100…OT took 1000 years to compile
3. All deal with life, death resurrection, and impact on those who believe in him.
4. 4 Gospels deal with JC
5. Others on happenings with in the early community, the meaning of Jesus life death and resurrection to believers
6. Writings of special authority (early Xns used the OT)  to meet needs of the community for prayer and worship.  Some have been lost, some discounted,
7. 4^th century before the church approved the canon (rule or standard) as it is now

The Canon – things don’t appear in chronological order but groupings

1. Gospels – written by the evangelists not historical records, but concerned with J’s message
2. Acts of the Apostles:  Companion to Luke’s gospel life of early Xn community, mission of St. Paul, spread of Xnty through out the Roman Empire
3. 13 Pauline Epistles (a letter):  7 by Paul, 6 by unknown authors…pseudopigripha?  Support and educate Xns and small communities.  Thessalonians is considered the oldest book…50
4. Hebrews:  attributed to Paul, but unknown author, sermon to help Xns turn back to faith in J
5. The Catholic Epistles:  James, Peter (2), John (3), Jude…Universal to all audiences
6. Revelation:  Aka the Apocalypse Written in late 1^st century to Xns encourage them to stay strong in the faith