Transcript Historical Background on the Gospels

Historical
Background on
the Gospels
1st century Palestine:
(The social, political, historical, and
religious climate of the time.)
Major areas of study
• Timeline of key events leading up to the
appearance of Jesus on the scene
• Definition of Gospel
• Nature of 1st century Judaism
• Jewish sects and their major tenets
Timeline of Key Events…
BC 586 Fall of the Southern
Kingdom and Babylonian Exile
1Loss of the land
2End of the Davidic line
3Destruction of Temple
BC 538 Cyrus, king of Persia,
conquers Babylon and returns Jews
to Palestine
1Rebuild Temple
2Recall Ezra, Nehemiah, and
Zerubbabel
BC 332 Alexander the Great
of Greece conquers Palestine
and begins a process of
Hellenizing the area
Timeline cont’d…
BC 323 Alexander dies and his
kingdom is divided.
BC 323-170 Constant struggles
between Egypt and Syria for
control of region
BC 167-164 Maccabean revolt
and the beginning of Hasmonean
rule
Response to outrageous acts of
Antiochus Epiphanes, who
sacrificed a pig on the Temple altar
and forbids the reading of the Law
BC 63 Romans take control of
the region
BC 37 Herod (son of Antipater)
takes Jerusalem; dies in 4 BC, and
kingdom is divided between his 4
sons
Technical use of Gospel in the
New Testament
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Never used in a purely secular or neutral sense (I.e., “good
news”).
Not used in reference to a written document until Justin
Martyr in AD 150.
Paul’s use:
a. “Christ died for our sins”: this is the Gospel
b. Emphasizes the crucifixion and resurrection
In Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John: it is the Gospel of the
Kingdom
How is Paul’s perception related to that of the Gospel writers?
The “Four Pillars” of Judaism
• The One God of Israel
• Belief in the people of God
• Intensification of the Torah as a norm in defining
the people of God
• Temple (and land)
One God of Israel
1. God of mercy
2. God of Justice
3. God who is holy and transcendent
(God is “not like us”)
4. Problem: If God was all of these things,
and the people were obeying His Law,
then why were they an occupied
country?
Belief in the people of God
• A chosen people (election and covenant)
• A future corporate hope: restoration of the
people of God (not individualistic)
• Plan for the present as await his restoration:
“Be holy as I am holy” (Leviticus)
Torah, Temple,and purity
Intensification of Torah
Resposne to God lies in observance of Torah
Covenantal nomism
Covenant is viewed as a gift from God.
Response to gift is gratitude=obedience
Legalism
Doing deeds in order to earn merit
(used as a means for relationship)
Temple and the Land
• Temple:
–
–
–
–
Religious center
Political center
Economic center
Social center
• Connected to people’s
understanding of the
Land
Origin
Demographics
Beliefs
Activities
• means “separated
ones”
•Descendants of
Hasidim, during
Maccabean revolt
•Largest Jewish sect
•Mainly middle class
businessmen (merchants
and tradesmen)
•Monotheistic
•Saw whole OT as
authoritative
•Study Law=true
worship
•Believed in
resurrection
•Concerned with
keeping of the law
•Changed Judaism from
religion of sacrifice to a
religion of the Law
•Exercised great control
•Opposed Jesus because
he didn’t accept oral
Law as binding
Sadducees
•Means “righteous
ones” or “judges”
•Aristocracy
•Accepted only Torah,
no oral Law
•Literal interpretation of
Law
•Denied resurrection
•Materialistic
•In charge of Temple
and services
•Great political control
in Sanhedrin
•Supported ruling
power
•Opposed Jesus
Zealots
•Get their name from
their religious zeal
•The extreme wing of
the Pharisees
•Believed only God had
power to rule over Jews
(required total
obedience to usher in
Messianic Age)
•Extremely opposed to
Roman rule
•Refused to pay taxes
•Terrorized Rome
Herodians
•Based on support of
Herod
•Wealthy, politically
influential Jews who
supported Herod
•Political, not religious
group
•Supported Herod
•Accepted foreign rule
and Hellenization
•Unknown
•Scattered throughout
Judah and in Qumran
•Strict observance of
purity rituals, Law
•Apocalyptically
inclined
•monastic
•Devoted to copying
and studying the Law
•Maintained nonLevitical priesthood
•Ascetics
Pharisees
Essenes