Transcript document

Topic 6
Gospels: Introduction and Context
I.
Introduction to the Gospels
II.
The World of Jesus and the NT
I. Introduction to the Gospels
A. Overview of the NT
1. Chronology
a. Jesus (c. 6 BC – c. 30 AD)
b. 27 NT books (c. 50-150)
2. Writing the NT books
a. Gospels (65-100) – Matthew, Mark, Luke, John – accounts of
Jesus’ ministry
b. History (c. 90) – Acts – rise and growth of Christian church
c. Letters
Pauline Letters (c. 50-64) – 13 – Romans-Philemon
General Epistles (c. 65-150) – 8 – Hebrews-Jude
Apocalypse (c. 95) – Revelation
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d.
3. Canonization (gathering into a collection; BPJM, 139-40)
a.
b.
c.
d.
100 – Paul’s letters being collected
140 – Marcion’s canon: Luke + 10 letters of Paul
200 – core canon taking shape similar to ours
367 – earliest list of exactly our 27
I. Introduction to the Gospels
B.
Origin of the Gospels
1.
Oral tradition (30 – 65 AD and beyond)
a.
b.
2.
Written gospels (65 – 100 AD)
a.
b.
3.
Passing of eyewitness generation; spread of church to new lands.
Need for written accounts emerges.
“Synoptic Problem”
a.
b.
c.
4.
“Gospel” = “good news.”
Gospel was proclaimed orally for 3-4 decades before written gospels
appeared.
Matthew, Mark, Luke are called “Synoptic” Gospels because of many
similarities of content, order, wording (“synoptic” = “viewed together”).
John stands apart as different in many ways.
Synoptic Problem: Why 3 similar gospels and one different?
Solution
a.
b.
c.
d.
Mk. was written first; then it was used by Mt. & Lk.
“Q” – a written collection of sayings of Jesus – was also used by Mt.
and Lk.
Mt. and Lk. supplemented with their own special materials – M and L.
John – written independently of Synoptics.
The Two-Source Theory
(M)
Mark
Matthew
This theory, first put forward in 1863, is
held by a broad majority of NT scholars
today.
Q
(L)
Luke
John
I. Introduction to the Gospels
B. Origin of the Gospels (cont.)
5. Authorship - uncertain
a. Gospels were originally anonymous.
b. Titles reflect 2nd-cent. traditions which may or may
not be accurate.
6. Character of the gospels
a. Not intended as objective biographies or
eyewitness documentaries.
b. Faith witnesses to Jesus.
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Evangelists want to “preach the gospel” to their
readers; not just recalling bare facts but interpreting
meaning of Jesus’ story for faith.
Each has edited the sources/traditions to shape a
theological message for their readers.
I. Introduction to the Gospels
C. Four Portraits of Jesus: Each Gospel paints a distinctive
portrait of Jesus for its particular readers.
1. Mark: Suffering Messiah
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Written c. 65-70; earliest, shortest gospel.
Tradition: Mark, disciple of Peter.
Addresses church under persecution.
Highlights Jesus’ suffering and death.
Calls readers to suffering discipleship.
2. Matthew: Teaching Messiah
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Written c. 75-90; based on Mk., Q, and M.
Tradition: Matthew the tax collector.
Mark’s story plus 5 blocks of teaching (Q, M).
Sermon on the Mount (Mt. 5-7).
Addresses Jewish audience.
Jesus fulfills OT prophecies.
Reveals true meaning of Law.
I. Introduction to the Gospels
3. Luke: Inclusive Messiah
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Written c. 75-90; based on Mk., Q, and L.
Tradition: Luke the physician.
Addresses Gentile readers.
Inclusiveness of the gospel: sinners, outcasts, women,
foreigners.
Continued in Acts: church’s mission to whole world.
4. John: Eternal Word of God
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Written c. 90-100; latest of the canonical gospels.
Tradition: John ben Zebedee.
Jesus is heavenly Son of God who comes to reveal God’s
love.
Invitation to believe and find life.
“Spiritual gospel”: reads theology of church back into the
story.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
A. The Political Situation
1. Roman Empire – dominated Mediterranean world.
2. Roman occupation of Palestine – 63 BC
a. Some Jewish autonomy
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b.
Jewish king or governor appointed by Rome
Sanhedrin – Jewish ruling council – high priest appt. by Rome
Roman taxes – heavy; resented; tax collectors were despised.
3. The Herods – Jewish rulers; clients of Rome
a. Herod the Great (37-4 BC)
Herodian
Palestine
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“King of the Jews”
Great building program; rebuilt Temple
Ruthless, brutal tyrant
Birth of Jesus c. 6 BC (Mt. 2)
b. Herod Antipas (4 BC-39 AD) – Galilee and Perea
Sepphoris
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Imprisoned, then beheaded John the Baptist
Governed Galilee during Jesus’ ministry; suspicious of Jesus
Capital at Sepphoris, 4 miles from Nazareth!
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
Map
c. Philip (4 BC-34 AD) – NE districts
d. Archelaus (4 BC-6 AD) – Judea and Samaria – so brutal that
he was soon removed, replaced
4. Procurators (prefects) – Roman governors beginning in 6 AD.
a. Direct Roman rule; new tax; census.
b. Provoked unrest – uprising of Judas the Galilean – 2,000
crucified.
c. Period of procurators was time of seething resentment and
sporadic rebellions.
d. Fifth procurator was Pontius Pilate (26-36) – crucified Jesus
c. 30 AD as suspected rebel.
5. Jewish War (66-70 AD)
a. Major Jewish revolt against Rome.
b. 70 AD – Jerusalem sacked; Temple destroyed.
c. Cataclysmic event for both Jews and Christians.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
B. Religious Situation – many different Jewish parties:
1. Pharisees (“separated ones”)
Devoted to keeping written and “oral law.”
Growing body of interpretations by scribes and rabbis.
Meticulous rules for Sabbath, tithing, ritual purity, fasting, etc.
Believed in doctrines of resurrection; final judgment; rewards
and punishments in afterlife.
e. Nurtured hope for Messiah.
f. Challenged Jesus’ view of Law.
a.
b.
c.
d.
2. Sadducees (“Zadokites”)
a.
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
Chief priests and other wealthy aristocrats.
Controlled Temple and Sanhedrin.
Cooperated with Rome to stay in power.
Accepted only written Torah.
Rejected doctrines of resurrection and afterlife.
Opposed Jesus as potential troublemaker.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
3. Essenes (“pious/holy ones”?)
Qumran
a. Sectarian group; not mentioned in NT but described by
several ancient writers.
b. Probably associated with Dead Sea Scrolls and commune
at Qumran.
c. Originated c. 150 BC out of temple protest; withdrew to
wilderness; “Teacher of Righteousness” organized into
community claiming to be the true Israel..
d. Awaited 2 messiahs; final battle between “Sons of Light”
and “Sons of Darkness.”
e. Strict discipline and ritual purity; daily baths of purification;
sacred meals.
f. Many parallels with NT; theory that John the Baptist may
have come out of this group.
4. Zealots
a. Militant revolutionaries; freedom fighters.
b. Zeal for God and Torah motivated violence against pagan
domination (and against compromise of Jewish law).
c. Many around Jesus wished him to lead rebellion.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
C. Jewish Future Hopes (Eschatology)
“Eschatology” = doctrine of last things or of the end time.
Two main types:
1. Hope for a Messiah
a. Messiah = “anointed one;” comes out of OT royal ideology;
kings were anointed to designate as God’s chosen rulers.
b. Hope for a new king, descended from David who would
liberate and restore Israel; many notions of how this would
play out.
c. Christ = Greek for anointed one; NT claims Jesus fulfills hope
– but in unexpected ways.
2. Apocalypticism
a. More radical hope, looking not for restoration of nation but for
cataclysmic end of world and creation of another.
b. God intervenes to defeat powers of evil; resurrection of dead;
final judgment; rewards and punishments; glorious new age.
c. These themes pervade the NT.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
D. Diaspora Judaism
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
“Diaspora” refers to the “scattering” or “dispersion” of Jews outside
Palestine; about 3 times as many Jews lived in Diaspora as in homeland.
Tended to be Greek-speaking; read scripture in Septuagint version, a
Greek translation produced in Alexandria 250-100 BC.
Synagogues – Jewish places of study and worship – probably originated in
Diaspora (by NT times, synagogues existed throughout Palestine as well).
Synagogues differed from the temple in 2 main ways:
a. There was only 1 temple (in Jerusalem); synagogues were found
everywhere Jews lived in sufficient numbers; they were very local.
b. No animal sacrifices were performed in synagogues; synagogue
worship revolved around reading/interpreting scripture and reciting
prayers; influenced early Christian worship.
Proselytes and God-fearers
a. Proselytes – Gentiles who converted to Judaism; required
circumcision, baptism, sacrifice in temple.
b. God-fearers – Gentiles who drew near but did not convert; Cornelius,
the Roman centurion converted by Peter in Acts 10, was a Godfearer.
Diaspora Judaism provided a natural network for spread of early
Christianity.
II. The World of Jesus and the NT
E. Larger Greco-Roman World
1.
Prevailing culture of Roman Empire was Hellenistic; Greek was most
widely spoken language; early church was mostly Greek-speaking.
2.
3.
4.
Empire was filled with many new religions oriented towards
personal salvation of individuals.
Popular philosophies like Platonism, Stoicism, and Cynicism were
preached in marketplaces by wandering teachers.
Mystery religions were a category of cults devoted to various deities
(Demeter, Isis, Dionysus, Mithras, etc.).
a.
b.
c.
5.
Often featured myth of a dying and rising god.
Through secret rituals, initiate experiences death/rebirth of god;
becomes immortal, divine – like the god.
Christians adopted similar pattern, language.
Gnosticism was a philosophical religion of salvation by knowledge.
a.
b.
c.
d.
Based on dualism considering spirit to be good and matter to be evil.
Human being is good spirit imprisoned in evil, material body/world.
Salvation comes by knowledge (gnosis) which illuminates/liberates
spirit.
Fully developed Gnosticism was 2nd-cent. Christian heresy; early
Gnostic thought influenced Christianity in NT period.
Caesarea Philippi
NE Districts
(Philip)
(Antipas)
Sepphoris
Nazareth
(Antipas)
Bethlehem
Map of
Herodian
Palestine