Xenia's Notes from 2/4

2/4/2016 Notes Christian Traditions

Learn BOLDED dates.(moodle)

*Year 70 destruction of Jerusalem temple. -> memorize

Identify Places on a map (moodle)

Annotate places on a map for 2 participation points.

Know about Constantine!!

----Acts, Messiahs, and Early Christianity----

The Emergence of Christian Traditions in the first century CE

Earliest movement of Christianity sometimes called “The Way” we are unsure of when followers became called Christians in first century.

Earliest movement comes out of Second Temple Judaism Earliest Christians adopt the idea that religion is how you "walk" the world.

Second Temple Judaism 6th century BCE -> 1st Century CE

Characterized by the spread of Hellenism throughout the Mediterranean and Near East.

After destruction of first Temple

Hasmoneans rule during this time

Many rulers during this long time period

Persian, Hellenistic, Jewish, Roman

Hellenism -The spread of Greek culture

Alexander the Great

Macedonian

Lover of all things Greek

4th century BCE

Conquers much of Macedonia and Near east

Advocate of Hellenism

Uses Koine Greek as language (Common)

Koine is the language of New Testament

Spreads Religion and culture

and synchronism (The blending of religions)

Diaspora - The Dispersion of Jews

1 Maccabees - Written in Greek

Historical account of what happens after Alexander’s death

Antiochus - described as “sinful roots”

Jews taking “Gentile” customs

Building Gymnasium

Throwing away of unique Jewish Identity

Removing the marks of circumcision

Variety of ways Jews are responding to Hellenism

Some Embracing Hellenism

Some Rejecting

-Political

-Embrace of Torah-Pharisaic / Rabbinic Judaism

-Apocalypticism / Messianism  

Apocalypse - To remove a veil

Apocalyptic texts - Show how bad things have become, God will come to fix things.

Messianism - Relates to messiah / the idea of being a saviour

Messiah - Anointed one (No necessary connotation to divinity or humanity)

Gets translated in Greek as Christos and becomes             . title

1. Prophetic - Someone who calls people to reform John the Baptist
2. Royal - David
3. Priestly

^ All ways of understanding a Messiah

Gospel Writers- Wrote books about Jesus

Romans are in power in 1st century CE

Jesus doesn’t overthrow kings, He gets Crucified

Jesus not the only Messianic figure.

Many Jews at this time uninterested in a Messiah

Josephus -  best source of Jewish history

--Book of Acts

Two volumes

Second volume of Luke

Movement from Jerusalem to”ends of the world”

Ends with Paul  going to Rome

Probably written after destruction of jewish temple around 80 or 90

Jesus dies around ~ 33

Narrative with certain authorial perspective

Unfolding of earliest Christian narrative

Argument has to be made as Jesus is crucified. -Acts 5:30 -32

This argument is based upon re-reading of particular text:

Messiah like David: Acts 2:22 -36

Messiah like Moses: Acts 3:11-26

Torah Law

A

Neviim Prophets
A
Ketuvium Writings

Acts uses Psalms and Prophets to argue for Jesus as Messiah

Jesus is killed by those outside law, or Torah (Romans)

David understood as author of many of the Psalms

Acts claims Jesus fits every type of Messiah

Tanak -> Learn

Early christian community is apocalyptic, charismatic, and communal.

Charismatic - Having gifts

Pentecost - Jesus leaves and the spirit comes down into the followers.

Earliest movements understand Jewish texts, go to Temple and synagogues.

Cornelius - centurion and gentile who joins movement.

Movement quickly spreads to gentiles

Luke offers a positive view of diversity of views among earliest Christians, many conflicting perspective.

Paul -  most prolific early christian author

Jew, Persecutes early followers of christ

Writes in 50 - 60

1 Thessalonians - earliest Christian writings.

Claims he takes the movement to the gentiles not Peter.

Contradicted by Acts