RELI 1001: EXAM 3 (David Williams) Life of Jesus & Paul

Who is the central figure of Christianity?

Jesus

What does mashiach mean?

Massiah

What is Jesus regarded as by his early followers?

The promised Massiah

What is Jesus regarded as by his later (Greek speaking) followers?

christos

What do the terms mashiach and christos represent?

"an anointed one"

How did Jesus get the last part of his name "Christ?"

from the greek word Christos

Where do our best sources about Jesus come from?

The opening books in the New Testament

- the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John

- Mostly from Matthew, Mark, and Luke

What are the Synoptic Gospels?

- Matthew, Mark, Luke

- they "see things together" in numerous respects (unlike John)

differences in John vs the Synoptic Gospels?

John:

- Jesus's public ministry appears to last at least three years,

Synoptics:

- Jesus's public ministry seems to take place within one year

What information to the Gospels lack about Jesus?

- what he looked like

- information about him as a grown man

Where do we get more information about Jesus from?

chapter entitled "The Life of Jesus" in a book edited by Hershel Shanks, Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism: A Parallel History of Their Origins and Early Development

When was Jesus born?

- 4 BCE

- near the end of Herod's reign.

Where did Jesus grow up?

- the north of Judea/Palestine

- In Nazareth, a Galilean village.

Who was Jesus baptized by?

John the Baptist

Who is John the Baptist?

- baptized Jesus

- widely thought of as a prophet

- preached that God would establish a kingdom in the immediate future

How old was Jesus when he was baptized?

30

What launched Jesus career as a teacher?

His baptism by John

Where did Jesus teach?

- in the towns, villages, and open areas (apparently not cities) of Galilee.

What did Jesus preach?

"the kingdom of God"

What were the students of the Rabbis called by Jesus?

Disciples

How many disciples did Jesus have?

12

Why is it believed that there are 12 disciples?

To represent the 12 tribes of Israel

disciples

Greek term meaning "Pupils"

Why did Jesus go to Jerusalem?

for observe Passover with his disciples

What did Jesus do that was seen as bad in Jerusalem?

- created a disturbance in the Temple area

- by overthrowing tables used by money changers (had profit motives)

What did Jesus and his disciples do on the Thursday in Jerusalem?

- Had a passover seder meal

What happened to Jesus in Jerusalem after the seder?

- He was arrested and interrogated by Jewish authorities/ Roman soilders

- turned over to the specifically the high priest and Roman Procurator Pontius Pilate

Why did the jewish authorities not like Jesus?

- He was regarded as the messiah by his disciples

- suggested that the Romans would be replaced soon by the restoration of the Jewish kingdom

How was Jesus killed?

- He was executed on the orders of the Roman procurator, Pontius Pilate.

- By crucifixion

What happened to Jesus after he was buried?

- his tomb was found empty

- His followers asserted that he had risen from the dead

- he would return to found the kingdom

What idea did Jesus disciples spread after his execution?

- they came to believe that he would return to found the kingdom

- They formed a community to await his return and sought to win others to believe in him as God's Messiah.

Who created the division of BC and AD?

a Christian monk named Dionysius Exiguus

What was the error in the BC and AD division?

- There was a miscalculation that resulted in the division coming four years later than it should have.

What does Jesus mean by the Kingdom of God?

- Could be interpreted as the Messiah restoring the Jews' former kingdom

- a significant change that will come or is already coming

- Not a physical thing we see. "is among you"

- will have cosmic signs

What did Jesus primarily teach about? What nickname did this give him?

love and peace

- "Prince of Peace"

What did Jesus preach about on the "Sermon on the Mount"?

Peace

Who is also seen as the central founder of Christianity?

Paul

Did Paul and Jesus ever meet?

no

What is Paul often called? and what does it mean?

Paul the Apostle

- one who is sent out (a missionary)

Where did we get a lot of the information about Paul?

Several letters written by him in the New Testament

- where he reveals some of his background

When was Paul born?

10 CE

Where was Paul born?

In Tarsus

- a town in Asia Minor (now Turkey)

How was Paul raised (religion)?

A Jewish Pharisee

What did Jesus's followers go after his death? what did they do?

- remained in Jerusalem

- Visited the temple on a daily basis to persuade other Jews that Jesus was the Messiah

What were the followers of Jesus religious affiliation and name after his death?

- remained a sect or subgroup of Judaism

- called the "Jesus Movement"

Why were Jews skeptical of Jesus?

They were supposed to be freed and have their kingdom restored by the messiah

- but this "messiah" was executed by the Romans

- and they were still under the thumb of the Romans

What did some in the Jesus Movement insist someone needed to do to follow Jesus?

that one had to be a jew

- if not, they could not be saved

What did Paul think about the need to be jewish to be able to be saved?

he disagreed

What conclusion did they come to at the Jerusalem council? (meeting with Paul and the leaders of the Jesus movement)

- the Jesus Movement would continue to try to convince Jews about Jesus as the Messiah

- Paul and his associates would preach about Jesus Christ among Gentiles (Gentiles would NOT have to become or live like Jews to follow Christ.)

Where did Paul go after the Jerusalem council? and to do what?

Paul went to Asia Minor and Greece

- to do extensive missionary work

What happened to Paul during his return trip to Jerusalem

- he was arrested

- served time in prison

How was Paul's death?

- taken to Rome for trial after being arrested

- During this time Rome was persecuting Christians

- eventually executed

what was Jesus's favored teaching device?

Parables

The Good Samaritan

- one of Jesus's Parables

- A man going from Jerusalem to Jericho is attacked by robbers who strip him and beat him. A priest and a Levite pass by without helping him. But a Samaritan stops and cares for him, taking him to an inn where the Samaritan pays for his care

Hebrew word for Parable

Mashal

Greek word for parable

Parabolē