religion 1005 exam 2 Dr. Burkett

miracle story

relates a miracle performed by jesus

Pronouncement story

a brief anecdote in which Jesus makes a statement about some issue (combines narrative with a saying)

Controversy story

relates a dispute between two parties, generally Jesus/the disciples and other jews. Jesus will raise the issue and justify the christian community beliefs

maxim

a short statement of the way things work in life // (proverb) reflects traditional wisdom

Parable

comparison between two objects or ideas// usually compare the kingdom of God with a familiar aspect of life

example story

gives an example of how one should or should not act

The gospel traditions were used in a socio-religious setting. The functions of them consisted of instruction, moral exhortation (how they should be living), apologetic (justified beliefs), faith building, and worship

In what settings were the gospel traditions used? What functions did they serve?

1)Modification of existing traditions

--Luke modified "good things" to "holy spirit"

2)Incorrect attribution of sayings to Jesus

--Sometimes they passed on sayings without identifying who said them

3)Creation of new traditions

Describe 3 major ways in which the gospel traditions changed and developed.

It counts Mark and Q as the two primary sources→ it assumes the priority of Mark, the existence of Q, and the existence of special sources for MAtthew and Luke

Explain the two-document hypothesis.

-Mark got this material from a source that has now been lost// designate this hypothetical source with the letter "Q"

-"Q" consists primarily of teaching rather than stories, therefore, "Q" was collection of sayings

Define or identify: Q

It's not very accurate for 3 reasons:

1)Agreements of matthew and luke against mark→ both matthew and luke have information that mark never mentions

2)Features unique to mark→ since mark uses Q, matthew and luke are not consistent with mark

3)Conflation in Mark→ there are combinations in mark of matthew and luke

What is the main problem with the two-document hypothesis?

-Mark does not present Jesus as a preexistence divine being

-Mark does not present Jesus as the offspring of a virgin mother and a divine father

-Mark does not give a genealogy of Jesus, tracing his ancestry back to king david

Review what Mark does not say about Jesus.

Central problem: How can a crucified man be the messiah?

What central problem or question in early Christianity led Mark to present a new conception of the Messiah?

Presents him as a strict rabbi// reflects a judaic christian community

-----A strict rabbi would support jewish lifestyle

In what ways do the antithesis in Matthew's Sermon on the Mount (Matt 5:17-48) present Jesus as a strict rabbi?

Community of "M" → material represents the traditions of one or more judaic christian communities.

Location? → since "M" limits evangelism to the cities of israel, it apparently came from a community somewhere in Palestine

Apostle? → Peter, "M" contains material about Peter that appears nowhere else, and he is the only disciple who plays a role in it

Central concerns? →

1.) necessity of keeping the law

2.) ethical perfectionism→ M shows a stricter attitude toward the law

3.) community relations→ shows the "church" as an organized community

What type of community does M represent? Where were they located? What apostle did they follow? What were some of their central concerns?

Method of organization? → he chose to group this material by theme, organizing it into five major discourses (speeches or sermons):

-Sermon on the mount

-Missionary discourse

-Parable discourse

-Community relations discourse

-Denunciation of scribes and pharisees

Describe matthews method of organization and his quotation of scriptures.

-Compare: both state that Mary was a virgin, who bore the baby that would be the Messiah

-Contrast: in Luke, the gospel focuses on Mary's perspective in detail, while in Matthew, the passage focuses on Joseph's feelings and experiences when finding he would be the human father of Christ

Compare and contrast matthew and luke's birth narratives:

1) Salvation for non-Jews (gentiles, samaritans)

2) Salvation for the underdog→ underdog meaning, those with low standings in the community (poor or oppressed, and women)

3) The holy spirit

4) True discipleship→ speaks of virtues (MANY ARE HUMILITY)

5) The coming of the kingdom

Community concerns of Luke found in passages:

Luke includes a tradition that the risen Jesus gave his disciples a specific commission to preach to all the Gentile nations

How did a Jewish Messiah wind up with a Gentile church?

He focuses on the low standing social groups who will soon inherit the kingdom of God. These groups are the sinful and lost, the poor and oppressed, and women.

What social groups does luke especially focus on? Why?

Functions as Jesus' "inaugural address" for Jesus' ministry→ serves as an introduction, and draws in Luke's central themes

What significance does the story of Jesus' rejection of nazareth have in Luke's gospel?

1) Gives Luke a place to put a lot of material that does not fit elsewhere in his story

2) Uses it to symbolize Jesus' life by picturing it as a journey in which he "sets his face"

3) To symbolize the path that each disciple of Jesus must also follow

What purposes does the Travel narrative serve in Luke's composition?

Its relation to other groups and its own special beliefs and practices

What were some major concerns of the Johannine community?

Beloved disciple

has the place of honor next to Jesus, while peter can speak to Jesus only through this individual// he alone is present at the crucifixion, and Jesus entrusts his mother to him

paraclete

John uses this term to refer to the "holy spirit" / a term meaning comforter, helper, or intercessor

Gospel of thomas

These passages have nothing to do with the birth of Jesus; they relate to his "magnificent childhood deeds" between the ages of 5-8

the gospel of peter

the fragment begins in the middle of Jesus' trial and breaks off in the middle of what is apparently a resurrection appearance // written in first person

the infancy gospel of thomas

Which gospel has curse stories in which Jesus curses other children?

Criterion of multiple attestation

occurs in several different gospels // helps to identify the earliest tradition, since the tradition must be earlier than any of the independent sources in which it is found

Criterion of embarrassment

material which tended to embarrass the church or contradict its viewpoint would probably not have been created by the church and may therefore preserve historical information

Criterion of dissimilarity

if a tradition reflects a concern that was typical of the early church, then such material may have originated in that context

Criterion of coherence (or consistency)

that it is consistent with other traditions

-In one gospel Jesus is eating with tax collectors - mark

-In another he doesn't eat with gentiles, only jewish

-Mark he is quiet about who he is

-In john he is telling everyone he is the messiah

-They wanted a meaningful Jesus - strict or lenient rabbi

Describe some different portraits of Jesus that scholars have proposed in the quest for the historical Jesus.

-Idea that Jesus is legitimating his ministry

-Holy Spirit - theme throughout Luke

-Luke focuses on HS more than any other author

-Anointed one

-God takes care of his prophet

What is the central theme of Luke-Acts?

poor and lower class

what are the central themes in Luke?

Jesus talks about being the Son of Man the entire time

what are the central themes in John?

Jesus keeps quiet about who he truly is

what is the central theme of Mark?

Jesus from age 5-8, would curse people (cocky child)

what is the central theme of thomas?

Mary is born immaculate

what is the central theme of James?

A forgiving Jesus and a strict Jesus

what is the central theme in matthew?

triple tradition

Mark is the source coming from the later two

double tradition

Luke and matthew coming from Q

omitted from Luke

Material only in mark and matthew

luke copied, and matthew omitted

Material only in luke and mark