New Testament Exam 1

old testament

the Hebrew scriptures of Judaism; the sacred writings that Christians inherited and read as preparation for Jesus

oral period

the time when jesus’ teachings and stories about him were passed down by word of mouth before being written down (30-70 CE)

gospel

“good news” ; the written accounts of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection (matthew, mark, luke, and john)

epistle

a letter written to early christian communities (ex. Paul’s letters)

Marcion

2nd-century Christian who rejected the Old Testament and made his own canon, forcing the church to define the true canon

canonization

the process by which the church decided which books were Scripture

Athanasius’ Easter Letter

first document to list the 27 books of the new testament we have today (367 CE)

Vulgate

latin translation of the Bible by Jerome ; became standard Bible of Western Christianity

Alexander the Great

conquered Judea (332 BCE) and spread Greek culture (Hellenization) across the region

Seleucus & Ptolemy

Greek generals who split Alexander’s empire ; Judea was fought over between their kingdoms

Hellenism

Spread of Greek Culture, language, philosophy, and religion

Aristotle

Greek philosopher whose ideas influenced Hellenistic thinking and later Christian theology

Antiochus Epiphanes

Selucid ruler who outlawed Jewish practices and desecrated the Temple

Maccabean Revolt (167 BCE)

Jewish rebellion against Antiochus; led to Jewish independence

Temple

center of Jewish worship and sacrifice in Jerusalem

Hasmoneans

Jewish dynasty that led after the Maccabean Revolt

Josephus

Jewish historian who wrote about Jewish history and Jesus’ time

polytheism

multiple gods (Greco-Roman)

monotheism

one God (Judaism)

Greco-Roman religion

polytheistic system of gods and rituals, including emperor worship

emperor worship

Romans treated the emperor as divine; Christians refused this

Tacitus

Roman historian who wrote about Jesus’ execution under Pilate

Pliny the Younger

Roman official who wrote about early Christians worshipping Christ

Caesar Augustus

Roman emperor during Jesus’ birth

Herod the Great

King of Judea under Rome; ruled when Jesus was born

Pontius Pilate

Roman governor who ordered Jesus’ crucifixion

The Jewish Revolt (66-70 CE)

Jewish rebellion against Rome; ended with destruction of the Temple

Messiah

“anointed one” ; expected Jewish deliverer/King

Son of God

title meaning special relationship with God; later understood as divine

Son of Man

Jesus’ favorite title for himself; linked to Daniel’s apocalyptic figure

Sadducees

wealthy Jewish sect (aristocratic) who were Temple elite; rejected the resurrection and oral traditions

Pharisees

influential Jewish sect who emphasized strict law-keeping and oral traditions; teachers

Essenes

Jewish separationist group during Second Temple period; voluntary poverty; Dead Sea Scrolls

Zealots

Jewish political movement that violently opposed Roman rule in Judea

Torah

the first five books of the Old Testament; Jewish law

oral tradition of Pharisees

interpretations of the Torah passed down orally

Septuagint

Greek translation of the Old Testament used by early Christians

Historical Jesus

academic study of what Jesus was actually like in history

Hermann Reimarus

argued Jesus was a failed political revolutionary

Albert Schweitzer

said Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet who mistakenly expected the end soon

Rudolf Bultmann

said we must “demythologize” the Gospels to find the message

criteria for historical Jesus research

multiple attestation, dissimilarity, embarrassment, coherence

resurrection

belief that God raised Jesus from the dead

Kingdom of God

sovereign rule and reign of God over all creation established through Jesus Christ

parables and aphorisms

short stories and sayings Jesus used to teach

miracles

signs of the Kingdom of God (healing, exorcisms, nature miracles)

Parousia

second coming/return of Christ

realized eschatology

belief that the end times have already happened through Jesus

inaugurated eschatology

belief that Jesus brought the beginning of the Kingdom but it is not complete yet

redaction criticism

study of how writers edited sources to make theological points

source criticism

study of sources behind the Gospels

textual criticism

study of manuscripts to determine original wording

Galilee

region where Jesus lived and preached; rural, poor, fertile, heavily Jewish