Scriptures Final

Psalm 77

-Salvation History psalm

-Genre: Communal Lament (of national tragedy)

-Time of Composition: Babylonian Exile

-themes: doubting God during suffering, water, God’s power over those suffering

-purpose: recalling what God’s done in the past during hard times

Psalm 78

-Salvation History psalm

-Genre: Didactic Parable (i.e., teaching a lesson)

-Time of Composition: Shortly after 722 BCE (fall of Northern Kingdom)

-themes: God’s covenant faithfulness, Israel’s rebellion

-purpose: encourage future generations to remember God’s goodness and therefore stay faithful to the covenant

Psalm 105

-Salvation History psalm

-Genre: Communal Hymn of Praise

-Time of Composition: After the Babylonian Exile (the Persian Period)

-themes: praise, worship, God’s covenant faithfulness

-purpose: encourage continued faithfulness and worship, remember God’s faithfulness & mercy

Psalm 106

-Salvation History psalm

-Genre: Communal Penitential Prayer

-Time of Composition: Babylonian Exile

-themes: giving thanks, God’s mercy & faithfulness

-purpose: remembering & praising God’s faithfulness

Psalm 136

-Salvation History psalm

-Genre: Congregation Call and Response

-Time of Composition: After the Babylonian Exile (the Persian Period)

-themes: God’s goodness, His love endures forever

-purpose: dependence on God despite circumstance, repentance shows He is steadfast & consistent

Salvation History

-seen in Psalms

-shapes the life of faith

-recounts historical events of Israel in order to (re)narrate God's work of salvation in the history of God's people

-formative narrative for Israel

earliest complex manuscripts of NT

3-4th century CE (no og manuscripts)

NT organization

-4 gospels (technically anonymous)

-Acts of the Apostles

-13 Pauline Epistles (written by Paul/attributed to his authorship)

-Catholic Epistles (James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, Jude, Apocalyptic Epistle - Revelation)

figural interpretation - Jesus in the Jewish scriptures?

-making a connection btwn 2 events or persons by which the 2nd receives deeper significance from the first

-Does not assume that Old Testament authors consciously predicted or anticipated Jesus

-Retrospective: faith seeking understanding

1st century CE considerations

-The “New Testament” as a collection of 27 books did not exist

-There was no official Christian canon

-Connection between Christian Writings (New Testament) and Jewish Scriptures (Old Testament) was not a given

-The New Testament authors firmly believed that the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus was the culmination of Israel’s Scriptures

type - Jesus in the Jewish scriptures?

a figure, representation, event, or symbol of something

antitype - Jesus in the Jewish scriptures?

the fullest expression of the “type”

main point of Jesus in the Jewish scriptures

One can only grasp the full significance of the person and work of Jesus in the New Testament when they have a firm understanding of the Old Testament and Second Temple Judaism

gospel of Mark

Date: mid-60s CE

Audience: Gentile Christians in Rome

Purpose: communicate power & authority of Jesus as the Son of God

gospel of Luke

Date: around 85 CE

Audience: Theophilus (“lover of God”)

Purpose: give certainty by providing an orderly account of Jesus’ life & ministry

gospel of Matthew

Date: around 85 CE

Audience: largely a Jewish, Christian audience

Purpose: demonstrate that the life of Jesus should be understood as the fulfillment of the OT

gospel of John

Date: around 90 CE

Audience: Jewish & Gentile converts

Purpose: John 20:31 - “so that we continue to believe Jesus is Messiah”

-unique literary depictions of Jesus through “I AM” statements (John 8:58 - “before Abraham was, I am.”

2 “Gospel” considerations

-”Gospel” is not an exclusively Christian term (evangelion/good news)

-”Gospel” is not an exclusively biblical term

NT Gospels

biographical narratives recounting the history and theological significance of Jesus as Messiah

genre scholars often compare the gospels to

Greco-Roman Bios (biography)

-Plutarch, Suetonius

-topics from groups of standard motifs

unique genre features of NT gospels (set apart from Bios)

-Jesus is not just one great figure alongside others of interest

-Jesus’ life & death is presented as something that changes the course of history

-Jesus is portrayed as our contemporary (with us), not just a figure of the past

discrepancies btwn the Gospels

-Order of events

cleansing of the temple

geneaology

-Wording of teachings - Sermon on the Mount

-Unique content

John: wedding at Cana

Mark: no birth narrative, no genealogy

-Within genealogies (Matthew & Luke)

Plutarch’s preface to the “Life of Lycurgus”

there are contradictions/discrepancies on his life, but he still wanted to write the biography despite this

Biographical disparities…

do not undermine historical realities

first-century Roman World

-Roman Empire (1-2 century CE)

-cult of Emperors: temples, statues, deification as Son of God, coins, Priene calendar inscription

-everyone had to pour out libations/worship to Caesar

similarities btwn Priene Calendar Inscription & Mark 1

-birth of a savior

-divine being sent this savior (Providence/God)

-new era begins with birth of this savior

-divine status of savior

-savior will benefit humankind

-”beginning of good tidings” (Evangelion)

-good tidings for the world

Priene calendar inscription

-composed in 9 BCE (70 years before Mark’s gospel)

-refers to birth of Caesar Augustus as occasion for starting a new calendar system marked by his birth

Mark’s message in relation to the Priene Calendar Inscription

Jesus is the true “emperor” who brings the good news of salvation and deliverance (to the whole world, not just Rome)

pressing questions in Mark

-who is Jesus?

-when will the new covenant begin?

-what is the proper response to God’s new covenant?

Jesus’ healing ministry in Mark (7 miracles)

-casts out unclean spirit (1:23-28)

-heals Peter’s mother in law (1:29-34)

-heals paralyzed man (2:1-12)

-heals man with withered hand (3:1-6)

-raises Jairus’ daughter from dead (5:21-24, 35-43)

-heals deaf-mute man (7:31-37)

-casts out deaf-mute spirit (9:14-29)

shown from Isaiah 61:1, 35:4-6

Mark’s message about Jesus’ healing ministry

Jesus’s healing ministry demonstrates the inbreaking of God’s Kingdom, the New Covenant

issues with disconnecting Jesus from Judaism

-severs the connection to Israel’s Scriptures (OT)

-disregards Jesus’ historical anchorage

-creates tension between Christianity & Judaism

Jesus connected to Judaism

Jesus observed the Torah, taught the Torah, & interpreted the Torah

repeated phrase in Matthew 5 related to the Torah

-”you have heard … but I say …”

-not just a reference to the Torah, but Jesus is also alluding to certain interpretations of Torah by Rabbis (ex: love your neighbor, hate your enemy)

the Torah

central pillar of Jewish community

Mishnah

-oral teachings of the rabbinic sages

-eventually written down in 3rd century CE
-many teachings centered on Torah

-”Rabbi … says …”

uniqueness of Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus interpreting Torah

-”But I say to you”

-Jesus spoke as one in a place of authority

important point of Jesus & Torah

Jesus, rather than replacing Torah, was advocating for a deeper obedience to Torah

-He offers correctives to certain misinterpretations of Torah

-Matthew 5:17 - has not come to abolish the Law

Matthew’s unique emphasis on prophecy

“this was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet X”

Matthew’s unique gospel organization

1. Jesus’ Baptism (Matthew 3) - Israel passed through the water

2. testing in the wilderness (Matthew 4) - Israel tested in the wilderness

3. sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) - Moses declared God’s Law to God’s people

summation: Matthew 26:56 (“this has all taken place that the writings of the prophets might be fulfilled”)

main issue/critique with Matthew’s use of OT Scriptures

NT authors twist & misinterpret original sense of the texts

Pesher

-early Jewish interpretive tradition

-interpreting earlier prophetic texts in light of present circumstances in order to reveal a deeper meaning for the present generation

Pesher at Qumran

-Hab 1:6 - “for behold I am raising up the Chaldeans (Babylonians), the bitter & impetuous nation.”

-1QpHab 2:10-13 - concerns Kittim (Romans) who are swift & mighty in war to destroy many.

Matthew’s message concerning fulfillment of OT prophecy

Jesus is the fullest expression of Israel & Israel’s scriptures (embodiment)

Matthew 2:15

-references: Hosea 11:1 (Exodus 4:22) - "When Israel was a child, I loved him, and out of Egypt I called my son"

-referent: Israel

Matthew 8:17

-reference: Isaiah 53:4 (servant song) - “Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted.”

-referent: Israel (as they ought to be)

Matthew 12:18-21

-reference: Isaiah 42:1-4 (servant song) - “Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen one in whom I delight; I will put my Spirit on him, and he will bring justice to the nations. He will not shout or cry out, or raise his voice in the streets. A bruised reed he will not break, and a smoldering wick he will not snuff out. In faithfulness he will bring forth justice; he will not falter or be discouraged till he establishes justice on earth. In his teaching the islands will put their hope.”

-referent: Israel (or Cyprus, King of Persia)

Matthew 13:35

-reference: Psalm 78:1-2 - "My people, hear my teaching; listen to the words of my mouth. I will open my mouth with a parable; I will utter hidden things, things from of old—"

-referent: “I” = Asaph

Matthew 21:5

-references: Isaiah 61:11 - “For as the soil makes the sprout come up and a garden causes seeds to grow, so the Sovereign Lord will make righteousness and praise spring up before all nations” ; Zechariah 9:9 - “Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion! Shout, Daughter Jerusalem! See, your king comes to you, righteous and victorious, lowly and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey.”

-referent: unnamed future King

Exodus 12:13

-context: Passover (blood as a sign for the plague to pass over the houses)

-function: protection (from divine judgment)

-New Covenant meaning: Jesus’ blood will divert divine judgment

Luke 22

Passover, Jesus’ blood as the “blood of the new covenant”

Exodus 24:8

-context: Moses’ covenant ceremony (blood sealed the covenant)

-function: inauguration (sealing the covenant)

-New Covenant meaning: Jesus’ blood will inaugurate the new covenant for the people of God

Leviticus 17:11

-context: sacrificial laws

-function: atonement (forgiveness of sin through a substitutionary mediator/sacrificial lamb/wipe away)

-New Covenant meaning: Jesus’ blood will atone for the sins of Jesus’ followers

takeaway of the blood of the new covenant

By drawing upon several passages from Israel’s scriptures, Luke’s gospel communicates that Jesus’ mission inaugurates the new covenant.

figural interpretation of the blood of the new covenant

type=Passover lamb, antitype=Jesus Messiah (John 1:29)

Flavius Josephus - “Antiquities”

-historical testimony to Jesus’ life & death

-90 CE

-Jew, became a Roman, non-Christian

-said Jesus performed miracles & was crucified under Pontius Pilate

Tactitus - “Annals”

-historical testimony to Jesus’ life & death

-100 CE

-said Jesus was killed under Pilate

Phlegon - “Olympiades 13”

-historical testimony to Jesus’ life & death

-130 CE

-said that in 33 CE there was an eclipse and earthquake (matches Matthew 27)

Jesus’ followers response to His death

-sorrowful (Luke 23:48)

-knowing He’s dead (Luke 24:1) - preparing spices

-disappointed (Luke 24:21)

Jesus’ followers response to His resurrection

-doubt/disbelief (Luke 24:12, 41)

-perplexed (Luke 24:4)

-nonsense (Luke 24:11)

-frightened (Luke 24:37)

beliefs about the Resurrection in 1st century CE

-resurrection was not mere resuscitation

-resurrection always meant re-embodiment

-resurrection would only happen in the end time

these made it difficult to believe that Jesus resurrected

theological implications of Jesus’ Resurrection

1 Corinthians 15:17

“And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile; you are still in your sins.”

1 Corinthians 15:21–22

“For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man.
For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.”

1 Corinthians 15:54

“When the perishable has been clothed with the imperishable, and the mortal with immortality, then the saying that is written will come true: ‘Death has been swallowed up in victory.’”

Hebrews 9:12

“He did not enter by means of the blood of goats and calves; but he entered the Most Holy Place once for all by his own blood, thus obtaining eternal redemption.”

Hebrews 10:4

“It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.”

Hebrews 10:14

“For by one sacrifice he has made perfect forever those who are being made holy.”

Hebrews 10:20

“by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body,”

Hebrews 10:22

“let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water.”

Without the death and resurrection of Jesus,

there would be no Christianity.

John’s message through “I am” statements

Jesus is YHWH in human flesh & the fullest embodiment of Israel

I am the bread of life (John 6:30-51)

-OT type: Exodus 16:2-15

-signficance: God sent Jesus to feed the spirits of the people that needed Him

I am the door of the sheep (John 10:7-10)

-OT type: Psalm 118:14-20

-signficance: Jesus is the way to relationship with God

I am the good shepherd (John 10:11-14)

-OT type: Jeremiah 23:1-4, Ezekiel 37:24

-signficance: Jesus is communicating that He is the perfect ruler of Israel & will lead them on the right path

I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:5-7)

-OT type: Psalm 25:4-5, Isaiah 40:3

-signficance: Jesus is communicating that He was sent to show God’s truth & whoever follows Him will have eternal life

I am the true vine (John 15:1-5)

-OT type: Psalm 80:8-11, Hosea 10:1

-signficance: The vine is Israel, & Israel was corrupted, but since Jesus made the new covenant, they are no longer corrupted

key characteristics of the New Covenant Community

-belief in Jesus as Messiah

-The Gathering (ekklesia)

-mission/testimony

-charity/commune

-familial DNA

-persecution

-baptism

-the Holy Spirit

Joel 2:27-28,32 (Pentecost & OT)

-”the Lord” = Yahweh/God

-”all” = all Israel

Acts 2:14-21,36 (Pentecost & OT)

-”the Lord” = Jesus

-”all” = Jews & Gentiles

implication of expansion from Israel to all

true “Israel” (new covenant community) is defined not by tongue or culture, but by common faith in Jesus as Messiah.

new covenant salvation history

-Acts 13:16-43

-history of events that focus on God’s acts of salvation on humanity’s behalf

What united early Christians was that they…

told and lived a form of Israel’s story which reached its climax in Jesus & which then issued in their spirit-given new life and task.

Christianity was first…

emphatically Jewish rather than pagan. Secondarily, it was emphatically Christian, rather than Jewish in the sense of an ethnic & Torah-based identity.

main point about the new covenant community

There is both continuity & discontinuity btwn the OT covenant people (Israel) & the NT people of God (the Church)