New Testament History Exam 2

social convention

the idea that each genre has its own characteristics and expectations

important for contextual meaning

What reader’s expectations have to do with genre

Didactic purpose, showed characteristics of a biography about Jesus

What does it mean to say that the NT Gospels are “theological biographies”

OT: no independent biographies; NT: has indepedent biographies

Differences between the OT and NT

Birth of Moses and Jesus, Moses mentioned in close relationship with Jesus in NT, Moses and Jesus performed similar miracles

Similarities between the OT and NT

Greco-Roman paradigms

Subject shows pattern of virtues

Subject is an example of values to teach

How paradigms relate to Greco-Roman biographies

Modern biographies are particular

How Greco-Roman biographies are different from modern biographies

Greco-Roma biographies weren’t very particular

How the subject’s particularites has to do with the different between modern and Greco-Roman biographies

Both have didactic purpose and plausible

Similarities between NT Gospels and Greco-Roman

Gospel’s paradigm went beyond paradigm, Jesus as messiah for Didactic purpose

Differences between the Gospels and Greco-Roman

Historical an Contemporary

Meaning of what is means by “the Gospels were written on two ‘levels’”

the events of Jesus’ life

Historical level of the Gospels

concerns of writer’s present circumstances

Contemporary level of the Gospels

big picture reasonability and workability

Big picture “historical plausibility” of Greco-Roman and Gospels

doesn’t go into details about the years of Jesus’ life before ministry

What plausibility has to do with details in the Gospels

Matthew, Mark, Luke

What makes up the Synoptic gospels

all follow the same broad outlilne of Jesus’ ministry

Why synoptic gospels are called synoptic

Mark

The shortest gospel

Luke

The longest gospel

Matthew

Gospel most in common with Mark

mark

Synoptic gospell thought to provide the basic outline of Jesus’ ministry which the others follow

Talks about Luke writing his biography after researching

What Luke 1:1-4 haveto say about why an explanation of synoptic relationships may be helpful

two-source theory

Mark and Q used as sources in Matthew and Luke

Mark and Q

Two sources of the two-source theory

Mark

First gospel written according to the two-source theory

Q

“quelle”; sayings of Jesus

no phyiscal source/copy has been found

Why Q is the “hypothetical document”

Gospel of Thomas

Document found that is similar to Q

Make Jesus’ teachings memorable

role of parables in Jesus’ teachings

Illustrates reversal of status

Way the parable of the rich man and Lazarus is “paradoxical”

kingdom of God

Major theme of Jesus’ teaching

Kingdom of God

God’s rule/reign

nothing

What the kingdom of God has to do with heaven

Kingdom of God isn’t mentioned as much in the rest of he NT

How the prominence of the kingdom of God in the Gospels compared with the rest of the NT

Jews

Main participants in the kingdom during Jesus’ ministru

it changes things now

Kingdom of God in the present

eschatology (last things)

Kingdom of God in the future

Mark 8:27-33 (the turning point)

First time a disciple calls Jesus “messiah” in Mark

Messianic secret

A major theme of Mark seen in Mark 8:27-33

During crucifixion (Mark 15:39)

First time someone in Mark recognizes Jesus as the Song of god

the crucified Messiah

Theme of Mark seen in Mark 15:39

Markan Parado

Song of God as a human being; the crucified Messiah

Messianic secret

Jesus doesn’t want his messiahship known

Jesus is the crucified Messiah

What the messianic secret has to do with Mark’s paradox

Misunderstandings and failures

Theme of Mark that’s a result of the crucified Messiah, possibly addressed to those under persecution, part of an “earthly realism”

earthy realism

Jesus portrayed as human

Jesus portrayed as a real huuman being

How the misunderstandings theme relate to Mark’s “paradox”

Those under persecution

Possible audience for the Gospel of Mark with the misunderstandings theme

Cross

Propaganda tool for the pax romana

Cross is Roman method of execution, not Jewish

Manner of Jesus’ death that has to do with Roman involvement vs. Jewish involvement

authors never identified themselves in any Gospel

In what sense are the gospels “anonymous”

Mark was the interpreter of Peter

Where Mark got his information for his gospel according to Papias

Ecclesiastical History

Where we find Papias’s observation about Mark’s source for his gospel

weren’t part of the original manuscript

What’s unusual about the ending of Mark (16:9-20)

mysterious ending consistent with Mark

How ending at Mark 16:8 might fit with Mark’s overall picture of Jesus

Relates himself to the Law of Moses

How Jesus refers to the Law of Moses in the sermon on the Mount

Jesus is the New Moses (Fulfillment)

How the sermon on the mount is used for understanding Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus

Sayings of Jesus in Hebrew

What Papias said about Matthew that is an early indication of someone recognizing Matthew’s Jewish character

Geneology, Joseph’s birth narrative, Moses and Jesus parallel, Law on the Sermon of the Mount, Circumlocutions for God

Jewish features of Matthew

Wouldn’t say Yahweh out loud according to Jewish tradition

Why “kingdom of heaven” occur only in Matthew

anointed

What messiah means in Luke’s “Nazareth synagogue sermon”

the important role of the Spirit

Why Jesus’ “Nazareth synagogue sermon” is important for understanding Luke’s portrayal of Jesus

good news for the poor; freedom for the captives; sight for the blind; liberty for the oppressed

How good news is described in the sermon

the year of the Lord’s favor

Where Jubilee is referred to in the “Nazareth synagogue sermon”

Jesus is applying the Spirit of Jubilee to himself

Importance of Jubilee in Luke’s portrayal of Jesus

Same author, both focus on salvation and the spirit

The relationship of Luke’s gospel to Acts

Forgiveness, healing, freedom from oppression, reversal

Examples of salvation in Luke

Reversal in Luke

reversal of people’s circumstances/situation/status and reorientation oof values

greatest and least, Pharisee and tax collector, invited and univited

Examples of reversal in Luke

Reversal of fortunes is descriptive; reorientatio of values in prescriptive

Way the reversal is said to be both a reversal of fortunes and a reorientation of values

reversal of fortunes: poor and rich; Reorientation of values: blessing and curse

Reversal inthe Rich man and Lazarus

Good news for the poor

How the Rich man and Lazarus relate to the good news

No messianic secret, Jesus sent from the Father and is dependent on the Father

Distinctiveness of John’s gospel

Identity is the focus; kingdom in relation to identity

How Jesus talk about Himself in John in relation to the kingdom of God

No blasphemy accusations until trial in synoptics; Jesus is accused of Blasphemy early on

Blasphemy of John compared to synoptics

Uses “I am” which God refers to himself in OT

Why Jesus is accused of blasphemy in John

Long discourses, Few parables, figures of speech

Jesus’s teaching style in John compared to the synoptics

John is upfront where the synoptics are between the lines

Summary of John’s distinctiveness

In the prologue; defines Jesus as the Word

How John gives a “theology of revelation”

Prologue, Book of Signs, Book of glory, epilogue

4 sections of John

emphasis on worship, contrast with connection to the crucifixion, Jesus as replacement of the Temple

Why the temple incident is placed early in John

miracles referred to as signs

Why “book of signs” got its name in John

Jesus’ death is his glorification

Why “book of glory” got its name in John

synoptics reject “signs”, John uses “signs”

Use of signs in John compared to the synoptics

Jesus applies himself to end times

What Jesus has to do with eschatology in John