New Testament Exam 4 - Steve Hunt, Gordon College (YB EDITS)

Hebrews Date

- latest possible: 85-90 AD
- earliest possible: not before 55-60 AD
- before 70 AD (maybe) because of sacrifice system

Strongest case for possible authors of Hebrews

Priscilla and Aquilla

Why Paul wouldn't be author of Hebrews

- No author is named
- Hebrews is placed after Philemon in the canon
- Letter doesn't use "Christ Jesus" or 'in Christ Jesus'
- Ressurection is not a major theme

Possible Author of Hebrews

(Probably NOT Paul)
- Barnabas ( Jewish mission )
- Apollos ( rhetorically eloquent - well-versed in the scriptures)
- Luke ( we know he can write well)
- Clement of Rome ( Written to church of Rome)

Case for Priscilla and Aquilla as authors of Hebrews

- Good teachers
- Associated with Timothy
- Hosts of a house church in Rome
- Transitions from 'we' to 'I' suitable to married couple
- Feminine interest in history -> Sarah (in Hebrews 11) -> Anti-feminist tendencies

Origin of Hebrews

Only God knows

Recipients of Hebrews

(Does NOT specify Hebrews)
- Majority of scholars say it was written to a church of Jews and Gentiles in Rome
- Ancient view: written to the church in Jerusalem
- Modern consensus: written to church in Rome

Purpose and Theme of Hebrews

DO NOT ABANDON THE SALVATION FOUND ONLY IN CHRIST
- warnings against "apostasy" - willful rejection of faith

Superiority of Jesus

- Over prophets, angels, and Moses
- warnings and admonitions interspersed
used by the early church to determine that no sin should be committed after sin (emperor Constantine)

Superiority of Jesus' Priesthood

- He is compassionate
- He became like us in every way; suffered testing like we do - he was able not to sin v. he was not able to sin

Superiority of Jesus sacrifice

Christ is "once for all"
Christ's ministry is in heaven in the new tabernacle
Christ's work is based on a new covenant
Christ willingly offered himself

James date written

before 140 AD - quoted in Shepard of Hermes

Possible author of James

called "epistle of straw" by Martin Luther
(son?) of Alphaeus - one of the 12
"James the Great" brother of John; son of Zebedee
Most likely: Brother of Jesus

James

leader of church in Jerusalem.
wasn't convinced by Jesus ministry until after resurrection.
Socially Conscious of the poor & marginalized

Tertullian

Jesus had younger siblings (4 brothers and sisters)

Protoevengalium of James

child of previous wife of Joseph

Jerome in 4th century / catholic position

James (and 'siblings') were actually cousins of Jesus

why was James Leader of church in Jerusalem?

Dynastic succession (brother of Jesus)

James a Sermon or letter?

Not stylistically a letter so probably a sermon

James Epigrammatic style:

Collection of terse, memorable statements; not an argument

Horatory content

exhortation and action; right action

more allusions to Jesus than anywhere else in NT

James

which author knows wisdom teaching

James

which book uses LXX (Septuagint) and has excellent Greek?

James

Themes of James

Faith and works
(common protestant view)
Faith acted out in works

James 2:24 vs. Galatians 2:16

"man is justified by works & not by faith alone"
vs.
"man is not justified by work of the law but faith through Christ"

Rich & Poor in James

Decries favoritism toward the wealthy
- woe to those who use/abuse the system for profit

The Tongue in James

the way we speak matters
quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger
control your tongue

Anointing of the Sick in James

- Ancients thought of sickness to be a result of sin
- confession of sin

1 Peter date

64-67 AD

If 1 Peter is pseudpigraphical, what is the date of 1 Peter

80s-90's

Suffering and Persecution in 1 Peter

persecution was local (few state- sponsored campaigns)
- fire language

Living as Christian witness in a pagan world

- living honorable even though they are maligned as evil doers.
- house hold code: based on Greco-Roman morality
- Does God endorse patriarchalism
- Christian persecuted because they were charged as atheists
- Blamed for not honoring the Gods when natural disasters occurred.

would Peter tell people to honor the emperor?

could be calming revolutionary fervor

most disputed letter in the NT

2nd Peter

why 2nd Peter is disputed

- terribly written greek
- focus on delay of parousia
- why would he refer to all the scriptures hadn't been completed?
- borrows from Jude
- affinity to Testamentary literature

book is a sermon not a letter

1 John

author

elder John ?

Theme of 2nd John

Hang onto to tradition (orthodoxy)
don't show hospitality to FALSE teachers

Theme of 3rd John

show hospitality to Teachers of the Truth

Author of Jude

Jesus' Brother

Theme of Jude

False teachers will be destroyed

define prophecy

speaking forth the word of God

Define Fortelling

predicting the future

Define forth telling

speaking God's word to one generation

7 Churches of Revelation

Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis, Philadelphia, Laodicea

Theme of Revelation

hang on in persecution; remain faithful to your confessions on faith

part 1 of revelatory experience

7 seals

part 2 of revelatory experience

not a continuation, but another perspective on the story from the beginning

trumpets 1-4

comparable to plagues in Egypt

Trumpets 5-6

3 woes

7th trumpet

"it is done" & God reigns