Semester 2 Exam Background Notes

New Testament, Gospels, MMLJ

Mark: Written by whom?

Gentile Christian, unknown specific author, possibly a disciple of Peter

Mark: Written when?

65-70 CE

Mark: Written for whom?

Gentile (non-Jewish) Christians experiencing persecution because of their belief in Jesus

Mark: Image of Jesus

healer and miracle worker who accepts suffering as a cost for following God’s will

Mark: specific detail

earliest and shortest Gospel

Mark: 2 key questions

Who is Jesus the Christ?, What does it mean to be a disciple of Jesus Christ?

Mark: 4 major sections

1) Preparation of the Ministry

2) The Mystery of Jesus and the Beginning of the Ministry

3) The Mystery Begins to be Revealed

4) The Full Revelation of the Mystery of Jesus

Mark: Symbol of the gospel

the lion

Matthew: Written by whom?

Jewish Christian, unknown specific author; traditionally associated with apostle Matthew

Matthew: Written when?

85 CE

Matthew: Written for whom?

Jewish Christians

Matthew: specific detail

the author links Jesus to important Jewish traditions and then gives them new meaning

Matthew: Image of Jesus

• the greatest prophet who brings the new law

• shows Jesus as the promised son of David, the fulfillment of what the Jewish people had been waiting for: the Messiah

Matthew: Symbol of the gospel

the angel

Luke: Written by whom?

Gentile Christian named Luke who may have been a disciple of Paul

Luke: Written when?

80-90 CE

Luke: Written for whom?

Gentile Christians represented by the Theophilus

Luke: author shows?

both Jews and Gentiles are welcome with Jesus

Luke: Emphasizes?

justice and compassion for all, even outcasts and sinners

Luke: Image of Jesus

merciful, compassionate with a special concern for poor people, women, Gentiles, any vulnerable or marginalized person or group

Luke: Symbol of Gospel

the ox

Theophilus

friend of God

John: Written by whom?

unknown specific author; a member of a Christian community possibly founded by “the Beloved Disciple”

John: Written when?

90-100 CE

John: Written for whom?

All Christians of the world

John: Image of Jesus

noble, powerful, divine; fully in control of his destiny

John: 2 symbols of Jesus

the Word and the “light that overcomes darkness”

John: “the Word”

the Word was with God since the beginning and then became flesh (“Incarnation”)

John: “the light”

If you follow the light, your life will have meaning and direction

John: Symbol of Gospel

the eagle

John: specific detail

writing is very sophisticated and the writer shows great ability in the writing and theology

Syn. VS John: Jesus’ teachings

Syn: focused on the kingdom

John: focused on relationships

Syn. VS John: How Jesus teaches

Syn: through parables, healings, and miracles

John: performs 7 miraculous signs and explains their meanings

Syn. VS John: Holy Spirit

Syn: not mentioned very much

John: mentioned often; there are several passages about the role of the Holy Spirit

Paraclete

advocate

Syn. VS John: Jesus’ Death

Syn: human, difficult, tragic

John: not tragic; its is the glorious return to the Father

What are the 4 gospels?

Matthew, Mark, Luke, John

Which are the synoptics?

Matthew, Mark, Luke

What do the synoptics focus on?

the life and teachings of Jesus

synoptic

seeing the whole together

evangelion

spreads good news

gospel

“good news”, 4 different perspectives about Jesus’ life

Gospels are not _______ ___, but rather _______ ________

historical books, faithful statements

church

community

What did gospel writers base their books on?

their audience

When were the gospels written?

65-100 AD

Synoptics are similiar in:

content and narrative order

synoptic problem

trying to figure out who had access to who’s work when writing their own gospel

Two Document Theory

solution to synoptic problem; written in different places at same time

“canon”

the official list of the inspired books of the Bible

How many books in Old Testament?

46

How many books in New Testament?

27

What does “canon” mean literally (from the Greek)?

“measuring rod” (rule or norm)

3 criteria that writing had to meet in order for the Church to include them in the canon:

• Apostolic origin - originated through Apostle witnesses

• Widespread acceptance - they must be widely circulated and accepted

• Conformity to the rule of faith - couldn’t contradict teachings of the early Church/Jesus

3 Stages involved in the formation:

The Public Life and Teaching of Jesus, Oral Tradition, The New Testament Writings

The Public Life and Teaching of Jesus

Jesus lived an average Jewish childhood and later preached at a feast in Jerusalem. Feeling threatened, Pontius Pilate put him to death. Early disciples began to accept and grow with joy and faith as the Apostles told their first hand accounts of Jesus (4-6 BC - 30 AD)

Oral Tradition

As Apostles began to preach, disciples lives changed. They believed Jesus was the Messiah which upset some Gentiles. However the Jewish Christians preached to them by the kerygma, didache, and liturgy. (30-50 AD)

Kerygma

preaching to unbelievers

Didache

teaching- deepening knowledge to those who already accepted and believed in Jesus

Liturgy

worship of the Christians - how people prayed and reflected pertaining to the Eucharist

The New Testament Writings

the actual writings of the gospels and New Testament books (50-120 AD)

Why did the early Christians wait so long before writing anything down?

they thought Jesus would come again during their lifetime and prepared for this instead

3 reasons why the story of Jesus had to be committed to writing:

1. the end of the world was not coming as quickly as the early Christians thought - once they realized they would not be alive for Jesus’ second coming, they wanted to produce an accurate story of Jesus’ work

2. distortions were setting in - people began to twist the stories and they need an objective record of the truth

3. more instruction was needed - this was a helpful teaching device, especially to converts seeking proper belief