Notes on The Stage and The Life of Jesus (Page 1)

The Stage

Religion played an important role in Roman society, but the worship of Roman gods was impersonal and often practiced without a great deal of emotion.
As the empire grew, so too did a new religion called Christianity. Born as a movement within Judaism, it emphasized a personal relationship between God and people—and attracted many Romans.

The Life and Teachings of Jesus

Roman power spread to Judea around 63\text{ B.C.}.
At first the Jewish kingdom remained independent, at least in name.
Rome then took control and made it a province of the empire in \text{A.D. } 6.
A number of Jews, however, believed that they would once again be free. According to biblical tradition, God had promised that a savior known as the Messiah would arrive and restore the kingdom of the Jews.
Roughly two decades after the beginning of Roman rule, many believed that such a savior had arrived.
Jesus of Nazareth: Although the exact date is uncertain, historians estimate that sometime around 6\text{ to }4\text{ B.C.}, a Jew named Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea.
Historical records of the time mention very little about Jesus. The main source of information about his life and teachings is the Gospels, the first four books of the New Testament of the Christian Bible.
According to the Gospels, Jesus was raised in the village of Nazareth in northern Judea. He was baptized by a prophet known as John the Baptist. As a young man, he took up the trade of carpentry.
At the age of 30\text{ years old}, Jesus began his public ministry. For the next 3\text{ years}, he preached, taught, did good works, and reportedly performed miracles.
His teachings contained many ideas from Jewish tradition, such as monotheism, or belief in only one God, loving others, and the principles of the Ten Commandments.
Jesus emphasized God's personal relationship to each human being. He stressed the importance of people's love for God, their neighbors, their enemies, and even themselves.
He also taught that God would end wickedness in the world and would establish an eternal kingdom after death for people who sincerely repented their sins.
(Refer to pages 286-287 for more about Christianity.)
A Growing Movement: Some of the Gospels are thought to have been written by one or more of Jesus' disciples, or pupils. These 12 men later came to be called apostles.

The Gospels and the Apostles

The Gospels are the first four books of the New Testament.
The twelve men who followed Jesus came to be known as the apostles (the term refers to the close followers and messengers of Jesus).
These texts and figures lay the foundation for early Christian belief and community formation.