Session One Notes — Themes in the New Testament (BIL114)

Devotion: Resurrection (Matthew 28:1-10)

• Context: After the Sabbath, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary visit Jesus' tomb (Mt 28:1-2).

• The tomb event:

  • Violent earthquake; angel descends, rolls back stone, sits on it (Mt 28:2-3).

  • Guards tremble, become like dead men (Mt 28:4).

  • Angel’s message: Jesus has risen, just as he said. (Mt 28:5-6).

  • Instruction: Tell disciples Jesus has risen and is going ahead to Galilee (Mt 28:7).

• The women’s response (Mt 28:8): hurried away, afraid yet joyful, ran to tell disciples.

• Jesus meets the women (Mt 28:9): they worship him; he greets them.

• Jesus confirms mission (Mt 28:10): "Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me."

• Significance for believers:

  • Resurrection validates Jesus’ predictions and asserts victory over death.

  • Motivates believers to share good news (evangelism).

Marathon as a Parable of Evangelism (Papers 4-6)

• Ancient parallel: Pheidippides’ run ($\approx 40$ km) to announce victory.

• Contrast with today: Modern marathons for personal achievement; Pheidippides’ run for crucial news.

• Mary and Mary Magdalene’s run: most pivotal news in history (Mt 28:7-8).

• Reflection: Resurrection should fill believers with fervor to share the gospel.

The Victory over Death

• Jesus’ victory over death: core reason for Christian hope and mission.

• Practical takeaway: Believer’s life shaped by resurrection confidence and call to spread news.

Inter-Testamental Period (approx. $400$ years)

• Overview: $400$ years, '400 silent years' (but not truly silent). Daniel prophesies about this period in chapters $2, 7, 8, 11$.

• Four major axes of study:

  • Political movement

  • Religious setting

  • Literary productions

  • Sects, parties, and classes within Israel

• Period broken into sub-periods with symbolic metal/thematic representations from Daniel’s visions:

1) Babylonian Period (approx. $606-536$ BC)

• Representation: Head of gold (Daniel's statue), golden city (Babylon).

• Key figure: Nebuchadnezzar (deported Jews to Babylon).

• Consequence: Sabbath rest of $\approx 70$ years for land; end of independent Jewish state; beginning of Gentile dominance; Israel forsook idolatry.

2) Persian Period (approx. $536-333$ BC)

• Representation: Chest and arms of silver, bear.

• Persia’s relevance:

  • Cyrus: decree permitting Jews to return to Palestine.

  • Zerubbabel: led first return.

  • Ezra: reinstituted the Law.

  • Nehemiah: rebuilt Jerusalem’s wall.

  • Opposition and neglect of spiritual duties.

• Returns: Two major exoduses back to Judea in $536$ BC (Zerubbabel) and $458$ BC (Ezra).

3) Grecian Period (approx. $333-167$ BC)

• Representation: Belly and thighs of bronze, swift leopard.

• World power shift: East to West (Asia to Europe).

• Stages and key events:

  • a. Alexander the Great ($333-323$ BC): defeated Persians, founded Alexandria, Hellenization (language and culture).

  • b. Strife between Syria and Egypt ($323-301$ BC): Judea as a buffer state (Ptolemy Soter vs. Seleucus).

  • c. Ptolemaic (Egyptian) Period ($301-198$ BC): peaceful Hellenization; Hasidim (Chasidim) pious counter-movement emerged (foreshadowed Pharisees).

  • d. Seleucid (Syrian) Period ($198-167$ BC): Antiochus Epiphanes attempted forced Hellenization, desecrated temple, defiled Holy of Holies, erected altar to Zeus, prohibited worship, forbade circumcision, destroyed Scripture copies.

  • e. Maccabean Period ($167-63$ BC): Mattathias and sons led revolt; Jerusalem retaken, temple purified (Hanukkah, Dec $25, 164$ BC); Simon secured political independence for Judea ($143$ BC until $63$ BC).

4) Roman Period (approx. $63$ BC through NT times)

• Representation: Iron legacies.

The Roman Empire

• Conditions: General peace and stability (Pax Romana), extensive road network, suppression of piracy, governance by law.

The Roman Emperors and the New Testament

• Pompey’s conquest ($63$ BC): Judea, Samaria, Galilee annexed; Jerusalem captured; Pompey entered Holy of Holies (Jewish offense).

• Herod the Great (appointed $40$ BC): ruled Judea, ordered massacre of children in Bethlehem.

Pilate, the Procurator of Palestine

• Pontius Pilate: governed $AD$ $26-36$; resided in Caesarea, visited Jerusalem for feasts.

• Background: Born in Seville, Spain; strong anti-Jewish sentiment, disliked by Jews.

The Roman Army: Organization Relevant to the Gospels

• Legion: typically $6000$ soldiers.

• Command structure:

  • Legions commanded by six tribunes (Ac. 21:31).

  • Band of soldiers (cohort): $\approx 600$ men (Jn. 18:3).

  • Centurion: commanded a century (Mt. 8:5; 27:54; Ac. 10:1,22).

Reasons for Quick Evangelism (Slide 28)

• Great dispersion of Jews (proclaimed one true God); Hebrew OT translated into Greek (Septuagint, LXX).

• Religious divisions among Jews: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes.

• Common language: Greek as lingua franca.

• Political and logistical factors: one language, Roman law-and-order, well-developed road system.

• Moral and religious degeneration: hunger for redemption, openness to new messages.

The New Testament Canon: Formation and Criteria

Why a Canon Needed Formation

• Early Christians needed to identify inspired and authoritative books.

• Marcion’s canon (rejected OT, limited NT) triggered backlash.

• Apocryphal books used to support controversial ideas.

• Emperor Diocletian’s $AD$ $303$ decree (burning Christian writings) intensified need for determined canon.

Tests of Canonicity

• Apostolicity: Written by an apostle or under apostolic influence?

• Contents: High spiritual character?

• Universality: Accepted broadly across the church?

• Inspiration: Evidence of divine inspiration?

• Outcome: In $AD$ $387$, Council of Carthage adopted the $27$ books of the New Testament.

The Synoptic Gospels

• Meaning of terms:

  • Gospel: "good news".

  • Synoptic: "seeing together"; Matthew, Mark, Luke share viewpoint.

  • John is distinct.

• Dating (approximate dates):

  • Matthew: $AD$ $58-68$

  • Mark: $AD$ $55-65$

  • Luke: $AD$ $60-68$

  • John: $AD$ $80-90$

• The Synoptic Problem: Why close resemblance if independent, or how are they independent witnesses if related?

  • Suggested solutions: Oral tradition, lost early Gospel, written fragments, mutual dependence, Two-Source Hypothesis, Matthean/Lukan priority, or a combination.

Connections and Real-World Relevance

• Inter-Testamental Period: essential context for NT political, religious, cultural landscape.

• Roman road system/Pax Romana: facilitated early Christian travel and gospel spread.

• Septuagint: facilitated Gentile engagement with scripture.

• Varied Jewish groups (Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes): explain responses to Jesus.

• Canon formation: shows discernment of authoritative writings (apostolic connection, spiritual character, acceptance, inspiration).

• Synoptic Gospels interrelationship: value of studying them together for shared perspective