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