Exhaustive Guide to Early Christian History, Canon, and the Gospels

An Overview of Early Christian History (c. 30 CE – 313 CE)

• Foundational Contexts: To study early Christian writings historically, they must be situated within three distinct contexts:

  • First-century Judaism.

  • The Greco-Roman world.

  • Early Christianity (from its inception in $30\,CE$ to the rise of the state church under Emperor Constantine in $313\,CE$).

• John the Baptist and Jesus:

  • John the Baptist: Began preaching around $29\,CE$. He urged repentance and used baptism in the Jordan River as a sign of repentance to ‘flee from the wrath to come’ (Luke 3:7). He was executed by Herod Antipas, ruler of Galilee and Perea, due to his influence.

  • Jesus: Referred to as "Jesus the Nazarene" (from Nazareth in Galilee) or "Jesus the Nazorean." Jesus was baptized by John and subsequently began his own preaching ministry in Galilee.

  • Portrayals of Jesus: Diverse depictions exist in the New Testament, written decades later: preacher, prophet, rabbi, miracle worker, suffering servant, Messiah, or God.

  • The Historical Jesus: Scholars attempt to find the "real man" behind these portrayals, a task central to New Testament studies.

  • Fate: Jesus was arrested during a Passover celebration and crucified by the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, who likely viewed Jesus' popularity as a threat to the "Pax Romana."

Judaic Christianity (c. 30–70 CE)

• Definition: These were the earliest Jewish disciples who believed in Jesus as a savior figure. They maintained their Jewish identity while believing God raised Jesus from the dead and that he would return as Messiah.

• Diversity (The "Flavors" of Judaic Christianity):

  • Strawberry: Apostle Paul, who rejected the Jewish Law as the path to God.

  • Chocolate: Gnostic-oriented Jewish Christians.

  • Vanilla: Those who continued to practice Judaism as the exclusive way to God.

  • Judaic Christians (Specific Term): Used for those who acknowledged Jesus as Messiah but continued adhering to the Jewish Law (circumcision, dietary restrictions, Sabbath, and temple sacrifices).

• Early Communities: Initially worshipped in synagogues but later withdrew to private homes or "congregations" (church). They were called "the sect of the Nazoreans" by outsiders (Acts 24:5).

• Leading Figures:

  • The Twelve Apostles: Symbolic of the restoration of the twelve tribes of Israel. They were believed to rule the tribes in the coming age (Matt 19:28).

  • The Pillars: James (brother of Jesus), Cephas (Peter), and John (son of Zebedee). James eventually became the head of the Jerusalem church (Acts 12:17).

  • Structure: Scholars note a resemblance to the Qumran leadership ($12$ men and $3$ priests).

• Mission to Jews: Itinerant missionaries established churches in Palestine, Galilee, and the Diaspora (Damascus, Syria). Instructions in Matt 10 and Luke 10 reflect their practices.

Early Non-Judaic Forms of Christianity

• The Hellenists: Greek-speaking Jewish Christians, mostly from the Diaspora, living in Jerusalem.

  • Tension: Conflict with Aramaic-speaking "Hebrews" led to the Hellenists appointing a council of seven men (e.g., Stephen and Philip) for leadership.

  • Stephen: A preacher accused of attacking the temple and the Law of Moses; he was the first Christian martyr.

  • Expansion: Persecution after Stephen's death forced Hellenists to flee, inadvertently spreading the message to Samaria and Antioch.

• Johannine Christianity: Found in the Gospel of John. This community was expelled from synagogues. They prioritized "grace and truth" over the Law of Moses and viewed Jesus' death as a sacrificial atonement ("Lamb of God"). They worshipped Jesus as God (John 1:1).

Gentile Christianity and the Apostle Paul

• Samaritans: Philip preached in Samaria (Acts 8:4–25). The gospels (Luke 10; John 4) often portray Samaritans positively to justify this inclusion.

• Antioch: The site of the first church to include Gentiles. It was here that followers were first called "Christians" (Acts 11:26).

• The Apostle Paul (Saul of Tarsus):

  • Originally a Pharisee and persecutor of the Nazoreans.

  • Had a visionary experience of the risen Jesus.

  • Traveled through Asia Minor and Greece, establishing predominantly Gentile urban churches.

• The Law Controversy: Judaic Christians in Judea argued Gentile males must be circumcised. Paul argued that salvation for all comes through Jesus, not the Law. The "pillars" in Jerusalem eventually agreed that circumcision was not required for Gentiles (Gal 2:1–10).

• Shift in Character: Christianity transitioned from a rural Palestinian Jewish movement to a primarily urban Gentile movement.

• Terminology: "Pagan" originally referred to rural inhabitants ($paganus$) who kept ancient polytheistic religions after the cities converted.

Post-Apostolic Christianity (After 70 CE)

• Turning Point ($70\,CE$): Romans sack Jerusalem, ending the city's preeminence. Leading figures like James, Peter, and Paul had died shortly before this.

• Three Paths:

  • Judaic Christianity: Continued in the East until the $5^{\text{th}}$ century.

  • Gnostic Christianity: Flourished in the $2^{\text{nd}}$ century. Believed in $gnosis$ (secret knowledge) as the way to liberate the soul from the evil material world. Viewed Jesus as a purely spiritual revealer.

  • Proto-Orthodoxy ("Early Catholicism"): The group that developed clergy, creeds, and a canon. They successfully marginalized Gnosticism and Judaic Christianity as "heresy."

Persecution and Constantine

• Early Persecution: Local and sporadic. Critics called Christians "atheists" for rejecting state gods and spread rumors of cannibalism and immoral rituals.

• First Century State Persecution: Nero ($64\,CE$) used Christians as scapegoats for the Great Fire of Rome. Tradition holds that Peter and Paul were executed here.

• Second Century: Trajan and others required Christians to worship Roman gods or face death. Martyrs were "witnesses" to their faith. "Apologists" wrote defenses of Christianity.

• Third Century Climax: Emperors issued edicts requiring universal sacrifice. Persecution peaked under Diocletian ($303\u201313\,CE$).

• Constantine: Issued the Edict of Milan in $313\,CE$, granting freedom of worship and making Christianity the favored religion of the Roman state.

The Making of the New Testament

• Formation of the Canon:

  • Definition: "Canon" comes from the Greek for "ruler" or "standard."

  • Old Testament Divergence: Protestants ($39$ books), Catholics (adds $7$ deuterocanonical books), and Orthodox (addsさらに books like $3$ Maccabees).

  • New Testament Consistency: All major branches accept the same $27$ books.

• The Apostolic Fathers ($95\u2013150\,CE$): Early writings like the Didache and Shepherd of Hermas. Some churches valued them as highly as scripture.

• Catalysts for Canonization:

  • Marcion ($144\,CE$): Rejected the OT; proposed a limited canon of Luke and $10$ Paul letters.

  • Gnosticism: Forced Proto-Orthodox leaders to define which writings were authentic.

  • Muratorian Canon (Late $2^{\text{nd}}$ Century): Earliest known list; missing Hebrews, James, $1$ and $2$ Peter.

• The Final List:

  • Eusebius ($4^{\text{th}}$ century): Divided books into "Acknowledged," "Disputed," and "Spurious."

  • Athanasius ($367\,CE$): First to list the definitive $27$ books. Fixed by the Councils of Hippo and Carthage ($393\u2013419\,CE$).

  • Criteria: Conformity to the "rule of faith," apostolic origin, and widespread church use.

Transmission and Textual Criticism

• Manuscripts: Hand-written copies. No "autographs" (originals) survive. We have approximately $5,700$ Greek manuscripts.

• Variant Readings:

  • Produced by scribal errors of sight, mind, or hearing.

  • Intentional changes: Correcting perceived mistakes or aligning gospel accounts.

  • Examples: Romans 5:1 (peace vs. let us have peace), the ending of Mark ($16:9\u201320$), and the woman caught in adultery (John $7:53\u20138:11$).

• Textual Criticism: The art/science of determining the original reading by examining variants. Standard modern texts include the Novum Testamentum Graece (Nestle-Aland).

English Translations

• John Wyclif ($1382\u201396$): First complete English Bible (from the Latin Vulgate).

• William Tyndale ($1522\u201325$): First English translation from original languages; executed in $1536$.

• King James Version ($1611$): Commissioned by King James I; served as the standard for centuries but used later-discovered-as-inferior manuscripts.

• Contemporary Versions: Revised Standard Version (RSV), New Revised Standard Version (NRSV – gender-inclusive), New International Version (NIV – popular evangelical), and New American Bible (Catholic scholars).

Introduction to the Gospels

• Definition: "Gospel" means "good news" ($evangelion$). Evangelists are either gospel preachers or authors.

• Types of Gospels:

  • Canonical (Matthew, Mark, Luke, John): Dated $70\u2013100\,CE$. These are "passion gospels" centering on Jesus' death.

  • Infancy Gospels: James and Thomas (narrate Jesus' childhood miracles).

  • Non-canonical/Gnostic: Gospel of Thomas (sayings), Gospel of Mary, Gospel of Truth.

• Genre Affinities:

  • Oral Kerygma (the preached message).

  • Ancient Biographies ($bios$):Anecdote-driven, defensive, and focused on death rather than psychological development.

  • Sacred History: Narratives like those in the Hebrew Bible (Abraham, David) with a theological, pre-scientific focus.

• Formation Stages: Traditions (Oral units) → Sources (Written collections, e.g., "Q") → Gospels (Redaction/editing).

• The Synoptic Problem:

  • Matthew, Mark, and Luke occupy a "synopsis" (viewing together) because they share triple tradition (shared wording/order).

  • Markan Priority: The most widely held theory, suggesting Mark was the first gospel and a source for Matthew and Luke.

  • Q Source: A lost "sayings" document explaining the double tradition in Matthew and Luke.

The Gospel of Luke

• Authorship: Technically the first half of the two-volume Luke-Acts work, comprising $28\%$ of the New Testament. Traditionally attributed to Luke the physician, a companion of Paul.

• Themes and Community Concerns:

  • Salvation for the Non-Jew: Explicit interest in Samaritans and Gentiles.

  • Salvation for the Underdog: Focuses on the poor, the sick, tax collectors, and sinners.

  • Focus on Women: Mary's perspective of birth, Elizabeth, Anna, Martha, and Mary.

  • The Holy Spirit: Dominates the narrative from birth to the instructions for Acts.

  • Discipleship: Heavy emphasis on renouncing possessions, humility, and prayer.

• Literary Structures:

  • Preface ($1:1\u20134$): Dedicated to Theophilus.

  • Travel Narrative ($9:51\u201319:27$): Unique literal device where Jesus journeys toward Jerusalem, serving as a platform for parables and teachings (e.g., Good Samaritan, Prodigal Son).

  • Jerusalem/Resurrection: Appearances occur in/near Jerusalem (distinct from Matthew's Galilee focus). Jesus ascends to heaven in a manner paralleling deified humans/prophets like Elijah.

Questions & Discussion

• Question: Identify and briefly describe the major stages in the development of early Christianity.

  • Response: The stages include: (1) The movement of John the Baptist and the subsequent ministry of the historical Jesus. (2) Judaic Christianity ($30\u201370\,CE$), centered in Jerusalem under the "pillars." (3) The Hellenistic push and the emergence of Gentile/Non-Judaic forms, spearheaded by Paul. (4) Post-apostolic development after $70\,CE$, branching into Judaic, Gnostic, and the eventually dominant Proto-Orthodox paths.

• Question: What are the three factors used to determine canonicity?

  • Response: Conformity to the Proto-Orthodox rule of faith, apostolic origin (claims of authorship by apostles or associates), and widespread use/edification in the churches.