New Testament Mid Term1
Study information for the first exam in Prof. Wright's class.
Terms
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- How many NT manuscripts survive?
- there are approximately 5500 surviving manuscripts and that none of them read exactly alike in all their particulars; each and every one is different
- Canon
- a body of writings recognized by authority. Those books of holy scripture which religious leaders accept as genuine are canonical, as are those works of a literary author which scholars regard as authentic. The canon of a national literature is a body of writings especially approved by critics or anthologists and deemed suitable for academic study. 1.Early Christians wrote things—some writers were eyewitnesses, some writers were not eyewitnesses 2.For the most part, they wrote for the current members in local churches; not for latter-days, and not for the New Testament 3.Originally, documents like apostles' letters were important to the addressees, but not to the whole church 4.New Testament documents originally existed separately; eventually local churches shared theirs and copied others' documents 5.New Testament canons grew; different areas had different canons, depending on what documents they were able to acquire How did early Christians decide which books to include in the Canon? Apostolicity (it was traditionally written by or associated with an apostle) Popularity (it was read often in the churches) Orthodoxy (it taught what the Christians believed) Did the early Christians who compiled the canon always get it completely right? 1.Did they throw out books that should have been kept? 2.Did they keep books that should have been thrown out? 3.Latter-day Saints believe in an OPEN and not CLOSED canon 4.This highlights the need for modern revelation and prophets
- Zealots manifested their feelings toward foreign rule by
- Radical (Fight.)
- Four Source Hypothesis
- Mark is written first. He has the least unique material so he was copied. Then Matt and Luke who have taken stuff from Mark they each have material available to only them that adds to their gospel. For Matt ---M source, For Luke---L source. Then Matt and Luke (but not Mark) both have a Q source to draw from. Q = quelle = source (German). So Q is found in Matt and Luke but not Mark.
- Luke
- characteristically concerned with social ethics, the poor, women, and other oppressed groups. written to Greek fellow believers. This physician Luke, after Christ's ascension, since Paul had taken him with him as a companion of his travels, composed it in his own name according to his thinking. Yet neither did he himself see the Lord in the flesh.
- Old Testament was originally written in what language
- Hebrew and some Aramaic
- Caesar Augustus
- Emperor at Jesus' birth
- JST Translation Order
- Joseph translated in this order: 1.Genesis 2.The New Testament 3.The rest of the Old Testament Joseph declared the JST finished on 2 July 1833 The presence of a JST change does not automatically mean that the KJV text is wrong. The JST could be an additional meaning or interpretation. Don
- Scribes, Doctors, and Lawyers have in common
- PhDs in Law of Moses (occupation, not religious denomination)
- Matthew
- written to the Jews. Matthew tells of his human genealogy. Women in Matt's Genealogy of Jesus: 1. Thamar (i.e. "Tamar") 2. Rachab (i.e. "Rahab") 3. Ruth 4. The wife of Urias (i.e. "Bathsheba, wife of Uriah") 5. Mary
- Sadducees
- Name comes from "Zadok" the priest. Were levites/priests (not just scholars). Had more influence over temple worship, than synagogue worship. Did not survive destruction of temple in 70 AD (Modern Jewish worship is Pharisaical). Were aristocrats (of the greatest standing). Temple tithes/offerings made them rich. Did not believe in pre-determinism, life after death, a bodily resurrection, angels, or demons. (Pharisees believed in all of these). Believed in the Written Law (Old Testament), but not the Oral Law.
- Most unique information
- John
- Southern Kingdom
- Judah
- Least unique information
- Mark
- Synoptic
- s a Greek word meaning "having a common view." Matthew, Mark, and Luke are considered the Synoptic Gospels because they recount the same stories about Jesus in the same sequence with similar choice of language
- Publicans
- Tax collectors; viewed as robbers and traitors (occupation, not religious denomination)
- Qualifications for a High Priest
- The first born male descendant of Aaron & Eleazar.
- what year Jesus was likely born
- born 4 BC—before the death of Herod—there is no official knowledge of his exact date of birth
- Septuagint
- Greek translation of Hebrew Old Testament.
- Diaspora
- dispersion of Jews throughout the Mediterranean world
- Pharisees & Essenes manifested their feelings toward foreign rule by
- Moderate (Hate)
- Maccabean revolt
- Led by Judas Maccabees, around 164 BC, initially successful
- the earliest complete manuscript of the New Testament dates to
- dates to the 4th Century AD (approx. 350 AD)
- what biblical scholars look for when trying to determine which of the variant readings is best among New Testament manuscripts
- The earlier reading is better. 1.The reading that is more widespread among the manuscripts is better. 2.The shorter reading is better. Scribes are more likely to add a word, phrase, or verse than they are to delete it 3.The more difficult reading is better. Scribes are more likely to smooth out a word, phrase, or verse than they are to obscure it. The reading that agrees with the author's writing style and the passage's context is better.
- Caesar Tiberius
- Emperor at Jesus' death
- United Kingdom under David and Solomon
- 1077-997 BC
- which two Gospels the JST changes the title of to "The Testimony of" instead of "The Gospel of"
- Luke and Matthew
- Know how each of the Gospels got its name (and whether or not each author identified himself in the first person or not)
- New Testament Gospel writers never identify themselves by name New Testament Gospels are all written in the third person, not the first person Early references to the Gospels (outside of New Testament) refer to them as untitled/anonymous Gospels As Christian congregations collected more than one Gospel, they ascribed authorship to distinguish them
- Hellenism
- The adoption of Greek culture, Most important aspect of Hellenism for the spread of early Christianity was the adoption of Greek.
- Mark
- written first. written to the Gentile Christians. Mark, having become the interpreter of Peter, wrote down accurately, however, not in order, all that [Peter] recalled of what was either said or done by the Lord. For [Mark] had neither heard nor followed the Lord; but later (as I said) he followed Peter.
- Persian Empire
- 539 BC
- Antiochus Epiphanes IV
- 167 BC
- Temple of Zerubbabel
- 515 BC
- Northern Kingdom
- Israel
- New Testament was originally written in what language
- Greek
- Maccabean Revolt
- 167-164 BC
- 3 difficulties scholars face when doing translations
- 1. Cultural Context Jesus
- Herod the Great
- executed wife and sons, even though he supposedly loved his wife (wife was Hasmonean) installed by Romans as Jewish king
- Sadducees manifested their feelings toward foreign rule by
- Liberal (Tolerate/Cooperate)
- Assyrian Captivity
- 721 BC
- what caused the 10 Northern Tribes to become "lost"
- he northern kingdom of Israel was invaded by Assyria (under Sargon II) in the year 721 BC 27,290 aristocrats and educated people were deported to Assyrian territory.
- what changes the Babylonian exile caused among the Jews
- Jews felt threatened with extinction (turn from "inclusive" [worship foreign gods] to "exclusive" [gentile-phobia].
- Antiochus Ephiphanes IV
- [Bad guy] Hellenistic ruler who tried to force Hellenism on Palestinian Jews. he forbid temple sacrifice, forbid circumcision, commanded pig sacrifice, burned scriptures, executed faithful Jews. 167 B.C.
- Pompey
- 63 BC
- Temple of Solomon
- 957 BC
- Synoptic Problem
- The synoptic problem is explaining literary relationships between the first three gospels. Which one came first? Who copied who? Matt, Mark, and Luke are synoptic ("see together") gospels which have the some of the same basic stories and sequence.
- Samaritans
- They are traditionally believed to be Jews whose ancestors had intermarried with Gentiles. Many Jews shunned them as "half-breed" apostates, But Jesus freely taught them. Considered themselves Jews. The practiced a form of Judaism at their own temple (Mt. Gerizim)
- Chief Priests
- Priest from the most popular and influential priestly families. Not an office of the priesthood, but a social identification. Applicable during NT time period (not OT time period).
- Oral Law
- tradition of Elders/Fathers
- Johannine Comma
- John 5:7 *This is the ONLY place in the Bible that seems to explicitly teach of the trinity *The words in red are not original, but added later by a scribe. *They are not found in any Latin manuscript before the 4th century AD, nor in any Greek manuscript before the 16th century AD. *Erasmus (16th century) included these words in his Greek NT, because of pressure from his ecclesiastical leaders.
- Alexander the Great/Greek Period
- 333-331 BC
- Synagogue
- place of gathering" (Greek). (One temple, but many synagogues) *Center of Jewish learning. (Place of study and prayer, not animal sacrifice; not the temple). *Human institution (God did not command Jews to have synagogues). *Developed during Babylonian Exile (temporarily replace temple worship.) *Synagogues & 2nd Temple exist side-by-side. (515 BC-70 AD.) *Synagogues permanently replaced temples after 2nd temple destroyed in 70 AD.
- Pharisees
- "separatists".considered most skillful in the exact explication of their laws, and are the leading sect. influential among the body of the people, whatever [the people] do about divine worship, prayers, and sacrifices, they perform them according to their direction. Most popular Jewish religious group. Tradition of elders/fathers= Oral Law. believed in both the Written Law of Moses and an Oral Law of Moses. preserved an Oral Law of Moses. Purpose was to prevent breaking the Written Law. were scholars (not priests). had more influence over synagogue worship, than temple worship. the only Jewish religious groups to survive after temple was destroyed in 70 AD. had mixed feelings on free agency and pre-determinism. believed in immortality for all souls and a bodily resurrection for the righteous.
- Babylonian Exile
- 587 BC
- Temple of Herod
- 17 BC destroyed 70 AD
- Caesar
- Emperor
- Qualifications for a Priest
- Male descendants of Aaron.
- Essenes
- Were Jews who lived by the Dead Sea. Not mentioned by name in the NT. Wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls. Mixed membership: some priests; some non-priests. Considered good men and priests. Rejected Christ when he came. Believed in absolute pre-determinism. Hated the Sadducean priesthood, and performed their own temple sacrifices. Believed in immortality of souls, but not in bodily resurrection. Had no political influence or power because they lived by themselves in a Messianic cult .
- which empire conquered the Babylonian Empire and what the new empire allowed the Jews to do
- Persia conquers Babylon—under Cyrus. Cyrus allowed Jews to take their relics and go home; few of them went. (539 BC)
- Sanhedrin
- "council" (Greek) *there were many "sanhedrins" Towns normally had a local town council (Sanhedrin) *Approx. 70 Jewish men, appointed for life. *Held all power over Jews in Palestine *Law of the land for Jews in Palestine was the Law of Moses. *Sanhedrin members were educated Jewish men *Romans didn't usually interfere with the Sanhedrin "The Council" = Sanhedrin Led by High Priesthood Influenced by Chief priests Dominated by Sadducees