336 BCE

caused hellenization, Lingua Franca, Instability

defeated the Persian empire

First ruled: Ptolemies - allowed religious freedom

Second: Seleucids

Hasmoneans - priestly Family

Mattathias refused to offer a pagan sacrifice and told people to flee

his sons lead a guerilla campaign

Judas (Maccabeus) - attacked Seleucid forces which led to the rededication of the temple 164 BCE

167 - revolt

166-Judas becomes leader

1. 587 BC - Babylonians

2. 70 AD - Romans

March/April

celbreates God bringing the people out of slavery in Egypt

One day but leads to a week-long Festival of Unleavened Bread

Festival of Weeks

May/June

Gave thanks to God for the first crops from the land

September/October

5 days after Day of Atonement

For 8 days, people lived in booths made from branches

Scripture read aloud each day in the temple w/ sacrifices offered

Marked end of harvest

Seen as highly religious and devout

Focused on interpreting and applying the Torah for everyday life

Sought to reform priesthood (did not have political power)

Believed in life after death and angels

valued oral traditions

Had political power

Rejected oral traditions

Did not believe in life after death

Thought Jerusalem-based priesthood and temples were corrupt so they w/drew

Set up separate communities

Wrote and copied the Dead Sea Scrolls

Strict Rules of life

---applied priestly purity laws

---2 yr program for people to be full members

Waiting for war b/t darkness and light when Yahweh would reform temple

--no revolutions; believed God would act

radicals

led violent revolts

drove out pagans

"no king but God"

Universe pervaded by the logos (impersonal force, reason)

Each soul shares in the logos / is divine

pantheism

Gods were not interested or involved in human life (therefore worship, etc = pointless)

Creation was an Accident

pleasure is goal in life

ends at death

Identified god w/ natural order

therefore, worshiped the created world as well

Secular - few religious elements

simple - narrates common experience

smbolic - depicts life in perspectives on the kingdom

subversive - plot twist, surprise ending, odd application

emperor during Jesus' death

ruler of Galilee

Caesar Augustus issued decree - everyone go to his own town to register

Joseph went to Bethlehem

Josephus' key reference to Jesus

Scribes contributed because of

"Messiah"

"Indeed one outght to call him a man"

Entry into Jerusalem (Palm Sunday)

Temple incident (cleansing)

Last Supper

Witnesses in Jerusalem - beginning of the church; in Jerusalem

Witnesses in Judea and Samaria - church begins to expand; beginning Gentile mission

Witnesses to the ends of the earth-missions from antioch, asia minor, macedonia, Achaia,

Acts 13-14

Cyprus - Met Jewish sorcerer/falseprophet Bar-Jesus; blinded him

Lystra - healed a crippled man

mistaken for Hermes and Barnabas = Zeus

stoned paul; thought he was dead

Barnabas wanted to take John; Paul disagreed because John deserted them in Pamphylia

Barnabas and John went to Cyprus

Paul and Silas went through Syria and Cilicia

Baptized Lydia and others

casted out a demon from a girl

Paul and Silas imprisoned -->earthquake-->free

-->jailor becomes a believer

Matt - Geneology

Luke - shepherds

City was full of idols...Paul started preaching the gospel

He appeared before the council and talked to them

some became believers

Stayed with Aquinias and Priscilla

started preaching in synagogue

Jews opposed Paul-->God told him to keep on speaking

brought into court

Acts 18-21

Ephesus- riot broke out

Galations

1&2 Thessalonians

Romans

1 & 2 Corinthians

Ephesians

Philippians

Colossians

Philemon

1 & 2 Timothy

Titus

Suffering: something to expect and endure in present age

Salvation: something to look forward to in the future

Prophecy: oracles, visions, texts

Apocalyptic: narrative, heavenly perspective on this world

Letter w/ 7 intros: Ephesus, Smyrna, Pergamum, Thyatira, Sardis Philadelphia, Laodicea

Divine Sovereignty - sacrifice not coercive domination

Radical Monotheism - only God deserves our allegiance

Exalted Christology: Jesus given names/deeds of God but never called 'God'

Salvation: God yearns to restore creation

Judgment: God and evil will not co-exist

Non-violence: Christ conquers through death, not violence

Hope: God/good prevails in the end; death not final word

Portrait of Jesus / Themes

MATTHEW

Royal Jesus

radical demands

Portrait of Jesus / Themes

MARK

Cryptic Jesus

critical moment

Portrait of Jesus / Theme

LUKE

Lingering Jesus

Long, steady journey

Portrait of Jesus / Theme

JOHN

1-2                    Birth narrative

3-4                    Baptism & temptation

8-9                    Miracles

11-12  Miracles & conflict

14-17  Rising conflict;
             transfiguration

19-22  Rising conflict;
             arrival in Jerusalem

26-28  Last supper, arrest, trial,
             crucifixion, resurrection

Discourse

5-7                    Sermon on the Mount

10                     Word to the Twelve

13                     Parables of the Kingdom

18                     Humility & forgiveness

23-25        Against Pharisees;
                Things to come

  went down to Egypt                   2:13-14             Gen 46:3-4

        was protected by Joseph             2:14                  Gen 45-48

          saw a new king emerge               2:15a                Ex 1:8

          was called out of Egypt              2:15b                Ex 6

        was “baptized”                           3:13-15             Ex 14-15      

was called God’s “son”      3:17             Ex4:22-23;                                                                                                        17:5                  Hosea 11:1

       was led into wilderness               4:1                    Deut 8:2a

      40 ___ testing / fasting               4:2                    Deut 8:2b-3

          “conquered” the land                  4:23-25             Joshua

          had 12 “tribes”                           10:2-4               Gen 46

If we are free from the law, are we free from sin?

NO

Grieving the dead - death as a punishment

rapture - "caught up"; transfer of church to heaven

present is the time for godliness

mixed churches; majority from lower classes

monotheism

communion - warning of drunkenness, flaunting social status; divisions at the table

many spiritual gifts

Paul not ashamed of the gospels; righteousness of God is revealed

acting against nature

Adam represents all humanity

Christ represents a new humanity

God has not rejected the Jewish people

gender roles

corporate worship in the spirit

"how can we escape if we neglect so great a salvation?"

"if we hold our first confidence firm to the end"

"there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins"

"much less shall we escape who turn away from him who warns from heaven"

"impossible to renew them again to repentence"