Name one Jewish and one Roman historian who named Jesus.

Jewish- Josephus

Roman-Tacitus

The First Quest-“The Jesus of history” vs. “the Christ of faith”

The Second Quest seeking insight beyond the Bible, in noncanonical works

The Third Quest  placing Jesus in the context of first century AD, Second Temple Judaism

most radical: Egalitarian Feminist Jesus

closest according to Luter: Risen Messiah

4. Name the three noncanonical “gospels” often used by NT scholars to construct a different “Jesus.”  Which one is used most?  Which one is likely a completely hoax?

Gospel of Thomas -most popular

Gospel of Peter

Secret Mark -probably a hoax

5. What is the likely date of Jesus’ birth?

6-4 BC

AD 29-30

Either 2 ½ or 3 ½ years

8. What is the most likely date of Jesus’ death?

AD 33

90% of His life birth to beginning of ministry is given very low percentage of Gospels... .02 % of life given about a fourth of Gospels... 

10. What are the two main general explanations of the similarities/differences between the Synoptics?  Explain their meaning.

Independent Authorship (i.e., Matthew, Mark, Luke and John were separately inspired by the Holy Spirit to write [makes sense when you consider 2 Peter 1:21, but not Luke 1:1-4])

Interdependent Authorship (i.e., somehow the Gospels writers drew upon each other, with the key question(s) being “Who drew upon whom—and are there additional sources?”)

11. As explanations of the Synoptic Problem, explain: a) the Augustinian view; b) the Two Gospel Hypothesis; c) the Two Document Hypothesis; d) ‘Q’; and e) the Farrer-Goulder Hypothesis.

Augustinian View:  Matthean Priority

Two Gospel Hypothesis (also assumed Matthean Priority, and held that Luke was second and that Mark drew on both [i.e., “two gospel”] Matthew and Luke)

Two Document Hypothesis (assumed Markan Priority, viewing Mark as the first Gospel written and a hypothetical “source,” known as Q [short for the German Quelle]), as the basis for much of Matthew and Luke) 

‘M’ and ‘L’ (Additional specific hypothetical sources behind Matthew and Luke)

Farrer-Goulder Hypothesis (Markan proirity without  Q!)

12. Discuss the Authorship, Date and Original Readers of

Matthew

Authorship- Matthew, the apostle of Jesus and former tax collector (9:9; 10:3), (many references to money)who was also known as Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-29).  It was the virtually unanimous view in the early centuries of church history that Matthew wrote what became known as “the First Gospel.”

12 b. Discuss the Authorship, Date and Original Readers of  

Mark 

      Authorship- John Mark, a kinsman of Barnabas much of what he wrote was Peter’s preaching/teaching.

Date- If Luke used Mark as a source (1:1-4), it was written before AD 59 or 60.  If it was the first Gospel written—as Markan Priority takes it—Mark could have been written very early.  If, however, Matthew was written first and Mark and Peter were together in Rome in ministry, as the likely scenario goes, it would have to be in the late 50s, at least, given that Romans (written in AD 57) does not greet Peter or Mark.  Because of the emphasis on suffering in the Second Gospel, some have dated it to the time of Nero’s persecution of the church (from late AD 64 to 68).

Original Readers- Gentiles, particularly Romans, and possibly those who are already Christians.  

12 c. Discuss the Authorship, Date and Original Readers of

Luke.

Authorship- The Third Gospel is technically anonymous, early tradition holds that it is Luke, the Gentile doctor 

Date- AD 58-59 (possibly AD 60)

Original Reader(s)- Theophilus (Luke 1:3), who is also the recipient of the Book of Acts (1:1), and whose identity is unknown.  The name means “friend of God.”  He is called “most honorable Theophilus,” which may mean he was a Roman government official or, at the least, a wealthy and powerful person.  It could well be that, even though the Third Gospel was intended to be read by a wide audience in the Greek world (see below), Theophilus—possibly a new believer (1:4)—was Luke’s “patron,” who provided him with the funds necessary to travel and do the research needed to write this careful orderly treatment of the life and ministry of Jesus (1:3).

13. Be able to list three purposes of

Matthew

1  To prove that Jesus is the Messiah and rightful King of Israel (1:1-17; 2:1-11; 27:37).

2.  To layout the characteristics of the kingdom of heaven/God (3:2; chs. 5-7; ch. 13).

3.  To show that Jesus is greater than Moses

 (5 discourses; 28:20 ["commanded"]).

4.  To serve as a kind of "manual for discipleship/leadership training" (28:19; ch. 10; 27:57).

13 b. Be able to list three purposes of

Mark 

1.  To fill out the “good news” about Jesus (1:1) in a shorter format, which would appeal to a Roman audience.

2.  To reflect the seasoned perspective of Peter (i.e., from his preaching/teaching) on the ministry of Jesus.

3.  To portray Jesus as a man of action—particularly in His works (notably miracles), less so in His words (most of Jesus’ longer discourses/teaching sections are omitted or cut down significantly).

4.  To present the most negative view of the state of the all the disciples at the time of the Resurrection of Jesus (16:1-8), quite possibly due to Peter’s humble transparency as he recalled how distraught they all were.

13c . Be able to list three purposes of

Luke.

Purposes-

1. To write a work about Jesus that was much more like the histories of the era than the other Gospels.

2.To present Jesus as the Son of Man (i.e., both perfect humanity and fulfillment of the Messianic prophecy in Daniel 7:13ff.)

3.To provide a treatment that is almost 

60 % unique from the three other Gospels.

Notably, to fill in material about the early life of Jesus, as well as about John the Baptist, not found elsewhere in the Gospels, likely seen through Mary’s eyes.

4.To give a different family tree from Matthew, almost surely tracking the family of Mary.

5.To provide a great number of incidents and a lot of teaching in the middle section of the books (i.e., the “Travelogue” [Chapters 9-19) not found elsewhere.

7. To use the Travelogue, which moves Jesus’ ministry to a climax in Jerusalem, to set up the movement out from Jerusalem in the Book of Acts (see Acts 1:8). 

6. More specifically—and finally, to set up the post-Resurrection incidents, including the Great Commission and Jesus’ Ascension in Luke 24 to dovetail with the beginning of Acts 1.

17. In which Gospels are the virgin birth described?

 Which is from Mary’s vantage point and which is from Joseph’s?

matthew -joseph

luke-mary

- longer ending of Mark 16:9-20

-John 7:53-8:11 woman caught in adultury

EXPLAIN

From Jesus’ (virgin) birth to the beginning of His ministry (Chs. 1-4)

Teaching Section I: The Sermon on the Mount (Chs. 5-7)

Narrative about Jesus’ miracles (Chs. 8-9)

Teaching Section II: Instruction to the 12 about their ministry and discipleship (Ch. 10)

Narrative (Chs. 11-12)

Teaching Section III: Parables of the kingdom (Ch. 13)

Narrative ( Chs. 14-17)

Teaching Section IV: Instruction regarding life in the kingdom and the ekklesia (Ch. 18)

Narrative (Chs. 19-23)

Teaching Section V: The Olivet Discourse (Chs. 24-25)

Crucifixion and Resurrection of Christ and the Great Commission (Chs. 26-28)

Prologue: Identity of the Son of God (1:1-13)

The public ministry of the perfect Servant/Son (1:14-Ch. 10)

The final focused ministry and death of the perfect Servant/Son in Jerusalem (Chs. 11-15)

Epilogue: The resurrected perfect Servant/Son (Ch. 16)

Formal Prologue (1:1-4)

Births of John the Baptist and Jesus and Jesus’ Early Adulthood (1:5-Chapter 2)

Beginning of the Ministries of John and Jesus (3:1-4:13)

Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee (4:14-9:50)

Jesus’ Ministry in Judea and Perea, on the Way to Jerusalem (a.k.a. “the Travelogue; 9:51-19:44)

Climax of Jesus’ Ministry—and Life—in Jerusalem (19:45-Ch. 24)