• In Stoic moral philosophy, things outside of moral law (what doesn’t matter)

• started the “New” quest for the Historical Jesus by showing that in the Old quest model, scholars typically “looked into a mirror” to explain Jesus.

• Used in 1, 2 John to describe those who are “against the Christ”, meaning false teachers who deny that Jesus is “the Christ” , and that “the antichrist” is coming

• a disclosure of knowledge, i.e., a lifting of the veil or revelation.

• Another figure supposedly from the early third century CE (end of 01-02-2016) lecture who had a miraculous birth. He had disciples and performed miracles. Also given over to Roman authorities for judgment.

• Letter in Acts 15. James, brother of Jesus and leader of Jerusalem Church, enjoins Gentile members to “abstain from what has been sacrificed to idols and from blood and from what has been strangled.”  (Last of these meaning animals slaughtered in a way that blood does not drain out).  Also forbids porneia. Exempts Gentile Christ-believers from most Jewish dietary laws but requires them observe 2 fundamental food taboos. Paul allows them to eat food/meat served in homes of nonbelievers if source unknown. More inclusive.

• Originated with the Alexandrian priest Arius (250-336), Arianism maintained that the Son of God was created by the Father and was therefore neither coeternal with the Father, nor consubstantial. It denied the divinity of Christ.

• Greek for a man engaging in same-sex sexual activity, included in list of wrongdoers who Paul says will not be included in kingdom of God in 1 Corinthians 6:9, and the list of the lawless in 1 Timothy 1:9 Arsenotokoi: doesn’t show up prior to paul (its a neologism) “menbedder” a man that goes to ben (with whom?) The church will come to interpret it as homosexuals. Pimps who facilitate men having sex? Male prostitutes? Luther took it as masturbators.

• Aram. “son of” (Barabbas = son of the father- Jesus son of the father and Jesus son of the Father) Son of the Father: pays the penalty for the son of the father. Christologically sound, historically not.

• Means “Nathan’s village”, town close to where Andrew, Peter, James and John and the tax collector Matthew are called by Jesus, became center of Jesus’ public ministry. Nathan was a prophet in the court of King David according to the book of Samuel, who announced God’s covenant with David.

Chrestos

Chrestus

• mentioned in Tacitus as possibly cause for expelling the Jews from Rome, could refer to Jesus. This expulsion may explain Jewish persecution/discipline of Christ-followers, because they feared the new religious movement would attract Roman attention and oppression. 

Name of the person causing the Jewish disruption and leading to their expulsion from Rome in AD 49, according to Suetonius in Lives of the Twelve Caesars. May be Suetonius’s version of “Christ;” If so, the Roman historian may be suggesting that the proclamation of the crucified messiah created such tension within Rome’s Jewish community that imperial action was needed. However “Chrestus” can be a Greek name, and so Suetonius’s reference could be to a local teacher.

 Philippians 2:5-11, credal statement in which Jesus is described as equal with God, takes form of slave, died, and then was exalted in heaven. Could be interpreted as a metamorphic myth revealing Christ’s identity. Emphasizes Christ’s self-humbling.

• Statements concerning the nature of Christ, or the study of the meaning of Jesus’ role, character, and purpose

• The Word is a Jewish circumlocution for God. Relevant in the preamble to John. “And the Word was God”

  • A rhetorical device that can be defined as an ambiguous or paradoxical way of expressing things, ideas or views. In fact, when somebody wants to stay ambiguous about anything and he does not want to say something directly, it means he is using circumlocution.

• roman Emperor who according to Acts 18:2, expelled the Jews from the city of Rome. May have expelled them because of early Christian movement (“Chrestos”, as mentioned by Tacitus), and led to Roman church being Gentile dominated, thus causing the later questions and factionalism that Paul addresses in Romans.

• Western text, reduces the role of women; expands references to “Lord Jesus” and heightened attention to Spirit; exaggerates anti-Jewish references

• version of Acts that is 10% longer than the versions of the Alexandrian grouping. Frequently reduces the role of women. Expands references to “Lord Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” or “Christ Jesus” to the fullest form, “Lord Jesus Christ.” Heightened attention to the Spirit (pneumatology). Exaggerating anti-Jewish references (heightens Jewish responsibility for Jesus’ death, Jewish opposition to the apostles, and the Gentile identity of the church). Finally, it heightens the presentation of the church as a distinct, superior, and universal community marked by doing God’s will--emphasize the church’s commission to preach the gospel.

• genre that Paul’s letter to the Philippians looks like, a letter written to console people who were in grief by explaining them rational reasons why they should not be grieving.  Paul flipped the situation and sent it to the Philippians, who were concerned about him being in prison, to explain why they shouldn’t be grieving for him. Another example is a letter from Seneca to his mother to console her when he was exiled.