Chapter 1 and 2 Notes Flashcards
Apocalypticism
Picturing the world as a battleground between God and Satan.
Hellenism
The Greeks, Ancient Greek culture
Maccabees
Group of Jewish rebel warriors who took control of Judea, a fight against assimilation.
Sadducees
The party associated with the Temple. Their bible were the first five books of the Old Testament (law of Moses)
Pharisees
Opposite of the Sadducees, three distinctive teachings. First, they believe that the scriptures include the Prophets and the Writing as well as the Law of Moses. Second, they put great emphasis on the interpretation of the law. The rabbi interpreted the law for the community in cases where the law had to be applied for situations that it was not intended. Finally, they believed that much of the thrust of law was to achieve moral and ritual purity in everyday life.
Essenes
In addition to first two groups, the Essenes were isolated communities that focues on their communal life and saw their communal body as the temple of the Lord. In their communities, the apocalyptic hope burned bright. The Dead Sea Scrolls were most likely part of a library of this community. They saw themselves like a pure community among vast corruption of the land.
Pax Romana
The Roman Peace. 200 yr long span of peace and economic prosperity
Parables
Simple stories that used everyday imagery. i.e. “A sower was out sowing the field”
Kingdom of God
Through Jesus, the kingdom of God had developed a different relationship with the people. At times, it was presented to be the present, other times it was as something that is coming. It is the relationship between God and humanity revolving around the notion of the kingdom of God.
Realized/Realizing Eschatology
The belief that the kingdom is both present and future.
Healing
Jesus healings were different from other spiritual healings. The healings that he did were more about the new relationships that God was forming with the world.
The Passion
The events of the last week of Jesus’ life
Evangelion
The Gospel in Christianity
Three overarching questions concerning Jesus
What was the relationship between Jesus and the God he called Father?
Why did Jesus have to die, and what was the point of his death?
What was next?
Incarnaition
God becoming human through Jesus
Are the Gospels histories?
No, rather, they are proclamations by the early community of exactly who this Jesus was. Jesus went through a lot of things throughout the proclamations.
Apostolic Council
A council that met when the community became divided over a question, the spirit would guide the church. All later ecumenical councils would see themselves as echoing the practice of the first apostles.
Paul of Tarsus
Central to the development of Christianity. The author of the earliest Christian writings that we have. Also a great missionary, offered profound reflections on the meaning of the death and resurrection of Jesus.
Christ as the 2nd Adam
Christ overcame this sin that Adam had committed from eating from the tree of good and evil. Christ was a cleansing of human sinfulness that is now offered as a gidt to be received by faith. “Jesus died for our sins”
Covenant
A promise or agreement between God and someone. In this context, the relationship between God and the world changed when God created a covenant with Abraham.
Old Testament
Scriptures interpreted right as a new Christian revelation
Interim Ethic
An interpretation of the ethical teachings of Jesus as principles enunciated for governing the conduct of the disciples during the anticipated brief span of time before the coming fo the second advent and the passing of the terrestrial world.
Pauline Ethics
Moral formation, using love to serve God and live life with love. It also combined religion and morality.
Three seminal expressions of early Christian worship
Worshipping on the first day of the week (Sunday)
Baptism
Upping the tradition of Baptism, through instruction and fasting, also being done on Easters where renunciations to the devil were made and all his works and anointing with oil.
