CHRISTIANITY Flashcards
What is the Old Testament?
Christians define the Canon of the Old Testament differently. Jews and Protestants accept 39 books written in Hebrew but Catholics accept 7 extra books that were written in Greek.
These Greek texts are given two names; apocryphal texts or Deutro-Canonicals
What are the 4 key sections of the Old Testament?
- Pentateuch
- Books of history
- Books of poetry and wisdom
- Books of the prophets
BOOKS OF HISTORY:
Cover about six hundred years, from the time of the Judges to Kings
BOOKS OF THE PROPHETS
Last 18 books. Named after people who spoke out and encouraged people to turn back to God.
Describe the Canon of the New Testament
All variants of Christianity recognize the 27 books in the Canon of the New Testament (Christian scriptures), declared by Athanasius, bishop of Alexandria in 367 CE/ He declared in his Easter Letter that these 27 books were not only authoritative but inspired by God.
When was the New Testament written down?
During the 70 years after Jesus’ death
What are the elements of the New Testament?
- 4 Gospels, dating from 65 to 100 CE
- Acts of the Apostles (history of the early church)
- Several letters (21) of Epistles written in Greek from 40-50 CE, most notably attributed to the missionary Paul
- The Book of Revelation written in apocalyptic style discussing the end of times using dreams and vision as imagery
What are the Gospels of the New Testament?
The core of the Bible for Christians. 4 books that each provide versions of the life and teachings of Jesus. Even though they go into detail about the life and teachings of Jesus, none were written during his lifetime. The earliest Gospels were written within 40 to 60 years of his death in 30CE
The diversity of the 4 Gospels adds richness to the truth presented rather than distorting it. They are statements of faith and are only religious interpretations of the context and theological meaning of the central figure of Christianity
What does the Gospel of Mark entail?
SOURCES 65-70 CE – date composed Early passion narratives Popular and controversial stories Accounts of the Last Supper Parables Apocalyptic writing STYLES Storyteller Quick moving account Not familiar with Palestinian geography
What does the Gospel of Matthew entail?
MATTHEW 85-90CE SOURCES Mark Quelle Matthew STYLE Writes using Greek Interested in teaching rather than action More reflective than Mark
What does the Gospel of Luke entail?
80-90CE SOURCES Mark Quelle Luke STYLES Polished Greek Observant of peoples mannerisms
What does the Gospel of John entail?
90-100 CE SOURCES Oral tradition Knowledge of synoptics (Matthew, Mark, Luke) STYLES Theological document Use of allegories and symbolism Emphasise community Miracle stories are also evident in the Gosepls (nature and healing miracles)
What are the Epistles?
Epistles are letters written to communities that the disciples visited. Intended to strengthen the community spiritualty after the disciples left, provides an insight into the beliefs and practices of the early Christian.
What was the historical situation when the Gospels were written?
The Gospels were written over a span of 35 years or more. The Emperor Nero made the new religion a target for expanded persecution. In the past an oral record may have been sufficient but due to the social circumstances of the religion, a written record was required to ensure it survived imprisonment and persecution.
How do Christians interpret the Bible?
Most mainstream Christian denominations recognise that the nature of the scriptures and their various liturgy genres (including parables, poetry, prayers, miracle narratives and apocalyptic dreams or visions) support a CONTEXTUAL not a literal interpretation of the text. This ensures that the Church can authentically interpret the Word of God in each new age. The Bible is not always assumed to be correct.
Nevertheless, a significant minority of Christians take the Bible to be the literal Word of God as if it came directly from the hand of God - these people are called FUNDAMENTALISTS
How do Christian denominations view the Bible in terms of inerrancy and inspiration ?
Anglican/Episcopal: Inspired
Baptist: Inspired and innerant
Lutheran: Inspired and Innerant
Methodist: inspired and innerant
Presbyterians: innerant for some, for others not necessarily factual but breathes with the life of God
Catholic: Inspired and morally innerant
What is innerancy in terms of the Bible?
The Inerrancy of Scripture means the Bible is without error or fault in all that it teaches, but only in its original handwritten manuscripts
