Exam # 1 Flashcards
What three general purposes for the NT did the professor identify?
- To tell us about God.
- To complete God’s message to humanity
- To show us God’s plan.
What external forces have threatened the survival of the Jews in the time between the OT and the NT? Explain each of them.
External Forces: From the Greek, Persian, Egyptian, and (now) Roman empires threaten to extinguish the Jewish nation. For Example, the Jewish religious system was almost destroyed by Antiochus Epiphanes in 165 BC Judas Maccabaeus led the Jewish revolt and the threat was rebuffed
What internal forces have threatened the survival of the Jews in the time between the OT and the NT?
They had wavering devotion to God and the deadness of formalism and externalism have sapped much of the spiritual vitality of the Jews
What emerges in the Jewish religion between the OT and NT?
Several sects/parties have emerged in Israel as the NT age begins
What observation did the professor make from this history about the ways to destroy the Jews?
The Jews were destroyed through seduction, not persecution
Who are the Pharisees, Herodians, Essenes, Sadducees, and Zealots?
They were different sects within the Jewish religion
How did the professor describe Pharisees?
“Separate ones”, Jewish legalists
How did the professor describe Herodians?
Collaborators with Herod and Rome
How did the professor describe Essenes?
Extreme separatists
How did the professor describe Sadducees?
They were the anti-super-naturalists
How did the professor describe Zealots?
Jewish radical revolutionaries
What purposes of the OT did the professor offer?
To reveal God’s promise to bless all humanity, through the nation of Israel, to His own glory
What purposes of the NT did the professor offer?
To fulfill God’s plan to bless all humanity through His son to His own glory.
What are the two aspects of Jesus peacemaking with all humanity?
- God accomplishes, through Jesus Christ, the work of reconciliation (peacemaking) with all humanity. 2. We are reconciled with God and with one another.
What has been done, and what remains to be done to reconcile humanity?
What has been done: Sin is pardoned and the Holy Spirit is given. What will be done: Sin is fully defeated and God reigns forever.
What reasons did the professor offer for the NT having four gospels?
- Variety between writing styles. 2. Adding to the proof because there are more people. 3. View on Christ varies and therefore fills out His character. 4. Emphasizes the importance of the life of Jesus
Why is so much of the life of Christ left out of the gospels’ records?
- Not everything ended up in the gospels. 2. We must have faith in these accounts and we have to accept it, just like what we have to do for Jesus. 3. Non of the gospels were intended to be a thorough biography of Jesus. 4. Jesus didn’t start His mission until He was 30 years old. 5. What they put in the gospel they did purposefully
Why do the gospels seem to contain contradictory details at times?
- If they were exactly the same they would have possible been falsified. 2. This actually advocated for the authenticity of the gospels because they weren’t exactly like- didn’t “get the story straight” with each other
What do we know about John’s gospel?
Written last, probably late in the first century (70-95 AD)
What do we know about Luke’s gospel?
Third to be written, most likely in the early 60’s AD. He says that He used many sources to write his book. Was written before Acts. Acts was likely finished before 64 AD
What do we know about Matthew and Mark’s gospels?
They were written first and second. Which was first? Highly debatable! (Most believe that Mark wrote His first though)
Why is it important that an apostle or close associate of an apostle wrote each of the gospels?
They were given authority to teach and were eye-witnesses of the ministry, death, and resurrection of Jesus
What is the distinction between an apostle and a disciple?
Apostle = One of the chosen 12 with delegated authority. Disciple = A follower of Jesus.
To whom (or to what group) did Matthew compose his gospel?
Written to all Jews, both to those Jews who have not received Jesus as their Messiah, and to Jews who have received Jesus as their Messiah
To whom (or to what group) did Mark compose his gospel?
Written primarily to Gentile Christians, perhaps specifically Romans
To whom (or to what group) did Luke compose his gospel?
Written to all Gentiles everywhere
To whom (or to what group) did each John compose his gospel?
Written to a general audience of all people
What is the purpose of the gospel of Matthew?
To persuade the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah and to reassure believing Jews that the promised kingdom is still coming but in a different way (than they would’ve thought)
What is the purpose of the gospel of Mark?
To present Jesus as the divine servant of God, and to encourage believers to follow Him now, no matter the cost.
What is the purpose of the gospel of Luke?
To persuade all gentiles to follow Jesus by presenting the exact details of Christ’s life and His appeal to all people to follow Him
What is the purpose of the gospel of John?
To urge all people to receive eternal life through faith in Christ, and to live lives patterned after Jesus’ own life.
What is the literary structure of Matthew?
The Presentation of the Messiah (1:1-11:6) The Rejection of the Messiah (11:7-27) The Triumph of the Messiah (28) Roughly 1-11 >> 11-27 >> 28
What is the literary structure of Mark?
The Servant’s Authority Established (1:1-8:30)
The Cost of Following the Servant (8:31-10:52)
The Servant in Jerusalem (11-16)
Roughly: 1-8»_space; 8-10»_space; 11-16
What is the literary structures of Luke?
Jesus Appears (1:1-4:13) Jesus' Early Ministry (4:14-9:50) Jesus Going to Jerusalem (9:51-19:27) Jesus in Jerusalem (19:28-24:53) Roughly: 1-4 >> 4-9 >> 9-19 >> 19-24
What is the literary structure of John?
Prologue (1:1-1:18) Public Ministry of Jesus (John 1:19-12:50) Jesus with the 12 (13-17) Jesus' Death and Resurrection (18-21) Roughly: 1-1 >> 1-12 >> 12-17 >> 18-21
What is the significance of the “son of Abraham” title for Jesus in Matthew?
Abraham was to have many sons and daughters. One who comes to bless the earth
What is the significance of the “son of David” title?
The line of David was to rule forever and would be from the kingly line of David. Jesus was a descendent of that line
From Matthew 1-11, what is Matthew’s purpose for Jews who have not yet accepted Jesus as their Messiah?
To prove that Jesus is the Messiah
How is Jesus presented to the Jews in this first major section of Matthew, in light of OT prophecies?
Jesus has fulfilled the OT prophesies. That there were four “tainted” women in Jesus’ ancestry- Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, and Bathsheba. It foreshadows the scandal of Mary’s pregnancy out of wedlock