Midterm

Question 1

Approximately how many manuscripts of the greek New Testament exist today?

Answer 1

Nearly 6000

Question 2

How old are our earliest manuscripts (such as p52 [c. AD 125], p46 [c. AD 200], Vaticanus [c. AD 325], and Sinaiticus [c. AD 350])? How does the age and number of the NT manuscripts compare to those of other important ancient works like Tacitus’ Annals?

Answer 2

4.5 manuscripts. no single complete copy. Oldest one is the 9th century.

Question 3

How confident can modern Christians be that respected modern translations are based on a reliable Greek text?

Answer 3

Matt 5:18 Best preserved book of all ancient literature. Also compares very favorably to “lost gospels” outside of the canon. Based off the trustworthiness of the authors, no motivation for deception.

Question 4

What are some of the principles used to evaluate variants in the ancient manuscripts?

Answer 4

Direct and indirect quotes can still be considered correct as long as the intention is not distorted. Gospel writers were free to rephrase as necessary to make it as clear as possible to their audience. Difference of arrangement can be explained by chronological vs topical arrangements.
The earlier the manuscript the more likely it’s the originally, the wider geographical distribution is more likely reliable. consider the common mistakes of scribes, internal evidence of authors writing style and content within passage.
no doctrine is dependant on a single variant.

Question 5

What is the earliest Jewish testimony concerning Jesus outside of the New Testament (give author and source)? What does this source say about Jesus?

Answer 5

In the testimonimonium flavianum, Josephus mentions Jesus as being called the Messiah and acknowledges His brother James. IMplies that Jesus is already known by those reading the book, because James is identified according to Jesus. We doubt Josephus said exactly what is in the manuscript because of the Chrsitian themes in the text. Testimonium Flavianum

Question 6

What are the two earliest Roman testimonies about Jesus outside of the New Testament? What do they say about Jesus?

Answer 6

Tacitus Annals. Nero blamed the Chrsitians for the fires he started. The crimes listed against them are misunderstandings regarding the Lords supper and family of Christ. Also confirms the historicity of the crucifixion.

Suetonius Life of the Roman Emperor Claudius: Expulsion from Rome mentioned in Acts 18.Also mentions Jesus causing unrest.

Question 7

List four evidences that the early church was concerned to preserve the actual history about Jesus’s life and teachings?

Answer 7

Evidence within the NT
Pagus claiming Mark’s gospel is the memoir of Peter.
Matthew and John are eye witness accounts

Authenticity evidence: Name frequencies, early date of Gospels, eye witness accounts.

Question 8

Do the different statements regarding the timing of the crucifixion in Mark 15:25,33 and John 19:14 constitute a historical error? Why not

Answer 8

Timing was not as precise as today. We are obsessed with precise time. Limitations fo the sundial: not accurate, accessible, doesn’t work at night, clouds, or fog. Days lengthen and shorten with seasons.
Conception of time in the three hour watch period

Question 9

How are modern alcoholic beverages different from biblical wine? What was the dilution rate typically used by the Jews for wine and what alcoholic content did this produce?

Answer 9

Biblical wine was often diluted with water. 3:1 part dilution rate. 3% alcoholic content.
(This dilution was used in order to purify the water. Without a little bit of alcohol in their water it would cause them to be sick.)

Question 10

What is the primary purpose of Johns gospel?

Answer 10

“believe Jesus is the messiah, the son of God, and by believing you may have life in His name” (John 20:30-31)

Question 11

What is the primary purpose of Marks gospel?

Answer 11

“the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, son of God (Mark 1:1)
Jesus in story form

Question 12

What is the primary purpose of Matthew’s gospel?

Answer 12

“Son of David, Son of Abraham, Immanuel” (Matthew 1:1-25) present Jesus as a teacher greater than Moses.

Question 13

What is the primary purpose Luke’s gospel? what evidence supports this?

Answer 13

Virgin born Son of the Most High who will reign from the throne of David over an eternal kingdom

Question 14

Secondary purpose of the gospels?

Answer 14

“Follow me” (Matt 4:19; 8:22; 9:9; 10:38; 16:24; 19:21)
Jewish notions of discipleship
“Imitators of us and the Lord” (1 Thess 1:6)
“Christ . . . Left you an example, so that you should follow in His steps” (1 Peter 2:21)

Question 15

What is “vertical reading”?

Answer 15

Vertical reading is when the reader interprets and reads Scripture with God as the center of Scripture. in Order to read vertically well one must ask these questions, Who? What? When? Where? Why? How?.

Question 16

What are the steps of vertical reading?

Answer 16

Examine themes in the Heading, Introduction, Conclusion, and Programmatic Statement

Examine repeated themes, titles, phrases, and theological emphases

Examine editorial comments that interpret the significance of the event and the response of the original witnesses to an event

Look for possible connections between narrative and discourse material in the immediate context

Carefully examine all OT quotations and allusions

Consider the significance of events against the background of OT theology and first-century Jewish theology

Question 17

What is “horizontal reading”

Answer 17

Horizontal reading is reading Scripture when the reader reads Scripture with mankind as the center of scripture.

Question 18

what are the steps of horizontal reading?

Answer 18

1) Locate parallel accounts in the Gospels
2) Examine similarities and differences and mark differences with a highlighter
3) Consider whether the unique elements of a particular Gospel highlight theological emphases of that Gospel
4) Test the hypothesis regarding theological emphases by determining whether that same emphasis is reflected in other passages in that particular Gospel

Question 19

What is the background for the title Logos used in John’s Prologue? What does this imply about the meaning of the title?

Answer 19

Jesus, the logos, was already in the beginning when everything as made. He is without beginning. Eternal existence.

Jesus as the Word: Jewish Teaching OT Gen 1, Psa 33:6. Instrument or agent of Creation.
More likely background Isa 55:9-11. Jesus came down from Heaven, sent by God, fulfills the purpose and returns to God.

John intends more than what the OT says, most common place holder for Jehovah is Memra which means “the word.” Source of John’s Logos theology.

Question 20

List and explain the major theological truths taught in the Prologue.

Answer 20

Father and the Logos have a close personal relationship practically indescribable.
The Word was God. Greek structure emphasizes the deity of Jesus Christ as the God of the OT. One deity manifesting in three persons without confusion between the three persons. Doctrine of the Trinity.

Logos is the creator, savior, and revealer.

Question 21

what does Logos as creator mean?

Answer 21

Logos is eternal. Logos is creator of all things. Source of life both physical and spiritual. Logos is the embodiment source of light. Logos is more powerful than evil.

Question 22

what does Logos as savior mean?

Answer 22

God’s prophet testified so that people would believe in the Logos
the incarnation of the Logos reveals GOd to the world, the world rejects Logos, the Jews rejected Logos
Logos grants new birth to believers.

Question 23

what dos logos as revealer mean?

Answer 23

Flesh of the Logos is the tabernacle of the Shekinah (glory of divine presence)
Logos is the unique Son
Logos exhibits the character of Yahweh
Logos is preexistent
Logos is a superior expression of divine greave
Logos is the God of Jewish monotheism

Question 24

How does Matthew demonstrate that Jesus’s birth was a product of miraculous virginal conception?

Answer 24

“before they came together” “of the Holy Spirit” and divine passive “he had no union with her”
Matthew lists the genealogy of conceptions and then describes how the birth of Jesus came about, implying it is different from the ones listed.
Mary’s confusion “how can that be for I have not known a man”
Josephs intention to divorce her because he knew the child wasn’t his.

Question 25

What three major doctrines depend on Jesus’s virginal conception?

Answer 25

means of the incarnation of deity
key to jesus nature as sinless and perfect
key to a high view of scripture

-Stresses Jesus’ uniqueness, uniquely qualifies him as Messiah, uniquely fulfills the prophecy of Isa 7:14 and Ias 9.
-The Holy Spirit is involved in the conception, like conceive like, therefore Jesus incarnate is Holy as the Spirit is Holy. Deity in His conception, Jesus is Deity incarnate.
-only way for someone to come into the world as fully God and fully man

Question 26

How did the announcement of Messiah’s birth to the Bethlehemite shepherds fulfill OT prophecy?

Answer 26

Micah 4:8, promise a davidic king will rule again.

Question 27

How were the shepherds of Bethlehem different from ordinary shepherds? What does this suggest about Jesus’ role? How does the “sign” to the shepherds confirm this?

Answer 27

The Shepherds of Bethlehem were different because these shepherds were set near the temple. These sheep were raised to be sacrifices for the temple. This symbolizes that Jesus is the ultimate sacrifice that is greater than the sheep in the field that the shepherds are having to watch. The angles are letting them know that ultimately there will be an end of slaughtering of the innocent animals they are having to raise, the promised Messiah is here! Found in Micah 4:8, Genesis 35:19-21, Leviticus 4:27-35 and Isaiah 53

Question 28

Is the Star of Bethlehem to be identified with an astronomical phenomenon still visible in the sky? What element of Matthew’s description do most theories fail to satisfy? What was the theological significance of God’s use of a sign in the heavens to signify the birth of his son?

Answer 28

No, the Star is a supernatural phenomenon.

Question 29

Who were the magi? What does their summons to worship Christ suggest about the nature of salvation?

Answer 29

Demonstrate God’s intention to include Gentiles, grace to the worst sinners, indictment against the spiritual apathy of Jewish leaders, confirms Jesus’ legal right to be Messiah, and displays the importance of Jesus’ Kingship.

Question 30

Herod’s slaughter of the innocents and Jesus’s providential protection are very similar to what OT event? What are the parallels? What OT prophecy does this fulfill? What is the theological significance of this fulfillment?

Answer 30

What does John’s fulfillment of Isa 40:3 imply about Jesus’s identity and why?

Question 31

Who is the primary audience for the Sermon on the Mount and what does this imply about its purpose? (Sermon on the mount slides slide 2)

Answer 31

Sermon offers a description of the righteous life for which every disciple should aspire
Primary audience were the disciples

Question 32

When are the promises of the Beatitudes fulfilled?

Answer 32

Confirm inaugurated eschatology: Kingdom is now, disciples still await full blessings of kingdom
Demonstrate that Kingdom righteousness is a divine gift: May express the blessings of the new Moses on the new Israel.

Question 33

How did Jesus show that the righteousness described in the Sermon on the Mount is one which God himself produces in the disciple?

Answer 33

The righteousness manifested by the disciple is a divine gift thus God, rather than the disciple, is glorified for it. Jesus’ disciples must exceed the righteousness demanded by the OT law–it is an inspiration of the law and a fulfillment of the law which fulfills prophecy and purpose.
Jesus says that giving, prayer, and fasting are acts of righteousness and do not merit their own salvation, but rather challenge to the manner of the Jewish practices and their expectation of reward would shake their dependency on their own righteousness for salvation.

Question 34

What principle did Jesus use in the Sermon on the Mount to show that the disciples can and must love their enemies?

Answer 34

Matthew 5:43-48 love your enemies, pray for those who persecute you,
v.48 you must be perfect because the heavenly father is perfect.
(Because the disciples and believers are under the new covenant (Jesus) and because we are now saved by grace we are now called to live like Christ and that means to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. We are called to be different from this world.) - Lyd

Question 35

Did Jesus prohibit all public acts of righteousness? Why or why not?

Answer 35

No, Jesus was not prohibiting any public righteous act. His concern is not location but motivation. Deeds are truly righteous only when they have the proper motivation. The right thing for the wrong reason is not righteousness. The highest and greatest motivation for acts of righteousness is a desire to glorify God and to please H

Question 36

Some scholars have claimed that the Sermon on the Mount expresses an impossible ethic that no one can attain because he desires to demonstrate the sinner’s need for God’s grace. The professor argued that the Sermon on the Mount actually describes the way of life that should characterize the Christian disciple. What evidence supports the professor’s view? What makes the ethic possible? How does the Sermon on the Mount express this?

Answer 36

The sermon on the mount makes it clear we will not achieve perfection in this life, but a true disciple of Christ will pursue the righteousness of Christ through sanctification. The law of spiritual genetics. As a child matures the resemblance of the parent increases. Our resemblance of the Father and His character increases as we mature in our faith.