Midterm Flashcards
What difference does Christianity have apart from all other major religions?
The humiliation of its God as its central event.
What difference does Christianity have apart from all other major religions?
The humiliation of its God as its central event.
What were some primary components of popular Jewish faith in the first century, partially based on Daniel 7?
Cosmic struggle between good and evil the destruction of the existing world The creation of an eternal kingdom the resurrection of the dead The final judgment
Name and give a brief description of the five factions that arose among the Jews.
The Jesus movement - Followers of Jesus and his teachings
Pharisees - emphasized those Jewish traditions and practices that set them apart from pagan culture. Their name means “separated ones” and they prided themselves on their strict observance of every detail of Jewish law and their extreme intolerance of people whom they considered ritually unclean. This piety and patriotism made them respected leaders among their people.
Sadducees - Members of Jerusalem’s aristocracy. From this small group of wealthy, pedigreed families came the high priest and the lesser priests of the temple. Many of them enjoyed the sophisticated manners and fashions of Greco-Roman culture. Some even took Greek names. At the time of Jesus, these men still controlled the high Jewish council, or Sanhedrin, but they had little influence among the common people.
Zealots - group bent on armed resistance to all Romans in the fatherland. They looked back two centuries to the glorious days of the Maccabees when religious zeal combined with a ready sword to overthrow the pagan Greek overlords.
Essenes - a group that had little or no interest in politics or in warfare. Instead, they withdrew to the Judean wilderness. There, in isolated monastic communities, they studied the Scriptures and prepared themselves for the Lord’s kingdom.
What was the main theme of Jesus’ teachings and what did he mean by it?
The Kingdom of God
Both that the kingdom of God would invade human history in the future and that, through him, it was already starting to be established in our world.
What two rival groups, out of the fear of Jesus, banned together in an unusual alliance in their common goal to stop him? What separate reasons motivated this alliance?
The Pharisees and the Sadducees.
Separate Reasons:
The Sadducees feared that Jesus would spark a political uprising that would force Rome to crush Jerusalem and the Jews, causing the Sadducees to lose their privileges.
The Pharisees were aggravated by Jesus who openly violated the Sabbath laws and questioned the validity of other leas, seeming to be undermining the authority of the Jewish religion.
When Jesus shared the bread and wine with his disciples for the last time, what was the intent of the “new covenant”?
The remembrance of the Exodus from Egypt and the formation of Israel as a nation
The prophecy of Jeremiah when the covenant written on tablets of stone would be replaced by a covenant written on the hearts of men (Jeremiah 31:33-34)
A covenant of forgiveness
Why did Pilate agree to sentence Jesus over to crucifixion?
Fear of offending Caesar.
What was the fundamental difference between John’s baptism and Christian baptism?
John’s was a way of professing faith in a kingdom yet to come, whereas Christian baptism was eschatological, a kingdom already proclaimed though still to be revealed in its fullness.
How did the early Christians view the Lord’s Supper?
It looked back to Jesus’ betrayal and death and found in the events of Calvary and the empty tomb evidence of the “new covenant” promised by the prophet Jeremiah.
Where was the word “Christian” first used and how was it used?
The word Christian was first used in Antioch
It was a derogatory label for those “devotees of the Anointed One”.
What three “Worlds” was the Apostle Paul immersed and educated in?
Jewish
Greek
Roman
What concern did Paul’s “legally minded” Jewish opponents have against his teachings on grace?
They believed that if you teach justification by faith alone, people will ill imagine that once they have accepted Christ by faith it does not matter how they live.
The “end of the Apostolic Age” is usually marked by what tragic event?
The ravaging of the Temple and the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70.
Define what “Catholic Christianity” means. Who was the first person to use it?
Universal Christianity. Catholic Christianity represents more than an organization but a spiritual vision, conviction that all the Christians would be in one body
Ignatius was the first to use the term Catholic
What was the first home of Christianity? The Second? And why did it move?
Jerusalem
Antioch of Syria
Because of the fall of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.
What made the church in Rome a leader amongst the other churches?
From its beginnings this church in the capital… gained the respect and admiration of Christians throughout the empire. Once a church took root in the capital it naturally assumed leadership in Christian affairs.
Claimed the ministry of the apostles Peter and Paul.
Where was the first Latin-speaking church produced? What does a Latin speaking church imply?
North Africa Latin was spoken by the upper class; therefore this means that a Latin-speaking church would tend to be made up of upper class members.
Explain why Celsus, a critic of Christianity, would claim that Christianity only coverts “worthless and contemptible people, idiots, slaves, poor women and children.” To what extent is this true?
There is some truth to this statement. The church was reaching out to the poor and needy and did not neglect those that society deemed unworthy.
However this his statement isn’t entirely true as by the end of the 2nd century the movement became the most forceful and compelling movement within the empire and many people with the keenest minds of the day were becoming followers of Christ.
Define the men who were called “apologists.”
Apologists answered critics like Celsus and other opponents of Christianity. The word comes from Greek and means “defense” such as a lawyer gives at a trial.
What were the principal reasons for the spread of the Gospel in the early centuries?
- A burning conviction
- The gospel met a widely felt need
- The practical expression of Christian love
- Persecution
Explain the Roman policy of religious tolerance. Why were the Jews an exception? How were the Christians eventually treated by Rome and why?
Rome’s policy: tolerant of other religions so long as they paid homage to Caesar
The Jews were monotheistic and would rather revolt and shed blood than acknowledge any other God. They were given a unique toleration.
The Christians were treated as Jews at first, but when the separation between Judaism and Christianity became obvious, Christians were persecuted. After all, they were even more active in proselytizing than the Jews.
The Christians didn’t “follow the crowd” in many ways, refusing to participate in many social events. What are some events they rejected and why?
Denial of the Greek and Roman deities that they had for every aspect of life. They rejected the gods and didn’t participate in their practices.
They didn’t enter didn’t attend or support the Gladiatorial entertainment because it promoted death and the participants may be Christians.
The Christians fear of idolatry led to many difficulties in making a living. What Careers were abandoned or hindered because of this and why?
Pagan Hospitals: They were under the protection of the heathen god Aesculapius and while a sick person said in his bed, the priest would go down the aisles chanting to the god.
Military service: Soldiers were required to offer incense to the emperor, etc.