HEBREW AND GREEK ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY

HEBREW AND GREEK ROOTS OF CHRISTIANITY

 

1. Palestine in the first century (Gonzalez, Chapter 2)

 

* "The church was never disconnected from the world around it. The first Christians were first

century Jews, and it was as such that they heard and received the message. then the faith spread,

first among the Jews, and eventually among the Gentiles both within and beyond the borders of

the Roman empire." (7)

 

* "Palestine, the land in which Christianity first appeared, has long been a land of strife and

suffering. This was due mostly to its geographical position." (7)

 

* The conquest of Alexander united the world "by spreading the insights of Greek civilization."

"The result is known as Hellenism." (8)

 

# The formation of Hellenism

1) The distinctive cultural unity in the Mediterranean basin

2) The meaning in Alexander's conquest (334-323 b.c.)

3) Inter-relation between Greek and Eastern culture

 

 

* The Jewish rebellion led by the family known as the Maccabees in the second century B.C.:

temporary success and finally absorbed under the Seleucids and the Roman empire.(8-9)

# "Roman policies towards the religion and customs of the conquered people were tolerant." (9)

 

* Four Groups of Judaism in Jesus times (9-10)

1) the Pharisees:

Present misunderstanding: a group of hypocrites

Began as a religious revival movement focusing on the Law

Interpretation of the Law as a daily guide for the religion of the people.

Continued even after the fall of Jerusalem

2) the Sadducees:

A Jewish conservative group in the first century

Acceptance of only the written law

Centered on Temple and its rites

Declined with the fall of Jerusalem

3) the Essenes:

Eschatological (Apocalyptic) community

Separation from the world with the purist life as the New Covenant people.

Influenced from the contemporary dualism of the Middle East

Preservation of the Scripts ("Dead Sea Scrolls" of Qumran Community)

4) the Zealots:

Nationalistic party among Jews

the radical opposition to the Roman rule.

 

# In spite of the diversity, two common fundamental tenets of all Jews:

Ethical monotheism and eschatological (messianic) hope.

 

 

* Diaspora Judaism (since the OT times) (12-13)

1) It is of crucial importance for the history Christianity, for it was one of the main avenues

through which the new faith expanded throughout the Roman empire.

2) Diaspora Judaism unwittingly proved the church useful tools of its missionary expansion:

Greek translation of the OT (LXX, originated in Alexandria)

Greek translation of Christian terms including "christ" (anointed one, messiah).

Hellenistic interpretation of Hebrew thoughts such as the works of Philo of Alexandria.

 

 

* The Greco-Roman World: Roman law and Hellenistic culture (14-16)

"The political and cultural circumstances favored the spread of Christianity"

1) "The political unity wrought by the Roman empire allowed the early Christians to travel

without having to fear bandits or local wars."

2) "In the first century, well paved and well guarded roads ran to the most distant provinces. thus

Christianity often reached a new region, not through the works of missionaries but rather

through traveling traders."

3) Platonism (socrates) and Stoicism were helpful for understanding of Christian teachings.

Platonism: acceptance of the "supreme being" with the belief of immorality (Dualism)

Stoicism: high moral standards and the notion of natural law. (Logos concept)

4) However, the Roman politics and culture provided obstacles and even dangers of persecution.

 

 

* Influence of Roman Empire in the formation of Christianity

1) Roman systems contributed to the expansion of Christianity

2) Tension between Roman empire and Christianity

3) Influenced to the Church administration and legal code

4) Finally Christianity became the Imperial religion

 

Preliminary Comparison between Greek Thought and Hebrew Thought

Greek Hebrew

Christianity

 

 

 

 

2. The Church in Jerusalem (Chapter 3)

 

* There were still no gentiles in the church. It was a conflict between two groups of Jews. (18)

 

* The Jewish council, usually aimed to Hellenistic Christians in their persecution (19-20)

1) the case of Stephen (in spite of their release of Peter and John)

2) Saul's trip to Damascus (although there are many Christians in Jerusalem including the apostles)

Universality

Cosmos

Dualism

(Soul - Body/ Idea - material world)

Ontology/ Epistemology

Reason (logos)

Knowledge through seeing one's soul

Rational reflection

General rule

Allegory/ symbol

Problem: Dualism

Good Ethical Life and Community

Philosophical King

Particularity

History

Monism

(integrated being-body-soul-spirit/World as God's stage)

Revelation/ Law

Observance

Knowledge through hearing revelation

Relationship

Election/ Covenant

Parable/ Narratives

Problem: Exclusivism

Good Ethical Life and Community

Theodicy

Gospel of Incarnation

Universality of Revelation

 

 

 

* Christians in Jerusalem continued to keeping Jewish religious customs including the Sabbath and

attending Temple worship. (20)

 

* Authority was vested primarily on the twelve (Peter and John was the foremost)

the third "pillar" of the Jerusalem church was James, then Simeon, both are the relatives of Jesus.

 

* The decline of the Jerusalem church since A. D. 70. (21-22)

the ancient Jerusalem church became to be isolated and rejected by both Jews and Gentiles.

the leadership of the church had passed to Gentile Christians (the second generation of Christians)

 

 

 

3. Mission to the Gentiles (Chapter 4)

 

* The expansion of the scope of the mission through the persecution

Acts 8:1 "throughout all Judea and Samaria"

Acts 9:1 "Damascus"

Acts 9:32-42 "Lydia, Sharon, and Joppa"

Acts 11: 19 "Antioch"

However, this does not mean that the mission was extended to the Gentile.

 

 

* The first Gentile mission in the Acts

1) Philip's baptism of Ethiopian eunuch

2) Perter's baptism of Cornelius

 

 

* Paul's work (25)

Yet, "Paul took the Gospel to those areas is not to imply that he was the first to do so." (27)

 

 

* the Apostles: Facts and Legends (27-30)

1) "the NT gives no indication as to the career of most of the apostles."

2) "From an early date, traditions began to appear claiming that one or another of them had

preached in a particular region, or had suffered martyrdom in one wat and another. Most of

these traditions are no more than the result of the desire of a church in a particular city to

claim an apostolic origin." (27)

3) St. Peter tradition in Rome

4) St. Paul's acts after the Acts 28

5) St. John: two Johns (One is the apostle, and the other is the "elder" of the Ephesus (29)

6) St. James (Santiago in Spanish) in Spain (29)

7) St. Thomas in India: The Acts of Thomas, and "Thomas Christians" (29-30)

 

 

* "In conclusion, it is certain that some of the apostles--particularly Peter, John, and Paul--did travel

proclaiming the Gospel and supervising the churches that had been founded, either by them or by

others.... In truth, most of the missionary work was not carried by the apostles, but rather by the

countless and nameless Christians who for different reasons--persecution, business, or missionary

calling--traveled from place to place taking the news of the Gospel with them." (30)