A brief introduction to the New Testament

A BRIEF INTRODUCTION TO THE NEW TESTAMENT......Page 1
Half Title Page......Page 2
Title Page......Page 4
Copyright......Page 5
Dedication......Page 6
BRIEF CONTENTS......Page 7
CONTENTS......Page 8
 TIME LINES AND DIAGRAMS......Page 16
BOXES......Page 17
PREFACE FOR INSTRUCTORS......Page 22
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS......Page 24
NOTES ON SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 25
CREDITS......Page 26
MASTER TIME LINE......Page 28
 HISTORICAL REASONS......Page 33
 LITERARY REASONS......Page 34
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 36
 THE NEW TESTAMENT: SOME BASIC INFORMATION......Page 38
 OTHER EARLY CHRISTIAN WRITINGS......Page 39
 THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CHRISTIAN CANON......Page 40
 IMPLICATIONS FOR OUR STUDY......Page 42
 THE NEW TESTAMENT: ONE OTHER SET OF PROBLEMS......Page 43
 AT A GLANCE: The New Testament Canon......Page 45
 EXCURSUS: Some Additional Reflections: The Historian and the Believer......Page 46
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 47
 KEY TERMS......Page 48
  INTRODUCTION......Page 49
 THE PROBLEM OF BEGINNINGS......Page 57
 ONE REMARKABLE LIFE......Page 58
 THE ENVIRONMENT OF THE NEW TESTAMENT: RELIGIONS IN THE GRECO-ROMAN WORLD......Page 61
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 69
 KEY TERMS......Page 70
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 71
 MONOTHEISM: THE BELIEF IN THE ONE TRUE GOD......Page 72
 THE COVENANT: ISRAEL’S PACT WITH ITS GOD......Page 73
 THE LAW: ISRAEL’S COVENANTAL OBLIGATIONS......Page 74
 TEMPLE AND SYNAGOGUE: ISRAEL’S PLACES OF WORSHIP......Page 75
 POLITICAL CRISES IN PALESTINE AND THEIR RAMIFICATIONS......Page 77
 THE FORMATION OF JEWISH GROUPS......Page 81
 AT A GLANCE: The World of Early Judaism......Page 85
 THE JEWISH CONTEXT FOR THE TRADITIONS ABOUT JESUS......Page 86
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 87
 KEY TERMS......Page 88
 ORAL TRADITIONS BEHIND THE GOSPELS......Page 89
 AT A GLANCE: The Traditions of Jesus......Page 99
 SOME ADDITIONAL REFLECTIONS: THE AUTHORS OF THE GOSPELS......Page 100
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 101
 KEY TERMS......Page 102
 THE SYNOPTIC PROBLEM......Page 103
 THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL: JESUS THE MESSIAH, THE SON OF GOD WHO FULFILLS SCRIPTURE......Page 104
 JESUS THE AUTHORITATIVE SON OF GOD......Page 107
 JESUS THE OPPOSED SON OF GOD......Page 108
 JESUS THE ACKNOWLEDGED SON OF GOD......Page 110
 JESUS THE SUFFERING SON OF GOD......Page 112
 JESUS THE CRUCIFIED SON OF GOD......Page 114
 JESUS THE VINDICATED SON OF GOD......Page 115
 CONCLUSION: MARK AND HIS READERS......Page 116
 AT A GLANCE: The Gospel of Mark......Page 118
 KEY TERMS......Page 119
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 120
 THE IMPORTANCE OF BEGINNINGS: JESUS THE JEWISH MESSIAH IN FULFILLMENT OF THE JEWISH SCRIPTURES......Page 121
 THE PORTRAYAL OF JESUS IN MATTHEW: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT AS A SPRINGBOARD......Page 127
 JESUS REJECTED BY THE JEWISH LEADERS......Page 132
 MATTHEW AND HIS READERS......Page 134
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 136
 KEY TERMS......Page 137
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 138
 THE PREFACE TO LUKE’S GOSPEL......Page 139
 LUKE’S BIRTH NARRATIVE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE......Page 141
 FROM JEW TO GENTILE: LUKE’S PORTRAYAL OF JESUS THE REJECTED PROPHET......Page 145
 LUKE’S DISTINCTIVE EMPHASES THROUGHOUT HIS GOSPEL......Page 146
 CONCLUSION: LUKE IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE......Page 152
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 153
 KEY TERMS......Page 154
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 155
 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN FROM THE PERSPECTIVE OF GENRE CRITICISM......Page 156
 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN FROM A COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE......Page 159
 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN FROM A REDACTIONAL PERSPECTIVE......Page 163
 THE AUTHOR OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL......Page 168
 AT A GLANCE: The Gospel of John......Page 169
 EXCURSUS: Methods of Ideological Criticism......Page 170
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 172
 KEY TERMS......Page 173
 PROBLEMS WITH SOURCES......Page 174
 USING OUR SOURCES......Page 177
 JEWISH APOCALYPTICISM......Page 178
 JESUS IN HIS APOCALYPTIC CONTEXT......Page 180
 THE BEGINNING AND END AS KEYS TO THE MIDDLE......Page 181
 THE APOCALYPTIC DEEDS OF JESUS......Page 183
 THE APOCALYPTIC TEACHINGS OF JESUS......Page 191
 THE APOCALYPTIC DEATH OF JESUS......Page 196
 AT A GLANCE: Jesus the Apocalyptic Prophet......Page 198
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 199
 KEY TERMS......Page 200
 THE BEGINNING OF CHRISTIANITY......Page 201
 JESUS’ RESURRECTION FROM AN APOCALYPTIC PERSPECTIVE......Page 202
 JESUS’ DEATH, ACCORDING TO THE SCRIPTURES......Page 205
 THE EMERGENCE OF DIFFERENT UNDERSTANDINGS OF JESUS......Page 206
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 209
 KEY TERMS......Page 210
  STATUES AND BUSTS......Page 211
  INSCRIPTIONS......Page 212
  TEMPLES......Page 213
  QUMRAN AND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS......Page 214
  CAPERNAUM......Page 215
  ON THE SEA OF GALILEE......Page 216
  FIGURES FROM THE LIFE OF JESUS......Page 217
  THE CRUCIFIXION......Page 218
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 219
 THE GENRE OF ACTS AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE......Page 220
 FROM GOSPEL TO ACTS: THE OPENING TRANSITION......Page 221
 THEMES IN THE SPEECHES IN ACTS......Page 224
 AT A GLANCE: The Book of Acts......Page 233
 KEY TERMS......Page 235
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 236
 THE STUDY OF PAUL: METHODOLOGICAL DIFFICULTIES......Page 237
 THE LIFE OF PAUL......Page 243
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 253
 KEY TERMS......Page 255
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 256
 THE FOUNDING OF THE CHURCH IN THESSALONICA......Page 257
 THE BEGINNINGS OF THE THESSALONIAN CHURCH: A SOCIOHISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE......Page 262
 THE CHURCH AT THESSALONICA AFTER PAUL’S DEPARTURE......Page 265
 CONCLUSION: PAUL THE APOSTLE......Page 268
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 269
 KEY TERMS......Page 270
 1 CORINTHIANS......Page 271
 AT A GLANCE: 1 Corinthians......Page 281
 2 CORINTHIANS......Page 282
 AT A GLANCE: 2 Corinthians......Page 286
 KEY TERMS......Page 287
 GALATIANS......Page 288
 PHILIPPIANS......Page 296
 PHILEMON......Page 299
 AT A GLANCE: Philippians......Page 300
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 303
 KEY TERMS......Page 304
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 305
 THE OCCASION AND PURPOSE OF THE LETTER......Page 306
 THE THEME OF THE EPISTLE......Page 308
 PAULINE MODELS FOR SALVATION......Page 309
 THE FLOW OF PAUL’S ARGUMENT......Page 314
 CONCLUSION: PAUL AND THE ROMANS......Page 316
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 317
 KEY TERMS......Page 318
  EPHESUS......Page 319
  ATHENS......Page 321
  CORINTH......Page 322
  ROME......Page 324
  ROMAN ROUTES AND ROADS......Page 325
 PSEUDONYMITY IN THE ANCIENT WORLD......Page 327
 THE DEUTERO-PAULINE EPISTLES......Page 329
 THE PASTORAL EPISTLES......Page 338
 AT A GLANCE: The Deutero-Pauline Epistles......Page 339
 THE HISTORICAL SITUATION AND AUTHORSHIP OF THE PASTORAL EPISTLES......Page 342
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 345
 KEY TERMS......Page 346
 WOMEN IN PAUL’S CHURCHES......Page 347
 WOMEN ASSOCIATED WITH JESUS......Page 348
 PAUL’S UNDERSTANDING OF WOMEN IN THE CHURCH......Page 352
 WOMEN IN THE AFTERMATH OF PAUL......Page 353
 ANCIENT IDEOLOGIES OF GENDER......Page 355
 GENDER IDEOLOGY AND THE PAULINE CHURCHES......Page 356
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 358
 KEY TERMS......Page 359
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 360
 EARLY CHRISTIAN SELF-DEFINITION......Page 361
 CONTINUITY AND SUPERIORITY: THE EPISTLE TO THE HEBREWS......Page 362
 AT A GLANCE: Hebrews......Page 369
 CHRISTIANS AND PAGANS......Page 370
 CHRISTIANS IN A HOSTILE WORLD: THE LETTER OF 1 PETER......Page 378
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 381
 KEY TERMS......Page 382
 CHRISTIAN INTERACTIONS WITH CHRISTIANS......Page 383
 THE EPISTLE OF JAMES......Page 384
 JUDE......Page 386
 2 PETER......Page 387
 THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES......Page 389
 UNDERSTANDING THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES......Page 391
 REFLECTIONS ON THE CONTEXTUAL METHOD FOR UNDERSTANDING THE JOHANNINE EPISTLES......Page 393
 CONFLICTS WITHIN THE EARLY CHRISTIAN COMMUNITIES......Page 394
 QUESTIONS FOR REVIEW AND REFLECTION......Page 395
 KEY TERMS......Page 396
 WHAT TO EXPECT......Page 397
 THE CONTENT AND STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK OF REVELATION......Page 398
 APOCALYPTIC WORLDVIEWS AND THE APOCALYPSE GENRE......Page 400
 THE REVELATION OF JOHN IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT......Page 403
 SUGGESTIONS FOR FURTHER READING......Page 410
 KEY TERMS......Page 411
GLOSSARY......Page 412
INDEX......Page 424