Introduction to Christianity

• What was going on in first century CE in Roman

occupied Judea?

• How did Christianity begin as a religion?

• What was Christianity's relationship to Judaism

in the early years?

• What role do the synoptic gospels (Mark,

Matthew, Luke,) the gospel of John, and the
letters of Paul play in the development of early
Christianity?
Judea in the First Century CE: Sectarian Judaism

-At most, 200,000 Jews lived in Judea in the 1st cent. CE

-Historians generally agree that 3 different sects were

prominent at this time: the Pharisees, Sadducees and
Essenes; (Others existed, but were very small)

-Pharisees: Strict adherence to the Law (the Torah);

Interpretation where necessary – for example:
“Keep the Sabbath holy,” the question became, ‘How?’, and
‘what activities should we refrain from so as to keep the
Sabbath holy?’

-Saducees: strict about letter of the Law; did not interpret

Judea in the First Century CE: Sectarian Judaism

-In fact, Pharisees and Sadducees were a lot alike; kind

of like two competing social clubs for elite members

-Essenes: very different other two; Kept to themselves,

lived alone near Masada; ascetic lifestyles; kept copious,
detailed records of their beliefs: Dead Sea Scrolls contain
some of these:
Judea in the First Century CE: Sectarian Judaism

-Essenes: believed in perfect purity; many did not marry

or have children

-Also believed that world would soon come to an end;

section of the Dead Sea Scrolls called “The War Scroll”
described a fight that would take place between Good and
Evil; “Sons of Light” and the “Sons of Darkness” would
battle one another, with God and the “Sons of Light”
emerging victorious.
Introduction to Christianity

Remember this guy from our first week?

• His mother was told before his birth that he’d be divine

• He traveled and preached his message in the Mediterreanean

• He healed the sick, cast out demons and raised the dead

• His followers claimed he was the “son of God”

• Was placed on trial by the Romans for crimes against the state

• Many of his followers believed he ascended to heaven

• Books were written based on accounts of his life

Introduction to Christianity

Appolonius of Tyana

• Tyana
Introduction to Christianity: The Historical Jesus

-No written sources from the lifetime of Jesus exist.

-The earliest documents that reference Jesus, his ideas

and his followers date to the years 50-60 CE; these are the
writings of Paul, who was the first person to spread his
understanding of Jesus’ message to Jews and Gentiles in
the Mediterranean region.

-Paul (10-65 CE) was originally a Jew; became a follower

of the Jesus group (sometimes called Nazarenes);
travelled around the Mediterranean region visiting
communities, preaching and writing letters.
Introduction to Christianity: The Historical Jesus

-As we have noted, there are no first-hand, extra-biblical

sources that tell us about Jesus in his day. Why not?

-Elsewhere in his historical introduction to the New

Testament, Ehrman says:

“...whatever his influence on subsequent generations,

Jesus’ impact on society in the first century was
practically nil, less like a comet striking the planet than a
stone being tossed in the ocean.”
Introduction to Christianity: The Historical Jesus

-Extra-biblical historical documents that reference Jesus

include 3 Roman (pagan) sources:
1) 112 CE: Roman governor Pliny the Younger wrote
to emperor Trajan about handling a group of
Christians in his region

2) 115 CE:Roman historian Suetonius writes about

riots among Jews in Rome started by “Chrestus.”

3) 115 CE: Roman historian Tacitus writes that

emperor Nero blamed “Christus” for burning Rome
Introduction to Christianity: The Historical Jesus

-Most references to Jesus come from the Gospels: Mark,

Matthew, Luke and John.

-The Gospels were written between 35-65 years after the

death of Jesus; in modern terms, this is a very long time.
Introduction to Christianity: The Gospels

-The Gospels are not first-hand accounts; written in

Greek, not Aramaic (the language of Jesus and
followers)

-Authors of gospels are anonymous (not named in books;

given names by later historians)

-Writers of gospels got stories from oral tradition

-No eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus wrote down what they

heard or saw
Introduction to Christianity: The Gospels

-“Gospel” means “Good News” (Greek: Euangelizo)

-Gospels are different from one another; contain seeming

contradictions; Ex: Time of Jesus’ death in Mark and John

-Gospels were not intended to be historically accurate

accounts of Jesus’ life;

-Purpose of Gospels is to promote faith in Jesus;

-Gospels are records of the religious life and death of

Jesus; moral (not objective) truths that serve to teach
something to people
Introduction to Christianity: The Gospels

-Ehrman’s summary of the Gospels as ancient biography:

The Gospel of Mark: First Impressions

1) What is your impression of Mark’s style? How does he

write? Is it accessible? Why or why not?

2) How does Mark portray Jesus?

3) What might be Mark’s goal?

The Gospel of Mark: Questions for Chs. 1-3

4) What do the demons (evil spirits) repeatedly say to

Jesus and how does he respond to them? Why does he
respond this way?

5) What does Mark establish about Jesus in verses: 1:22;

1:27-28; 2:25-28;

6) Why does Jesus repeatedly tell people he heals not to

talk to others about his ability to work miracles?

7) How is Jesus recieved by teachers of the Law, Pharisees

and even his own family?
The Gospel of Mark: Questions for Chs. 4; 8-9

8) What’s your impression of the twelve disciples so far

through verse 9:10? How would you rate them in
comparson to the other major characters in the story so
far (teachers, Pharisees, demons)?

9) What does Jesus mean in verse 9:1?

The Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Son of God

-The Gospel of Mark: between 65 and 70 CE.

-Most likely written by a non-Judean (non-Jew) who lived

in a Greek-speaking place outside of Judea.

-Mark begins with Jesus as an adult, undergoing a

baptism (by John the Baptist).

-Jesus teaches, heals, gets rid of demons and leads, but is

opposed by Jewish religious leaders.
The Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Son of God

-In Mark, Jesus’ character is a typology; point is to

emphasize certain aspects of Jesus’ character:
1) Jesus reveals himself as the Son of God but few believe
him; not even his own disciples understand who he is.

2) Jesus was meant to suffer and die at the hands of the

forces of evil he preached about.

-Main goal of Mark is show Jesus as suffering Son of God who

preaches an authoritative message on earth, then suffers and
dies only to be resurrected by God, who has orchestrated the
entire thing.
The Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Son of God

Major Themes in Mark to note:

1) View of Jesus is very human:

-Jesus shows emotion and vulnerability, gets hungry, even
cries

2) Shows Jesus to be an authoritative teacher:

-Jesus’ teaching and healing define his identity as the
authoritative son of God

3) Uses antagonists as literary device to advance the story:

-Demons, authority figures and disciples use different ways
to help Jesus spread his message
The Gospel of Mark: Jesus the Suffering Son of God
Major Themes in Mark to note:

4) Mark uses irony in relation to Jesus’ identity:

-Narrative says Jesus is the Messiah, but no one knows it;
for example, the disciples themselves don’t know Jesus is
Messah and often make mistakes and looks silly as a result

5) Overall, Mark shows Jesus to be the Son of God who

endures great suffering
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Apocalypticism: Belief that the world (in 1st century

CE) was ruled by forces of evil such as the Devil, sin,
disease, famine, drought and death; Evils fights Good;
Battle is happening right now; Explains all events that are
currently transpiring

-Final battle would be take place on earth, resulting in the

end of the world as humans knew it; God would defeat
forces of evil and bring the “Kingdom of God,” to be ruled
by God’s messiah; All is a predetermined by God.
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Jesus preached in an apocalyptic context; basic

message was: The Kingdom of God was coming in his
lifetime (and therefore yours....if you were a 1st ct Jew)

-in KoG, people in power will be demoted; oppressed will

be given power; A famous phrase from book Mark 10:31:
“The first shall be last and the last first.”

-Therefore, one should sacrifice everything; But, not

enough just to be poor; Jesus preached that one needed to
repent and love God to enter the Kingdom.
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Jesus’ message further illuminated in Mark:

-Mark 1:15
Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of
God. ‘The time has come,’ he said. ‘The kingdom of God is
near. Repent and believe the good news!’
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Mark 13:1-8
As [Jesus] was leaving the temple, one of his disciples said to
him, “Look, Teacher! What massive bricks! What
magnificent buildings!”

“Do you see all these great buildings?” replied Jesus. “Not
one stone here will be left on another; every one will be
thrown down.” Jesus said to them: “...When you hear of
wars and rumors of wars, do not be alarmed. Such things
must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise
against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be
earthquakes in various places, and famines.”
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Key Point: the message of Jesus is occasional, meaning:

meant for a specific place and time

Bart Ehrman:
“Jesus did teach that people should love one another, but
not because he wanted them to lead happy and
productive lives...He was not...concerned with how
people should get along in the future. For Jesus, the end
was coming soon, within his own generation. The
motivation for ethical behavior, then, sprang from the
imminent arrival of the kingdom [of God]...”
Understanding Jesus’ Message: Apocalypticism

-Erhman’s Apocalypticism summary:

The Gospel of Mark: Apocalyptic Message of Jesus

1) 9:1

2) 9:35

3) 9:40

4) 10:17-31

5) 10:31

6) 10:42-44

7) 13 complete
The Gospel of Matthew: Questions for Chs. 1-4

1) In what ways are Mark and Matthew different? What

immediately strikes you?

2) What is the purpose of the genealogy that occupies

Matthew 1:1-17?

3) What does Matthew 2 remind you of? What might be its

purpose?

4) In general, what do chapters 1-4 establish?

The Gospel of Matthew: Questions for Chs. 5-7

5) What does the Sermon on the Mount add that

Matthew felt Mark lacked?

6) What method is Jesus using in Matthew 5:17-7:29?

7) What does Jesus mean in verse 5:17? Why might he be

saying it here?

8) What is at the heart of Jesus’ message in 5:17-7:29?

How does he understand these laws? Why does he choose
to preach specifically upon these laws?
The Gospel of Matthew: Jesus as the ‘New Moses’

-Gospel of Matthew: between 80 and 85 CE;

Anonymous; written in Greek.

-Matthew uses Mark as one of its sources but changes

some important details to fit his particular typology of
Jesus. (Exs. in Matt that are exact copies of Mark?)

-Author of Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ “Jewishness” and

that he was the Jewish messiah sent by the Jewish God to
the Jewish people to fufill the Jewish law.

Let’s now look at Isaiah 52-53 to get a better sense of this.

The Gospel of Matthew: Jesus as the ‘New Moses’

-Much of Matthew is also supposed to be the fulfillment of

prophecies of Jesus from the Old Testament; passages in
Matthew show Jesus stressing the importance of adhering
to Jewish Law. (Ex: Chapters 5-7)

-Main goal of Mark is to show Jesus as the new Moses;

Jesus provides the correct interpretation of the Law and
expects followers to keep it.

-Still, Jesus is rejected by Jewish leaders; Matthew makes

Jewish leaders look very bad for not keeping the Law in
the way that God wants.
The Gospel of Matthew: Jesus as the ‘New Moses’
Major Themes in Matthew to note:

1) All know who Jesus is from beginning; Jesus often

identified as the “Messiah;” “son of God;” and “King of the
Jews.” (Different from Mark, where this is a secret)

2) Matthew written by a Judean for a Judean audience;

emphasizes Jesus’ Jewishness and the need for his
followers to adhere to Jewish law.

3) The identity of Jesus as messiah who fulfills Old

Testament “prophecies” to save Israel.
Christianity OB Quiz #1 - EF 25 FEB 2011

1) Discuss the significance of Mark 1:1 within the context of

the rest of the Gospel. [10 pts]

2) Give two separate examples of Jesus’ apocalyptic message

as addressed in Mark. [10 pts]

3) What evidence is there that Matthew was most likely

written by a Jewish person for a Jewish audience? [10 pts]

4) Compare the crucifixion narratives in Mark (15) and

Matthew (27:11-54). Point out one major discrepancy and
give an educated explanation for it. [10 pts]
Christianity OB Quiz #1 - AB 28 FEB 2011

1) Reread Mark 4:35-41. How does this selection relate to

the overall message of the Gospel? [10 pts]

2) List three passages from Mark in which Jesus is portrayed

as an authoritative teacher of the Law. [10 pts]

3) Give three examples from Matthew that portray Jesus as

the ‘New Moses.’ [10 pts]

4) Reread Matthew 5:17-19. Given Jesus’ teaching which

follows, what do you think Jesus means in 5:17-19? [10 pts]
Scheduling Changes

THU 3/17: Mini-Graded Discussion on Galatians;

questions to be given out Wed 3/16

MON 3/21: Augustine’s Confessions Book II

TUE 3/22 & WED 3/23: Christianity Final Quiz:

Written and Graded Discussion Components
Paul the Apostle: Historicity

-Most of what we know about Paul comes from his own

letters;
-Acts discusses Paul, but this info is almost entirely
refuted by what appears in Paul’s own letters.

-Scholars believe that 7 of the letters attributed to Paul in

the NT are actually his. (Romans, Corinthians I & II,
Galatians, Philippans, Thessalonians I and Philemon.)
-In the others, the vocabulary, writings style,
theological point of view, and the historical
background that the book assumes are different from
these 7 letters
Paul the Apostle: Brief Biography/Philosophy

-Paul was a well-educated, Greek-speaking Jew; first

persecuted followers of Jesus, then converted to becoming
a follower upon seeing a vision of the resurrected Jesus

-Understood death of Jesus as the actual beginning of the

apocalypse (Jesus first to be resurrected)

-Also understood that Jesus suffered because he was

supposed to, all as part of God’s plan; in fact, Jesus died
not because he sinned (Jesus was perfect) but because
others sinned; Jesus’ death ensured the salvation of others
which came from the original sin of Adam and Eve
Paul the Apostle: Philosophy

-Since he still considered himself an observant Jew, this

mode of thinking led Paul to a major question:

If one can obtain salvation through faith in

Jesus, what then is the role of the Jewish law
(Torah)?

-Or, put another way:

Does the death and resurrection of Jesus nullify

(cancel out) Judaism?
Paul the Apostle: Philosophy

-Here is Paul’s all-important answer:

-The problem is not with Jewish Law, but with how people
were following it (or not following it.)

-Jewish Law provides punishment for sin, but does not

provide a means for salvation; Paul says that having faith
in Jesus provided the missing element of salvation,
something Paul called: Salvation apart from the Law.

-All are eligible for Salvation, not just Jews; in fact, Jews
are no longer “chosen” because they rejected Jesus
Paul the Apostle: Ehrman’s Quick Summary
Paul the Apostle: The Travels of Paul
Paul the Apostle: I Thessalonians

-I Thessalonians probably Paul’s earliest letter (49 CE);

written to a group of followers (church) set up in
Thessalonica

-Shows Paul started a business and used it to proselytize

about Jesus, son of God, who died and was resurrected

-Members of this ‘church’ worried that their dead wouldn’t

get into the Kingdom of God; Paul reassured them that
they would be, that Jesus’ return would signal the
salvation of all of Jesus’ followers, living and dead.
Paul the Apostle: Galatians

Please prepare answers to the following questions for

Thursday’s mini-graded discussion on Galatians:

1) Why does Paul write to the Galatians? What is

happening in Galatia that prompts him to contact them?

2) How does Paul’s concept of “Salvation apart from the

law” inform the way he responds to the Galatians?
Paul the Apostle: Galatians

-Jews in Galatia are feeling superior to Gentiles because the

Gentiles there are not circumcised;

-Paul’s wants to comfort Galatian gentiles and encourage

them to continue to be followers of Jesus because:

a) He believes God told him to include Gentiles

b) He believes the apocalypse is imminent; all the

Gentiles will worship the Jewish God, and therefore it
wasn’t necessary for them to following certain aspects of
the law (including circumcision and food laws)
Paul the Apostle: Galatians

A few final thoughts about Paul’s letter to

Galatians:

1) Paul’s response to the Galatians is not a systematic

explanation of his religious philosophy; instead it’s an
‘occasional’ response; he is expressing his feelings about
what’s going on in this region at a point in time.

2) Paul uses the Torah in order to convince Gentiles in

Galatians not to follow the law, specifically, the law of
circumcision. He does this with a special interpretation of
the story of Abraham’s covenant with God.
Whither Christianity?

-With the work of Paul and 2nd ct (CE) writers (like Justin
Martyr and Barnabas, Christianity had separated itself
completely from Judaism by the start of the 3rd ct

-Christianity established own doctrines & theology;

adopted the OT; created the NT; Christianity proves its
own legitimacy by discrediting Judaism

-By end of 3rd ct, 5-7% of Roman Empire is Christian

(3-4 million people)
Whither Christianity?

-Roman Emperor Constantine converted to Christianity in

312 CE; Christianity grows in 4th ct until the Emperor
Theodosius established it as the official state religion 380
CE; This also meant that Theodosius outlawed paganism.

-Initially, pagans persecuted Christians because to them,

Christians were atheists (those who believed in only one
God -- in the ancient and medieval periods, belief in no god
was unthinkable); Pagans worried their own gods would
take revenge upon them if pagans allowed Christians to
spread their monothestic message
Augustine

-Lived 354-430 CE; son of a Roman pagan and a Christian

mother; educated as a rhetorician; early on, adopts
Manicheanism, a dualistic belief system that combined
aspects of Christianity, Zoroastrianism, and Buddhism

-After meeting bishop of Milan, Ambrose in 386, converts to

Christianity

-Becomes bishop of Hippo (part of Roman empire, modern-

day Algeria); Began Confessions in 397, also critiqued
Greco-Roman culture in his City of God
Augustine: Confessions

1) What is Augustine most ashamed of?

2) Why is writing Confessions?

3) What is modern about this book? What is universal?

4) What does Augustine mean by the lines found on the

bottom of page 4 and top of page 5 (Ch 6.14)

5) Reread chapter 10: What might we expect from the

following books (11 of them) of Confessions?