Some Cultural Context for the New Testament

(Originally written January 3, 2006 in Notebook 20)

Class Notes

Part I, the Old Testament
- Covered thousands of years of history

Abraham (Genesis 12, ca. 2165 BC)
Pentateuch (ca. 1400 BC)
Malachi (ca. 430 BC)

430 BC - AD 33 "Intertestemental History"
(The 400 Silent Years)

New Testament

AD 33 - Jesus
Gospels AD 55-90

When was the Pentateuch written?
- 4th year of Solomon's reign - 966 BC
- Date of the Exodus - 1446 BC
- Israel Wandered 40 years (1446 - 1406 BC)

It is likely that Moses wrote the Pentateuch during the wandering.

Part II of the Bible

Covered less than 100 years and is a third the length of the Old Testament

When was Jesus born?
- Winter of 5/4 BC (late 5 or early 4)

Christ died on April 13, AD 33.

A 6th century monk miscalculated the year of Jesus' birth when setting up the system of dating B.C. and A.D.

The Old Testament is called the Hebrew Bible or the Tanak by the Jews.

Tank is an acronym:
Torah (Law or Instruction)
Neviim (the Prophets)
Kethuvim (the Writings)

Protestant Bible: 66 books
- 39 from the Hebrew Bible
- 27 from the Greek New Testament

Roman Catholics and Greek Orthodox churches include additional books: The Apocrypha.

The New Testament stands for the New Covenant, contrasted with the Old Covenant God made with the Israelites at Sinai (Exodus 19). Under this covenant, God forgave the sins of individuals provisionally via animal sacrifices.

The New Testament was written in Greek about A.D. 45-95
- Yet Jesus' native language was Aramaic.

3 Stages of Gospel Composition:
1) Jesus speaks in Aramaic
2) Jewish Christians followers had oral traditions
- Hebrew Jews
- Hellenistic Jews
3) Luke, writing in Greek to gentiles in Rome

Outline of the New Testament
1) History - 4 Gospels & Acts
2) Epistles - Pauline (Journey & Prison) or General
3) Visions - Revelation

Why Study the New Testament? (See Handout 1)

"The relative importance of the document will dictate the care with which it is examined" - Philip Yancy

Historical reason - to understand where the Christian faith came from
Cultural reason - The New Testament has permeated Western Civilization
Theological Reason - inspired account of Jesus' redemptive mission in the world, standard for faith and practice
Devotional Reason - Holy Spirit uses it to help you grow closer to the Lord

Socio-Cultural Setting of the New Testament

1st Century Social Setting

1 Corinthians 10:31-11:1

"So whether you eat or drink or whatever you do, do it all for the glory of God. Do not cause anyone to stumble whether Jews, Greeks or the church of God - even as I try to please everybody in every way. For I am not seeking my own good, but the good of many, so that they may be saved. Follow my example as I follow the example of Christ"

- Jews
- Greeks
- Romans

Jews
- Religious, spiritual people: concerned with their relationships with God
- Believed that God had chosen Israel and that all nations would be blessed through Israel
- 1st century Jews were looking a politically powerful Messiah
- Individual and solitary persons, a minority

Greeks
- Philosophers and intellectuals - speculative and reflective
- Aesthetic - loved beauty, spoke of virtue, admired eloquence
- Original
- Conceited & clever

Romans
- Practical, not speculative or spiritual
- Orderly: excellent in legislation and administration
- A mimic: copied Greek culture, not visionary
- Coarse and cold blooded
- The Romans created an amazing system

A Jewish Palestinian family was larger than the Greco-Roman family (see Psalms 127:3-5)

Joseph & Mary's Betrothal
- Bride money (mohar) affected the Jewish betrothal and marriage customs. The groom paid the family for the girls' hand.

What is an "inn"?
- a spare room in an apartment complex.