Andrew Stewart
Dr. Mark Isaacs
New Testament
Fall 2014
Chapter 1 Summary Within twenty years of the death of Jesus, his followers were present throughout the hubs of the Roman civilization, despite the improbability of their movement’s success from the roots it hails from.
· Roman culture is rooted in the conquests of Alexander the Great (356-323 BC), who was able to conquer the lands from Greece to India in his ten years as a general before his death at age thirty-three. Alexander made it easier for the Romans to take over the world later on because he created a largely homogenous empire, where all became “Greek” in language and culture.
· Stoics believed in “reason” as the core principle of the universe which resulted in
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Jesus believed that God was the true source of justice and that He gave peace as a gift to mankind. Jesus became an enemy to both Romans and Jews because he did not associate on the same level as them concerning the formation of a kingdom of influence founded in violence.
The “kingdom of God” was not intended to be taken as a political entity to be brought by Jesus. Some Christians, starting with Augustine of Hippo, see the term as being synonymous to “the church.” Either literal interpretation goes against Jesus’ intended meaning.
Drane suggests that the kingdom of God is akin to God’s way of life. Jesus himself seems to imply that the way that his followers live their lives, as according to his teachings, can have an impact on society and the structures surrounding them.
The Aramaic word used by Jesus, malkuth, includes not just a physical kingdom but also the way of the ruler. Hence, beyond just a “kingdom” of God, the Christians were being taught of the “kingship” of
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Hillel was at odds with the more conservative Shammai. Hillel’s teachings emphasized the value of the Gentiles as people who could connect with God.
Paul did believe in Judaism as a system of thought, The reason why he became Christian was his divine encounter with Christ on the road to Damascus.
“Mystery religions” were sometimes compared to early Christianity. However, key differences include that mystery religions were readily willing to merge with each other and share and accept varying views. They did not consider themselves to be the only “truth,” whereas Christianity placed themselves and their beliefs above others. Christians were also not open to the idea that other gods may exist.
Paul: did not believe that peace could be reached through violent means
Paul supported the belief in Jesus and loving justice - leading to a peaceful world.
Paul saw true Christianity as being connected to the Chosen Nation through a direct connection to Abraham. Paul did not downplay the value of the Old Testament in the lives of Christians. Paul was not anti-Semitic; in fact, he would often witness to the Jews first, before the