River Pointe ChurchSpring, 2017

Outline of Old Testament Primeval History The Patriarchal period Enslavement in Egypt The Exodus & Wilderness wanderings Conquest & Settlement of Promised Land The Period of the Judges The Period of the Monarchy

The United Monarchy The Divided Monarchy

The fall of Samaria The fall of Jerusalem

The Exilic Period The Post Exilic Period

Assyrian Empire>Babylonian Empire>Persian Empire

Divisions of theHebrew Old Testament

“Silent years” Persians conquered by Greek empire

Alexander the Great Greek “lingua franca”

Greek rulers of Palestine Alexander the Great Ptolemy I (Ptolemaic Dynasty) Seleucus I (Seleucid Dynasty)

“Hellenization” Antiochus IV Epiphanes

Temple desecration – 167 BC Mattathias Feast of “Hanukkah” (Lights)-­ 164 BC

Roman Empire Pompey-­ 63 BC (conquered Palestine) Titus-­ 70 AD ( destroyed Herod’s temple)

1st – Solomon’s Temple 2nd – Zerubbabel’s Temple 3rd – Herod’s Temple

Literature of the Jews Old Testament Scripture The Apocrypha The Septuagint The Pseudepigrapha The Aramaic Targums The Dead Sea Scrolls The Rabbinic Writings Midrash Philo Josephus

Administrative Districts West of the Jordan River Galilee Samaria Judea

1st Century Palestine

Jewish Sects or Parties Sadducees

Were made up of the aristocratic priesthood. All Sadducees were priests but not all priests were Sadducees. They continued the priestly line of Aaron, so the high priest, the most important political personality in the Jewish nation was a Sadducee. They held the majority influence in the Sanhedrin (the Council of the Seventy) which was the ruling body among the Jews. Did not believe in the resurrection and afterlife, nor in the existence of angels & spirits. Rejected the oral tradition which the Pharisees accepted and advocated.

Pharisees Believed to have developed from the Hasidim ( the “pious” ones) who joined

with Mattathias and his sons when they led the Maccabean revolt against Antiochus IV Epiphanes. Believed in the resurrection & afterlife and in the existence of angels and spirits. Emphasized the oral tradition along with the Scripture. The synagogues were under their control and leadership.

Essenes The Essenes were a strict sect. They considered themselves to be the true

Israel, and they intended to keep themselves pure and obey the law. This sect is not mentioned in the Bible.

Zealots A radical movement in Judaism characterized by their revolutionary zeal.

Advocated armed rebellion and non-­payment of taxes to Rome. Herodians

Jews loyal to the family of Herod. Supported Roman rule.

1st Century Palestine

Major Philosophies Platonism

Proposed two worlds-­ the world of change or becoming which cannot be trusted, and the world of forms or ideas with perfect and changeless prototypes or patterns. Soul resides in the body, but no unity of personhood.

Epicureanism Pleasure was the purpose and goal of a person. Allowed for the existence of

gods, but believed they made no difference in the lives of people. The body and soul of a human being was made of atoms that disintegrated at death so afterlife was an impossibility. “If the dead rise not, let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die” (1Cor. 15:32)

Stoicism Humanity’s goal was to live in cooperation with divine reason (logos) which

pervaded the whole material world. A person whose divine spark or soul was in right relationship with the divine reason could live above the circumstances of life in a steady, stable existence.

Gnosticism The Gnostics put great emphasis on “knowledge”. All matter was inherently

evil and could only have been created by an evil deity different from the good God. Special knowledge & secret rituals were needed to awaken the divine and enable the elect to overcome the evil deity that created them. Rejected the humanity of Jesus, arguing that a good God couldn’t have come into the world in human flesh, which is evil. Lay claim to a body of revelation that went beyond the witness & teachings of the apostles and traditional teachings of the Church.

1st Century Palestine

Israel looking back God’s rule from time of creation God’s intervention Old Testament Prophets

Restoration of Israel to greatness Coming of new king like Old testament King David God healing the sicknesses, enmities and hatred of the world

“Will not be televised” Mark 1:15

Repent-­ “rethink thinking” Kingdom of God

Created much confusion Fulfillment of Old Testament

Departing from tradition Touching and cleansing the unclean (Mark 1:40-­45) Pronouncing a man’s sins forgiven (Mark 2: 1-­12) Ministering to the irreligious outcasts of society (Mark 2:13-­17) Not keeping the Sabbath (Matt. 12:1-­8;; 9-­14) Feasting and not fasting (Matt. 11:19) Sermon on the Mount – “Letter v. Spirit”(Matt. 5-­7)

Beatitudes;; Murder;; Adultery;; Revenge;; Enemies;; “As one who had authority”

The Revolution

Definition Proverb;; Riddle;; Comparison;; Contrast;; Simple story;; Complex story;; Extended Simile

Purpose To engage & instruct To hold up one reality as a mirror to another, the Kingdom of God To confront people with the character of God’s Kingdom, and to invite participation in it and live in accordance with it.

Teaching Primary focus is the coming of the Kingdom of God & resulting discipleship required

“To allegorize or not to allegorize” Julicher

Guidelines for interpretation Analyze the sequence, structure, and wording, including parallels in other gospels Note cultural or historical features that provide insight Listen to the parables in the context of the ministry of Jesus Look for help in context, but know that context of many of the parables not preserved Note how parable & its redactional shaping fit into plan & purpose of the Gospel in which it

appears Determine the function of the story as a whole in the teaching of Jesus and for the Evangelists Determine theological significance of the story Pay special attention to the end of the parable

The Parables

Example: Adam The heavenly city The moon-­ “our mortality” The devil & his angels who strip the man of his mortality & persuade him to sin Priesthood and ministry of OT Christ The restraint of sin The comfort of hope and encouragement to work The incarnation The church Post resurrection of Christ Apostle Paul The promise of this life and that which is to come

Categories Kingdom (as present) Grace Judgment (as future)

Discipleship The right use of wealth Prayer

The Revolution is here The bridegroom’s guests (Mark 2:18-­22)

The unshrunk cloth and the new wine

The children playing (Matt. 11:16-­19)

The Christian scribe (Matt. 13:52)

The divided kingdom & house;; the strong man bound (Matt. 12:22-­29)

The New World

The Sower (Matt. 13: 1-­9, 18-­23)

The Lamp and the Measure (Mark 4: 21-­25)

The Seed (Mark 4: 26-­29)

The Weeds (Matthew 13: 24-­30, 36-­43)

River Pointe ChurchSpring, 2017