The Cultural and Historical Origins of Christianity
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Preliminary Course
Depth Study 1
The Jewish, Cultural and Historical Origins of Christianity
Jewish Context
The Scriptures:
Jesus was a Jew. He was well versed in the Jewish Law and knew the Hebrew Scriptures (particularly the Torah). Early Christian teaching was predominantly Jewish teaching i.e. Hebrew Scriptures. As time progressed the stories, parables, miracle stories, etc of the New Testament were progressively highlighted as equally important in Christian teachings.
The Covenant:
The Messiah and the Coming of the Kingdom Of God:
A part of Jewish tradition and psyche, is the expectation of both the Messiah and the coming of the Kingdom of God. Messiah is a Hebrew word meaning one who is anointed. The Greek translation Christos means anointed one. It is from the Greek that we get the word Christ. Therefore, Jesus’ title is Jesus, the Christ, the anointed one. Jewish people were expecting a Messiah, one who would free the Jewish people from their oppression (i.e. Roman Rule). The Messiah would give them freedom and control of their lives and land.
In the time of Jesus the Jews looked for God to intervene in many different ways. Some Jews looked for:
← a revolutionary, political leader who would overthrow the power of Rome;
← a period of peace and prosperity in which they could live and bring up their children without fear;
← a king who would bring justice among the people;
← a king of the poor, oppressed and those who had no voice;
← God to send the Chosen One to establish a kingdom for the Jews of Jerusalem.
However, in Jesus, the Jews did not get the Messiah they were expecting. It is important to note that Jesus never, at any time, defined exactly what he meant by the Kingdom of God. In the Bible, the Kingdom of God means God’s active reign in the world. Jesus was concerned with the quality of human life.
Jesus’ idea of Kingdom was very different.
← The Kingdom was already here;
← The Kingdom was a spiritual rather than material reality;
← Jesus’ death on the cross is the key to the Kingdom, to the way we enter;
← The Kingdom in its fullness is yet to come, it will fully come when Jesus returns.
Whereas the Jews were expecting a Messiah to alleviate their physical plight, Jesus was a Messiah that alleviated the spiritual plight of the people. Yes, he was a leader, not of armies, but of the spiritual. Yes, he freed the people, not of their oppressors, but from their sins. Jesus gave people a hope in the future – not to live without Roman rule but to live in expectation of salvation and the establishment of the Kingdom.
The Resurrection:
Good and Evil:
Ritual and Worship:
Jesus partook in Jewish worship and ritual, attending the Temple in Jerusalem as well as synagogues. Just as Jesus was Jewish, so, too, the apostles and most of the early converts to Christianity. It is natural then that Christian practice and belief reflects its Jewish heritage. Christianity has adapted much from the Jewish Tradition, giving it a new meaning and expression to suit the Christian ideals. For example, the Sabbath comes from the Jewish celebration. Origins for Christian festivals such as Easter come from the Jewish (in this instance, Passover). Christianity retained the Torah and the rest of the Hebrew Scriptures along with specific liturgical practices such as Breaking of the Bread, Prayers of the Faithful, the Amen and the Alleluia, the Laying on of Hands and Eucharistic Prayers.
Revelation:
Christianity also preserved the Jewish belief in revelation: the belief that God is revealed to the people, especially through the words of prophets and wisdom figures.
Historical Origins
In the spring of 4 BCE the Roman Emperor, Caesar Augustus, was in mourning for his old Jewish friend, Herod the Great, leader in Palestine. At this time, Palestine was occupied by the Romans as part of the great Roman Empire. However, the Romans were not the first occupiers of Palestine and rulers of the Jews.
Jesus was born in the land of Judea, in the south, and brought up in the north, in Galilee. Both Judea and Galilee were under the control of the Romans at this time. Galilee was ruled by Herod Antipas (a son of Herod the Great). He had to be careful to stay in favour with Rome. Judea, on the other hand, was ruled directly by Rome through a prefect (a governor of a province). Pontius Pilate was governor from 26-36 CE. Tiberius succeeded Augustus and was the Emperor of Rome from 14-37 CE.
Provided Roman taxes and tribute was regularly paid and Roman law and order maintained and respected, the Romans were remarkably tolerant. However, parts of the Empire maintained their cultural and nationalistic spirit – not least of course the Jews in Palestine.
Cultural Origins
The early Christians found that their originally Jewish movement was changing rapidly in the cultural world of the Greeks, and the Romans. Although Jewish influence continued to be strong into the second century, more and more of the influence of the Gentile civilisation was felt.
The successful campaigns of Alexander the Great had implanted Greek culture and language throughout most of the Mediterranean areas. Jews such as Jesus usually spoke Greek and some knew Aramaic. Most of the earliest disciples spoke Aramaic.
The Roman Empire centred, also, around the Mediterranean Sea. The Roman Empire achieved its greatest extent in the second century. Despite the “Pax Romana’ inaugurated by Augustus (the period of Roman peace under which Jesus was born), the borders of the Empire were regularly under threat – especially from the Persians in the east and the German barbarian tribes in the north. In fact, Roman persecution of others often coincided with these periods of national threat.
Latin was the language of administration and military affairs; Greek was the language of culture, philosophy, debate and education. Many early Christians, even in the west of the Empire, spoke Greek and the liturgy was often wholly or partially in Greek.
Christianity used the great network of Roman roads and administration to spread, particularly after it became the Empirical religion in the 5th century. Also, its hierarchical nature originates from the Roman influence.
The Founding of Christianity
Revelation
God reveals God’s self and will to humanity. To do this God has been directly involved in human history:
← Adam:
← Noah:
← Abraham:
← Moses:
Humanity seems not to have received or understood the message from God. So, what now?
The Jesus of History V’s The Christ of Faith
In the Jesus of history we see God’s decision to personally come to humanity. This is the Incarnation. That is, God becomes man.
What can we say about the historical Jesus? He was a Jew who was born in Bethlehem, grew up in Nazareth and was in Jerusalem at the time of Passover. Jesus was arrested, tried, crucified and buried. Some time later his followers claimed he was raised from the dead. Jesus’ ministry, provided to those who were marginalised, was centred in Galilee, and proclaimed the nearness of the reign of God. Jesus gathered a group of disciples, taught in parables and spoke of God as Abba. Christians see Jesus as a liberator and reformer, critic of religious and social structures.
The human response to the historical Jesus is what we call Christology. It is the theology of Jesus Christ in considering both the person and the life. Since the time of the Apostles, Jesus Christ, as the Son of God, has stood at the very centre of Christian faith and what it means to be a follower of this faith.
‘Christians bear the name they do, because they belong to, believe in, and share the mission of Jesus Christ.’
- Brian O. McDermott, ‘Faith in the God of Jesus Christ’, in
- Faithful witness: foundations of theology for
- today’s Church,ed. Leo J. O’Donovan and T. Howland Sanks
- (New York: Crossroads, 1989), 46.
This faith in Jesus Christ is the tie that binds Christians in communion with their Church and each other. This is the Christ of Faith. However, did Jesus really exist?
The Roman historian Tacitus, and the Jewish historian Josephus, both writing at the end of the first and beginning of the second centuries CE, mention Jesus in their writings. Tacitus mentioned the Christians as:
[getting] their name from Christ, who was executed by Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius.
Josephus mentions Jesus as a doer of wonderful works who has disciples and was put to death by the leaders of the people.
Two other Roman writers, Pliny and Suetonius referred to Jesus in the early second century CE. Pliny mentions that Christians worshipped Jesus as though he were a god and Suetonius mentions a disturbance involving the Jews in Rome and says it was over ‘Chrestus’ (thought to be a reference to Christ).
The Talmud, a book of ancient teachings and sayings of Jewish rabbis, many from the time of Jesus, mentions Jesus as having five disciples and that he was crucified. It also accuses him of sorcery, a charge that sounds like the one brought against him in Mt 12:22-24.
While these writers do not give much information, they did not have any sympathy for either the Jews and/or the Christians, and so would not have mentioned Jesus or pointed out that he was indeed a myth if this were the case. However, their speaking of Jesus does allow us to date the life of Jesus to the time that Pontius Pilate was governor, and when Tiberius was emperor – as well as confirming the fact of his execution.
Jesus, the Messiah
‘Who do you say that I am?’
- Mark 8:29
Each of the four Gospels portrays Jesus in a different way. In effect, they highlight a different characteristic, if you like, of Jesus. Read the passages below and make some comment on what you find.
The Gospel of Matthew – Jesus, the Teacher of Israel
(Mt 1:23; 9:27; 16:20; 20:33; 26:45)
The Gospel of Mark – the Suffering Messiah
(Mk 3:11; 6:34; 8:31; 8:34-38; 14:33)
The Gospel of Luke – the Lord and Healer
(Lk 2:11; 3:12; 18:41; 22:70; 24:46)
The Gospel of John – the Divine Son
(Jn 1:49; 4:42; 8:12; 10:11; 13:31)
The Birth of Jesus
What does each of these evangelists say about the birth of Jesus?
The Gospel of Mark
The Gospel of Matthew
The Gospel of Luke
The Gospel of John
Overall, then:
Jesus’ Ministry
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Remember that the Jews had no place for women in their formal religious ceremonies, and had laws about defilement through contact with menstruating women, no votes for women, no political role – in short, women were looked on as inferior. Women held positions of authority only in family/home life. In this context investigate Jesus’ attitude to women.
1. Did Jesus allow women among his followers? Did he make contact with women?
[Lk 7:36-48; Lk 8:1-3; Jn 4:1-41; Lk 14:3-9]
2. How did Jesus approach the problems experienced by women? Was he sympathetic, or did he look down on women?
[Jn 11:1-40; Lk 7:11-17; Lk 10:38-41; Lk 8:43-48; Mk 12:38-40; Lk 13:10-17; Lk 14:3-9; Mk 10:1-12; Jn 8:1-11]
3. Did Jesus make distinctions between the sexes?
[Lk 8:19-27; Mt 21:1-4]
4. Did Jesus build up the image of women in his speech?
[Mk 12:41-44; Lk 21:1-4; Lk 18:1-9]
5. Did the women desert Jesus on his execution?
[Jn 19:25-27; Mt 27:55-56]
6. Who were the first witnesses of Jesus’ resurrection? Men or women?
[Jn 20; Mt 28:1-10; Mk 16; Lk 24]
7. What is Paul’s attitude to women? Other Apostles? Is it the same as Christ’s?
[1 Cor 7:1-10; 1 Pet 3:1-7; Eph 5:21-23]
Jesus’ Teaching
Jesus’ ministry in Jerusalem
The Death and Resurrection of Jesus
What is the Resurrection?
The resurrection is Jesus’ destiny after His death. It shows Christians that death is not the end. The resurrection is Jesus being exalted as Lord. Most importantly, the resurrection is what connects Christians to Jesus as Lord.
Jesus’ death and resurrection is the key to Christian salvation. It is the central affirmation of the Christian faith. It is present in the New Testament in three ways:
← Acts: Disciples proclaim their faith;
← Creeds and Hymns: Disciples celebrate their faith;
← Narratives (Gospels): Disciples tell of their faith.
Christians see in Jesus what God was like; Christians see in Jesus what we might become; Christians discover that in Jesus everything has purpose and meaning.
Jesus Christ died on the cross for our salvation. It is the realisation of the Kingdom of God that Jesus had been proclaiming. The life of Jesus is always interpreted in light of the Resurrection. The death of Jesus is consistent with His life. Jesus exemplified the Kingdom of God that awaits all Christians. The Resurrection of Jesus, above all, signifies the absolute power of God. Christian expectation is that they, too, will be raised.
Read the following passages from the Scriptures. What do they say about the Christian expectation of being raised?
← 1 Cor 6:14
← 1 Thes 4:13-18
The Resurrection of Jesus goes beyond our understanding of space and time. While we do not need faith to discuss the life and death of Jesus, we do need faith to understand the resurrection of Jesus. Nobody claimed to have witnessed the resurrection. People have only seen the risen Christ. Therefore, while we cannot ‘prove it’, we cannot ‘disprove it’ either. In this way the resurrection is not susceptible to the tools of historical research. This does not mean, though, that the resurrection cannot be experienced in the historical context.
The disciples were transformed into witnesses of Jesus through the resurrection, and in a way that went beyond how they related to him before his death. Their conviction that Christ had appeared to them and their memory of Jesus is what transformed them. In this way, the event and meaning are linked together.
While the central figure of the resurrection is Jesus, what we know about it comes from those who experienced it. After Jesus’ death some of those involved in his life had experiences that convinced them that Jesus was alive and in God’s glory. They believed that Jesus and God initiated the experiences. They interpreted their experiences NOT as Jesus comes back to life, RATHER as Jesus as a new form of existence. Finally, these experiences led to a profoundly transformed relationship with Jesus and this led to a sense of mission.
Read the resurrection passages in the Gospels and note the events and their meaning.
The Gospel of Matthew – 28:1-15
The Gospel of Mark – 16:1-8
The Gospel of Luke – 24:1-12
The Gospel of John – 20:1-18
The Ascension of Jesus
The Acts of the Apostles begins with the ascension of Jesus and three promises to His apostles: the gift of the Holy Spirit; the spread of their witness to the ends of the Earth; and the eventual return of Jesus. Find the references for these in the Scriptures.
← the gift of the Holy Spirit
← the spread of their witness to the ends of the Earth
← the eventual return of Jesus
According to the non-Scriptural Jewish writings, a whole range of figures from Israel’s past ascended to Heaven, including Adam, Abraham, Moses and Isaiah. In Heaven they were transformed into angelic beings, to who divine cosmic secrets were revealed. Some authorities claim that Jesus himself underwent the same kind of experience, and that this is seen most notably in the description of his Transfiguration (Cf Mt 17:1-9; Mk 9”2-8; Lk 9:28-36).
As with Jesus’ resurrection, the moment of Jesus’ heavenly ascent remains largely undescribed. Luke’s Gospel states that Jesus ‘withdrew’ from his disciples ‘and was carried up into Heaven’ (Lk 24:51). According to Acts, as the disciples watched, Jesus was ‘lifted up, and a cloud took him out of their sight’ (Acts 1:9). The special object of the Ascension narrative is to make clear that the post-Resurrection appearances have come to an end. Jesus leaves the Earth, not to be seen again until his second coming at some unknown date. His presence will be replaced by that of the Holy Spirit, which will empower and inspire the Church (Acts 1:8). The unique feature of Jesus’ ascension is its eschatological significance. It symbolises the end of the old world order and the inauguration of the last age; his final coming will bring into being a wholly new heaven and a wholly new Earth (Rev 21:1).
The Early Church in the New Testament
Pentecost
Pentecost is a Greek word meaning ‘fifty’ or ‘fiftieth’ and gives its name to the Christian celebration because it occurs fifty days after Easter. In the Christian Tradition it is the anniversary of the coming of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2) and fulfils the prophecy of Jeremiah (Jer 31:33). Pentecost completes the liberation of all, the period of Easter and the story of Jesus. It signifies the end of the old and the beginning of the new. The new covenant between God and His people and the beginning of the journey towards the Kingdom of God.
It is at Pentecost that the sect of the followers of Jesus began. This early Christian Church borrowed heavily, both religiously and culturally from the Jewish and the Graeco-Roman worlds. While there is much in common between Christianity, Judaism and the Graeco-Roman world, Christianity did look toward making itself distinct from each of these. As the early Christian community grew and developed, it took on its own individual practice and beliefs – and all based on the person of Christ.
The Acts of the Apostles
After reading the attached handout read the following Scripture passages. What events occur? Why/how are they significant for the early Christian Church?
← Acts 1:12-26 Election of Matthias
← Acts 2:37-47 The First converts
← Acts 4:1-22 Peter and John before the Council
← Acts 7:54-8:1 Stoning of Stephen
St Paul and the Early Church
At first, the teachings of the followers of Jesus were tolerated in the synagogues. They lived like good Jews, but baptised their followers in the name of Jesus, they broke bread together, and gathered to hear the preaching of the apostles. The growing popularity of the new sect led to friction and suspicion between the ‘Christians’, and the Roman authorities and the Jewish religious leaders. Eventually the Jewish religious authorities became bitterly opposed to this group of ‘Christians’ in their midst. They believed that Christian teachings and practices were heretical (contrary to the accepted doctrines) and needed too be stamped out. One of the strongest opponents of the followers of Jesus was a man called Saul.
Acts 7:60-8:3 recounts Saul persecuting the Church. Read the passage and comment on it below.
Saul, persecutor of the Church becomes Paul, champion of the Church. This is his story.
St Paul is known as the apostle to the Gentiles. Before St Paul, the teachings about Jesus spoke of him as a Jewish Messiah. But, St Paul believed that Jesus was the saviour of all peoples and it was this doctrine that he taught on his journeys. St Paul’s beliefs developed in response to the challenges to his message as he travelled through the Empire, meeting people of different cultures and backgrounds. It was from St Paul’s understanding of the meaning of Jesus that the early Church was able to realise that it was more than just a Jewish sect (Cf. Eph 1:3-7, 9-10, 13-14; 2:10). In the mid-60s St Paul journeyed to Rome and it was here that he was martyred, along with St Peter in around 67CE.
The influence of St Paul among the Gentiles came to a head at the Council of Jerusalem held in 49CE. Read the handout attached.
The consequences of the Council were primarily twofold:
← It was now clear that the followers of Christ were not necessarily Jews and therefore they were not bound by the Jewish Torah;
← However, this did not mean that the Christians no longer observed any laws or that they made up laws to suit themselves. It means that mere observance of laws as set down in the Torah, for them, were not the guarantee of salvation. Their faith was in the person of Jesus, not in the observance of the laws of the Jewish Torah – tradition, as good as they might have been.
TRINITY
THE NATURE OF GOD
JESUS CHRIST
THE HOLY SPIRIT
THE HUMANITY AND DIVINITY OF CHRIST
THE FALL
EVIL AND SUFFERING
REDEMPTION, HEAVEN AND HELL
CHRIST’S RETURN AND THE FINAL JUDGEMENT
MARY
COMMUNION OF SAINTS
BELIEFS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
-----------------------
JESUS CHRIST
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