Scripture StudiesScripture StudiesChapter 16Chapter 16
The World of the New TestamentThe World of the New Testament
The World of the New TestamentThe World of the New Testament
“The land of Zebulun and the land of Napthali, toward the sea, across the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles – the people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, . . . ” (Matthew 4:15-16)
The World of the New TestamentThe World of the New Testament
This chapter introduces us to the state of the world at the time Jesus chose to enter it
The major religious players at this time were the Pharisees and the Sadducees, both of whom rejected the Samaritans
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Each of these three groups believed that they were the true believers
After the triumph of Pompey in 63 BC, the Jewish people were ruled by Herod’s line, who played vassals to the Romans
Generally, it was a time of great abundance and prosperity
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The amazing success of the Maccabees revealed the power of God
Once again there was an independent Israel with Jerusalem as its capital
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The Temple had been purified and restored, and the worship of the one true God could go on again as it was prescribed in the Law of Moses
The High Priest was also the secular ruler of the people, so once again the state and the church became one
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The family line of the Maccabees was continued by Mattathias’ son Simon
Simon ruled until the Romans arrived in 63 BC
John Hyrcanus (ruled 134-104 BC) extended his power into northern Galilee
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When John Hyrcanus became High Priest, he decided to take the next step
He would purify the whole country of pagan influences
Everyone in the country had a choice: be circumcised or leave
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Being circumcised also meant taking on the whole Law of Moses with all its rules and regulations and rituals and requirements
The whole country was “Judaized” – made Jewish – almost overnight
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Hyrcanus also destroyed the temple of the Samaritans on Mount Gerizim
This earned him the undying hatred of the Samaritans
As a military leader, Hyrcanus conquered almost all of the territories that had belonged to the Davidic kingdom
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In 106 BC, John Hyrcanus diedAristobulus became High Priest and
proclaimed himself kingIt seemed that the prophecies had
been fulfilledIsrael was united, and a king reigned
in Jerusalem
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But Aristobulus was a Levite, and was not a descendant of the line of David
The prophets had promised that the Lord’s Anointed would be from the tribe of Judah and the line of David
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Aristobulus ruled for only a yearHis brother Alexander Janneus then
became king and High Priest
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But soon Israel became deeply divided between the Pharisees and the Sadducees
There were other minor factions such as the Essenes and the Zealots
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Judah was a small province of a huge pagan empire
One faction thought the only way to remain pure was to build a wall around themselves and keep the Gentiles out
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The Pharisees were a lay movement that became very influential around this time
They strictly interpreted the Ten Commandments and added 613 other laws and regulations
They were a small group, probably never more than about six thousand
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They were called “the separated,” or “Perushim” in Hebrew
This is where we get the word “Pharisee”
The Pharisees thought that the Law alone wasn’t enough
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Ordinary Jewish families should imitate the complicated and ritualistic purity of the priests in Jerusalem
More and more customs and oral traditions were legislated
Washing hands before meals is an example
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They washed not to get rid of dirt, but to make themselves ritually pure
The Pharisees refused to associate with Gentiles
Even visiting a Gentile’s house made them ritually impure
They emphasized and exaggerated their distinctly Jewish customs
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It’s easy to see why they believed what they believed
They knew that Israel’s history showed that associating with pagans had always led to trouble
But the Pharisees made the Law an intolerable burden
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More and more, they emphasized the external signs of separation
Some exaggerated the details of Jewish national dress, wearing big phylacteries and conspicuous fringes
They strictly interpreted dietary laws
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Yet they were capable of evading the law when it suited them, by inventing interpretations that helped them cheat the poor, or even their own parents
“They bind heavy burdens, hard to bear, and ly them on men’s shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with their finger. They do all their deeds to be seen by men: for they make their phylacteries broad and their fringes long, and they love the place of honor at feasts and the best seats in the synagogues, and salutations in the market place, and being called rabbi by men.” (Jesus, in Mt 25:6-7
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The Sadducees originated with the priest Zadok, and also became influential around this time
They were priestly and aristocratic, and sought to preserve their privileges against those claimed by the Pharisees
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They ran the government and often held the position of High Priest
They were almost the opposite of the Pharisees
The Pharisees believed in the afterlife and the resurrection of the body
The Sadducees did not
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The Pharisees believed that pious Jews had to distance themselves from the Gentiles to preserve their faith
The Sadducees deeply invested themselves with the secular or pagan powers to maintain their priestly privileges and worship at the Temple
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The Roman General Pompey entered Palestine in 64-63 BC
He settled a dispute in the Hasmonean line for the throne
Israel became part of the Roman Empire
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The Herodian family line became the rulers of the Jewish people, as vassals of the Romans
Herod the Great (rules 37-4 BC) was a shrewd politician
By ingratiating himself with Octavian (Emperor Augustus), he became king of Israel
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Herod could be a ruthless murderer in order to further his goals
Once he had eliminated his political enemies, he attempted to win the support of the Jews by engaging in a broad construction program
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The reconstruction of the Second Temple was one of his chief accomplishments
His construction programs brought great wealth to Israel
But he never succeeded in winning the favor of the Jews
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Herod was an Edomite, and the Jews regarded him as only half Jewish
He was also a HellenistHis last years were marked by
intense strife within his family
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He repudiated some of his ten wivesHe ordered the execution of some of
his sonsHis last years were marked by
brutalityOnly force or the threat of force kept
the Jewish people in line
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All things considered, it would probably not be inaccurate to describe Herod as a brutal psychopath
But the Romans didn’t care how many people he murdered as long as he kept the tribute money flowing
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As long as he kept the money flowing to Rome, and the money flowing to the Temple priesthood, he stayed in power
“The Romans did not build a great empire by having meetings. They did it by killing those who opposed them.”
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Still, Herod had a talent for building magnificent palaces, fortresses, and other public buildings, and for restoring the Temple in glorious style
Pilgrims came from all over the known world to see it
And they spent money in Jerusalem while they were there
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Roman peace, worldwide trade, nd Herod’s extensive building program brought an economic boom like nothing Israel had seen before
It seemed that the prophecies had at last been fulfilled
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“Herod the Great” was great not because he was good or admired, but because his reign was so prosperous
When Herod died, the Romans divided his kingdom among his four sons
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One of them, Herod Antipas, ruled over Galilee during the time of Jesus
The Pax Romana (“Roman Peace”) established by Caesar Augustus lasted into the fifth century AD
Wars were fought only on the far borders of the empire
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Cities had clean water, sewer systems, theaters and public baths
The wealth gathered from the conquest of Egypt was a major contribution
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This stability contributed to the rapid spread of Christianity despite intermittent persecutions that began under Nero
Roman religion was not based on faith like Judaism and Christianity
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It was based on the idea of “covering all bases” to win the favor of the gods, whoever they might be
Conquered people were usually free to worship their own gods and practice their own religious traditions
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By the beginning of the Christian era, many Romans no longer believed in the traditional Roman gods
By the end of Herod’s reign, many Jews were still expecting the Messiah
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Others believed that Herod’s Temple represented the fulfillment of the prophecies
Despite occasional infighting and terrorist raids, Herod kept the peace, with Rome’s backing
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This was the world into which Jesus was born, in the fullness of time
“But when the time had fully come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons.” (Galatians 4:4-5)
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The political state of the world was largely stable
Most of the civilized world was under the power of the great Roman empire
The Pax Romana would last hundreds of years
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Caesar Augustus had become sole ruler of most of the known world
Travel was relatively easy with no national borders to cross
Conditions were right for Christianity to spread to the farthest ends of the empire in relative peace
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There was one great empire, one currency, one set of laws, no borders to cross
The Roman political situation was stable, but Roman religion had begun to crumble into irrelevance
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Roman religious practice was like a business transaction
If you performed the right ceremonies for the right gods, at the right times, with the right words, then you expected that the gods would be happy with you, and everything would go well in your life
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Any deeper involvement with the gods would be considered superstition
The Romans even paid tribute to local non-Roman gods
Caesar Augustus even had sacrifices offered for himself in the Temple in Jerusalem
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The god of the Jews was just one more god to be appeased
Many philosophers of the time didn’t believe in the traditional gods at all
Some thought there were gods, but that they did not care about human affairs
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Some believed in a philosophical, theoretical god as a “first cause”
They came to monotheism through pure reason
But they could never know God without revelation
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They helped prepare the way for God’s revelation when it came through Jesus
People were searching for answersHow can I have eternal life?How can I know God?Roman religion had no answers for
these questions
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The Diaspora (the dispersion of the Jews) also set the stage for the coming of Christ
Many Jews had not returned to Israel after the conquest
Many expanded to all parts of Alexander’s empire
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When Rome took over, the dispersed Jews continued to settle everywhere
There was hardly a town in the Roman empire without a Jewish section
They probably made up about 7% of the population of the Empire
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Rome had a significant Jewish population
Alexandria was probably about 25% Jewish
By now, the Hebrew Scriptures had been translated into Greek, the vernacular of the eastern part of the Empire
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Synagogues appeared during the exile because the dispersed Jews could no longer go to the Temple in Jerusalem to worship
When the faithful met once a week, their worship service was very much like our Liturgy of the Word
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They would hear a couple of readings from the Hebrew Scriptures, and a sermon
They still expected the coming of the Messiah
We keep a similar liturgy, but for us, the Messiah has come
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Judaism appealed to many Gentiles in the Roman Empire
Some converts didn’t follow the entire prescription (circumcision, dietary laws, ritual purity laws, etc.)
But they did attach themselves to Jewish communities and study the Scriptures
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They were called “Proselytes of the Gate”
They were waiting for the Messiah and expected a share in the kingdom
Some recognized Jesus as the Messiah and were fertile ground for conversion to Christianity
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Palestine was a troublesome corner of the Roman Empire
There were rebels who would stage occasional uprisings against the Romans
Sometimes one of them would claim to be the Christ and the Roman army would have to restore order
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Some Jews settled in Galilee, in what had been the Northern Kingdom
The Jews in Jerusalem regarded them as peasants
Apparently Jews from Galilee were easily recognized in Jerusalem by their accents
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Romans usually left a local king in charge
But of course he had to answer to the Roman governor
When Jesus was born, Herod the Great killed all the male children under two years of age in an attempt to kill Jesus
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The Samaritans lived in what had been the Northern Kingdom, between Jerusalem and Galilee
They had intermarried with the Assyrians during the exile
Samaritans and Jews had a long history of antagonism for each other
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Samaritans were viewed as foreigner to Jewish worship and practice and were to be ignored or avoided
The Samaritans opposed the rebuilding of the Temple
They opposed Nehemiah’s rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem
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The Samaritans established their own Temple to Yahweh on Mount Gerezim
They supported the Seleucid forces during the Maccabean revolt
They worshipped the one true God, but in a different way from the Jews
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They only accept the Torah as scripture
They were regarded as heretics by the Jews
There are still a few hundred Samaritans living in Palestine today
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In Jesus’ time, being a Samaritan was worse than being a prostitute or a tax collector, barely human
In choosing to speak to a Samaritan woman, Jesus repudiated one of the strongest stigmas of the day
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The Pharisees lived strict, simple livesThey believed that everything happened
according to God’s plan, though man was still free to act virtuously or viciously
They also believed in eternal reward or punishment after death and the resurrection of the body
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Pharisees were praised for their virtuous conduct in their actions and their teachings
It is good to get to know Christ by reading the New Testament
The Gospels tell us about Christ’s life in his teachings and actions