DAY 2 - PowerPoint Presentation

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DAY 2

Introduction to the

NewTestamentSlide2
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Lost Sayings of Jesus

(‘Q’ = quelle

)Q1 (50CE) Jesus the Philosopher/TeacherTurn the other cheek.

Give to Caesar what is owed to Caesar and give to God what belongs to God.Love your enemies; be kind to those who hurt you.Give to the poor.Beatitudes

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What is remarkable about Q1 is that the original Christians appeared to be centred totally on concerns about their relationships with God and with other people, and their preparation for the imminent arrival of Kingdom of God on earth. Totally absent from their spiritual life are almost all of the factors that we associate with Christianity today. There is absolutely no mention of (in alphabetic order): adultery, angels, apostles, baptism, church, clergy, confirmation, crucifixion, demons, disciples, divorce, Eucharist, great commission to convert the world, healing, heaven, hell, incarnation, infancy stories, John the Baptist, Last Supper, life after death, Mary and Joseph and the rest of Jesus' family, magi, miracles, Jewish laws concerning behaviour, marriage, Messiah, restrictions on sexual behaviour, resurrection, roles of men and women, Sabbath, salvation, Satan, second coming, signs of the end of the age, sin, speaking in tongues, temple, tomb, transfiguration, trial of Jesus, trinity, or the virgin birth. Slide5

Lost Sayings of Jesus

(‘Q’ = quelle

)Q2 (60CE) Jesus the Apoplectic ProphetRoman persecution/Civil Unrest

Rejection by mainstream JudaismRejection by families and friendsDoom, Retribution, Judgement“Who is my brother?”

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Lost Sayings of Jesus

(‘Q’ = quelle

)Q3 (70CE) Retreat from the WorldJesus as a God.

More powerful than Satan.

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Mark

Who Young second generation Christian Multilingual (Aramaic and Greek)

To Whom mostly Gentiles, new in their faith, facing persecutionWhere

probably RomeWhen

probably 70CEType

narrated “Good News” focused on death and resurrectionWhy encourage persecuted groupSlide10
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Matthew

Who Early Jewish Christian Multilingual (Aramaic and Greek)

To Whom educated Jewish believers

Where probably Antioch in Syria

When probably

85CEType

Book of “teachings”

Why to teach a community experiencing internal divisions and external enemiesSlide12
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Luke

Who: Much unmistakable evidence points to Luke as being the writerTo Whom: Theophilus who was Luke’s patron. Where: Probably Rome, though Achaia, Ephesus and Caesarea have also been suggested.

When: 59-63 or 70-80sType: The writing is characterized by literary excellence, (classical Greek) historical detail and warm, sensitive understanding of

Jesus, his time and those around him.Why: It was written to strengthen the faith of all believers and to answer the attacks of unbelievers. Written to show that the place of the Gentile Christian in God’s kingdom.Slide14
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JohnWho: John’s community

To Whom: For Jews oppressed by other JewsWhere: Ephesus (Asia Minor)When: 85 or later – recently as early as 50 no later than 70sType: Focus is on the “signs” of Jesus’ identity and mission and on lengthy, theologically rich discourses. Recollections of eye-witness evident.

Why: To strengthen his audience and communicate his theologySlide16

Four Types of Miracle Stories

Nature MiraclesHealingsExorcismsResuscitationsSlide17

Miracle Stories in the

New Testament

The miracle stories are not changes in the physical world so much as they are changes in the social world and it is society that dictates how we see, use and explain the physical world.Slide18

Miracle Stories in the

New Testament

Nature Calming the storm

Healing Healing the Leper

Exorcisms Boy

possessed with a

demon

Resuscitations Jairius’ daughterSlide19

Parables and Allegories in the New Testament

Parables are extended similesShort narratives with symbolic meaningDiscombobulation

Designed to provoke a responseInterpreting a parable is problematic; like interpreting a jokeSlide20

Matthew 19:24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”

Mark 10:25 It

is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.”Luke 18:25 Indeed

, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."Slide21
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For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay them a denarius for the day and sent them into his vineyard.    “About nine in the morning he went out and saw others standing in the marketplace doing nothing. He told them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.’ So they went.

   “He went out again about noon and about three in the afternoon and did the same thing. About five in the afternoon he went out and found still others standing around. He asked them, ‘Why have you been standing here all day long doing nothing?’    “‘Because no one has hired us,’ they answered.   “He said to them, ‘You also go and work in my vineyard.’

    “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last ones hired and going on to the first.’    “The workers who were hired about five in the afternoon came and each received a denarius. So when those came who were hired first, they expected to receive more. But each one of them also received a denarius. When they received it, they began to grumble against the landowner. ‘These who were hired last worked only one hour,’ they said, ‘and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the work and the heat of the day.’

    “But he answered one of them, ‘I am not being unfair to you, friend. Didn’t you agree to work for a denarius? Take your pay and go. I want to give the one who was hired last the same as I gave you. Don’t I have the right to do what I want with my own money? Or are you envious because I am generous?’    “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.”Slide24

Luke 7:11-17Jesus Raises a Widow’s Son Soon afterward, Jesus went to a town called Nain, and his disciples and a large crowd went along with him. As he approached the town gate, a dead person was being carried out; he was the only son of his mother, and she was a widow. And a large crowd from the town was with her. When the Lord saw her, his heart went out to her and he said to her, “Do not

wep.”Then he went up and touched the bier, and the bearers stood still. He said, “Young man, I say to you, rise!” The dead man sat up and Jesus gave him back to his mother.  They were all filled with awe and praised God. “A great prophet has appeared among us,” they said. “God has come to help his people.” This news about Jesus spread throughout Judea and the surrounding country.Slide25

...the historical critical method—specifically because of the intrinsic nature of theology and faith—is and remains an indispensable dimension of exegetical work. For it is of the very essence of biblical faith to be about real historical events. It does not tell stories

symbolising supra-historical truths, but is based on history, history that took place here on earth...If we push this history aside, Christian faith as such disappears and is recast as some other religion. So if history, if facticity in this sense, is an essential dimension of Christian faith, then faith must expose itself to the historical method—indeed, faith itself demands this.Benedict XVI Verbum Domini 2010Slide26

Fr Anthony Mellor

Theological Advisor