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Chapter 19

Chapter 19. General Letters on Faith and Behavior: Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and the Teaching (Didach e) of the Twelve Apostles. Key Topics/Themes. General epistles portray God’s revelation through Jesus as final and complete

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Chapter 19

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  1. Chapter 19 General Letters on Faith and Behavior: Hebrews, the Catholic Epistles, and the Teaching (Didache) of the Twelve Apostles ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  2. Key Topics/Themes • General epistles portray God’s revelation through Jesus as final and complete • Hebrews: Jesus as eternal High Priest is our mediator with God • Believers now to adhere to high standard of conduct ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  3. Introduction • Addressed to Christians in general and not individual congregations • The seven catholic (universal) epistles • James • 1 and 2 Peter • 1, 2, and 3 John • Jude ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  4. Authors and Dates • Attributed to prominent Jerusalem apostles • Most were last books into New Testament canon ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  5. The Book of Hebrews • Skillful weaving together of Jewish and Greek philosophical concepts • Interprets Jesus and Hebrew Bible using Platonic philosophy • Jesus as heavenly High Priest interceding for humans • Authorship and date ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  6. Contents of Hebrews • Christ’s superiority to all other beings (1:5-4:16) • Christ—a priest like Melchizedek (5:1-10:39) • Exhortation to remain faithful (11:1-13:16) ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  7. James • Addressed to “Twelve Tribes” of the Dispersion • James the brother of Jesus as the ostensible author • Affinities with wisdom literature of Hebrew Bible • Form and organization • Recipients and date ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  8. Contents of James • Trials and temptations (1:2-27) • Respect for the poor (2:1-13) • Faith lives only through good works (2:14-26) • Controlling the tongue (3:1-12) • Warnings against exploitation of poor (4:1-5:6) ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  9. 1 Peter • Authorship and date • Purpose and organization • The privileges and values of a Christian calling (1:3-2:10) • The obligations and responsibilities of Christian life (2:11-4:11) • The ethical meaning of suffering as a Christian (4:12-5:11) ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  10. Jude • A tract denouncing unnamed heretics • Advocates defense of doctrinal orthodoxy • Authorship and date • Style and content • Apocalyptic judgment ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  11. 2 Peter • Authorship and date • Organization and purpose • Reason for the delay of the Parousia (ch. 3) ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  12. Letters from the Johannine Community • Reveal community devoted to Beloved Disciple and torn by internal dissension • Opponents: proto-Gnostics who denied real humanity of Jesus • Author writes to affirm that Jesus Christ had real fleshly existence ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  13. Johannine Community (cont’d.) • Authorship and date • 1 John anonymous • 2, 3 John authored by “the Elder,” an anonymous church leader in the Johannine community ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  14. 1 John • Presence of opponents in author’s community as evidence that the “last hour” has arrived • Author emphasizes presence of Holy Spirit (Paraclete) in the community • Advocates ability to distinguish “spirit of truth” from “spirit of error” • Two tests for membership in the community ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  15. 2 and 3 John • 2 John • Addressed to a house church • Warns of anti-Christ figures who deny physical humanity of Jesus • 3 John • A private letter to “Gaius” • Requests that Gaius extend hospitality to emissaries from the author’s congregation ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  16. The Didache (Teaching of the Twelve Apostles) • Valuable source for knowledge about forms of worship in early church • May have been written in Antioch of Syria • Contents • The “Two Ways” of living life • Instructions regarding church rituals and practices ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

  17. Summary • An anthology of miscellaneous Christian writings • Documents attributed to various leaders in Jerusalem church • Interests • Defense of church order • Defense of various theological positions • Defense of traditional eschatology ©McGraw-Hill Higher Education

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