1 / 25

Hamilton Reformed Church 2010

Hamilton Reformed Church 2010. New Testament Survey Session 1 - Background. New Testament Survey. Background The Synoptic Gospels and Acts The Writings of John Paul’s Letters The Other New Testament Letters. Background. Historical Political Geographical Language Religious

Download Presentation

Hamilton Reformed Church 2010

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript


  1. Hamilton Reformed Church 2010 New Testament Survey Session 1 - Background

  2. New Testament Survey • Background • The Synoptic Gospels and Acts • The Writings of John • Paul’s Letters • The Other New Testament Letters

  3. Background • Historical • Political • Geographical • Language • Religious • Important Dates

  4. Foreign powers - Assyria • Fall of Samaria 722BC • Defeated most of Judah around 700BC (Isaiah 36:1) • Besieged Jerusalem but forced to withdraw by God’s intervention (Isaiah 36,37) • Went into decline end 7th C BC • Nineveh fell 612 BC

  5. Foreign powers - Babylon • Invaded Judah around 603BC carried captives into exile including Daniel & Co (2 Kings 24:1; Daniel 1:1ff) • Invaded again around 597BC carried Jehoiachin and 10,000 others into exile (2 Kings 24:12ff) • Returned again and destroyed Jerusalem & temple in 586BC (2 Kings 25:8ff) • At the height of its power, Babylon is overcome by Persia in 539BC (Daniel 5)

  6. Foreign powers - Persia • Control of Israel from 539BC to around 331BC • Had policy of returning exiles to own land, reinstituting religion • As a result many Jewish exiles able to return (Ezra 1:1ff) • Cyrus, God’s anointed, financed building of 2nd temple (Isaiah 45:1,13; Ezra 1) • Conquered by Greece

  7. Foreign powers - Greece • Alexander the Great defeated Persia – very successful general • Empire extended around to India • Imported Greek culture wherever went • Empire lasted from 331-323BC • No apparent successor when Alexander died at age 32 • Empire eventually divided in four.

  8. Foreign powers – Ptolemies & Seleucids • Israel caught in tug of war between two kingdoms • Ruled by Ptolemies from 323BC till 198BC • Bible translated into Greek in Alexandria around 250BC (LXX)

  9. Foreign powers - Ptolemies & Seleucids • Seleucids gained control in battle • Held Israel from 198BC till 165BC • Antiochus Epiphanes abolished sacrifices, set up altar to Zeus in temple 168BC (Daniel 11:31ff; 12:11) • Gave rise to successful Maccabee rebellion • Temple rededicated 165BC (Hannukah – John 10:22)

  10. Independence! • Maccabees under Judas Maccabeus gain control of Jerusalem in 165BC • Expand territory over period that follows • John Hyrcanus deliberately settles Jews in far North to surround Samaria • Hasmonean kingdom falls to Romans in 63BC • Last Hasmonean king executed in 37BC

  11. Foreign powers - Rome • Hasmoneans fall to Pompeius in 63BC • (Note that NT mainly chronicles growth of Gospel in Roman Empire)

  12. Political Situation • No Israelite king / corrupt Priesthood • Under foreign rule – Roman • Several “layers” of government • One national language – Greek! • Bible used is Septuagint • Greek thought still dominates • Time of peace / stability • Travel easy throughout empire • 4,000,000 Jews in empire only 700,000 in Palestine (more in Alexandria than Jerusalem) • Jewish synagogues throughout empire

  13. RomanRule • A complicated picture!

  14. The Herods • Herod – family name several Roman rulers • Herod the Great known for building projects – commenced rebuilding of temple around 19BC. Had been under construction for 46 years in Jesus’ time • Interesting family dynamics!

  15. Land of the New Testament • Different rulers over various provinces (Luke 23:7) • Samaria had been repopulated (2 Kings 17:24ff) • East of Jordan now Gentile

  16. Distances / Dimensions • Dan • Dan to Beersheba 248 kms • Dead sea to Mediterranean 100 kms • Length of Dead Sea 80 kms • Between Galilee and Dead Sea 112 kms • Mt Carmel to Galilee 64 kms • Total length Israel 320 kms • Width narrowest point 48 kms 64 kms 112 kms 248 kms 100 kms 80 kms • Beersheba

  17. Jordan Valley

  18. Jordan Valley

  19. Language • Greek • Not “Holy Ghost” Greek but Koine (common) • Aramaic • Hebrew confined to religious purposes • Latin – legal language of empire, mostly spoken in West

  20. Religious Background • Pharisees (separated ones) • Flourished during 2nd temple period • Some connection to Hasidim (faithful) who arose in response to Antiochus Epiphanes • Held to authority of Scriptures and traditions of the elders (Mark 7:5,8,13) or “oral law” • Went on to form basis of Rabbinic Judaism

  21. Religious Background • Sadducees • From Aaronic line – High Priests typically Sadducees • Held only to the Law of Moses • Rejected oral traditions • Did not believe in the resurrection of the dead nor in angels or spirits (Matt 22:23ff; Acts 23:8) • Formed majority of Sanhedrin • Largely disappeared after 70AD

  22. Important Dates • 10BC to 90AD – Period covered by NT • 8BC – approximate date of Jesus’ birth • 27-30AD – Jesus’ ministry (temple rebuilding began 19BC) • 46-57AD – Paul’s missionary journeys • 65-67AD – Nero’s persecution (Peter & Paul probably martyred then) • 70AD – Fall of Jerusalem / temple destroyed (only wailing wall remains) • 100AD – John dies on Patmos • 49-90AD – Writing of New Testament

  23. Unanswered Questions • Where is this promised king and his kingdom? • Where is the greater glory God promised for the new temple? (Haggai 2:9) • What has happened to God’s covenant with us? • Why have we not heard from God for 430 years? • Has God in his anger forgotten to show mercy? (Psalm 77:9) • There is an answer to all these questions …

  24. The King has come!

More Related