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Bible 101. The Basics. Why Know the Bible. Basis of Western Law, morays, taboos, practices. Primary influence on Western literature, symbolism, imagery. King James Bible is the basis of much of English Grammar and spelling. Cultural Literacy Argue with your friends…..
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Bible 101 The Basics
Why Know the Bible • Basis of Western Law, morays, taboos, practices. • Primary influence on Western literature, symbolism, imagery. • King James Bible is the basis of much of English Grammar and spelling. • Cultural Literacy • Argue with your friends….. • Know what you do and no not believe. • It’s actually pretty interesting.
The Basics • The “Christian” Bible has two main parts; • The Old Testament • Written for and by Jews. • History, Procedures, Laws, Poetry, • About 4/5 of the Bible. • The New Testament • Written for and by Christians (most of whom were Jews). • 4 Gospels (Good News), Epistles (Letters)
And then there is the Apocrypha • The Catholic Bible has an additional part that protestant Bibles do not. Several additional books and letters. • The Apocrypha • Literally means hidden. As in they were hidden from us when we first created the Bible. • The term now means spurious, questionable, of doubtful origin.
Old Testament • 39 Books, History, Collection of Poems. • First Book Genesis; appr. 2,500 B.C. • Written around 1,400 B.C. • Last book Daniel. Apprx. 150-500 B.C. • Written in Hebrew
Old Testament • A history of a people • The rules and procedures of a religion. • The building and destruction of a kingdom. • The fight of a minority vs a majority. • The creation of a COVENANT. • The agreement between a God and His people. • The Chosen People
The Law • The Torah or Pentateuch • The first 5 books of the Old Testament • The Law of Moses • A system of sin, payment, atonement. • Sin is death. Sin must bring death. • Animal Sacrifice. • Based on a Temple system of sacrifice.
The Temple was Destroyed(actually several times) • Pharoh, Babylonians, Rome…. • If the Law is based on the Temple…and there is no Temple. • Faith needed interpretation. • Lawyers or Pharisees reinterpreted the law. • Text became primary over the Temple • New ways to please God.
What is a Jew? • Children of the line of Abraham. • Members of the covenant. • Race? Religion? Culture? Ethnicity? • Circumcision
Orthodoxy • When you have rules and procedures and have identified the people it applies to, orthodoxy is created. • But! • Who enforces? Who decides? Who is right? Orthodoxy requires political power. Might.
Branches of Judaism • Hassidic: “Pios Ones”. Conservative, Orthodox. • Orthodox: Strict compliance, Literal, • Conservative: Strong compliance, some interpretation. • Reform: historical relevancy, interpretation. • Secular: non observant • Socialist: Leaders in international labor movements. • Light Bulb: NO, NO, No, Sure, Who cares.
Canonization • The process by which the books of the Bible were officially adopted and accepted. • What makes a text sacred? • How do we know where the text came from? • How do we know God likes it? • Who decides? • What is the process
Canonization • Problem: • Double stories, blended stories, “versions,” • Solution: Adopt an official Text. • Old Testament Canonized • Some at 70 A.D. Post Temple • Some at 90 A.D. • Tradition. Use. Established Hierarchy of Leadership.
Judaism in a nut shell • God Spoke. • A prophet heard. • Told the people what to do and how to live to please God. • They did not follow through. • Flood, war, plague, slavery, occupation. • Try again….ok for a while. • War, plague, slavery, death, occupation • Try again. • “A stiff necked people.” • Waiting for the Messiah to restore everything.
Rome • Between the Old and New Testament. • Roads • Citizenship • Temples and pageantry • Government trumps Tribe. • Law.
Rome…. • Taxes • Occupation • Enslavement • Pagan Idolatry • Persecution at worst, neglect at best • Pollution of the The Chosen • Unclean
Restore the Jewish Nation • King David was the last Jewish King to restore the Jewish people. • David and Goliath…. • Looking for the Next David • 150 years from the Book of Daniel to the arrival of Jesus.
Jesus • A Jew • Primarily spoke to Jews • Assumed Jewish knowledge and symbols. • Jesus’ story only makes sense in a Jewish context.
Jesus and Jews • A good man with many good things to say. • Not a prophet • Not the Messiah. • Muslims view Jesus as a prophet but not the Messiah.
Jesus for Christians • The Messiah. • The fulfillment of the Law. • The final Sacrifice. “Lamb of God.” • The “Son of God.” • Fully man and Fully God. • Sinless. The Perfect Sacrifice. • Born of a virgin. Clean. • Inherently “anti establishment.”
Jesus in a nutshell • Born. Miracle Birth • Taught from age 30-33. • Taught. Miracles: earth, spirit, life. • Spirit of the law over the letter of the law. • Anti corruption. • Rule Breaker. • Upset the establishment • Executed in a common Roman manner. • Rose on the third day. • Ascended into heaven. • Part of the Holy Trinity: Father, Son, Holy Spirit. God. Eternal.
New Testament • There was no Christian Bible for appr. 300 years. • Oral • Letters • Disciples • Tradition • Very Regional • Extremely varied • Rome is everywhere • Written in Greek and Hebrew
No Christian Orthodoxy • Eastern vs. Western • Jesus was: hologram, man, a shell over divinity. • Jews vs. Non Jews • It ended with Jesus or revelations continue? • Men vs. Women? • Practices, texts, etc… Regional.
Constantine • Fake or legitimate conversion to Christianity. • Ends persecution. • Constantine belonged to a sect that read both Old and New Testament texts. • Authority: power, organization, muscle.
Texts • Floating around were: • Gospels. The story of Jesus • Mathew, Mark, Luke, John • Thomas? Hebrews? • Letters or Epistles • Most letters were criticizing local group for “doing things wrong.” • Encouraging • Teaching • One book of Revelation
The “first” Bible was Roman • The first Bible was a Roman creation. • The canon was regional in acceptance. • Hence this is a Roman Catholic Bible. • Later the Roman Catholic Church added texts in a collection called the Apocrypha. • 14 or 15 additional books. • Today the term apocryphal often suggests dubious authenticity.
Canonization • Athanasius Letter: Listed 27 Books. 367 A.D. • Edict by Constantine: 313 A.D. • Council of Nicea: 325 A.D • Synod at Hippo: 393 A.D. • Synod at Carthage: 397 A.D. • Who says? How to decide? • Tradition. Apostolic Succession. Power. Faith
Inerrancy vs. Canon • Inerrancy involves the belief that God protected the text, guided the selection of text, and supports all the text says. It is perfect and without error. • Cannon implies that the correct books are included.
Just Text? • The Roman Catholic Church maintains that tradition is equal to text in authority. • In the Protest Reform ation Luther, and others, rejected that claim. • Sola: Grace, Scripture, Faith, Christ, and all Glory to God.
Modern Christianity • Roman Catholic • Eastern Orthodox • “Mainline” Protestantism • Lutheran, Anglican, Methodist, etc… • Evangelical • Baptist etc… • Fundementalist • Pentacostal/Charismatic • “Non Denominational”
Christian groups that are “marginalized” • Seventh Day Adventist • Latter Day Saints • Christian Scientist • Non Trinitarian groups • Again…who’s to say….
