The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ

1. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Vocabulary • Isagogics: The study of the historical context of the events of the books of the Bible or of their writing. • Reversionism: An act or the process of returning (as to a former condition). An act or instance of turning the opposite way. • Pharisees: A Jewish sect that fought the Hellenizers in the days of the earlier Maccabees. The name Pharisee, means separated one and was probably given to them by their enemies because their strictness separated them from their fellow Jews as well as from the heathen. Their “loyalty to the truth” and addition of numerous rules which produced pride and even hypocrisy was the perversion that was denounced by Jesus. (Paul was a Pharisee.) • Legalism: adding to the Word of God (Pharisees). The Life of Christ (1)

2. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Vocabulary • Sadducees: Denied the authority of tradition and looked with suspicion on all revelation later than the Mosaic Law. They denied the doctrine of resurrection, and they did not believe in the existence of angels or spirits (Acts 23:8). They were largely people of wealth and position, and they cooperated gladly with the Hellenism of the day. In NT times, they controlled the priesthood and the Temple ritual. • Liberalism: taking away from the Word of God (Sadducees). • Hellenism: devotion to or imitation of ancient Greek thought, customs, or styles. • Hedonism: the doctrine that pleasure or happiness is the sole or chief good in life. • Paganism: following foreign gods, or no religion at all, and/or delighting in sensual pleasures and material goods. • Septuagint: The Greek translation of the Old Testament during the intertestmental period. Name stems from 70 (approximate number of its translators). The Life of Christ (1)

3. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ • Overview • The wordisagogicsis used for the study of the historical context of the events of the books of the Bible or of their writing. • The two greatest isagogic factors in the life of Christ were the control of the land of Israel by the Roman Empire and the legalistic distortion of working for salvation of the Jews. • The principal language of the Jewish people had changed from Hebrew to Greek under the Greek and Roman influences. Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek were all spoken in the first century. • The Septuagint was available for the Greek speaking population so they were able to study the scriptures of their ancestors. The Life of Christ (1)

4. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Roman Empire • At the time of the birth of Christ, the land of Israel was under the control of the Roman Empire. • The Roman Empire had been in existence for over 400 years when Jesus was born. Romans were pagans and worshiped many gods. • The Empire had begun as a Republic with the Senate of Rome being the central governing force. • By the time of Christ’s birth, Rome was ruled by an Emperor, but the Senate still had some power. • Jerusalem had been conquered by the Syrian ruler Antiochus IV in 168 B.C. causing a revolt, the war of the Maccabees. • The Roman leader Pompey captured Jerusalem and annexed Palestine (Israel) in 64 B.C. • The Roman Empire was a Republic from its early history until Julius Caesar declared himself Emperor in 49 B.C. The Life of Christ (1)

5. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Life of Christ (1)

6. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Roman Empire • Julius Caesar ruled the Empire until his assassination in 44 B.C. • After a brief struggle for power, Caesar’s grandnephew, Octavian, became emperor in 31 B.C. • Octavian was given the semigodly name Augustus by the Senate of Rome and is known to history as Caesar Augustus. • Caesar Augustus ruled from 31 B.C. until 14 A.D. and was the Roman Emperor at the time of the birth of Christ (Luke 2:1-5). • Caesar Augustus put an end to the civil wars and local feuds that existed in the Empire, thus establishing a stable environment for the ministry of Christ. The Life of Christ (1)

7. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ A Census Was Decreed Luke 2:1–5 (NASB95) 1Now in those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus, that a census be taken of all the inhabited earth. 2This was the first census taken while Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3And everyone was on his way to register for the census, each to his own city. 4Joseph also went up from Galilee, from the city of Nazareth, to Judea, to the city of David which is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5in order to register along with Mary, who was engaged to him, and was with child. The Life of Christ (1)

8. Caesar Augustus The Life of Christ (1)

9. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Time of Jesus’ Birth The Life of Christ (1)

10. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Roman Empire • Tiberius the stepson of Octavian (Caesar Augustus) ruled from 14-37 A.D and was the Caesar during Christ’s ministry. • During the reign of Augustus and Tiberius the provinces, like Palestine (Israel), prospered. • Each province had a Roman governor who reported directly to Caesar. Pilate was governor during Christ’s ministry. • The primary job of the governor was to keep the province peaceful and prosperous, which would, in turn, keep Rome peaceful and prosperous. • The Governors used the local residents to collect taxes and serve in the government. Matthew was a tax collector. • Most importantly, Rome allowed the conquered provinces to continue practicing their former religion, so long as they didn’t cause trouble. The Life of Christ (1)

11. Tiberius Caesar The Life of Christ (1)

12. The Time of Jesus’ Ministry The Life of Christ (1)

13. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Jewish Reversionism • During the early history of the nation of Israel the Jews had a tendency to get involved with the pagan, Hellenistic, hedonistic and phallic cult practices of the neighboring Canaanite tribes. • This activity eventually led to the nation being destroyed in two phases in 721 BC (the Northern 10 tribes were conquered by Assyria) and 586 BC (Babylon conquered the Southern kingdom and took the Jews captive). • By the time of Christ, Israel had not been a sovereign nation since 586 BC and had not had a prophet for over 400 years. • The Jews that were left in the land under foreign rule had developed a different type of reversionism - religious reversionism. • In general, there are two categories of religious reversionism: liberalism and legalism. • Liberalism subtracts from the word of God: there is no hell, there is no resurrection, God does not judge or discipline people, etc. The Life of Christ (1)

14. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Jewish Reversionism • Legalism adds to the word of God: drinking is a sin (rather than drunkenness), forbidding certain foods, forbidding marriage, etc. • Both of these types of reversionism were present in Israel at the time of Christ. • The Sadducees were the liberals and the Pharisees were the legalists. • Throughout Christ’s ministry he was constantly engaged in verbal battle with one or both of these sects. Matthew 15:1-11, 16:1-4. • They (Jews) were jealous of Jesus’ popularity with the people and also afraid of what the people might do if they harmed Him. Matthew 21:23-27. • Of the two, the more numerous and powerful sect was the Pharisees. • Their reaction to the hedonism of Israel’s past was to add more rules to the Mosaic Law in hopes of keeping the populace (people) from failing in that way again. The Life of Christ (1)

15. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Two Types of Jewish Reversionism Sadducees Pharisees WOG Take away from the WOG Add to the WOG The Life of Christ (1)

16. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Jewish Reversionism • They wrote a book of law known as the Talmud which gives detailed rules governing every realm of life. • The Talmud has two parts: the Mishnah, a book of law, and the Talmud (or Gemarah), a summary of discussion of the Mishnah. • In his book, The Essential Talmud, Adin Steinsalz say the following about the Talmud: • “The Talmud is the repository of thousands of years of Jewish wisdom, and oral law … It is a conglomerate of law, legend, and philosophy, a blend of unique logic and shrewd pragmatism, of history and science, anecdotes and humor.” • The Talmud added to the Law of Moses (Legalism) found in the Torah in hopes that it would make it harder for the Jews to fall into the type of reversionism that led to the two captivities in 721 and 586 B.C. • For example, they added so many rules to the Law of the Sabbath that it became oppressive, rather than the simple day of rest from your job that God had intended. The Life of Christ (1)

17. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ Jewish Reversionism • Here is another quote from The Essential Talmud regarding the Sabbath Laws: • “In the most general sense, the numerous Sabbath laws are an expanding network of minute details derived from several basic concepts, which eventually create an almost Gothic structure made up of thousands upon thousands of tiny and meticulously fashioned details clustered around the original form.” • Because of this they had reached a point of legalism where they even accused Christ of violating the Law when he healed someone on the Sabbath. Mark 3:1-6. • They read the Bible constantly, but had grown so spiritually dull that they could not understand what they were reading (many were unbelievers). Matthew 13:15 • Therefore, they did not know the times in which they lived, nor did they recognize the need for a suffering Messiah to precede (come before) the conquering Messiah. • They read in the scriptures about the eternality of the nation of Israel and their coming King, but they were ruled by the Romans. • What they were looking for was a Messiah who would run the Romans out of Israel and re-establish the Throne of David in Jerusalem for all eternity. • What they got was the Lamb of God whose death on the cross would take away the sins of the world. Jn. 1:29 The Life of Christ (1)

18. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Geography of Israel • In the New Testament the land of Israel is broken into three geographic regions: Judea, Samaria, and Galilee. • Judea was the southernmost of the three regions and consisted of the land between the Dead Sea and the Mediterranean Sea. • The cities of Bethlehem, Bethany, Jericho, and Jerusalem were located in Judea. • The Temple, which was the center of Jewish life, was located in Jerusalem. • Samariawas between Judea in the south and Galilee in the north. They were considered outcasts by the Jews in Judea and Galilee. • Galilee was the northernmost of the three regions and had the city of Nazareth, where Jesus was raised. The Life of Christ (1)

19. The Life of Christ (1) The Isagogics of The Time of Christ The Geography of Israel • Most of Jesus’ ministry occurred in Galilee, with occasional trips to Judea. • The Sea of Galilee (a.k.a. Sea of Kinnereth, Sea of Gennesaret, and Sea of Tiberius), which is actually a large, freshwater lake, is in this region and figures prominently in many events in the life of Christ. • Samaria was the central province and contained a group of people related to the Jews, but with a distinct and slightly different culture. These were the Jews that intermarried with the Assyrians and were considered by full-blooded Jews as half-breeds. • Another prominent geographic feature of the region is the Jordan River, which flows from the Sea of Galilee to the Dead Sea. • It was at the Jordan River that John the Baptist and Jesus began their ministries. The Life of Christ (1)

20. The Geography of Israel The Life of Christ (1)

21. The Life of Christ (1) The Geography of Israel The Life of Christ (1)

22. The Temple The Life of Christ (1)

23. Jerusalem During The Ministry of Christ The Life of Christ (1)

24. The Geography of Galilee The Life of Christ (1)

25. The Life of Christ (1) BC—AD Time After Christ Before Christ 2000 AD 1 BC 1000 AD 1 AD 1000 BC 2000 BC The Life of Christ (1)