Lecture 11.docx
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Lecture 11.docx
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Lecture11
Lecture11:
IntroductiontoTheNewTestament
vContext
v
vTheNewTestamentisthesecond,shorterpartoftheChristianBible.UnliketheOldTestament,whichcovershundredsofyearsofhistory,theNewTestamentonlycoversseveraldecades,andisacollectionofthereligiousteachingsandbeliefsofChristianity.TheNewTestamentisnotasinglebookwrittenbyoneperson,butratheracollectionoftwenty-sevenbookswritteninGreekbyavarietyofpeoplefromvariousplaces.
vHistoricalBackground历史背景
vTheChristianchurchesofthefirstcenturydrewtheirmembershipfrombothJewsandGentiles.ThefirstChristianswereJews,andtheirfirstmissionaryactivitiesweredirectedtowardwinningmembersfromthisgroup.However,notlongthereafter,theiractivitieswereextendedtoincludeGentiles,andmanyofthosewhohadbeennon-JewswerewelcomedintothenewlyformedChristiancommunities.ThecommonelementsharedbyboththosewhohadbeenJewsandthosewhowereGentileswasloyaltytothepersonknownasJesusofNazareth.BothgroupsrecognizedJesusasamanofGodandlookedforwardtoatimewhenthemessagethatheproclaimedwouldbespreadthroughouttheworld,bringingsalvationtoallthosewhowouldreceiveit.
vAlthoughbothgroupswereloyaltoJesus,theydidnot,asarule,interprethislifeandministryinthesameway,norcoulditreasonablybeexpectedthattheywould.Eachgroupinterpretedhisteachingsintermsofthereligiousconceptswithwhichtheyhadlongbeenfamiliar.ForthosewhohadbeenrearedintheJewishfaith,hewastheMessiah,theanointedone,thechosenofGod,aboutwhomtheOldTestamentprophetshadwritten.HewastheoneunderwhoseguidanceandleadershipthekingdomofGodwouldbeestablished,thusbringingaboutthefullrealizationofthedivinepurposeinhistory.
vButwhiletheMessiahshipofJesusmeantagreatdealtothosewhosetraininghadbeeninJudaism,itmeantverylittletothenon-Jews,orGentiles,whowereaccustomedtothinkingofreligionintermsoftheideasandconceptsassociatedwiththemysteryreligions.Tothem,Jesuswascomparabletotheheroicredeemerofthemysterycults,whichwerenumerousintheGreco-RomanworldofNewTestamenttimes.Membersofthesecultswereconcernedprimarilywiththeideaofsalvationfromphysicaldeath,tobefollowedbyparticipationinthelifeofanotherworldfreeofallthetrialsandhardshipssocharacteristicofearthlylife.
Thechieffunctionoftheheroicredeemer救世主wastobringaboutthissalvation.Hewouldbeaheavenlybeingwhowoulddescendtoearth;afteralifeofserviceandselfsacrifice,hewouldrisefromthedead.Byachievingamysticalunionwithhim,hisfollowerswouldgainthepowertotriumphoverdeath.FormanyoftheChristianswhohadbeenGentiles,itseemedperfectlynaturaltothinkofJesusasonewhofulfilledtheroleoftheheroicredeemer;onthisbasis,theyacceptedhim.ThedifferentconceptionsofJesusthatarefoundinthevariouswritingsoftheNewTestamentcanbeunderstoodonlyinrelationtothedifferentbackgroundsfromwhichtheyweredeveloped
vTheJewishBackground犹太人的背景
vChristianitybeganwiththebeliefthatJesusofNazarethwastheMessiah.AsfarbackastheeighthcenturyB.C.,theprophetsoftheOldTestamentexpressedtheirconvictionthatsomedayaleaderwouldariseintheirmidst,andunderhisguidanceakingdomofjusticeandrighteousnesswouldbeestablishedonearth.Duringthecenturiesthatfollowed,thisbeliefwasmodifiedinvariouswaysbutwasnevercompletelyabandoned.Threedifferentstagescanbenotedinthedevelopmentofthemessianicidea:
propheticmessianism,apocalypticmessianism,andrevolutionarymessianism.AllthreeconcerntheearthlyestablishmentofthekingdomofGod,theultimategoalofhistoryorthefinalrealizationofthedivinepurposeinregardtothedestinyofthehumanrace.Thethreetypesofmessianismdifferfromoneanotherinrespecttothetimeandmanneroftheiraccomplishments.
vPropheticmessianismtaughtthattheearthlykingdomofGodwouldbereachedwiththecomingoftheMessiah,oranointedone.HewouldbeanactualkingwhowouldreignovertheIsraelitenationanddirectitsaffairsinsuchawaythattheevilsinsocietywouldbeovercomeandpeaceandhappinesswouldbethelotofall.
vPropheticmessianismtaughtthattheearthlykingdomofGodwouldbereachedwiththecomingoftheMessiah,oranointedone.HewouldbeanactualkingwhowouldreignovertheIsraelitenationanddirectitsaffairsinsuchawaythattheevilsinsocietywouldbeovercomeandpeaceandhappinesswouldbethelotofall.
vLatergenerationslookedbackuponitasakindofgoldenageinthehistoryoftheIsraelitepeople.ThehopeforthecomingoftheMessiahwasemphasizedmoreandmoreintheteachingsoftheprophets.BecausesomanyofIsrael’skingshadbeendisappointinginwhattheydid,theprophetstalkedaboutthecomingofanidealkingwhowouldappearinthefutureanddoforhispeoplethatwhichotherkingshadbeenunabletodo.Thisking,theysaid,wouldbelikeKingDavid.Later,theymaintainedthathewouldbeadescendantfromthelineofDavid,anideaexpressedinthewritingsoftheprophetIsaiah.
ThecourseofHebrewhistoryoverthecenturiesdidnotfulfilltheprophets’hopes.Instead,onedisasterafteranotherovertookthenation.AfterthedeathofKingSolomon,Israelwasdividedintoanorthernandasouthernkingdom,andeachkingdomwentthroughaseriesoftragicexperiences.In722B.C.,thenorthernkingdomwastakencaptivebytheAssyrians.Acenturyandahalflater,thesouthernkingdomsufferedasimilarfateatthehandsoftheBabylonians.Eventually,aHebrewstatewasrestoredforatime,butconditionswerefarfromideal.Internalstrifewaspresent,andthenationwasunderaconstantthreatofdestructionfromforeignenemies.Undertheseconditions,propheticmessianismbegantowane,andapocalypticmessianismappearedinitsplace.
vThedominantcharacteristicofapocalypticmessianismwasaconvictionthatthekingdomofGodwouldnotcomeaboutbyagradualtransformationofsocietyundertheleadershipofagreatandgoodking.Rather,itwouldbebroughtaboutbyasuddensupernaturalintervention.Whentherighttimearrived,Godwouldact,bringingpunishmenttoalltheforcesofevilandestablishinghiskingdomasadwellingplacefortherighteousforalltimetocome.Thisevent,referredtoasthecomingoftheDayoftheLord,whatintheOldTestamentisreferredtoastheDayofYahweh,wasdescribedasagreatcatastrophicevent,anendoftheworldandtheusheringinofanewage.
vAlthoughtherearevariationsinthedifferentapocalyptictexts,someofthesewritingsconveytheideathattheMessiahwillbeaheavenlybeingwhowilldescendtoearthandinauguratethenewera.Hisappearancewillbringdestructiontothewickedanddeliverancetotherighteous.Aresurrectionofthedeadandajudgmentofallthepeoplewhohavelivedontheearthwilloccur.Afterthewickedhavebeencompletelydestroyed,anewheavenandanewearthinwhichonlyjusticeandrighteousnessprevailwillexist.
vApocalypticmessianismwasespeciallymeaningfulintimesofcrises,whichfortheJewsmeantmostofthetime.TheBookofDanielintheOldTestamentwaswrittenprimarilyforthosewhoweresufferingpersecutionfromtheSyriansunderAntiochusEpiphanesduringtheperiodthatprecededtheMaccabeanwars.InNewTestamenttimes,theRomangovernmentpersecutedtheChristians,andtheBookofRevelationdidfortheChristiansofthatdaywhattheBookofDanieldidfortheJewsofanearlierdate:
assurethosewhoweresufferingfortheirfaiththatalthoughtheevilforcesintheworldwerethenintheascendancy,thetimewasnotfardistantwhenGodwouldinterveneandbringanendtothereignofevilbyestablishingakingdomofrighteousnessinwhichthosewhohadprovedfaithfulthroughalloftheirtrialsandafflictionswoulddwellforeverinpeace.
vNotallJewsweresatisfiedwiththenotionthattheyshouldenduresufferingandpersecutionwhilewaitingforGodtointerveneontheirbehalf.TherevolutionarymessianistsarguedthatGodwouldcometotheiraidonlyaftertheyhaddoneallthattheycouldforthemselves.Accordingly,theybelievedthattheDayoftheLordwouldbehastenediftheytookuparmsagainsttheirenemiesandfoughtfortheirownfreedomandindependence.Inotherwords,Godwouldusehisownpeopleastheinstrumentsthroughwhichhewouldbringpunishmentuponunrighteousnations.ThebeliefthatGodwouldaidinthistaskwasstrengthenedbywhatthepeoplehadexperiencedduringtheperiodoftheMaccabeanwars.
vWhenMattathiasandhissmallbandofrenegadefighterstookuparmsagainsttheSyrians,theyachievedoneremarkablevictoryafteranother.DespitebeinggreatlyoutnumberedbySyriansoldiers,theywereabletowinbacktheterritorythathadbeentakenfromthem,includingregainingpossessionofthecityofJerusalemandrestoringtheworshipservicesoftheTemple.AllofthesesuccesseswereinterpretedtomeanthatGodwouldprotecttheminbattleandgivethemvictoryovertheirenemies.Whathehaddoneforthemintimespasthewoulddoagainiftheywouldonlyfollowasimilarcourse.
vAftertheRomansconqueredtheJewishterritoryandmadetheJewssubjectsoftheirdominion,revolutionarymessianistscontinuedtheireffortsbycallinguponJewstolauncharevoltagainstthegovernmentofRome.NotlongbeforethebirthofJesusofNazareth,acertainJudasofGalilee,claimingthemessianicroleforhimself,organizedarevoltthattheRomansputdownwithunm
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