text:
Biblical Studies (NT)/III. The Twelve Apostles

New Testament

 The Gospels ''' III. The Twelve Apostles '''

Jesus Selects the Twelve
Those who followed Jesus during his lifetime are referred to as his disciples. The word apostles refers to the twelve individuals whom Jesus chose from among his disciples for positions of leadership. Luke writes that Jesus “called his disciples to him, and from them he chose twelve whom he also named apostles: Simon, whom he also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; James and John; Philip and Bartholomew; Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called the Zealot; Judas the son of James, and also Judas Iscariot who became a traitor” (Lk 6:13-16). Complete lists of the apostles can be found in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and Acts. There are slight variations in the names and in the order, but they are usually understood to refer to the same twelve individuals. Later on, Judas was replaced by Matthias (see Lesson 6: The Birth of the Church). A few details about each of the original twelve apostles follows, in the order that Luke lists them.

Peter
Peter, whose birth name was Simon, stands out among the Twelve because he has such an important role in the New Testament, both as a major character in the gospels and Acts, and as the author of the epistles which bear his name. Before his conversion, he worked with his brother Andrew as a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee. He was a married man (Mk 1:30) who frequently took his wife along with him on his missionary travels (1 Cor 9:5). He was brought to Jesus by his brother Andrew, who told him, “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:41). John writes, “When Jesus looked at him, he said, ‘You are Simon, the son of Jonah. You shall be called Cephas’ (which is translated, A Stone)” (Jn 1:42). From this point forward, Simon was known in Aramaic as Cephas, or in Greek, Peter.

When Jesus began his Galilean ministry, Peter, with Andrew his brother, became the first of the disciples to be called into full-time service. “Jesus said to them, ‘Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men’” (Mk 1:17). In all the lists of the twelve, Peter is mentioned first, which probably indicates that he was considered the leader in the absence of Jesus. Peter, along with James and John, was a member of Jesus’ “inner circle,” and as such witnessed some of the most astounding events in Jesus’ life.

At Caesarea Philippi, Jesus, after hearing who the people were saying he was, turned to his disciples and said, “Who do you say that I am?” (Mt 16:15). Peter said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God” (Mt 16:16), to which Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Mt 16:17-19).

Nevertheless, Peter was only human, and there were times when he stumbled. It is this very human and fallible side to his nature which endears him to many people. One example is when Jesus warned the disciples of his coming crucifixion and Peter presumed to say, “Far be it from you, Lord; this shall not happen to you!” (Mt 16:22). Rather than rebuking Peter directly, Jesus said, “Get behind Me, Satan! you are an offense to Me, for you are not mindful of the things of God, but the things of men” (Mt 16:23).

The most dramatic incident which illustrates Peter’s humanness occurred after Jesus had been arrested and brought before the high priest. Outside in the courtyard, Peter was accused of being with Jesus three times, and each time he denied that he even knew him. This occurred only hours after the Last Supper, where Peter had insisted that he would die rather than deny his Lord. Matthew writes, “Peter remembered the words of Jesus who had said to him, ‘Before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.’ And he went outside and wept bitterly” (Mt 26:75).

After Jesus had ascended to heaven, however, Peter seemed fearless as he traveled the country preaching the Gospel. On one occasion, when he was arrested for performing a miracle of healing, he was brought before the high priest and the elders for questioning. He boldly proclaimed to them: “Let it be known to you all, and to all the people of Israel, that by the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, whom you crucified, whom God raised from the dead, by him this man stands here before you whole. This is the ‘stone which was rejected by you builders, which has become the chief cornerstone.’” (Acts 4:10 11). Peter is reported to have performed many miracles: “They brought the sick out into the streets and laid them on beds and couches, that at least the shadow of Peter passing by might fall on some of them” (Acts 5:15). However, the high priest and the elders, becoming jealous, seized Peter and the other apostles and put them in jail, “but at night an angel of the Lord opened the doors and brought them out” (Acts 5:19).

The most dramatic of Peter’s recorded miracles was in the town of Joppa on the coast, where a disciple, a woman named Dorcas, had died and he raised her to life: “It became known throughout all Joppa, and many believed in the Lord” (Acts 9:42). While in Joppa, Peter also had a vision which at first he did not understand, but which proved to be a major turning point in the direction of the church. Peter understood his vision to be an instruction from God telling him that he must now take the Gospel to non-Jewish people. Up until this point, Christianity was still a Jewish sect, and the Gospel had only been preached among the Jews.

In about 44 A.D., King Herod Agrippa I began to persecute the church because he saw that it was pleasing to the Jewish leaders, and again Peter was locked up. According to Acts, an angel came to the prison and “struck Peter on the side and raised him up, saying, ‘Arise quickly!’ And his chains fell off his hands” (Acts 12:7). Not much is known of Peter from this time. It is thought that he labored in Rome about the time that Paul was imprisoned there in 66 A.D. and that he wrote his two epistles from there. With the church coming to be centered more and more around Ephesus in the middle of the first century, it is probable that he spent time there and in the other churches of Asia Minor to whom his epistles are addressed.

According to tradition, Peter fled from Rome in about 67 A.D. to avoid martyrdom during the persecution of the church by Emperor Nero. As he was journeying away from the city on the Appian Way, he had a vision of Jesus. Peter inquired of him: “Quo vadis?” – Latin for “Where are you going?” (Hence, this account of Peter’s vision and subsequent death is known as the Quo Vadis tradition.) Jesus replied that he was going to Jerusalem to be crucified again. This reply made Peter ashamed that he had not stood his ground for the Gospel and he returned to Rome where he was arrested and executed. At his request, he was crucified head downward, deeming himself unworthy to die as Jesus had. Thus, in fulfillment of Jesus’ prophecy (Jn 21:18-19), Peter died a martyr’s death.

Andrew
Andrew was Peter’s brother, and they were natives of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. As fishermen, they worked in partnership with the brothers James and John (Lk 5:10), also destined to be apostles. Andrew had been a disciple of John the Baptist before he met Jesus. When John the Baptist identified Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (Jn 1:36), Andrew immediately decided to follow him, and the first thing he did was to go to Peter and tell him straightforwardly, “We have found the Messiah” (Jn 1:41).

Initially, Andrew continued to make his living at fishing. He did not follow Jesus full-time until later on, when Jesus called him, along with Peter, James and John, one day when they were busy fishing. Matthew describes the calling of Andrew: “Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. And he said to them, ‘Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men’. Then they immediately left their nets and followed him” (Mt 4:18-20).

In the miraculous “feeding of the five thousand,” Andrew was the apostle who brought Jesus’ attention to the small boy who had the loaves and fishes. Later on, he brought the request for an interview from some Greeks who wished to see Jesus, but Jesus would not see them because he knew the time of his crucifixion was close. Finally, Andrew is seen praying with the Twelve in Jerusalem after the Ascension. The New Testament tells us no more about him. According to tradition, he died a martyr’s death by being crucified in Achaia (in southern Greece) on an X-shaped cross, thereafter known as a St. Andrew’s Cross.

James
Like Andrew and Peter, the brothers James and John also had a fishing business at Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. The family was apparently quite affluent.

It was possible to make a good profit by salting the fish and transporting it to inland towns, and this is probably where their wealth came from. Certain passages in the Bible have raised the possibility that James and John might have been cousins of Jesus, but this cannot be verified.

James was called to full-time ministry together with John, and immediately following fellow fishermen Peter and Andrew. He was one of the three so-called “inner circle” apostles, and although he is not as famous as John and Peter, he was privileged to be in Jesus’ company with them at times when others were forbidden. When Jesus was slighted, he apparently took it very personally, for when Jesus was refused hospitality by a Samaritan village, James said along with his brother, “Lord, do you want us to command fire to come down from heaven and consume them, just as Elijah did?” (Lk 9:54). Jesus rebuked them, saying, “The Son of Man did not come to destroy people’s lives, but to save them” (Lk 9:56).

James is also mentioned in connection with a request to sit with his brother John at Jesus’ left and right hands when Jesus came into his "glory" (Mk 10:37), a request which was supported by their mother. This is often thought of as an arrogant and selfish request, and the other disciples were indignant when they heard it, but their motivation might have been sincere. Either way, Jesus did not rebuke them, but gently informed them, “To sit on my right hand and on my left is not mine to give, but it is for those for whom it is prepared” (Mk 10:40).

James was the first of the apostles to be martyred, and the only one whose death is mentioned in the New Testament. His death is recorded in Acts, and took place in 41 A.D. in a persecution of Christians by King Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great who killed the babies in Bethlehem). Luke writes, “Now about that time Herod the king stretched out his hand to harass some from the church. Then he killed James the brother of John with the sword” (Acts 12:1-2).

John
Matthew describes the calling of John in this way: “Going on from there, he [i.e. Jesus] saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. And he called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed him” (Mt 4:21 22). On the face of it, being a fisherman on the Sea of Galilee sounds like a fairly humble occupation. Yet apparently, John was a man of some means, for in Mark’s account of his calling, we learn that the family had employees. He writes, “Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after him” (Mk 1:20). John also had a house in Jerusalem, for in his own gospel, we are told that after the crucifixion, he took Jesus’ mother Mary to “his own home” (Jn 19:27). Furthermore, he was personally acquainted with the most important man in Judaism: the high priest. It was John’s influence that caused Peter to be allowed into the high priest’s courtyard when Jesus was being questioned before the crucifixion. Referring to himself in this passage as “that other disciple,” he wrote, “Peter stood at the door outside. Then that other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to her who kept the door, and brought Peter in” (Jn 18:16).

It is thought that John remained in Jerusalem for some years after Jesus' death and resurrection, before eventually moving to Ephesus, which in the second half of the first century came to be a major center of Christianity. Some time around 90 A.D., he was banished to the isle of Patmos during a persecution of Christians by the emperor Domitian. This had arisen over the refusal of Christians to obey Domitian’s command that he be worshiped as a god. John will already have been an old man by this time, probably in his eighties or nineties.

Jesus gave John and his brother, James, the nickname, “Sons of Thunder,” which may have implied a fiery, passionate nature. John suggests in his gospel that even among the three inner circle disciples, he had a special place, for he refers to himself five times as the disciple “whom Jesus loved.” John is believed to have outlived all of the other apostles.

Philip
Like Peter, Andrew, James, and John, Philip was a native of Bethsaida on the Sea of Galilee. He was one of the earliest disciples, for he received his calling from Jesus the day after they did. He was also responsible for introducing another of the apostles, Bartholomew, to Jesus. He is mentioned in connection with the feeding of the five thousand, where Jesus asks him, “‘Where shall we buy bread, that these may eat?’ But this he said to test him, for he himself knew what he would do. Philip answered him, ‘Two hundred denarii worth of bread is not sufficient for them, that every one of them may have a little’” (Jn 6:5-7). Again, he is shown in discourse with Jesus shortly before the crucifixion. “Philip said to him, ‘Lord, show us the Father, and it will be sufficient for us.’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have I been with you so long, and yet you have not known me, Philip? He who has seen me has seen the Father, so how can you say, ‘Show us the Father’?” (Jn 14:8-9).

Finally, Philip is listed among the apostles and disciples who were praying in the upper room after Jesus’ ascension into heaven. According to tradition, he died in Hierapolis in the Roman province of Asia (today in western Turkey) after spending his life in Christian ministry. He is said to have had two daughters who remained celibate throughout their lives, in order that they too might give themselves completely to a life of service.

Bartholomew (Nathanael)
Bartholomew and Nathanael have been accepted throughout church history as one and the same. The early church historians used the names interchangeably, and the occurrences of the two names in the New Testament seem to indicate that both names refer to the same person. It is likely that Bartholomew was his last name (bar means son of). When Philip found Jesus, the first thing he did was to seek out Bartholomew and tell him plainly that he had found a man from Nazareth, who was the one of whom Moses and the prophets wrote. Bartholomew responded with the famous question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (Jn 1:46). There is no way to know if he was really prejudiced or if he was merely being humorous. Either way, he was open-minded enough to go and see for himself.

Upon his arrival, he received a great compliment from Jesus, who greeted him with these words: “Behold, an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!” (Jn 1:47). Bartholomew was naturally surprised that Jesus seemed to know him, but his surprise turned to amazement when Jesus informed him that he had seen him sitting under the fig tree just a few minutes earlier, something Jesus could not have known by any natural means. Bartholomew was so impressed that he said that Jesus must be the Son of God. Jesus replied, “Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these. Truly, I say to you, hereafter you shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man” (Jn 1:50-51). Tradition says that Bartholomew suffered a ghastly death in Armenia where he was skinned alive for preaching the Gospel.

Matthew (Levi)
Unfortunately, we know very little about Matthew. In the gospels of Mark and Luke, he is referred to as Levi. Mark describes his calling in this way: “As [Jesus] passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax office, and said to him, ‘Follow me.’ And he arose and followed him” (Mk 2:14). Matthew was with Jesus from the early days of his ministry and was therefore a witness to most of the events he describes in his gospel. The things which he did not see himself were witnessed by others with whom he had an intimate acquaintance. By his own admission, he was a tax collector, for in his list of the twelve apostles, he describes himself as “Matthew, the tax collector” (Mt 10:3). Tax collectors were generally despised, for not only did they collect money for the occupying power, they were usually dishonest, charging more tax than was legally required in order to boost their own income. Nothing definite is known of Matthew’s later life, but he is believed to have preached in Palestine and its neighboring areas.

Thomas
Thomas appears mostly in John’s gospel. His intense loyalty was displayed when he saw that Jesus had made up his mind to go to Jerusalem, even though Jesus knew the Jewish leaders were seeking an opportunity to kill him. Thomas said to the others, “Let us also go, that we may die with him” (Jn 11:16). It is almost as though this comment was recorded in the Bible as a tribute to Thomas, and as a vindication of the “doubting Thomas” label which he was later to receive.

When Jesus told his disciples that he was leaving them and going to the Father, he reassured them that they need not worry because they also knew the way to the Father. Thomas, however, was confused and said to Jesus, “Lord, we do not know where you are going, and how can we know the way?” (Jn 14:5). Jesus’ reply has become one of the most famous statements in the Bible: “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me” (Jn 14:6).

Thomas was not with the other apostles when Jesus first appeared to them after the Resurrection. When they told him that he had risen from the dead and that they had seen him, he replied, “Unless I see in his hands the print of the nails, and put my finger into the print of the nails, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe” (Jn 20:25). As a result, the phrase doubting Thomas has become a byword for a skeptical person. Eight days later, Jesus came to the apostles again, and this time, Thomas was with them. Jesus, knowing what Thomas had said, told him to come to him and place his hands in his wounds, but seeing was quite enough for Thomas, who in his astonishment simply exclaimed, “My Lord and my God!” (Jn 20:28). Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed. Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed” (Jn 20:29).

Thomas was with the disciples when Jesus appeared to them, a short time later, at the Sea of Galilee. They had gone fishing, but had not caught anything. Then a man on the shore told them to cast their net on the other side, whereupon the catch was so big that they were not able to draw it in. Realizing then that the man was Jesus, they came ashore and had breakfast with him.

Finally, Thomas is mentioned in the list of disciples who were gathered together in the upper room in Jerusalem after Jesus ascended to heaven, and we hear no more of him in the New Testament. He is thought to have taken the gospel message to India, where he made many converts and eventually suffered martyrdom. There is still a church in India today which traces its roots to Thomas’ ministry.

James, Son of Alphaeus
Not much is known about James, the son of Alphaeus. Matthew is also referred to as a son of Alphaeus, so it may be that they were brothers. Some people have suggested that he might be the same individual referred to in Mark as James the Less (Mk 15:40). Regardless, the story that has been handed down through history says that he was stoned to death in Jerusalem for preaching the Gospel.

Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus
He is referred to as Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:2-4), Thaddaeus (Mark 3:16-19), Judas of James (Luke 6:13-16), and Judas not Iscariot (John 14:22).

Simon the Zealot
This Simon is not nearly as well-known as that other Simon who was renamed Peter by Jesus, and there is not much information about him. The epithet given him in the Bible, “the Zealot,” tells us that before he became a disciple, he was one of a band of fiercely patriotic Jews who were dedicated to removing the Roman occupiers from their land by any means necessary, even violence. This movement culminated in a Jewish rebellion which led the Romans to destroy both Jerusalem and the temple in 70 A.D. Simon is believed to have preached in Persia later on, where he was eventually martyred.

Matthias
Matthias (Hebrew transliteration: Mattityahu;[1] Koine Greek: Μαθθίας; died c. 80 AD) was, according to the Acts of the Apostles, the apostle chosen by lot to replace Judas Iscariot following Judas' betrayal of Jesus and his subsequent death. His calling as an apostle is unique, in that his appointment was not made personally by Jesus, who had already ascended into heaven, and it was also made before the descent of the Holy Spirit upon the early Church.

For it is written in the book of Acts, Let his habitation be desolate, and let no man dwell therein: and his bishoprick let another take. 21 Wherefore of these men which have companied with us all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 Beginning from the baptism of John, unto that same day that he was taken up from us, must one be ordained to be a witness with us of his resurrection. 23 And they appointed two, Joseph called Barsabas, who was surnamed Justus, and Matthias. 24 And they prayed, and said, Thou, Lord, which knowest the hearts of all men, shew whether of these two thou hast chosen, 25 That he may take part of this ministry and apostleship, from which Judas by transgression fell, that he might go to his own place. 26 And they gave forth their lots; and the lot fell upon Matthias; and he was numbered with the eleven apostles.

Judas Iscariot
Judas Iscariot is something of an enigma until you read Luke 22:3, "Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot." Many people have puzzled over the question, “What kind of a man would betray Jesus?” Was he bad or just misguided? We can only speculate if we neglect to take seriously Luke 22:3.

Based on Judas' last name, he was from the town of Kerioth in Judah, which means that he was also of the tribe of Judah. This makes him unique among the apostles, as all of the others were Galileans and from other Israelite tribes. He was the treasurer for Jesus and the disciples. John mentioned that Judas stole from the money bag regularly in John 12:6. In context, Judas questioned Jesus' decision not to sell an expensive bottle of perfume and give the money to the poor. John says, "Judas did not say this because he cared about the poor but because he was a thief; as keeper of the money bag, he used to help himself to what was put into it." Indeed, Judas Iscariot was greedy, but not just for money. He also expected power. Judas also expected Jesus to use his supernatural abilities and popularity among ordinary people to start a revolution, evict the Roman occupiers, and restore the rule of Judaea to the Israelites. That said, "Then Satan entered Judas, called Iscariot" is the actual explanation for Judas' actions. It is important to see the parallel between Judas and Satan, too. Satan, a fallen angel, had once lived in the very presence of Almighty God. He watched God create the universe for humankind. And yet he insisted on not humbling himself and serving God's purposes. Judas lived in Jesus' presence for three years watching him do miraculous things like control the weather, defy spacetime, heal the sick, raise dead people back to life, and so on. And yet he insisted that Jesus rule the world by taking it over rather than dying for the sins of the world! Jesus could have taken over the whole world as he was in actuality God in human flesh, but his mission was to live the morally perfect life, die for the sins of humans, and rise again so people would put their faith in his substitutionary existence.

In the flesh, Judas may not have realized that his actions would lead to Jesus being sentenced to death. Matthew writes, “Judas, seeing that Jesus had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, saying, ‘I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.’ Then he threw down the pieces of silver in the temple and departed, and went and hanged himself” (Mt 27:3-5). Again, Judas' actions, even his remorse, are not worthy of sympathy because his pride and lust for power got him to that point. Again, Judas was literally possessed by Satan. Judas' actions and attitude did not surprise Jesus! Jesus knew everything about everything at all times. And Jesus remained patient and loving towards Judas even after Judas kissed him in the Garden of Gethsemane. But notice what happened just before Judas kissed him! When Judas arrived with the Jewish soldiers of the Temple, Jesus addressed them first. Jesus said, "Who are you looking for?" It was probably two or three in the morning. One of the Temple Soldiers said, "Jesus of Nazareth." He didn't recognize Jesus. Then Jesus said, "I am he." (John 18:6) And all of the soldiers fell to the ground! In other words, Jesus sent power from himself that knocked all of the soldiers to the ground! Judas saw this! He could have bowed his knee to Jesus right there and then and repented! But Satan possessed Judas! Judas betrayed Jesus because his heart was evil, against God's Will of Purpose, and, like Satan, was destined to be used by God to manifest that nothing can stop God's purposes from being achieved.

From this we know that Jesus is great and we can do anything through Him who strengthens us.

Test Your Knowledge
How were apostles different from disciples? -All of Jesus’ followers were disciples, but not all were apostles. -apostles held positions of leadership. -There were only twelve apostles, and they were personally selected by Jesus. +All of the above.
 * type=""}

{ Jesus gave him the name of Peter (Cephas in Aramaic), but his birth name was:
 * type=""}

-Andrew -James +Simon -Isaiah

{ What was the name of Peter’s brother and fellow apostle? -John -James -Matthew +Andrew
 * type=""}

{ Along with Peter and John, who was the third apostle in Jesus’ “inner circle”? -Andrew (Peter’s brother) +James (John’s brother) -James, son of Alphaeus -Matthew
 * type=""}

{ According to the Quo Vadis tradition, which of the apostles was crucified upside down? -Bartholomew -James, son of Alphaeus -Judas, son of James +Peter
 * type=""}

{ Who was the first apostle to be martyred? -Peter -Andrew +James (John’s brother) -James, son of Alphaeus
 * type=""}

{ Peter, Andrew, James, and John were at work when Jesus called them into service. What was their profession? -Carpenters -Builders -Potters +Fishermen
 * type=""}

{ Who did Jesus refer to as “an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile”? +Bartholomew (Nathaniel) -Thomas -Judas Iscariot -Simon the Zealot
 * type=""}

{ In the absence of Jesus, who was the leader of the apostles? -John +Peter -Matthew -Judas Iscariot
 * type=""}

{ Which of the apostles made his living as a tax collector? -John +Matthew -Judas, son of James -Philip
 * type=""}

{ There is still a church in India today which traces its roots back to this apostle: +Thomas -Peter -Andrew -Philip
 * type=""}

{ Which two apostles are referred to as sons of Alphaeus? -Peter and Andrew +Matthew and James -John and James -Thomas and Philip
 * type=""}

{ The other Simon (not Peter) is referred to as “the Zealot”? What does this mean? -That he was fervently religious. -That he had lived in a wilderness retreat with the Essenes. -That he belonged to the Sanhedrin (the Jewish ruling council in Jerusalem). +That he had belonged to a group that sought to expel the Romans from Palestine by force.
 * type=""}

{ Which apostle is listed under different names in the various accounts, leading to speculation that an earlier apostle may have been replaced? -Judas, son of James -Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddeus -James, son of Alphaeus +a and b
 * type=""}

{ Who was the apostles’ treasurer? -Peter -John +Judas Iscariot -Matthew
 * type=""}

{ Who broke new ground, and in the process created a controversy, by proclaiming the Gospel among Gentiles (i.e. non-Jews)? +Peter -Thomas -Philip -Simon the Zealot
 * type=""}

{ Which of the apostles betrayed Jesus? -Judas, son of James -James, son of Alphaeus -Bartholomew +Judas Iscariot
 * type=""}

Next lesson: Biblical Studies (NT)/IV. OTHER IMPORTANT PEOPLE

Home Page:Biblical Studies (NT)


text:
Biblical Studies (NT)/IV. Other Important People

NEW TESTAMENT

Lesson 5

 THE GOSPELS ''' IV. Other Important People '''

Joseph
Matthew writes, “This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: his mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit” (Mt 1:18). When Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant, he decided to quietly break off their engagement. However, an angel appeared to him in a dream and told him that Mary had not been unfaithful, but that the child was conceived through the power of the Holy Spirit. He should go ahead and marry her and call the child “Jesus” (Mt 1:21).

After Jesus’ birth, Joseph was warned by an angel in a dream: “Arise, take the young child and his mother, flee to Egypt and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him” (Mt 2:13). Once again, Joseph did as the angel instructed and he departed to Egypt, where he stayed until the angel came yet a third time to tell him that Herod was dead. He then brought the family to Nazareth of Galilee, which is where Jesus grew up.

Matthew quotes the townspeople of Nazareth as saying in response to Jesus’ words and deeds: “Is this not the carpenter’s son? Is not his mother called Mary? And his brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas? And his sisters, are they not all with us?” (Mt 13:55-56). From this, we can deduce that Joseph and Mary had a large family. There was Jesus plus four other boys mentioned by name. We do not know how many girls there were, but the phrase “…are they not all with us?” indicates at least three. Therefore, including Jesus, Joseph and Mary had at least eight children. As a carpenter, Joseph was not a rich man, but he was of noble blood, being able to trace his ancestry back to King David. It is probable that Joseph died before Jesus was crucified, because on the cross, Jesus commended Mary into John’s care.

Mary, Mother of Jesus
According to the gospels, Mary became pregnant with Jesus while still a virgin, hence the commonly used epithet, the “Virgin Mary.” There is a tradition that says that Mary was always a virgin, but the Bible tells us that Joseph and Mary did have a normal relationship after the birth of Jesus. Matthew writes, “He (Joseph) did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son” (Mt 1:24-25).

According to custom, Mary had probably been betrothed to Joseph as a teenager through an arrangement made by her parents. It is possible that Joseph was older than she was, especially since he was no longer alive at the time of the crucifixion, thirty-three years later. Like Joseph, Mary was told by an angel, in this case Gabriel, about the child she was about to have. Even though the Bible says, “She was troubled at his saying” (Lk 1:29), her simple reply testified to her humility: “Behold the maidservant of the Lord. Let it be to me according to your word” (Lk 1:38).

While Jesus was growing up, it seems that Joseph and Mary had a normal parent-child relationship with him. This is illustrated by an incident which occurred when they took him up to Jerusalem when he was twelve years old. After their traveling party had left, Jesus stayed behind without their knowledge. When Joseph and Mary found out, they were frantic with worry, just as any normal parents would be. When they finally found him, Mary scolded him, saying, “Son, why have you treated us like this? your father and I have been anxiously searching for you!” (Lk 2:48).

After this time, very little is said of Mary, although she is mentioned later in a revealing incident where she and Jesus’ brothers were trying to get to Jesus through the crowd. Jesus’ response seems to indicate that being his mother in the flesh did not give her any special spiritual advantages. Matthew writes, “Someone said to him, ‘Look, your mother and your brothers are standing outside, seeking to speak with you.’ But he answered and said to the one who told him, ‘Who is my mother and who are my brothers?’ And he stretched out his hand toward his disciples and said, ‘Here are my mother and my brothers. For whoever does the will of my Father who is in heaven is my brother and sister and mother’” (Mt 12:47-50). Mary was also present when Jesus was crucified. It is hard to imagine her grief as she beheld her son dying on the cross, after he had been cruelly beaten and mocked. The last we hear of her is in Acts after the Ascension, where she is mentioned as being with the disciples in prayer (Acts 1:14).

The Wise Men from the East
Matthew writes, “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, saying, ‘Where is he who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen his star in the East and have come to worship him’” (Mt 2:1-2). Unfortunately, apart from what the Bible tells us, that these men were from the east and that they were wise, we know nothing else about them. It has been suggested that they were from such diverse places as India, Persia, and Arabia, and that they might have been astrologers, but all of these are speculation. The popular legend that there were three of them arose because the Bible mentions three types of gifts which were offered by them to the infant Messiah: “gold, frankincense, and myrrh” (Mt 2:11). We know by the plural term “men” that there were more than one, but the Bible does not say that there were three. There may have been only two, or there may have been more than three. Similarly, while the nature of the gifts implies that they were rich, there is no evidence to suggest that they were kings, as one tradition says.

King Herod the Great
Herod the Great was given authority over Palestine by the Roman government, and he ruled from 37 B.C. to 4 B.C. He liked to be thought of as a Jew, though his ancestry was Edomite. (Edom was the mountainous area southeast of Judea.) He was a great builder whose most notable achievement was the temple in Jerusalem. An indication of its grandeur is found in the remark of one of the disciples to Jesus concerning it: “Teacher, see what manner of stones and what buildings are here!” (Mk 13:1). In Who’s Who in the Bible (Bonanza, 1980), Ronald Brownrigg writes, “Herod was a clever politician, consistently backed by the Romans, and an efficient but unpredictable ruler, absolutely unscrupulous where his own interests and security were involved, and absolutely merciless when he felt his own safety was threatened. He executed one of his wives and two of his sons.”

Herod was greatly troubled by the question of the wise men from the East: “Where is he who has been born King of the Jews?” (Mt 2:2). If such a child existed, then Herod reasoned that the child would be a threat to his throne. He consulted the priests and scribes and asked them where, according to the scriptures, the Messiah was to be born. In response, they quoted a passage from the prophet Micah, which said that he would be born in Bethlehem. Herod then took the extraordinary step of commanding that all babies under the age of two in the region of Bethlehem be put to death. Fortunately, Joseph had already fled with Mary and the baby Jesus to safety in Egypt. How odd it is that Herod should believe the prophecies concerning the Messiah, yet try to destroy him at his coming.

King Herod Antipas
After the death of Herod the Great, his kingdom was divided between his three sons. Herod Antipas took control of Galilee in 4 B.C. and remained in power until A.D. 39. His kingdom was in two parts, Galilee and Perea, which were separated by the western part of the Decapolis. However, these areas were all part of the Roman Empire and it can be assumed that Herod and his entourage had free passage between the two halves of his kingdom. Since Jesus grew up in Galilee, he must have been well acquainted with the politics of the Herodians (i.e. Herod and his supporters).

When the Jewish leaders, who did not have authority to execute a person without the Roman governor's consent, asked Pilate for permission to execute Jesus, Pilate decided to speak to Jesus in person. On learning that Jesus was a Galilean, Pilate sent him to Herod Antipas, since Herod had authority over Galilee and was visiting Jerusalem at the time, presumably for the Passover festival, which was a major event in the Jewish calendar. The description of the incident gives us the impression that Herod was a vain and foolish man. His only interest in Jesus was that he wanted to see him perform a miracle. Finding that he was not to be entertained, Herod mocked Jesus and sent him back to Pilate.

John the Baptist
In approximately 26 A.D., just before the beginning of Jesus’ recorded ministry, “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins” (Mk 1:4). The birth of John the Baptist, like the birth of Jesus, had been foretold by the angel Gabriel in an apparition at the altar to his father Zacharias, a priest. This birth was all the more remarkable because Zacharias and his wife Elizabeth were both old and Elizabeth was unable to have children. John was a cousin of Jesus, and was about six months older than him.

The gospels tell us that the coming of John the Baptist was also in fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy. Matthew says: "In those days, John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, 'Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!' For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying, 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord.'" (Mt 3:1-3; cf. Is 40:3).

By our standards, John was an odd character. He lived in the wilderness in the region around the Jordan River, where he baptized. He wore camel skins and ate locusts and wild honey. Nevertheless, he was respected so much that, according to Luke, “All reasoned in their hearts about John, whether he was the Christ or not” (Lk 3:15), and he was universally considered to be a great prophet. People came to him from all over Judea and the regions around the Jordan to be baptized and confess their sins.

About a year after he baptized Jesus, John was thrown into prison for criticizing King Herod Antipas. Among other things which were contrary to the teachings of Moses, the king had married his sister-in-law. The woman in question, Herodias, wanted John to be executed, but Herod would not allow it because he believed John to be a prophet, and he listened to John gladly. However, some time later, Herodias’ daughter danced for Herod and he was so pleased that he promised her on oath anything she wanted, up to half his kingdom. Her mother prompted her to ask for John’s head on a platter. Herod was “exceedingly sorry,” but because an oath was considered binding, he was not able to refuse, and he ordered that the girl’s wish be granted. It is an indication of Herod’s feelings about John that later on, when he heard of Jesus’ miracles, he was convinced that John had come back from the dead in the form of Jesus. In a glowing tribute to John, Jesus said, “Among those born of women, there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist” (Mt 11:11).

Nicodemus
During his early Judean ministry, Jesus was paid a clandestine visit by a Pharisee named Nicodemus. Nicodemus was a member of the Sanhedrin, a group of seventy religious and political leaders who together formed the most powerful group in Israel outside of the ruling Roman forces. His standing in the community was reflected in Jesus’ reply to his questions: “Are you the teacher of Israel and do not know these things?” (Jn 3:10). As a result of his status, Nicodemus was cautious in approaching Jesus. He was impressed by him, but not to the point where he wanted to risk his reputation by being associated with him, for Jesus was perceived as a threat by the Jewish establishment. Therefore, Nicodemus approached Jesus secretly at night and questioned him about his teachings.

Nicodemus had been taught that to be a descendant of Abraham was enough to guarantee him eternal life, but Jesus told him that a person must be born again to enter the kingdom of God. The birth of the flesh is only the first step. It is necessary to be born of the Spirit also. It was also to Nicodemus that Jesus spoke the famous words: “God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (Jn 3:16).

Despite his initial prudence, Nicodemus is later seen defending Jesus before the rest of the Sanhedrin. When the rulers wanted to arrest Jesus without a just cause, Nicodemus said, “Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?” (Jn 7:51). But the rest of the council merely scoffed at him.

Jesus must have had a profound impression on Nicodemus, for we see him one last time, at the scene of the crucifixion, risking his reputation by caring for Jesus’ body. Joseph of Arimathea had received permission from Pilate to take away the body after Jesus had been crucified. John writes, “Nicodemus, who at first came to Jesus by night, also came, bringing a mixture of myrrh and aloes, about a hundred pounds. Then they took the body of Jesus, and bound it in strips of linen with the spices, as the custom of the Jews is to bury. Now in the place where he was crucified there was a garden, and in the garden a new tomb in which no one had yet been laid. So there they laid Jesus” (Jn 19:39-42).

Mary Magdalene
Mary Magdalene is reported to have become a follower of Jesus after he cast seven demons out of her. She must have become a close disciple, for the Bible says that she was one of several women who were in Jesus’ party as he traveled with the twelve apostles in Galilee. She evidently was not poor, for Matthew writes that she was one of many who provided material support for Jesus. Her name indicates that she was from the town of Magdala, a commercial center on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Because Jesus cast seven demons out of her, many people have assumed that she was an immoral woman, and she has been portrayed sometimes as a prostitute. This, however, is speculation, and it cannot be confirmed by scripture or external evidence. It has also been suggested in some quarters that Jesus had a romantic involvement with her, but again, there is no evidence in support of this. She was, according to the gospels, present at the crucifixion and also when Jesus was placed in the tomb. On the third day after the crucifixion, she returned to the tomb with some other women to anoint Jesus’ body with spices, as was the custom. However, when they arrived, they did not find Jesus, but an angel, who told them that he had risen and instructed them to tell the disciples. Matthew writes, “As they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, ‘Rejoice!’ And they came and held him by the feet and worshipped him. Then Jesus said to them, ‘Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brethren to go to Galilee, and there they will see me’” (Mt 28:9-10).

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus
While Lazarus and his sisters, Mary and Martha, were not among the twelve apostles, they were very close to Jesus. John writes, “Jesus loved Martha and her sister and Lazarus” (Jn 11:5). Additionally, when Lazarus fell ill, Mary and Martha sent a message to Jesus, saying, “Lord, behold, he whom you love is sick” (Jn 11:3). Their home was at Bethany, a town just a few miles to the east of Jerusalem which Jesus visited on numerous occasions. It is thought that he stayed with them when he was there. Jesus was in Perea near the Jordan River when he received a message that Lazarus was sick. However, Jesus’ remarks indicate that he knew that Lazarus was either dying or already dead. Nevertheless, he waited for two days before returning to Bethany. The Bible tells us that when he arrived there and met Mary and Martha, he wept: “Then the Jews said, ‘See how he loved him!’” (Jn 11:36). By this time, Lazarus had been dead for four days, yet Jesus ordered the stone rolled away from the entrance to the tomb. Then he called to Lazarus to come out. John writes, “He who had died came out bound hand and foot with grave clothes, and his face was wrapped with a cloth. Jesus said to them, ‘Loose him, and let him go’” (Jn 11:44). The image of Lazarus coming out of the tomb struggling with his grave clothes is both joyful and comical.

It seems that Mary, Martha, and Lazarus had resided in Galilee before moving to Bethany, unless they were wealthy enough to have two residences, for Jesus dined at their home while he was in Galilee. It was there that Martha had complained to Jesus about her sister because she chose to sit with Jesus rather than help with the preparations. Jesus gently scolded Martha for worrying too much and attaching more importance to the preparations than to the company of her honored guest.

Again, Mary was the cause for complaint when Jesus was dining with them in Bethany, about a week before his crucifixion, but this time the source of the complaint was Judas Iscariot. Mary had poured an extravagant amount of costly fragrant oil on Jesus’ feet, then wiped his feet with her hair. Judas complained that the money for the oil could have been used to feed the poor, but John’s gospel says that his real concern was for himself, for he was the treasurer and used to make personal use of the money. Jesus replied with words that they would not fully understand until a week later: “Let her alone. She has kept this for the day of my burial. For the poor you have with you always, but me you do not have always” (Jn 12:7-8). Jesus added that wherever the Gospel is preached, Mary’s good deed would be told as a memorial to her (Mk 14:9).

Pontius Pilate
Pontius Pilate was fifth in the line of governors that Rome appointed after Archelaus, Herod the Great’s son, was deposed in Judea. He was appointed by the emperor Tiberius in 26 A.D. and remained in power until 36 A.D., when he was removed from office because of his unfair treatment of rebellious Samaritans. While Jerusalem was the cultural and religious center of the Jewish people, Pilate made his home at cosmopolitan Caesarea Maritima on the Mediterranean coast. The city’s harbor and royal palace, built on the orders of Herod, made it an ideal location for the governor’s residence.

Pilate’s rule is known to have been brutal at times, yet in allowing the crucifixion of Jesus, he was not so much acting on his own will as giving in to outside pressure, “for he knew that the chief priests had delivered him because of envy” (Mk 15:10). The chief priests had accused Jesus of treason against Rome in order to manipulate Pilate into having to deal with him. This was necessary because they did not have the authority to condemn somebody to death without Pilate’s consent. Pilate, however, was clearly unimpressed by the charges brought against Jesus and probably would have set him free, except that the chief priests and elders had incited the crowd and he was afraid that there would be a riot. Matthew writes, “When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, ‘I am innocent of the blood of this just person. You see to it’” (Mt 27:24).

The Pharisees and the Sadducees
Outside of the Roman occupying forces, the Pharisees and the Sadducees were the most powerful groups in Israel at the time of Christ. The Pharisees were the “people’s party” and enjoyed widespread support among the general population, while the Sadducees were wealthy and elitist. The office of the high priest, Israel’s most powerful political position at that time, was traditionally held by a Sadducee, which exemplifies the fact that politics and religion were closely related. In the New Testament, both Pharisees and Sadducees are consistently shown in a negative light, being responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and the persecution of the early disciples. Outside of the New Testament, the ancient Jewish historian, Josephus (37 - ca. 100 A.D.), is one of our best sources of information about the Pharisees and Sadducees. From him, we learn some of their distinguishing characteristics. For example, the two groups had different understandings of the nature of scripture and tradition. The Sadducees believed that the Torah (the first five books of the Bible, or the books of Moses, also known as the Pentateuch) is the only reliable source for doctrine and practice, but the Pharisees accepted not only the other scriptures, but many oral and written traditions as well. Josephus says:
 * The Pharisees have delivered to the people a great many observances by succession from their fathers, which are not written in the law of Moses. It is for that reason that the Sadducees reject them, and say that we are to esteem those observances to be obligatory which are in the written word, but are not to observe what are derived from the tradition of our forefathers. It is concerning these things that great disputes and differences have arisen among them, while the Sadducees are able to persuade none but the rich, and have not the populace obsequious to them, but the Pharisees have the multitude on their side. (Antiquities 8:10:6)

Although the Sadducees were no friend to Jesus, they were in agreement with him concerning these traditions of the Pharisees, for Jesus upbraided the Pharisees by applying the words of the prophet Isaiah to them: “In vain they worship [God], teaching as doctrines the commandments of men” (Mt 15:9).

On the other hand, the Pharisees were more aligned with Jesus concerning the resurrection, in which they believed. The Sadducees, by contrast, believed that “souls die with the bodies” (Ant. 18:1:4). Knowing that Jesus taught the resurrection, the Sadducees sought to trap him by asking him a question about it that they believed he would not be able to answer. (For the passage in question, see Mt 22:23-33). Jesus, who from all appearances had an expert knowledge of the scriptures, instantly perceived the trap, and prefaced his answer with an observation: “You are mistaken, not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God” (Mt 22:29). The resurrection was also a major point of contention later on with the apostles. Luke writes that on one occasion when Peter and John were speaking to the people, “the Sadducees came upon them, being greatly disturbed that they taught the people and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead” (Acts 4:1-2). The objection was not merely that the disciples preached Jesus, but more specifically that they preached the resurrection. Again, the issue arises when Paul is brought to trial for preaching in the temple. Realizing that a mere statement of innocence would mean nothing, he resorted to a ruse: “When Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out in the council, ‘Men and brethren, I am a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee; concerning the hope and resurrection of the dead I am being judged!’” (Acts 23:6). The ploy worked beautifully. The proceedings were so completely disrupted by the intensity of the ensuing argument that the Roman commander put an end to the trial.

The Sadducees’ were also distinguished in their rejection of the idea that there are places of reward and punishment to which people go when they die. According to Josephus, they “suppose that God is not concerned in our doing or not doing what is evil. They say that to do what is good, or what is evil, is a person’s own choice, and that the one or the other belongs so to every one, that they may act as they please. They also take away the belief of the immortal duration of the soul, and the punishments and rewards in Hades” (Wars of the Jews 2:8:14). The Sadducees taught that you suffer in this world because you are sinful. Conversely, if you prosper, you must be a righteous person. The Sadducees’ wealth was evidence of their righteousness, because God only blesses the righteous. We receive our punishments and rewards here and now in this life, for there is no afterlife.

One thing that the Pharisees and Sadducees had in common was that both groups saw Jesus as a threat. According to John:
 * The chief priests and the Pharisees gathered a council and said, ‘What shall we do? For this man works many signs. If we let him alone like this, everyone will believe in him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and nation.’ And one of them, Caiaphas, being high priest that year [and a Sadducee], said to them, ‘You know nothing at all, nor do you consider that it is expedient for us that one man should die for the people, and not that the whole nation should perish.’ Then from that day on, they plotted to put [Jesus] to death.” (Jn 11:47-50, 53)

Jesus referred to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “hypocrites” (Mt 16:3) and warned his disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees” (Mt 16:6). The disciples initially thought Jesus was talking about bread, but he clarified his meaning for them, so that “they understood that he did not tell them to beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and Sadducees” (Mt 16:12). Both parties appeared to be more interested in discrediting Jesus than in discovering the truth about him. Perhaps this is because the people were “astonished” by Jesus’ teaching, for he taught them “as one that had authority” (Mk 1:22).

With the Jewish revolt and subsequent destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D., the system which enabled the existence of the Pharisees and Sadducees was shattered. As political entities, they were no longer relevant. Jerusalem as a religious, political, and commercial center had been destroyed and the Romans no longer had any interest in mediators which had proved incapable of stemming the tide of Jewish nationalism. The Sadducees ceased to exist, while the Pharisees gradually transformed themselves into Rabbinic Judaism, which became the foundation for the mainstream Judaism with which we are familiar today.

Test Your Knowledge
{ What was Joseph’s occupation? +Carpenter -Fisherman -Builder -Tax Collector
 * type=""}

{ What was Joseph’s relationship to Jesus? -Father +Stepfather -Uncle -Grandfather
 * type=""}

{ What did the angel who appeared in a dream to Joseph say? -Reassured him of Mary’s fidelity -Told him to name the child “Jesus” -Told him the child was conceived by the power of the Holy Spirit +All of the above
 * type=""}

{ How many children did Joseph and Mary have? -One: only Jesus -Two: Jesus and his younger brother James -Five: Jesus and four other boys +Eight or more: Jesus, four brothers, and at least three sisters
 * type=""}

{ What was the name of the angel who came to Mary and told her of the child she would have? +Gabriel -Michael -Raphael -Uriel
 * type=""}

{ Who were the wise men from the East? -Kings -Astrologers -Buddhist monks +No one knows for sure
 * type=""}

{ What did King Herod the Great do when he heard the Messiah was to be born in Bethlehem? -He immediately ordered his servants to get ready for the journey to Bethlehem so that he could pay tribute to the newborn child. -He sent gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. +He had all the infants of Bethlehem slaughtered. -He ordered special sacrifices in the Temple to observe the occasion.
 * type=""}

{ King Herod the Great was: -A ruthless ruler -Politically astute -A great builder +All of the above
 * type=""}

{ What did King Herod Antipas do when he interviewed Jesus? -He questioned Jesus about the kingdom of God. -He offered Jesus a job as a carpenter in his palace. +He mocked Jesus when Jesus refused to entertain him with a miracle. -He offered Jesus half of his kingdom.
 * type=""}

{ According to the Gospels, the ministry of John the Baptist was predicted by: -The angel Gabriel -The prophet Isaiah -The high priest +a and b
 * type=""}

{ Jesus said, “Among those born of women, there has not arisen one greater than...” -John, the apostle +John the Baptist -The prophet, Isaiah -Mary, mother of Jesus
 * type=""}

{ What was the name of the Pharisee who went against the rest of the Pharisees in supporting Jesus? +Nicodemus -Simon bar Jonah -Judas Iscariot -Joseph of Arimathea
 * type=""}

{ Mary Magdalene was an affluent woman of Galilee who... -Had formerly been a prostitute -Was secretly married to Jesus +Gave material support to Jesus’ ministry -Drank too much
 * type=""}

{ Which of his followers did Jesus raise from the dead after four days? -Mary -Martha +Lazarus -All of the above
 * type=""}

{ Who was Pontius Pilate? -The high priest of the Jews -The king of Judea -The Roman emperor +The Roman governor of Judea
 * type=""}

{ Why did Pontius Pilate allow the crucifixion of Jesus? -Because he believed that Jesus was a threat to society +Because he was afraid there would be a riot if he refused -Because he wanted to please the Jewish rulers -Because he enjoyed the spectacle
 * type=""}

{ Which of the following statements is true? -The Pharisees were the “people’s party” at the time of Jesus -The Sadducees were wealthy, educated, and elitist -The office of the high priest was traditionally held by a Sadducee +All of the above
 * type=""}

{ Who did not believe in life after death and the resurrection of the body? +The Sadducees -The Pharisees -Jesus -All of the above
 * type=""}

{ Who believed that only the Torah (the first five books of the Bible) was authoritative (i.e. scriptural)?
 * type=""}

+The Sadducees -The Pharisees -Jesus -All of the above

{ Which of the following is true with regard to the Pharisees and Sadducees? -The ruling body of Israel was made up of Pharisees and Sadducees, though the Roman governor provided oversight to ensure that Rome’s interests were protected. -Jesus referred to the Pharisees and Sadducees as “hypocrites” because they did not practice what they preached. -The Pharisees and Sadducees knew Jesus was innocent, but were afraid that he would win the support of the people. +All of the above.
 * type=""}

Next lesson:

Home Page:

license: Creative Commons - Attribution Share-Alike - https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/


text:
Biblical Studies (NT)/Brief Introduction to the New Testament

NEW TESTAMENT

Lesson 1

 THE NEW TESTAMENT  An Introduction

A Rich Tapestry
The New Testament is a rich tapestry of people, culture, history, and theology. In its pages, we meet real people with real joys and sorrows. We meet a Messiah who loves the human race so much that he gives his life for it. We encounter God, not as a distant, uninterested spirit, but as one who is intimately involved in the affairs and lives of human beings. The New Testament is just as fresh and relevant today as it was two thousand years ago when it was written, and the process of familiarizing ourselves with its contents continues to be a fascinating journey of discovery.

The Importance of Context
One of the goals of this course is to provide the student with the context of the New Testament, because a knowledge of its context enriches our understanding and appreciation of it. This statement is not as simple as it looks at first glance. The immediate context of a verse is the passage in which the verse is located, which of course will tell you a lot about what the verse is saying. But you also have to consider the overall message of the Biblical document ("book") in which the verse is found, which might have some bearing on its meaning. Then you have to consider who wrote the book and why, and to whom it was written. It helps to know when and where it was written also, and the social, cultural, and political factors which may have influenced its contents. Finally, you have to look at it in the context of the entire Bible. Where does it fit in? What part does it play? Do other passages shed light on the one being studied? All of these things may have some bearing on our understanding of a given passage.

Unity in Diversity
While the New Testament is made up of twenty-seven separate documents, the usage of the last two thousand years has led us to think of it as a single work, and perhaps not even that, but only as the second major division of a larger work: The Bible.

Notwithstanding the New Testament's multiple authors, there is a progression from Matthew to Revelation that leaves one with a sense of unity. The canon (i.e. the collection of works which were allowed into the New Testament) evolved during the early years of the church as certain documents gained prominence and were acknowledged by general consensus as worthy of inclusion.

While the documents are not strictly in chronological order according to the time of their writing, there is a logical progression. It begins with the gospels, which present the life and ministry of Jesus. Next is Acts, which details the birth and growth of the early church after the time of Jesus. Next are the epistles (letters) of Paul, most of which were written during the time covered by Acts, so that Acts provides the social and historical context for Paul's epistles. The General Epistles, written by several authors, follow those of Paul, and like his epistles deal with a variety of issues, both theological and practical. Finally, the extraordinary prophecy which is the Revelation provides a dramatic, but logical, conclusion, not just to the New Testament, but to the Bible as a whole. It describes, among other things, the return of Christ and the Last Judgment.

The Bible as Literature
Even though the Bible was written over a long period of time by many different authors, we are accustomed to thinking of it as a single book, for it has been published as such for centuries. One aspect of the literary study of the Bible entails textual analysis to identify the presence of different authors, and gain a greater understanding of the editing processes and external sources which may have shaped the Bible's content. Such an approach is extremely useful and has made a significant contribution to Biblical studies. However, by its nature, it tends to focus on the diverse parts of the Bible, rather than the unity of the whole.

Other scholars (not just of the Bible, but of literature in general) take an approach which is based on the premise that once a work is published, it takes on a life of its own, independent of its sources. In such an approach, "the critic's task is to examine its linguistic structure and its aesthetic unity as an autonomous object." The Christian Bible as we know it today has existed for around two thousand years, a fact which, given its origins, is something of a phenomenon. Notwithstanding its diverse origins, it cannot be denied that it has taken on a life of its own as a single entity. It is therefore not unreasonable to approach the Bible as a single piece of literature to see whether it holds up as such, and if so, to see what gems, literary and otherwise, it might yield.

It does not take long for the observant reader to perceive that the Bible contains many literary forms, or genres. There is history, mythology, law, manuals for the priesthood, poetry, aphorisms, gospels, letters, prophecy, allegory, romance, parables, and more besides. But running through all of these, and binding them together, is the thread of a storyline (in literary terms, a plot). In his book, How to Read the Bible as Literature (Zondervan 1984), Leland Ryken writes:
 * The most obvious element of literary unity in the Bible is that it tells a story. It is a series of events having a beginning, a middle, and an end... It begins with the creation of all things. The story of the Fall quickly takes the action down to the level of fallen history. But the story slowly and painfully winds its way to the consummation of history with the eternal defeat of evil and the triumph of good.

 * The overall story of the Bible has a unifying plot conflict. It is the great spiritual and moral battle between good and evil... Almost every story, poem, and proverb in the Bible contributes to this ongoing plot conflict between good and evil. (178)

This story, which is astonishing in its scope and complexity, begins in Genesis with the creation of the world (1:1), and ends in Revelation with its destruction (21:1). It begins in Genesis (3:22-24) with human beings becoming corrupted and losing access to the "tree of life" (symbolizing eternal life), and ends in Revelation (22:2) with the restoration of the tree of life. It begins with the loss of peace and harmony (Gen 3), and ends with peace and harmony being restored (Rev 21:4). It begins with the human race being cursed because of Adam's sin (Gen 3:17-19), and ends with the curse being removed (Rev 22:3). The pivotal event in the development of the story is the coming of the Messiah, and this is where the New Testament begins.

The sections which do not directly further the progress of the story have a direct relationship to it. They explain much about the culture and psyche of the people through different periods in their history. For example, the Law is given in the context of Israel's journey from Egypt to the Promised Land, and it provides the legal and religious foundation for Israel from that time forth. The psalms are mostly attributed to King David and are central to Israel's worship. They tell us much, not just about the king, but about the attitudes and beliefs of the nation as a whole. The book of Proverbs is attributed to King Solomon, and its contents further exemplify his legendary wisdom. The prophets show us the events of the historical books in a different, more critical, light, while the historical books, in turn, provide the settings for the prophets and are essential to our understanding of them. Similarly, in the New Testament, the epistles shed further light on the events of Acts and crystallize the theological significance of the gospels, while Acts, in turn, provides the context in which the epistles were written.

No other literary work has influenced Western history and culture like this one. No other book claims to have such a clear outline of God’s plan for the world. When we add the Hebrew scriptures (Christian Old Testament) to the Greek (Christian New Testament), we see that the Bible, though it has many authors and genres, contains a complete story, and like any other good story, it has an introduction, a development, and a dramatic conclusion.

The Lessons
This course provides a comprehensive overview of the New Testament in eighteen lessons. The lessons include reading assignments from the New Testament which are shown in shaded boxes. Most of the lessons have a single assigned reading after the test at the end of the lesson, but a few have a series of shorter readings which occur as the lesson progresses, so the student will want to have a Bible at hand, either hardcopy or online. (Suggestion: open another window in your browser and go to www.BibleGateway.com, where you can view the assigned passages by typing their references in the box. You can then switch back and forth between windows.) If using a hardcopy, an edition which only includes the New Testament is fine for the purposes of this course.

The readings have been carefully chosen to cover all of the essential material without being so long as to become burdensome. They are an important part of the course. If a reading occurs in the middle of a lesson, it should be completed before continuing. If it occurs at the end, it should be completed before beginning the next lesson. Each lesson also has a multiple choice test. Since the course follows the order of the New Testament, the lessons, readings, and tests are not all of equal length.

Upon completion of all eighteen lessons with their accompanying tests and readings, you will have acquired a good basic knowledge of the New Testament. This can be further enhanced by reading those parts of the New Testament which are not included in the required readings and, of course, these lessons can also be reviewed at any time.

Note that there is a discussion tab at the top of each Wikiversity page where you can make comments and respond to the comments of others if you want to. To keep the discussion in one location, it is recommended that students record all comments at the discussion tab on the Contents page. (It is best to create a Wikiversity user name and password before doing so, then you can use the signature button to sign your entries with the user name you have created.)

How to Grade Yourself
There are a total of 200 questions in the course. As you complete each lesson, keep a record of your test score (see the score sheet to the right). The goal is to master the material, so if you take a test and are not satisfied with the result, feel free to review the lesson and retake the test. Record your highest score. When you have completed all of the lessons, add your scores together, then divide the total by two. This is your percentage. Use your percentage score to give yourself a letter grade as follows:
 * A+ (97-100%)
 * A (93-96%)
 * A- (90-92%)
 * B+ (87-89%)
 * B (83-86%)
 * B- (80-82%)
 * C+ (77-79%)
 * C (73-76%)
 * C- (70-72%)
 * D+ (67-69%)
 * D (63-66%)
 * D- (60-62%)
 * F (0-59%)

Students who only wish to study selected portions of the New Testament can turn directly to the relevant lessons. To calculate your grade, divide your total of correct answers by the total of questions answered to obtain a percentage, then refer to the chart above.

Abbreviations
New Testament citations usually occur in parentheses after the quote, and in the following format:
 * Lk 17:21 (The gospel of Luke, chapter 17, verse 21)
 * 1 Jn 4:8 (The first epistle of John, chapter 4, verse 8)
 * Jude 20 (The epistle of Jude, verse 20. Jude is short and has no chapter divisions.)

Whole chapters are referenced in the following way:
 * Mt 5-7
 * Rom 12

The following list gives the commonly used abbreviations for the New Testament documents, though slight variations do occur:

 * Matthew (Mt)
 * Mark (Mk)
 * Luke (Lk)
 * John (Jn)
 * Acts (Acts)
 * Romans (Rom)
 * 1 Corinthians (1 Cor)
 * 2 Corinthians (2 Cor)
 * Galatians (Gal)
 * Ephesians (Eph)
 * Philippians (Phil)
 * Colossians (Col)
 * 1 Thessalonians (1 Thess)
 * 2 Thessalonians (2 Thess)
 * 1 Timothy (1 Tim)
 * 2 Timothy (2 Tim)
 * Titus (Titus)
 * Philemon (Philem)
 * Hebrews (Heb)
 * James (Jas)
 * 1 Peter (1 Pet)
 * 2 Peter (2 Pet)
 * 1 John (1 Jn)
 * 2 John (2 Jn)
 * 3 John (3 Jn)
 * Jude (Jude)
 * Revelation (Rev)

Test Your Knowledge
This lesson, being introductory, has only one question, mainly to demonstrate the format.

{How many documents ("books") are there in the New Testament? -Four -Fourteen +Twenty-seven -Forty
 * type=""}

Next lesson: Biblical Studies (NT)/I. AUTHORSHIP AND HISTORICAL SETTING

Home Page:Biblical Studies (NT)


text:
Talk:Biblical Studies (NT)/Brief Introduction to the New Testament

Objection
"and like any other good story, it has an introduction, a development, and a dramatic conclusion." I really dislike this; I don't think the Bible was written (by God or man) with the intention of holding to writing tropes like introduction/progression/conclusion. The fact that it has multiple (human) authors only intensifies the feeling that such a comparison is inappropriate. Would anyone mind if I deleted this portion? The Jade Knight (d'viser) 02:16, 26 August 2009 (UTC)

 * Your point is well taken, Jade Knight. In my opinion, though, the two facts -- the Bible has multiple authors; the Bible has an identifiable plot -- are not necessarily mutually exclusive. I'm not making any claims as to how or why the plot came to be there, or whether it is intentional or just pure coincidence, but one can definitely identify an introduction/development/conclusion sequence in the Bible when taken as a whole. It's also worth noting that the biblical contributors didn't speak/act/write in a vacuum, but they were part of a specific and continuous history and tradition, so that they were building (consciously or unconsciously) on what had gone before. The New Testament, for example, is laced from beginning to end with quotes from, and allusions to, the Hebrew scriptures. --gdm 04:57, 30 December 2009 (UTC)

Gmasterman, although we both are sitting in the same boat (I am probably a believer the way you are), I have to support Jade Knight as far as you are not fully respecting Wikiversity's principles. We are not a bible college or Sunday School at Wikiversity. I personally fully agree with your observations. But, scholarly speaking, your text and like any other good story, it has an introduction, a development, and a dramatic conclusion is an assumption - nothing more. Unfortunately, like any other good story shows that you probably didn't make a price in literature. I believe that you have best intentions, though. I would like to encourage you to cut the above sentence out, or begin the sentence with: "Many Christians believe that.." And then add some quotes of evangelical theologians. --Inawe talk 15:05, 1 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Let me get a bit more into detail concerning the literature thing: Contemporary prose likes to work without plot at times, or better, the plot seems to be that there is no plot. But no serious scholar in the science of literature would call it bad literature, or a low quality story. See: The American Scholar. Anyway, go ahead-- we definitely need a high quality NT intro at Wikiversity. Let us keep in touch. That's the beauty of a good wiki . --Inawe talk 17:12, 1 January 2010 (UTC)
 * Just as a reminder: Scholarly_ethics :-) --Inawe talk 17:19, 1 January 2010 (UTC)

Actually, I was coming at it more from a literary perspective. (I have an MA in lit.) I'm not making any claims as to the legitimacy of the New Testament, only saying what's there - hence the disclaimer on the contents page. Many lit scholars these days believe that we cannot know for sure what an author's intention was (in lit theory, this is called "intentional fallacy"). Related to this is the idea that once a work is published, it takes on a life of its own, and critics will see things in it which were not consciously put there by the author/s. This doesn't mean that they're not there, however, and people derive all kinds of meaning and symbolism from works which almost certainly were not intended by the author. Does this invalidate their conclusions? That's for you to decide. What cannot be denied is that a complete story exists within the pages of the Bible, even when approached purely as literature. Without getting into too much detail: we begin with the creation of the Earth and the human race; then the descent of humans into a state of spiritual and moral darkness which will ultimately lead to their destruction; then the coming of a Messiah to save them from their fate, but they put him to death; the Messiah, however, has power over death and he comes back to life; he returns at the end of the world for a final judgement which results in misery for the villains and a heavenly reward for the good people. Sound like a good plot for a story? It does to me. I wish I'd written it! --gdm 17:28, 1 January 2010 (UTC)
 * What school did you focus on? Deconstructionism?  At any rate, I still don't think that the (quite subjective) argument that the Bible has a plot is compelling, and I (like Inawe) would prefer to see that comment removed.  The Jade Knight (d'viser) 18:16, 23 March 2010 (UTC)

In addition to the explanations given here, I created a new section in the introduction itself to put the statement into its proper context. I don't know how I can more clearly demonstrate that the Bible contains a complete story, except to suggest that you read it in order from beginning to end. I have no doubt that you will come away with the sense that you've just read an epic of a story, however disjointed it may seem at times. Clearly, the Bible is much more than just a story, but the fact that it contains a story seems to me to be inescapable. As a former lit student, I've seen "plots" with far less cohesion (InAwe speaks of these). Perhaps the objection is that the word "plot" seems to suggest a single author, or a group of authors in cooperation. However, I make no claims along those lines.

Having said that, there may be some merit in the idea of authors cooperating, inasmuch as they all seem to have written in the belief that they were adding to the unfolding story of God's interaction with his people. They all looked back to a common tradition, and looked forward to an ultimate consummation of God's purposes on Earth, which are "foreshadowed" (to use another literary term) again and again throughout the story, until the consummation actually takes place in the book of Revelation. Ultimately, what makes a story is its unifying elements, and one could write a book on the unifying elements of the constituent parts of the Bible. --gdm 18:43, 22 April 2010 (UTC)
 * It's a bit unusual to think about applying standard literary conventions to the Bible, but it does seem to make sense when considering the big picture. The Bible is a story, even though it's broken up into 66-70 books. Now, if there is a concern about the neutrality of an article, the POV version can always be created separately as I have been doing with my courses. Geoff Plourde 20:41, 22 April 2010 (UTC)


text: User:Antero~enwikiversity

title: User:Antero~enwikiversity


text:
User:Gmasterman

I think that in spite of the potential for abuse, Wiki is one of the best things on the internet - a place where each of us can share our little bit of knowledge with the world, and take advantage of their millions of little bits, which together are a mountain. I've contributed to several articles in the various wikis and (in case anyone wants to check my credentials) I have a background in literature (B.A., M.A.), theology (B.A., M.Div.), education (professional teaching certification), music (B.A. minor), and photography (NYI pro photography course).

title: User:Gmasterman


text:
User:122589423KM

a

title: User:122589423KM


text:
User talk:122589423KM

a

 Hello 122589423KM, and welcome to Wikiversity! If you need help, feel free to visit my talk page, or contact us and ask questions. After you leave a comment on a talk page, remember to sign and date; it helps everyone follow the threads of the discussion. The signature icon in the edit window makes it simple. To get started, you may

 * Take a guided tour and learn to edit.
 * Visit a (kind of) random project.
 * Browse Wikiversity, or visit a portal corresponding to your educational level: pre-school, primary, secondary, tertiary, non-formal education.
 * Find out about research activities on Wikiversity.

 * Read an introduction for teachers and find out how to write an educational resource for Wikiversity.
 * Give feedback about your initial observations
 * Discuss Wikiversity issues or ask questions at the colloquium.
 * Chat with other Wikiversitans on #wikiversity-en.

And don't forget to explore Wikiversity with the links to your left. Be bold to contribute and to experiment with the sandbox or your userpage, and see you around Wikiversity! --mikeu talk 23:37, 5 September 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:122589423KM


text:
User talk:Vijay Karthik

One question a day keeps users away
Just kidding. Right now, any contribution is great contribution. Thanks. But why just one question? Are you busy exploring the possibilities?

Well, talk to the others about this. I guess the problem is that they are total strangers to this. I'm just waiting for the time when fun pours in. If there's any thing that you think is going wrong or that I should do something about, tell me.

--Dharav talk 10:13, 24 August 2009 (UTC)

title: User talk:Vijay Karthik