Stand Firm For Truth
Christianity
Is Jesus a part of your life or is He your life?
Judaism and Early Christianity Notes
In the Beginning…
Genesis 1:1
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
“…it was good.”
“God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good. And there was evening and morning, the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31).
The Fall of Mankind: Genesis 3
1 Now the serpent was more crafty than any beast of the field which the Lord God had made. And he said to the woman, “Indeed, has God said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden’?” 2 The woman said to the serpent, “From the fruit of the trees of the garden we may eat; 3 but from the fruit of the tree which is in the middle of the garden, God has said, ‘You shall not eat from it or touch it, or you will die.’ ” 4 The serpent said to the woman, “You surely will not die! 5 “For God knows that in the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil.”
6 When the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was a delight to the eyes, and that the tree was desirable to make one wise, she took from its fruit and ate; and she gave also to her husband with her, and he ate. 7 Then the eyes of both of them were opened, and they knew that they were naked; and they sewed fig leaves together and made themselves loin coverings.
8 They heard the sound of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden. 9 Then the Lord God called to the man, and said to him, “Where are you?”
10 He said, “I heard the sound of You in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid myself.” 11 And He said, “Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?”
12 The man said, “The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate.”
13 Then the Lord God said to the woman, “What is this you have done?” And the woman said, “The serpent deceived me, and I ate.”
The Fall of Mankind: Curse on the Serpent
14 The Lord God said to the serpent,
“Because you have done this,
Cursed are you more than all cattle,
And more than every beast of the field;
On your belly you will go,
And dust you will eat
All the days of your life;
15 And I will put enmity
Between you and the woman,
And between your seed and her seed;
He shall bruise you on the head,
The Fall of Mankind: Curse on the Woman
16 To the woman He said,
“I will greatly multiply
Your pain in childbirth,
In pain you will bring forth children;
Yet your desire will be for your husband,
And he will rule over you.”
17 Then to Adam He said, “Because you have listened to the voice of your wife, and have eaten from the tree about which I commanded you, saying, ‘You shall not eat from it’;
Cursed is the ground because of you;
In toil you will eat of it
All the days of your life.
18 “Both thorns and thistles it shall grow for you;
And you will eat the plants of the field;
19 By the sweat of your face
You will eat bread,
Till you return to the ground,
Because from it you were taken;
For you are dust,
The Fall of Mankind: God’s Atonement
20 Now the man called his wife’s name Eve, because she was the mother of all the living.
21 The Lord God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.
Key Hebrew Terms
Atonement = “to cover”
Redemption = “purchase/buy back”
Salvation/Deliverance = to deliver from danger
Cain & Abel: Genesis 4
- Abel offered blood sacrifice in faith
- Cain offered produce without faith
- Cain murders Abel
- Eve has another son named “Seth”
First Spiritual Awakening
Genesis 4:26 “…Then men began to call upon the name of the Lord.”
Noah’s Ark: Genesis 6-7
- 300 cubits long
- 50 cubits wide
- 30 cubits high
- Hebrew cubit = 18 inches
- Egyptian cubit = 21 inches
Hebrew: 450 ft wide, 75 ft wide, 45 ft high = one and a half football fields long, four and a half stories high and 75 feet wide.
Noah’s Flood
Genesis 7:18-19 “The water prevailed and increased greatly upon the earth, and the ark floated on the surface of the water. The water prevailed more and more upon the earth, so that all the high mountains were covered.”
Reason for Noah’s Flood
Genesis 6:11 “Now the earth was corrupt in the sight of God, and the earth was filled with violence. God looked on the earth, and behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth. Then God said to Noah, “The end of all flesh has come before Me; for the earth is filled with violence because of them; and behold, I am about to destroy them from the earth.”
Storyline to the worldwide flood
6:5 – God saw that man continually sought after evil.
6:6 – God was sorry that He made man.
6:7 – God vows to destroy mankind except for Noah and His family.
6:8-10 – Noah found grace in God’s eyes.
6:11-12 – Restatement of the earth being filled with violence.
6:13 – Restatement of the vow to destroy mankind.
6:14-16 – Instructions for building the ark.
a. 300 cubits long
b. 50 cubits wide
c. 30 cubits tall
d. Window near the top (for ventilation)
e. Door on its side
f. 3 decks
6:17 – 3rd repetition of the Flood.
6:18 – Promise of a covenant with Noah and his family.
6:19-21 – Instructions to take animals into the Ark.
6:22 – Noah obeys all of God’s instructions.
7:11 – The Flood begins.
a. The fountains of the deep were broken up
b. The windows of heaven were opened
7:12 – It rained 40 days and 40 nights
7:16 – Noah, his family, and the animals entered the Ark and God shut the door.
7:17-24 – Extent and effect of the Flood
a. the waters carried the Ark above the earth (think of how much water that must have taken!).
b. 7:19-20 – Even the mountains were covered for a depth of 15 cubits!
c. 7:21-22 – all animals and people are drowned.
d. 7:23 – Noah and his family were the only human survivors of the flood.
e. 7:24 – The waters submerged the earth for 150 days.
8:1 – God caused a wind to blow of the earth that caused the floodwater to drain.
8:2 – The rain ceased and the fountains of the deep were stopped.
8:3 – The floodwaters steadily went down.
8:4 – The Ark landed on the mountains of Ararat (in modern day Turkey).
Lessons traditionally drawn from the biblical account of the worldwide flood:
- God takes murder/violence seriously
- God will judge sin
- God always provides a way of escape
- God always rewards obedience.
Rainbow Covenant
Genesis 9 = Rainbow symbolized God’s promise to never again destroy the earth’s inhabitants with a flood
Institution of capital punishment:
“Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6)
Noah’s sons
Noah had 3 sons whose descendants populated the post-diluvian world
- Shem = Descendants settled in the Fertile Crescent (Mesopotamia). It was from Shem that the Jewish and Arab peoples trace their lineage.
- Ham = Descendants settled in ancient Cush, modern Ethiopia. Traditionally, Ham has been understood as the father of the African peoples.
- Japheth = Descendants mostly settled in Northern and Western Europe. Japheth is understood as the father of the European peoples.
Flood Stories Around the World
- Greek: Zeus destroyed the wicked human race except for 2 people
- Babylonian Enuma Elish: The gods sent a flood – only one family survived
- Epic of Gilgamesh: “When the seventh day arrived, I sent out a dove. The dove went out, but came back. There was no resting place.”
Worldwide Flood Stories
The Tower of Babel: Genesis 11
Reason for building
Genesis 11:3 “They said to one another, “Come, let us make bricks and burn them thoroughly.” And they used brick for stone, and they used tar for mortar. They said, “Come, let us build for ourselves a city, and a tower whose top will reach into heaven, and let us make for ourselves a name, otherwise we will be scattered abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
Tower of Babel theory #1: Josephus, Jewish oral tradition = Tower of Babel was build so that they could survive another flood.
Tower of Babel theory #2 = Ziggurat tower intended for communication with the God/gods
Tower of Babel: Summary
- Either way, rebellion against God was the primary motivation
- God confused the language (Genesis 11:9) and “from there the Lord scattered them abroad over the face of the whole earth.”
- *At that time there had been only one language.
Important figures in Genesis
- Abraham: Father of the Hebrews and Arabs
Q# Why was Abraham willing to obey God’s command to kill Isaac, Abraham’s son, although Abraham knew that Yahweh (the God of the Bible), forbade murder? = Abraham believed that God had the power to raise Isaac from the dead. Given this information, Abraham’s great faith
Messianic Prophecy to Abram
Genesis 12:2-3
“And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
3 And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse. And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”
Hebrew Captivity in Egypt
Probable Exodus date: 1446 B.C.E.
Hebrew faith: Animal sacrifice provides a temporary “pushing back” of the penalty of sin until the coming of the Messiah.
Mosaic Law
The Shema – Deuteronomy 6:4
“Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one! You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might.”
Mosaic Law: Ten Commandments
1: ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.‘
2: ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image–any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.‘
3: ‘You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain.‘
4: ‘Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.’
5: ‘Honor your father and your mother.’
6: ‘You shall not murder.‘
Mosaic Law: Ten Commandments
7: ‘You shall not commit adultery.’
8: ‘You shall not steal.’
9: ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.’
10: ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.‘
The Passover
Conquest of Canaan: Canaanite Religion
Ritual prostitution
Ritual child sacrifice: Molech, Milcom
Ritual bestiality
Ritual orgies
*All the bizarre practices God forbade for Israel in the Torah were practiced by the Canaanites
Point = Sin brings Judgment
The Book of Judges: Hebrew Bible
“…every man did that which was right in his own eyes.”
A steady degeneration of morality
Cycle in the time of the Judges:
1.Rebellion against God
2.God permits invasion & oppression
3.People cry out to God
4.God provides deliverance via Judges
Israel gets a King
King Saul
-Insecure
-picture of a man controlled by public opinion
King David
Israel’s greatest king
Killed Goliath
King Solomon
Intermarried with pagans for political reasons
Kingdom split upon his death
Planted the seeds of destruction for the Hebrew nation
Wrote one of the greatest philosophical treatises in antiquity “Ecclesiastes”
- “Vanity of vanities” “…under the sun.”
= Illustrates the danger of human reasoning without God “
Christianity & Judaism: Human needs in religion
1. Need for Truth
2. Need for a right way of living
= righteousness
3. Need for “fellowship” or proper relationships
Julius Wellhausen
Quick Breakdown of JEPD Theory
J = Yahwist ≈ 950 BC Southern Kingdom (Judah) – Davidic monarchy; worship at Jerusalem
E = Elohist ≈ 750 BC Northern Kingdom (Israel) – covenant traditions; worship centers outside Jerusalem
P = Priestly ≈ 620 BC Reign of King Josiah
- priestly duties, festivals, geneologies, etc
D = Deut… ≈ 540 BC Return from Babylon exile
– following the laws as response to God’s grace
Current Scholarship: JEPD Theory debunked
Gleason Archer
Downfall of Israel Northern Kingdom (Israel)
The Assyrians 1000 – 612 B.C.E.
Assyrians Facts
- The first organized “Terrorist” Nation
- First to develop siege warfare
- Have an entire book of the Hebrew Bible dedicated to them (Nahum)
Assyrians: Summary
-Conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E.
-Fall of Nineveh in 612 B.C.E.
-Assyrian army annihilated at the Battle of Carchemish in 605 B.C.E.
Battle of Carchemish: End of Assyrian power (605 B.C.E.)
Battle of Carchemish
Fall of the Southern Kingdom (Judah)
586 B.C. Jerusalem falls
Solomon’s Temple destroyed
Nebuchadnezzar carries away captives to Babylon
Micah to Matthew - The 400 Years of Silence
Prophet Micah
Rejection of prophets by Jews
Hellenizing of Palestine
Alexander the Great 356-323 B.C.E.
-Died in Babylon
“…to the strongest”
Repercussions of Alexander’s Empire
Hellenized culture
Spread of the Greek language
Messiah Texts/Prophecies
Isaiah 53 – The Suffering Servant for the sins of others
Psalm 22 – Vivid detail of the Messiah’s future death
Christian interpretation of Messianic prophecies
| 1. That he would be born of a woman | Genesis 3:15
Fulfilled – Gal. 4:4 |
| 2. That he would be born of a virgin | Isaiah 7:14
Fulfilled – Matt. 1:20 |
| 3. That he would be from the line of Abraham | Genesis 12:3, 7; 17:7
Fulfilled – Gal. 3:16 |
| 4. That he would be from the tribe of Judah | Genesis 49:10
Fulfilled – Heb. 7:14; Rev. 5:5 |
| 5. That he would be from the house of David | Jeremiah 23:5
Fulfilled – Luke 1:31–33; Romans 1:3 |
| 6. That he would be given the throne of David | 2 Samuel 7:11–12; Psalm 132:11; Isaiah 9:6–7; 16:5; Jeremiah. 23:5
Fulfilled – Luke 1:32 |
| 7. That this throne would be an eternal throne | Daniel 2:44; 7:14, 27; Micah 4:7
Fulfilled – Luke 1:33 |
| 8. That he would be called Emmanuel | Isaiah 7:14
Fulfilled – Matt. 1:23 |
| 9. That he would be born in Bethlehem | Micah 5:2
Fulfilled – Matt. 2:5–6; Luke 2:4–6 Mt 2:1 |
| 10. That he would be worshiped by wise men and presented with gifts | Psalm 72:10; Isaiah 60:3, 6, 9
Fulfilled – Matt. 2:11 |
| 11. That he would be in Egypt for a season | Numbers 24:8; Hosea. 11:1
Fulfilled – Matt. 2:15 |
| 12. That his birthplace would suffer a massacre of infants | Jeremiah 31:15
Fulfilled – Matt. 2:16–18 |
Q# What was the Messiah to bring?
New Covenant – Jeremiah 31.31-34
Fulfilled Matt 26:27
1st century Misconceptions of a Messiah
400 years of silence
Military conqueror
Q# Wasn’t the Messiah to suffer?
Q# Who was Jesus?
The Nature of Christ: Christology
Orthodox Christianity approaches the issue by subtraction.
1.Without confusion
2.Without change
3.Without division
4.Without separation
Historicity of Jesus
Attested by Christian, Jewish, and pagan Roman sources
Born around 6 B.C.E. probably in the spring
*Christmas not celebrated as a Christian holiday until 4th century C.E. (Carl J. Richard, Twelve Greeks and Romans who Changed the World (New York: Rowman & Littlefield, 2003), 217.
Dec 25th was b’day of Mithras (pagan god)
Crucified around 28-30 C.E.
Reportedly resurrected after 3 days in the grave
Ascended to heaven 40 days after
Q# Did Jesus really rise from the dead?
Key verse of Christianity
I Corinthians 15:14
“and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith is also vain.”
“Without a real, historical resurrection, Christian faith is an exercise in futility” – R.C. Sproul
Sinking ship = Christianity without the resurrection of Jesus Christ
William Lane Craig: Resurrection of Jesus
“Without the belief in the resurrection the Christian faith could not have come into being. The disciples would have remained crushed and defeated men. Even had they continued to remember Jesus as their beloved teacher, his crucifixion would have forever silenced any hopes of his being the Messiah. The cross would have remained the sad and shameful end of his career. The origin of Christianity therefore hinges on the belief of the early disciples that God had raised Jesus from the dead.”[1]
#1 The Swoon Theory
The Claim:
Jesus did not really die on the cross but rather swooned into unconsciousness. When he was placed in the tomb…he was still alive. After being revived by the cool air in the tomb, Jesus got up and left.
Jesus suffered the following:
Scourging from the cat-of-nine-tails
Beaten with clubs
Beaten with fists
Ripped by a crown of thorns
Forced to carry a rugged cross
NAILED to a cross
Speared by expert Roman executioners
#1 The Swoon Theory
People who believed that Jesus died:
- The Jews
- The Disciples
- The Roman Soldiers
Roman spear head
BIG QUESTION
How could a bloody, half-dead Jesus inspire the disciples to give their lives for the message that Jesus had arisen from the dead and was Lord over death?
#2 The Hallucination Theory
The Claim:
All of Jesus’ post-resurrection appearances were the result of the people having hallucinations.
Fact
People in group hallucinations NEVER have the same hallucination.
Different hallucinations
FACT = Every person who saw Jesus after His Resurrection reported the same thing.
I Corinthians 15:6 “After that He appeared to more than five hundred brethren at one time, most of whom remain until now, but some have fallen asleep.”
#2 The Hallucination Theory
Conclusion:
The Hallucination theory
= certain laws and principles to which psychiatrists say visions must conform.
#3 The Wrong Tomb Theory
The Claim:
The disciples and Mary were talking about the wrong tomb.
#3 The Wrong Tomb Theory
Big Question:
Why didn’t the Jewish leaders and Romans bring Mary and the disciples to the correct tomb?
Conclusion: All historical accounts report no “tomb switch”
Empty Tomb
#4 The Theft Theory
The Claim:
The disciples stole Jesus’ body then claimed that he has been raised from the dead
Disciples stole the body
Romans vs. disciples
#4 The Theft Theory
Q# What if all the guards fell asleep?
“The ordinary punishment for falling asleep on the watch was death. Could the soldiers be persuaded by any amount of money to run such a risk?”[2]
Big Question:
How and why would 11 scared disciples want to or even be able to overpower a squad of Roman soldiers?
#5 Intentional Fraud Theory
The Claim:
The disciples deliberately lied about Jesus being raised from the dead
#5 Intentional Fraud Theory
Big Question:
Why would the disciples intentionally deceive people while knowing that the message of the Resurrection would bring them only persecution and death?
If the disciples were lying about the resurrection of Jesus, then all that would be necessary to disprove their story would be to take them to Jesus’ grave and see the body
Prophecies about the Resurrection
Psalm 16:10
“For You will not abandon my soul in Sheol; Nor will You allow Your Holy One to undergo decay.”
Evidence for the Resurrection
Logic: Messiah must die but also have an everlasting kingdom
Isaiah 53:8 “…He was cut off from the land of the living…”
Psalm 22
Messiah must die but also reign forever
lDaniel 2:44 “In the days of those kinds the God of heaven will set up a kingdom which will never be destroyed, and that kingdom will not be left for another people; it will crush and put an end to all these kingdoms, but it will itself endure forever.”
Logical implications of Jesus’ resurrection
1.It fulfills prophecy
2.It is humanly impossible
3.It overturns the power of Death
4.Validates Jesus’ claims to be the Messiah
Appeal of Christianity
Deliverance from power of sin
“Christianity…was judged to be worth living for because it was seen to be worthy dying for…We know from modern experience of political martyrdoms that the blood of the martyrs really is the seed of the Church.”[3]
Equality – Galatians 3:28
-Husbands love wives
-Adultery is an equal offense
“Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden and I will give you rest. Take My yoke you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light” Matthew 11:28
Q# What does it mean to be a Christian?
Philippian jailer, “What must I do to be saved?”
“Believe on the name of the Lord Jesus and you shall be saved.”
“As many as received Him”
Q# Who is the God of the Christians?
He formed men, He planted Paradise. He made the world, He sent the flood, He saved Noah. He is the God of the living, whom the Law proclaims, the prophets preach, and Christ reveals; whom the Apostles announce, and in whom the Church believes.[4]
Appeal of Christianity
Deals with the Conscience vs. Coercion
Romans 3:19-20
Emphasis on Love
I John 4:8, 11
“Let them all mark themselves with the sing of the cross, let them all say Amen, sing Hallelujah, let them all be baptized, go to church and build basilicas-there is nothing which distinguishes the children of God from the children of the devil but only love.”[5]
Appeal of Christianity
Certainty of Truth
“I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me.” – Jesus (John 14:6)
*FOXES BOOK OF MARTYRS
Blandina
“I am a Christian and among us no evil is done.”
Appeal of Christianity: Polycarp
He stepped forward, and was asked by the proconsul if he really was Polycarp. When he said yes, the proconsul urged him to deny the charge.”Respect your years!” he exclaimed, adding similar appeals regularly made on such occasions: “Swear by Caesar’s fortune; change your attitude …”The governor pressed him further: “Swear, and I will set you free: curse, denounce, Christ.”"For eighty-six years,” replied Polycarp, “I have been his servant, and he has never done me wrong: how can I blaspheme my king who saved me?”"I have wild beasts,” said the proconsul. I shall throw you to them, if you don’t change your attitude.”"Call them,” replied the old man …”If you make light of the beasts,” retorted the governor, “I’ll have you destroyed by fire, unless you change your attitude.”
Polycarp answered: “The fire you threaten burns for a time and is soon extinguished: there is a fire you know nothing about–the fire of the judgement to come and of eternal punishment, the fire reserved for the ungodly. But why do you hesitate? Do what you want.” …The proconsul was amazed, and sent the crier to stand in the middle of the arena and announce three times: “Polycarp has confessed that he is a Christian.” … Then a shout went up from every throat that Polycarp must be burnt alive …The rest followed in less time than it takes to describe: the crowds rushed to collect logs and branches … When the pyre was ready … Polycarp prayed … When he had offered up the Amen and completed his prayer, the men in charge lit the fire, and a great flame shot up.[6]
It was on these beliefs that Christianity exploded in the pagan Roman Empire
Causes of Persecution
A.Political – Christianity was not a “legal” group or recognized religion
B.Religious – No idols, it was new.
1. Practicing incest
2. Cannibalism – Lord’s Supper
D. Social – Do not participate in pagan festival
E. Economic – not buying idols
*Great is Diana of the Ephesians
Persecution
Acts – persecution is Jews on Christians. Jews are the ones driving the persecution. The Romans look neutral and/or ignorant of the early rise of Christianity. The Romans are not the “guilty party” in the book of Acts. In the end when Paul is being held in Rome, there is the scent that the Jews in Rome are not the instigators. There is a good historical survey in Acts. The Romans also saw it as a Jewish persecution of Christianity.
As you move later into the 1st century, there is a shift in the instigators of persecution becoming more Roman.
Questions for Judaism
What about Jesus of Nazareth? (the collective agreement that bonds all Jewish sects: Jesus of Nazareth is NOT the Messiah
Questions for Christianity
If Jesus said to love your neighbor as yourself, why are there some churches marked by a lack of love?
What about church discipline?
Why don’t more Christ-followers resemble the One they are supposedly following?
Constantine: The Ultimate Politician
Constantine had a vision or dream. In the dream, his forces were winning in battle. He saw in the sky, the sign of the cairo (Greek). The kai and rho were crossed with each other. Then Constantine had all of his soldiers place this symbol on their shields with the idea that the Christian God favored them in battle. In Constantine’s mind, he, a pagan, is now calling on the Christian God. Vicinius now thinks that the symbol has a power. He instructs his soldiers not to look at the symbol because it will mesmerize them. So his soldiers go into battle trying to fight without looking at the enemies’ shields…they lost the battle.
Edict of Milan 313 A.D.
Provided toleration for Christians
By 324 A.D. Constantine was Emperor of the entire Roman world
Set the stage for the “Holy Roman Empire” (which was neither Holy nor Roman, according to Dr. Lexie Wiggins).
Meanwhile, Constantine was officially the high priest of the pagan religion of the Unconquered Sun. He held this position until his death. However, on his deathbed, he was baptized.
Results of Edict of Milan
1.Paganizing of Christianity
2.Incense being used in the church – previously only used in pagan religious practices.
What happened to true believers?
They went underground
Went by different names through the centuries:
Lollards or poor men of Lyons (Wycliffe).
State Religion: Christianity
392 by Emperor Theodosius I
Pagan religion almost extinct 3 decades after death of Theodosius I. [7]
Christian Opposition to Gladiatorial Sports
Cyril of Jerusalem
“Do not be interested in the madness of the theater, where you will behold the wanton gestures of the players, carried on with mockeries and all unseemliness, and the frantic dancing of effeminate men.”[8]
“Neither be interested in the madness of those who in hunts expose themselves to wild beasts, that they may pamper their miserable appetite’ who, to serve their belly with meats, become themselves in reality meat for the belly of untamed beasts.” (Ibid).
Key Figures in Early Christianity: The Apostle Paul (1-67/68 C.E.)
Pharisee
Some scholars believe he was a member of the Sanhedrin
Roman Citizen
“Damascus Road” experience
“To the Jew first”
Book of Romans is Paul’s theological discourse
The Apostle Paul
Described as “short and bald, with crooked legs and a hooked nose, but also as having possessed ‘the face of an angel.’”[9]
Birth name was “Saul”
Was a persecutor of Christian
Participated in the stoning of Stephen, the first Christian martyr (Acts 7)
“Damascus Road” experience: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”
Lived in the desert in Arabia for 3 yrs
Began preaching in Damascus: The Hunter became the Hunted!
“To the Jew first and ALSO to the Gentile”
Book of Romans is Paul’s theological discourse
The Apostle Paul
Traveled over 13,000 miles
Was stoned and left for dead, shipwrecked, imprisoned, beaten,
“I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory about to be revealed in us” (Romans 8:18).
Beheaded by order of Nero
2 Timothy 4:4-6
Importance of Christianity to Western Culture
“If Paul of Tarsus had not carried Christianity to the Gentiles, it would not have survived to play its crucial role in Western history. The liberty of many, perhaps all, Americans might never have been secured, and the nation’s controversial but essential role as a city on a hill-which, in recent times, has culminated in the spread of democracy throughout much of the world-might have gone unfilled.”[10]
Christianity & Slavery
William Wilberforce – 1833 UK
Questions for Christianity?
1.What about those who have never heard the Gospel (message of Jesus Christ)?
Romans 2:14
“Many nations of barbarians who believe in Christ and have their salvation not written on paper with ink, but by the Spirit on their hearts, assent to this order, and carefully keep the old tradition, believing in one God the Maker of heaven and earth and of all therein, by Christ Jesus the Son of God.[11]
Questions for Christianity
2. The Crusades
*Dr. David Berlinksi, upon being asked why he wasn’t a Christian, responded “…Unquestionably it is the suffering of the Jewish people.”
3. The Inquisition
1492 – all Jews exiled from Spain
*Massacre of the French Huguenots
Christian Theodicy
Christian Ethics
“Love must be sincere. Hate what is evil; cling to what is good” – The Apostle Paul, Romans 12:9 (NIV)
“Therefore, whatever you want others to do for you, do also for them-this is the Law and the Prophets” – Jesus, Matthew 7:12
Carl F.H. Henry on Christian Ethics: “Hebrew-Christian ethics unequivocally defines moral obligation as man’s duty to God.”[12]
Christian Ethics
“One of the distinctions of the Judeo-Christian God is that not all things are the same to Him. That at first may sound rather trivial, but in reality it is one of the most profound things one can say about the Judeo-Christian God. He exists; He has a character; and not all things are the same to Him. Some things conform to His character, and some are opposed to His character” – Francis Schaeffer[13]
Christian Ethics
An extension of God’s character
“The human mind has no new primary color, or, indeed, of creating a new sun and a new sky for it to move in” - C.S. Lewis[14]
*Ethical mores exist precisely because there exists a moral anchor in a living Person.
Christian Ethics: Holistic Care
“Man is more than a soul destined for another world, he is also a body living in this world. And as a resident of this time-space continuum man has physical and social needs which cannot be isolated from spiritual needs. Hence, in order to love man as he is-the whole man-one must exercise concern about his social needs as well as his spiritual needs”
- Norman Geisler[15]
Christian Ethics
Difference between Buddhism & Christianity:
-View of the Nature of Evil
Christian Philosophy
Q# Reason & Christianity?
“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow”
-The Prophet Isaiah, The Book of Isaiah 1:18
Christian Philosophy
Q# Reason & Christianity?
“Come now and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be white as snow”
-The Prophet Isaiah, The Book of Isaiah 1:18
Christian Philosophy
Faith or Reason? = Presuppositions
“The natural man is no less certainly a man of faith than the spiritual, but his faith is in the ultimacy of something other than the Word of God. The spiritual man is no less certainly a man of reason than the natural, but his reason, like that of every man, functions within the perspective of his faith”
-Edward T. Ramsdell [16]
Christian Philosophy
Power of Presuppositions
“The crucial problem is that some thinkers place their trust in a set of assumptions in their search for truth, while other thinkers place their trust in a quite different set of assumptions.”
-Warren C. Young[17]
1st Century Persecution
1. Claudius (49 A.D.) – Expels the Christians from Rome (Acts 18:1-2). Seutonius claims that civil unrest occurred in Rome between certain Jewish groups. “At the instigation of Crestus,” Claudius expelled the Jews from Rome. It is highly likely that the Greek name for Christ, was being said by the Jews and Christians in their debates, being heard by the Romans, was probably interpreted as “Crestus.” The expulsion at this date included the Christians who at that time were considered a sub-set of Jews.
2. Nero (64 A.D.) – He is notorious for his persecution of Christians. His garden parties celebrated the burning of Christians tied to stakes. Around 64 A.D. various sections of Rome burned.
3.Domitian (85-95 A.D.) – There is not a widespread or a significant event that marks this persecution. Rather, it marks a general turning against Christianity by the government. It is more on the governor level.
2nd century Persecution
1. Trajan (98-117 A.D.)
lHad interaction with Pliny the Younger (who seems to be an irritating kind of personality. He has that kind of sniping, little dog effect on Trajan). He writes Trajan about how to handle cases against Christians in 112 A.D. Trajan’s reply sets the legal framework for dealing with Christians for the next 200 years. Pliny had received anonymous reports about the identity of Christians.
2nd Century Persecution
Trajan said, “Wait until you have a person of good standing who gives a report about Christians.” This ends up being a sort of toleration for Christians.
2nd century Persecution: Trajan
The bad news for Christians is to how to find out whether they are guilty:
a. Have they actually committed acts of crime?
b. Is the name “Christian” enough cause to bring judgment?
Early Christians were charged with incest (they loved one another), atheism (they wouldn’t worship the gods), cannibalism (the Christians “ate flesh”).
Q# What did Trajan decide?
Trajan replied that simply the name of Christ was sufficient for execution. Roman citizens who were Christians were beheaded and non-citizens were thrown to the beasts.
*In every other religion except Christianity, there had to be crimes committed in order to be executed. Tertullian argued that the persecution went against Roman law (although Trajan’s rule set the precedent).
2. Hadrian (117-138 A.D.)
Marcus Aurelius (177 A.D.)
He was known as a philosopher and strong leader. The most intense persecution against the Church comes under his reign. He was not the one swinging the sword. This prejudice had been building against Christians in the Roman colonies. Marcus Aurelius allows a general persecution of Christians.
lIn the summer of 177 A.D. in the province of Lyons (modern day France), a group of Christians, many of which were from Syria and Asia, were together with the already strong group of Christians in that area. When the governor left the city, the locals began a mob and began beating, imprisoning and eventually killing Christians. When the governor comes back, he allows the persecution to continue in order to exert confessions of incest, cannibalism, atheism, etc. The Christians are tortured for 3 months in order to get them to confess to these supposed crimes. Many Christians died before they are tried.
…The Christians come together and come up with the response, “I am a Christian.” In June of 177 A.D. four Christians are sent to the beasts. One of them was a leader in the Church. One of the figures was returned to prison after being wounded by the beasts and it was discovered that he was a Roman citizen. Blandina was one of the ones thrown to the beasts. The beasts did not attack Blandina and she was returned to prison. On various other occasions she was lumped in with other prisoners but the beasts would not touch her. Eusebius gives a striking account of her continual torture. She was finally put in a net and bludgeoned by a bull. She was tossed by the animal until she was sacrificed. The Roman heathens reported they had never seen a woman suffer so much before.
Christian Martyrs in the 2nd century
At least Paul and Peter died the martyr’s death & ancient tradition holds that all the 12 die of martyrdom except for John.
Ignatius of Antioch (35-117) – dies at the end of the 1st century and the beginning of the 2nd century
Telesphorus (Bishop of Rome) –
Polycarp (Bishop of Smyrna) martyred 155 A.D.– His last words before the Roman tyrant, “You threaten me with fire that burns but for a moment. You know not of the everlasting fire that awaits the wicked. Come, do that which you wish.”
Justin Martyr – martyred in 165 A.D.
Seed of Truth & Philosophy
There are 2 central responses to persecution
1. Witness – comes from the word “martyr.” The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the church. There were actually some Christians that began to seek out martyrdom. Many, for the sake of fame alone, it seemed, would provoke local officials to imprison them and send them to the beasts. You can’t just be willing to die for the faith, you have to be willing to live for the faith.
2. Apology – An organized, Biblical, philosophical, and even a legal defense. This group reflects some of the greatest thinkers of the 2nd century.
Tertullian’s Challenge
Continue persecuting the church and in so doing, you will spread Christianity.
Tertullian’s use of Roman Law
Claims that there is no case in Roman law where a person may be convicted for a crime without any evidence of committing a crime.
Emperor Galerius: Last great Persecutor
Galerius was the last great persecutor of the church. His story does change right before his death in 311 A.D. with a reversal of policy of persecution of Christians. He became gravely ill. Someone convinced him that it was the angry Christian God who caused him to be sick because of his persecution of Christians. In desperation, he sought to alleviate his suffering by stopping the persecution. He died anyway.
Apostolic Fathers
Apostolic Fathers- distinction between early fathers and the apostles. These men have direct connection to people such as Paul. Apostolic Fathers is actually a collection of writings from these early men.
The Apostles: Paul
Transformation of Roman Empire via Individual Life-change
Adoption of discarded infants of pagans
Gamaliel’s advice = Acts 5:33-39
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[1] Josh McDowell, Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 204.
[2] A.B. Bruce, The New Evidence that Demands a Verdict, 267.
[3] E.R. Dodds, quoted in, Richards, 224.
[4] Treatise of Irenaeus of Lugdunum Against the Heresies,” II.30.9. Readings in Christian Thought, edited by Hugh T. Kerr, 34.
[5] Richards, 228.
[6] Eerdman’s Handbook to the History of Christianity, 81.
[7] (Richards, 221.
[8] Steven A. McKinion, Life and Practice of the Early Church, 24.
[9] Carl J. Richard, Twelve Greeks and Romans who Changed the World, 217.
[10] Richards, 231.
[11] Treatise of Irenaeus of Lugdunum Against the Heresies,” III.4.1. Readings in Christian Thought, edited by Hugh T. Kerr, 35.
[12] Carl F.H. Henry, Christian Personal Ethics (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1957), 209.
[13] Francis Schaeffer, “Christian Faith and Human Rights,” Simon Greenleaf Law Review, 2 (1982-3), 5. Cited in John Montgomery, Human Rights and Human Dignity (Dallas, TX: Probe Books, 1986), 113.
[14] C.S. Lewis, The Abolition of Man (New York, NY: Macmillan, 1973), 56-7.
[15] Norman L. Geisler, Ethics: Alternatives and Issues (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1979), 156.
[16] Edward T. Ramsdell, The Christian Perspective ((New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1950), 42.
[17] Warren C. Young, A Christian Approach to Philosophy (Grand Rapids: Baker Book House, 1975), 37.
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