Sunday, September 23, 2007
TOPIC 1: Gospel Introductions
Read Blomberg Chapters 6-9 (if you haven't already). This information is similar to what you'll find in the beginning of the commentaries. What did you learn from this reading? What did you discover that was new or unexpected? Why is it important to consider when, why, by whom and to whom these Gospels were written?
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Response: Before I read these chapters I knew that the gospels where written from different people at different times with different views with one focal point being Jesus. As I started to read these chapters I started to see how even the views of Jesus were different yet the same. I had a fun time really learning the personality types of Matthew and Luke as I read what the views of Jesus were perceived to be through their writings. In Blomberg the views of Jesus according to Matthew were: Teacher, Son of David and Royal Messiah, ………Wisdom incarnate. Blomberg perceived the views of Jesus from Luke to be: Humanity and compassion for the outcasts of society, Savior, Prophet, and Teacher of Parables. As I read through this I saw that Matthew recorded or saw Jesus in a very cut and dry way: Messiah, WISDOM INCARNATE. This view sounds very Old Testament and even more factual than realizing who he was writing about. Luke in the way he wrote was focused more on who Jesus was a person and how who he was affected people. This was something I picked up from the way Jesus was described in these different chapters.
One thing that caught me off guard in the reading was the comparison between Jesus and Moses. Now I know people have probably been making that connection for years, but that was the first time I even thought about that. As Blomberg described the lives of both of these men and how they paralleled I had to take a minute to think about what he was writing. I have made the connection between Joseph, of the Old Testament, and Jesus, I had thought about Jobs situation and how he had suffered the worst before Jesus time and the parallels in his life, but Moses never came into my thinking before. After I thought about it for a while I felt a little stupid as to why I had never made that connection. Then I thought that’s why I’m in these classes.
The importance I get from these question of when, why, by whom, and to whom are for study purposes. The gospels, and even the Bible, can be confusing if we assume it is in order according to how it happened in time. Also when the book was written is important when you consider what was happening in history at that point i.e. wars, revolts, societal changes all those things can bleed into the writing and help us to understand some of the other questions. When we think about the question of “why” the first and obvious answer would be so these things could be remembered and past down to people with out an oral tradition. If we also include the when with why then it adds another dimension of why this author wrote what they did and when they were writing. For example the gospel according to Mark was said to have been written around the time of the 60’s A.D. (not 1960’s haha) and during that time Albinus and Gessius Florus had been upping the taxes for a while and putting the farmers and land workers in the similar position of immigrant workers today of hard work and minimal pay.(Blomberg, 24) So for these people to here and read about Jesus that heals and loves would almost be foreign, but welcome to a people in this hardship.
The questions of by whom and to whom also helps us understand why the author wrote what they did. The example that came to mind first was when Paul wrote that women should be seen and not heard in church. This might be offensive, but when you see why he said it it helps. When Paul wrote this he was writing to the Corinthian church and in his first letter to them (14:34) he said this, because the women were causing division and making a big ruckus. So Paul wrote this to a church who needed to be reigned in so they could continue to worship and not worry about less important things.
Not being raised in the church and coming to Christ late in life, I never have had any formal kind of biblical teaching before in my life. Since I started school, I have learned a lot of different things, but reading from all these commentaries and all these other books has left me with a real feeling of “Who Cares”. These so called scholars seem to be writing just to get something published. They don’t seem to agree with each other very much. I feel the material is not very clear; but it seems everyone has to try to make something out of nothing. I never knew that we didn’t know for sure who wrote what book and at what time in life it was written. I have always just assumed we knew. Again, “Who Cares?”
I guess to a lot of people in this world it matters and to the people who spend a lot of their life trying to figure these things out it might matter; but to me, I don’t see where it will be that useful in my life. It is kind of interesting that years ago the scholars believed one thing and now it seems to go a different way. For instance, “A generation or more ago many critics believed “Matthew” was a Gentile writing for the Gentiles.” But now it is believed he is Jewish writing to the Jews. I like the way he did not pull any punches when it came time to talk about what the Jewish people did. It sounded a lot like what Jesus said. It’s in Matthew’s Gospel we find one of the most “anti-Semitic statements in the New Testament” 27:25(“Let his blood be on us and our children!”). Wow, he could have left that one out but he didn’t. That’s one tough Jew.
Todd when you ask the question "Who cares?" you raise a good and valid question. I also think we need to add to that "who should care?" I can see and understand that frustration and that confused questioning sometimes I have to read it 3 or 4 times to really understand what is being said. Mark made an interesting comment a couple weeks ago in class he said, "we are to be the resident theologians to whom we are ministering." From that comment and your question "who cares?" That brings me to the idea that if we are called to ministry then we need to care, BUT we also need to use a BIG OL' filter on these things. If you take notes from your commentary and copy them to your sermon notes then yes you will get a response of who cares. At the same time listen closer to Pastor Graves sermons he takes info from commentaries and with HIS filter and in context to the sermon he makes those commentaries come to life.
I have taken too long to make a point, but one more thing then I'm done. When people have questions either in the church or outside the answer of "who cares?" Doesn't work. What I mean by that is along with sometimes confusing us commentaries help you to work out your theology or what you believe about God and why by deeper explaining scripture. So if we can use these commentaries to get a better grip on Scripture then we can better understand who God is by how he revealed himself to people at that time. And Back gound information helps us to know what is going on before we get into the "meat" of scripture. You can use that with tough questions. Tough questions can be very simple. Simple questions come from children most times and I know how that fits into what God has called you to do!
There seems to be such a strong focus on what background the writers came from. A focus on whether they were Jewish, gentile, connected with the high Priests, from Galilee, etc. It is understood that there would be an emphasis on the Gospel writer’s background in order to determine the audience they are targeting. It is just curious the relevance of their audience and the scriptures as they were written at that particular time and age in comparison with our consumption of the scriptures and where we are today as well as whom we are today. What is God’s intended purpose for us now, here in light of who these words were written for then?
In order to know why the scriptures were written, you would undoubtedly need to know to whom they were written. As well, there is always the need in every situation in life where we receive a word, any word, from someone to “consider the source”. Therefore, the “by whom” it was written is relevant as well. where did this person live? How did they live? What did they believe? Who were they in society? All of this is relevant information. But are we getting the translation/interpretation that we are meant to get today? Are we supposed to parallel our lives to that of those in Jerusalem and Galilee? Considering ourselves to be of like mind and circumstance? Considering these things in order to be able to accurately apply the written scriptures to our lives?
Luke seems to have more of an artist’s characteristics than that of a physician’s. He seems to be an artist in the sense that he is concerned with such isolated people groups; the people groups that were isolated by society. He should be hanging up posters on telephone poles downtown and holding demonstration rallies in the midst of these people groups. He is also an artist in the sense that he points out his belief that the desired goal of God was to embrace a law-free Christianity.
Characteristics of a physician seem as if they would be more scientific in nature. What was his specialty as a physician? Why was he a physician? How long had he been a physician before he began preaching of a Savior and a salvation message to the outcasts?
Jill that is an interesting observation you made about Luke. WHat do you mean by Luke seems to embrace a "Law-free" Christianity?
steve,
your insights are refreshing and a great synopsis of the four chapters we read. i think i learned more from your recap than i retained from my reading. i love the paralel between mses and Jesus and have always thoght it amazing and wonderful for moses considering all of the frustrations and weariness felt leading that nation. i never heard of a comparison of jesus and joseph. that would be an interesting one to hear.
your discussion on who, where, when ,why was very easy to understand, and for me personally, it ws very helpful. i seem to be hung up on how we are using scriptures today. are they in context, out of context does it matter?
todd
i totally relate to where you're at. i want to just serve jesus and love others and be done.
the blomberg text for me is so daunting because i am not the type to "care" either about all that origin and when stuff. i just want to read and enjoy the scriptures for what they are to me now and here. however, eventually i find myself with lots of questions about what is going on in a particular passage. then i want answers. sometimes i demand them. i just wish the scholars could write in a way that i could "get it". "get it" good and "get it" quick.
steve i really enjoy what you wrote and have been challenged by Mark's proclamation of our status as "resident theologian". i also have felt sorry for the people who will have to depend on my knowledge because it is so screwed up right now.
i must admit that i have not done a great job at lifting you guys as well as myself up in prayer. i know htat going before the throne will help our comprehension as well as my self doubt and defeat. it makes me crazy to think that i listen to some of the crap the devil tells me.
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