The Christian BibleThe Christian Bible

Part I: SupplementaryPart I: Supplementary

The Bipartite Structure of the BibleThe Bipartite Structure of the Bible

1) the Old Testament: 1) the Old Testament:

(the Hebrew sacred scriptures)(the Hebrew sacred scriptures)

2) the New Testament 2) the New Testament

(the Canonical Christian scripture)(the Canonical Christian scripture)

The New Testament: Contents The New Testament: Contents

The GospelsThe Gospels

The Acts of the ApostlesThe Acts of the Apostles

The EpistlesThe Epistles

RevelationRevelation

The New TestamentThe New Testament

Over all significance: Over all significance:

--the Christian understanding of how--the Christian understanding of how

Jesus Christ was related to JewishJesus Christ was related to Jewish

history and fulfillmenthistory and fulfillment

The four languages spoken in The four languages spoken in JudeaJudea

1. Classical Hebrew: priestly caste1. Classical Hebrew: priestly caste

2. 2. AramaicAramaic: general population: general population

3. 3. GreekGreek: upper & educated classes: upper & educated classes all over the Middle Eastall over the Middle East

4. Latin: Roman government4. Latin: Roman government

The languagesThe languages

Aramaic : Jesus’s preachingAramaic : Jesus’s preaching

Greek: the four Gospels Greek: the four Gospels

* Jesus: “Go into all the world and preach* Jesus: “Go into all the world and preach

the good news to the creation”the good news to the creation”

The Four GospelsThe Four Gospels

Written time: 40-60 years after Jesus’Written time: 40-60 years after Jesus’

death death

Contents: based on the oral teachings ofContents: based on the oral teachings of

the original disciplesthe original disciples

Titles: Titles: Mathew, Mark, Luke, JohnMathew, Mark, Luke, John

The different implied readerships The different implied readerships

MathewMathew: :

--readership: Jewish public--readership: Jewish public

--major themes: --major themes:

a) Jesus was the legitimate heir to thea) Jesus was the legitimate heir to the

throne of the royal house of Davidthrone of the royal house of David

b) Jesus was the king, the Messiah, b) Jesus was the king, the Messiah,

announced by the Hebrew prophetannounced by the Hebrew prophet

The different implied readershipsThe different implied readerships

MarkMark:: --readership: a gentile audience;--readership: a gentile audience;

especially the needs of theespecially the needs of the

Roman readerRoman reader

The different implied readershipsThe different implied readerships

Luke:Luke:--readership: probably to cultured Greek --readership: probably to cultured Greek

readers;readers; --feature: --feature:

a) making very few references toa) making very few references to the Hebrew prophecies the Hebrew prophecies b) is in fact dedicated to a Greek calledb) is in fact dedicated to a Greek called Theophilos Theophilos

The different implied readershipsThe different implied readerships

John:John:--feature: with greater theological density--feature: with greater theological density

--distinction with the other 3 Gospels:--distinction with the other 3 Gospels: ** the other three: based on a central core** the other three: based on a central core

of material--the of material--the Q documentQ document (now lost) (now lost) ** John: drawing on different sources** John: drawing on different sources

The Canonization of the Christian The Canonization of the Christian Sacred ScripturesSacred Scriptures

1. the existence of many other documents1. the existence of many other documents

and accounts about Jesus Christand accounts about Jesus Christ

2. the current collection was judged by the 2. the current collection was judged by the

church authorities as most reliable andchurch authorities as most reliable and

was declared as canonical in the third was declared as canonical in the third

century.century.

The VulgateThe Vulgate

Meaning: the common or popular versionMeaning: the common or popular versionLanguage: LatinLanguage: LatinTime: 382Time: 382Translator: Jerome (a scholar)Translator: Jerome (a scholar)Commissioner: Pope Damascus in 382Commissioner: Pope Damascus in 382Other Latin translations existed before it Other Latin translations existed before it as well. as well.

The Christian BibleThe Christian Bible

Part II: the Norton TextbookPart II: the Norton Textbook

The Christian Bible: GospelsThe Christian Bible: Gospels

Ca. first century C.E.Ca. first century C.E.

The Four GospelsThe Four Gospels

MatthewMatthew

MarkMark

LukeLuke

JohnJohn

As a work of literatureAs a work of literature

Matthew, Mark and Luke: Matthew, Mark and Luke:

Greco-Roman biographyGreco-Roman biography

John: metaphorical languageJohn: metaphorical language

The resonant, messianic tone & powerful The resonant, messianic tone & powerful turns of phrase turns of phrase

Jesus as a historical figureJesus as a historical figure

His actual existence confirmed in Roman His actual existence confirmed in Roman administrative records administrative records

A disruptive rabble-rouser who attracted A disruptive rabble-rouser who attracted the attention of local authoritiesthe attention of local authorities

Ultimately executedUltimately executed

The Jesus of the gospel The Jesus of the gospel accountesaccountes

Something far more complex, more a Something far more complex, more a phenomenon than a manphenomenon than a man

The events of his life led to the The events of his life led to the establishment of a number of communities establishment of a number of communities organized around the symbolic organized around the symbolic significance that could be assigned to the significance that could be assigned to the man, his words, and his deeds. man, his words, and his deeds.

The significance of Jesus as a The significance of Jesus as a symbolic figuresymbolic figure

Within Jewish community: the long-Within Jewish community: the long-awaited Messiahawaited Messiah

The non-Jewish (“Gentile”) communities The non-Jewish (“Gentile”) communities around the Mediterranean Sea: the divine around the Mediterranean Sea: the divine lord whose authority surmounted that of lord whose authority surmounted that of any earthly kingdom or empireany earthly kingdom or empire A.D. A.D. (Anno Domini: In the year of the Lord)(Anno Domini: In the year of the Lord)

(Today: C.E. (Common Era))(Today: C.E. (Common Era))

The Four GospelsThe Four Gospels

The core of the collection of 27 books that The core of the collection of 27 books that Christians call The New Testament:Christians call The New Testament:

The Gospel of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and The Gospel of Mathew, Mark, Luke, and JohnJohn

The Meaning of the New The Meaning of the New TestamentTestament

The Christian perspective of the The Christian perspective of the relationship of Jesus’ mission to the relationship of Jesus’ mission to the history of the Jewish people (in the history of the Jewish people (in the Hebrew Bible)Hebrew Bible)

The old Testament establish by God to The old Testament establish by God to Noah and later to Abraham would be Noah and later to Abraham would be fulfilled by the advent of Jesus and the rise fulfilled by the advent of Jesus and the rise of Christianity.of Christianity.

The Period of the Writing of The Period of the Writing of Gospels Gospels

Decades after his deathDecades after his death

The partly overlapped accounts of the life The partly overlapped accounts of the life of Jesus: telling the same story but from of Jesus: telling the same story but from rather distinctive perspectiverather distinctive perspective

Episodes in CommonEpisodes in Common

The Sermon on the MountThe Sermon on the Mount

The Last SupperThe Last Supper

The crucifixition and the resurrection The crucifixition and the resurrection

The Individual feature of each The Individual feature of each Gospel: LukeGospel: Luke

The childhood and parentage of Jesus The childhood and parentage of Jesus

The Individual feature of each The Individual feature of each Gospel: MarkGospel: Mark

The tightest and the most focused accountThe tightest and the most focused account

Emphasis on the death of Jesus and Emphasis on the death of Jesus and recounting his biography in simpler, more recounting his biography in simpler, more primitive languageprimitive language

Addressing a Gentile audience Addressing a Gentile audience

The Individual feature of each The Individual feature of each Gospel: MathewGospel: Mathew

Directed at an audience that is quite Directed at an audience that is quite familiar with the Hebrew Biblefamiliar with the Hebrew Bible

Giving a very detailed account of Jesus’ Giving a very detailed account of Jesus’ preaching mission and his role as the preaching mission and his role as the long-awaited Messiahlong-awaited Messiah

The Individual feature of each The Individual feature of each Gospel: MathewGospel: Mathew

Exhibiting a special interest in the ways in Exhibiting a special interest in the ways in which Jewish history is fulfilled in the which Jewish history is fulfilled in the coming of Jesus Christ, and in the ways in coming of Jesus Christ, and in the ways in which the old covenant established which the old covenant established between God and man is renewed in and between God and man is renewed in and superseded by the new covenant superseded by the new covenant established with the sacrifice of Jesus in established with the sacrifice of Jesus in the crucifixion the crucifixion

The Individual character of each The Individual character of each Gospel: MathewGospel: Mathew

Displaying a central concern with the ways Displaying a central concern with the ways in which Jesus preached, especially his in which Jesus preached, especially his use of parables: little stories that reveal use of parables: little stories that reveal profound spiritual meanings truths through profound spiritual meanings truths through metaphorical, even allegorical languagemetaphorical, even allegorical language

Having most profound literary influence on Having most profound literary influence on writers throughout the Middle Ageswriters throughout the Middle Ages

The Individual character of each The Individual character of each Gospel: JohnGospel: John

The figurative, philosophical languageThe figurative, philosophical language

With a wide range of poetic evocations of With a wide range of poetic evocations of the divine nature of Jesusthe divine nature of Jesus

Presenting a being who is at once both Presenting a being who is at once both God and man, is both the temporal and God and man, is both the temporal and the eternalthe eternal

The Evolution of the Versions The Evolution of the Versions of New Testamentof New Testament

Original language: GreekOriginal language: Greek

Latin translations of the GospelsLatin translations of the Gospels

The Vulgate: the full, authorized Latin The Vulgate: the full, authorized Latin translation Pope Damasus asked Jerome to translation Pope Damasus asked Jerome to prepare in 382prepare in 382

The new versions produced at the dawn of The new versions produced at the dawn of the Reformationthe Reformation

Most recently: new forms such as the Most recently: new forms such as the graphic novelgraphic novel