MYSTERIES

OF THE MESSIAH Bringing Understanding to the Life of Jesus

With

This Easy-to-use Comprehensive Resource

On the Historical, Cultural, and Jewish

Issues that Shaped His Ministry

Environment

For Students in the Advanced Studies on the Life of Christ

William H. Heinrich

Last update was on April 24, 2014

Please Notice:

Welcome to the soft launch of Mysteries of the Messiah. This e-book is still a work in process,

although it is about 98% finished. An updated edition will be uploaded late in 2014 that will feature

additional educational video links by various scholars and specialists. If, in the meantime, you

encounter any errors or technical difficulties, kindly advise me at drbillheinrich@gmail.com so these

issues can be corrected. Thank you.

Bill Heinrich

JESUS TEACHING IN THE TEMPLE by Lillie A. Faris.

It is good to be highly educated; it is better to be educated from on high; but it is best to be

both.

- Author Unknown

Heinrich, William H., 1947-

Mysteries of the Messiah / by William H. Heinrich

Includes biographical references and index.

Library of Congress Cataloging in Publication Data:

1. First Century Judaism 2. Biblical History

3. Roman History 4. Theology

5. Hermeneutics and Apologetics 6. Ancient Middle East Cultural Studies

7. Biographical references

1997 2014 by William H. Heinrich. All Rights Reserved

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced for commercial purposes without

the prior permission of the publisher, except as follows: Individuals may download the entire e-book

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Published by

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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from the HCSB, Copyright 1999, 2000,

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trademark of Holman Bible Publishers.

Welcome to Mysteries of the Messiah website/e-book where you will gain a deeper understanding

of the Jewish, cultural, and political issues that shaped the ministry environment of Jesus. This

document is the culmination of thousands of hours of research and writing, to help you attain a deeper

understanding of the words and work of Jesus our Messiah. This e-book contains

1. More than 30 video mini-lectures by leading scholars be end of 2014

2. More than 900 words and phrases explained

3. Hebraic style of poetry restored in appropriate passages

4. An internal search engine makes study quick and easy

5. More than 100 biblical difficulties and hard sayings carefully explained

6. More than 150 questions are answered concerning issues of the culture, Judaism,

and the political environment, including some that students may have overlooked.

7. ALL Biblical passages appear in bold red font

8. More than 500 ancient extra-biblical quotations appear in bold blue font that provide

insight to the religious, cultural and political environment of Jesus.

9. More than 250 photographs, many of which were taken by the author

10. Nearly 100 maps and illustrations

11. More than 2,200 single-spaced pages.

12. More than 30 appendices.

13. More than 3,900 footnotes, many with multiple references

14. Nearly 700,000 words in the entire manuscript

15. More than 500 listings in Works Cited

16. More than 1,000 listings in 6 Tables of Content

17. More than 12 A Lesson in First Century Hermeneutics explanations.

This e-book was written for a broad audience, especially non-English speaking pastors and students

who might have limited English skills, to receive an excellent Western seminary-level education on the

life and times of Jesus. It is my hope that as you study, your knowledge and faith will grow in the

King of kings and Lord of lords.

Rev. Dr. William H. Bill Heinrich

Unit 01

Introduction to this Website

Chapter 01

First Things First

01.01.01 Welcome

Welcome to one of the most comprehensive sites on the life and times of Jesus. Discover the

fascinating historical, cultural, and religious background that shaped His ministry environment. This e-

book was written in laymans language. It goes deep into an overwhelming supply of ancient literary

and archaeological evidence that not only sheds light on the subject, but also supports the historical

accuracy of the biblical accounts. For believers, a deeper understanding of their own faith will be

enriched and mysterious riddles will be explained. For those who have disagreed with the substance of

this work, a far more enlightened understanding of Jesus and Christianity will be revealed. Therefore,

both committed believers and committed skeptics will be in for a real treat.

Video Insert >

01.01.01.V1 An exciting video preview (2:33) a MUST SEE! Click here.

Video Insert >

01.01.01.V2 Welcome and introduction comments by the author, Dr. William H. Bill

Heinrich (4:39). Click here.

01.01.02 Why the name Mysteries of the Messiah?

King Solomon once said that there is nothing new under the sun, so why the mysterious name of this

website? That is a great question and I am so glad you asked. In addition, there is an old adage that

says,

If new, it is untrue;

If true, it is not new.

The term Mystery or Mysteries herein does not denote an unknowable thing, but what has been

withheld or withdrawn from common knowledge and cannot be known without special manifestation

of it. 1 There is nothing mystical about Jesus. The name was selected because as one studies Jesus in

His historical and cultural context, sudden clarity comes to passages that once were cloudy. A fresh

revelation of life comes to His words and work. What may be mysterious to some has been known to

a few throughout history. The author, and those who worked on this project, passionately advocate

that the Bible is to be believed and trusted because it is the written Word of the living God. This e-

book/website is intended to bring greater understanding of the gospels by illuminating the cultural

context in which Jesus lived and ministered.

01.02.01 Why is this Study Important?

A child was once asked to describe Jesus. He answered by saying that Jesus was the first Christian

who went to Sunday school every Sunday. Unfortunately, there are many who have that same

opinion today. This text will present the historical Jesus as He truly lived.

Jesus was an orthodox Jew who also intermingled with the Gentile Greeks and Romans who lived in

the Jewish land. Some of His actions had profound implications to them, which are not readily

identifiable by word studies. A change of perception and understanding is required by the modern

reader because we tend to interpret the words and miracles of Jesus from a Western-Christian point of

view, but seldom think of them from a first century Jewish, Greek or Roman point of view.

This e-book was written for the student who has basic knowledge of the Bible, and the gospels in

particular. Without that foundational knowledge, this e-book might be a bit overwhelming. For the

student who has the basics, this will be an exciting resource. The established Bible teacher will find

this e-book provides historical and cultural insights that are often missed in other texts.

One might ask, Why should one study the historical and cultural environment in which Jesus

ministered? There are several reasons outlined below. The reader will,

1. Learn the context of His words and actions. Understanding the context gives clarity and

meaning of His instructions and their application for your life.

1. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:78.

2. Get to know who Jesus was as a human and learn to know Him better on a personal

basis.

3. Find their faith become stronger through knowing that all the activities surrounding

Jesus life including the things He did had been predicted centuries earlier.

4. Learn to understand many of the allegories, parables,2 figures of speech, and other

literary devices used by the gospel writers.3

5. Understand solutions to many problematic verses that have been labeled as biblical

difficulties. The gospels were not written with difficulties. These arose in the course of time

as man became more distant from the first century historical and cultural setting.

Most commentaries are a blend of hermeneutical4 and exegetical

5 explanations with the focus on

word studies and figures of speech. The historical and cultural aspects all too often are not given

sufficient attention. This study will clarify these points, resulting in a new and deeper understanding of

the gospel narratives. This manuscript has lessons in hermeneutics identified as follows: A Lesson in

First Century Hermeneutics. More than a dozen mini-lessons aid the reader in understanding how

the gospel writers interpreted their own Hebrew Bible. The term hermeneutics, for the purpose of this

manuscript, is the study of how a passage was understood by those with whom Jesus conversed and

taught.6

It is good to know what the gospels have to say, but it is even better to understand what they mean.

Words have histories. Only on rare occasions can a word be tied down to an unchangeable meaning

when considering all of the changes of culture and language. For example, consider the simple word

table. In Greek this noun has a secondary sense a bankers table, as in Matthew 25:27, where the

money exchangers are literally, the men who sit at tables.7 One would have to know the cultural

2. See Appendix 10, The Parables of Jesus. 3. An excellent resource for a comprehensive biblical study is Ethelbert W. Bullingers book, Figures of Speech Used in the Bible. (Grand Rapids: Baker. 1898, 1995). 4. The art and science of interpreting any text; It is from the Greek word hermeneuo, and is further defined as the study and statement of the principles on which a text is to be understood. Bruce. Hermeneutics. 1:640; Zuck, Basic Bible Interpretation. 19. 5. Exegesis is the critical and analytical explanation of any text. 6. Bruce, Hermeneutics. 1:640.

7. Neill, Interpretation. 81.

context to understand the meaning of the word. Could there be any possibility this is where the word

banker originated? Could the temple aristocrats have been private bankers? Knowledge of the

cultural practices will enhance the understanding of the words and actions of Jesus.

01.02.04 Priority of Writings

Various sources were acquired for this research. Generally writings closest to the life of Christ in time

and distance were considered the most reliable. Conversely, so-called insights written during the

Middle Ages cannot be considered even if in agreement with Scripture. This is standard in all

academic disciplines of biblical study. The sources used are listed below from the most reliable to the

least.

1. Bible

2. The Mishnah and related Jewish writings

3. Dead Sea Scrolls (Extra-Biblical Writings; 200 BC AD70)

4. Flavius Josephus (AD 47-100)

5. Philo of Alexandria (20 BC AD 50)

6. Various Church Fathers

7. Old Testament Apocrypha (also known as Deuterocanonical Books)

Unit 01

Introduction to this Website

Chapter 03

Tables of Content

Please note ---

If this is your first time at this website, it is suggested that you first read the following three

sections, which are located above.

01.01.03 How to Use this Site

01.01.04 Develop Your Skill

01.01.05 Citation

Chapters 01 and 02 of Unit 01 are not posted in the General Table of Contents with the exception

of Sections 03, 04, and 05 above.

The Tables of Content are as follows:

01.03.01 General Table of Biblical Passages and Commentary

01.03.02 Table of Photographs and Illustrations

01.03.03 Table of Maps

01.03.04 Table of Hermeneutical Principals Used by First Century Jewish Writers

01.03.05 Table of Answers to Questions posed by Critics and Analytical Thinkers

01.03.06 Table of Video Mini-lectures by Archaeologists, Historians, Scholars, and Other

Contributors.

01.03.01 General Table of Biblical Passages and Commentary

Unit 02 Cultural Background Studies

In order to better understand the cultural environment of Jesus, it is important to obtain a

basic understanding of twenty important people groups from Arabs to Zealots. Each had a

different worldview some biblical, some pagan, some nationalistic, and others with a

blended set of opinions. It has often been said that the Jewish world in Israel at the time of

Jesus was a theological quagmire. The conflicting ethnic groups illustrate this rather well.

Below are several samples.

02.01 People Groups

02.01.01 Introduction

02.01.06 Essenes

02.01.18 School Of Hillel

02.02 Biblical And Extra-Biblical Writings

This study contains hundreds of quotations from twenty-nine ancient, non-biblical

sources. These sources are briefly described below. Some, such as the Didache and

Mishnah, are significant, while others, such as the Gnostic writings, obviously hold

little or no weight. Below is an example.

02.02.08 Didache

02.03 Significant Cultural Elements

Every culture has certain elements that are unique and significant to its people. If the

reader previews the basic cultural elements of first century Judaism, their

understanding of the times will be enhanced considerably. Below is one of these basic

elements.

02.03.09 Messianic Expectations

02.04 Differences between First Century Roman-Greek and Jewish

Worldviews

There were significant differences in thinking between the European Roman-Greeks

and ancient Near Eastern (now called Middle East) Asiatic Jewish people. The

Romans accepted the Greek lifestyle and, consequently, are often referred to as

Roman-Greeks or Greco-Romans. Many today do not realize the vast degree of

cultural and religious differences that existed between them and the Jews.

Understanding these differences will not only bring insight to the Scriptures, but will

also help us better understand how Jesus would respond to todays post-modern

culture. The basic opposing philosophical and theological worldviews are discussed.

Unit 03 Historical Background

It is impossible to comprehend Messianic thoughts and opinions of the Jews without

first highlighting important events and persons of the Old Testament and the Inter-

Testament era. Some topics of conversations and actions by Jesus and His

adversaries were deeply rooted in history. The chronological history overview

presented below provides insight to this critical background that shaped the first

century Jewish mindset and, therefore, the actions of Jesus. This section identifies in

chronological order, historical events and significant persons that shaped the ministry

environment of Jesus.

Below is an abbreviated list of various persons and events that shaped the ministry

environment of Jesus. Not all of them are discussed in the Preview. It is suggested the

reader scan this small portion of the Table of Contents to identify any historical

information topics that are of interest. This author personally thinks it is absolutely

fascinating and that is his totally unbiased opinion.

03.04 Inter-Testament Background (C. 400 B.C. A.D. 30)

03.04.05 334 63 B.C. Alexander the Great And The Hellenistic Period

03.05 Jewish Sovereignty And Roman Conquest (C. 164 B.C. A.D.70)

03.05.01 Introduction

Unit 04 The Early Years Of Jesus

Now begins one of the most fascinating studies the study of the life of the most important Person who ever graced the face of the earth.

04.01 Introduction

04.01.01 Introduction; The World Stage is Set; Johns Prologue

04.01.02 Jn.1:1-2 The Eternality Of God.

04.01.03 Jn.1:3-18 The Word Of God Became The Person Jesus.

04.02 The Genealogies Of Jesus

04.02.02 Mt. 1:1-17 The Genealogy Of Jesus As Recorded By Matthew

04.07 Village Life In Nazareth

04.07.01 Daily Life In Nazareth

Unit 06 - The Ministry Of Jesus Accelerates

06.01 The Ministry Of Jesus Begins In Galilee

06.01.01 Introduction

06.01.02 Jn. 4:1-3 Judea: Jesus Leaves For Galilee By Way Of Samaria

06.01.03 Jn. 4:4-26 The Village Of Sychar; The Samaritan

Woman Healed The Second Messianic Miracle

Unit 09 Turning Point In The Ministry Of Jesus

09.03 Prophetic Parables And Actions

09.03.14 Mt. 13:18-23 (Mk. 4:13-20; Lk. 8:11-15) Parable Of Sower

Explained

09.03.15 Mt. 13:24-30 (Mk. 4:26-29) Parable Of The Wheat And Tares

Unit 15 The Passion Escalates

15.03 The Three Jewish Trials

15.03.07 Mk. 14:55-60; Mt. 26:63; Mk. 62b-66; Second Jewish Trial:

Before Caiaphas

15.03.08 Lk. 22:63-65 (Mt. 26:67-68; Mk. 14:65) Jesus Is Abused

Unit 16 The Crucifixion And Burial Of Jesus

16.01 The Crucifixion

16.01.01 Introduction

16.01.02 Jn. 19:1; Mt. 27:27-30 (Mk. 15:16-19) Jesus Humiliated With

Sarcastic Kingship

Unit 18 Resurrection And Appearances

18.02 Final Instructions And Ascension

18.02.02 Lk. 24:45-49; Acts 1:3-4a Parting Instructions

18.02.03 Lk. 24:50; Acts 1:6-11 Jesus Ascends

01.03.02 Table of Photographs and Illustrations

There are more than 200 photographs and illustrations in this e-book. All reverence

numbers end with a letter with the exception of the letters X and Z.

01.03.03 Table of Maps

Maps are obviously self explanatory. They aid in the understanding of the text.

01.03.04 Table of Hermeneutical Principals Used by First Century Jewish Writers

Hermeneutical principals have the reference number that end with the letter X. Since

modern principles of interpretation is somewhat different that those used in the biblical era, it

is important to understand how Jesus and His disciples interpreted their own Scriptures. The

basic rules they used are listed in this table and are presented within the e-book where

applicable.

01.03.05 Table of Answers to Questions posed by Critics and Analytical Thinkers

Reference numbers to these questions end with the letter Q. And if there is more than one

question in a section then the letter Q is followed by a number, such as Q1 or Q2.

If you are a skeptic and question who Jesus was, then hopefully this website will bring

answers to your life. You might be overwhelmed at the phenomenal amount of evidence there

is about Him. But this evidence is often hidden within the cultural context. For example, I

have often been told that Jesus never claimed to be God, meaning deity as being separate

from messiah. That is true in the sterile analytical vacuum of a literary microscope, but

within the religious and cultural environment, His words and actions frequently revealed His

deity. This website explains those hidden details.

Therefore, consider the seminary professor who once asked, Did Jesus know that He was

God? Had he understood first century Jewish culture and how Jesus communicated His

deity, he would have known the answer. Critics and inquiring minds have always been

confronted with passages they did not fully understand and, therefore, often made inaccurate

interpretations.

Now for those who believe they have read just about everything there is on the most

significant person in history, hopefully this website will reinvigorate your quest to know Him

more fully. However, regardless of where you are in your spiritual journey and/or academic

career, if my work does not bring you into a closer relationship with our Lord, then I have

failed miserably. You may not agree with all my comments and interpretations, but you do

have to agree that Jesus is Lord of Lords, King of Kings, and He desires to be the personal

Savior of every person.

Keep in mind that we, in the Western tradition, study and examine the Scriptures with logic

and reasoning. However, while this is important, Jesus created meaning with the use of

metaphor, simile, dramatic stories, and parables to teach the theology of the Kingdom of God,

more than He did with logic and reasoning. But the Apostle Paul used logic, reasoning, ideas,

and metaphors. Clearly there is a bridge to be crossed for the reader to fully understand the

words of Scripture that can be incorporated with the Holy Spirit.

Questions roughly fall into these categories:

1. Theological issues related to the gospel narratives.

2. Questions concerning the birth and childhood of Jesus.

3. When biblical passages seem not to agree.

4. Questions of history, culture, and religion

5. Questions concerning difficult ideas, words, phrases, and actions

6. Questions you may not have considered

7. Questions and explanations related to hermeneutics.

8. Questions concerning the teaching and ministry of Jesus

9. Questions on the Passion Week and Resurrection

01.03.06 Table of Video Mini-lectures by Archaeologists, Historians, Scholars, and Other

Contributors.

More than a dozen scholars and experts have graceiously volunteered to sit before our

camers and share their knowledge on various subjects on the life of Jesus. Hopefully, these

videos will all be posted by the end of 2014.

Unit 02

Cultural Background Studies

Chapter 01

People Groups

02.01.00.A. CHRIST AND THE YOUNG CHILD by Carl Bloch. Saint Augustine once

said that Jesus died for everyone of us, as if there was only one of us. His life, message, and

sacrifice was for everyone regardless of age, occupation, or ethnicity.

02.01.01 Introduction - The Holy Land in the first century consisted of several Jewish subgroups,

along with a few Gentile people groups. Tensions existed not only between Jewish factions, but also

between them and their Greek and Roman neighbors, as well as with the Samaritans. Added to this

were the tensions caused by Roman occupation and high taxation. Consequently, this land was a

cauldron of hatred and social unrest.

The following definitions clarify people groups discussed in this book. They represent religious,

cultural, and political bodies that influenced the first century Jewish culture and shaped the ministry

environment of Jesus. Not all are mentioned in the gospels, but their influence was nonetheless

present and sometimes quite powerful.

02.01.06 Essenes The Essenes were a group of Jews who separated from mainline Judaism in the

second century B.C. some scholars believe that they are the descendants of a group known as the

hasidim (see 02.01.14 Pharisees).8 Like the Pharisees, their primary concern was purity and strict

observance of the Mosaic Law, although they differed on some doctrines and practice. The name

Essene, is thought to have originated from the breastplate that was worn by the high priest.9 They

were descendants of the Zadokite Dynasty. Some of them moved to the desert regions of Damascus

after Antiochus IV Epiphanes killed the High Priest Onias III around 171 B.C.10

Others relocated to

the wilderness near the Dead Sea to escape persecution by the Hasmoneans (ruled 163-63 B.C. in

Jerusalem).11

According to Philo and Josephus, approximately four thousand Essenes lived in Israel,12

but archaeological studies reveal that only about three hundred lived in Qumran. That leaves a

majority of them to have lived in other areas such as western Jerusalem and Damascus.

They established their own orthodox theology, which was considerably more restrictive than the Oral

Law, and was held as superior to the Mosaic Law. Furthermore, they held Moses almost equal to

God.13

The Essenes were highly disappointed by the spiritual corruption of both the Pharisees and

Sadducees in Jerusalem as well as the leaders of government. They had such a great disdain for the

religious establishment that they chose not to be involved in any sacrifices or religious observances in

8. Bruce, New Testament History. 65-66, 96. 9. Schmaltz and Fischer, Messianic Seal. 12.

10. Schmaltz and Fischer, Messianic Seal. 10-13; Bruce, New Testament History. 55.

11. Schmaltz and Fischer, Messianic Seal. 10-14.

12. Cited by Charlesworth, Jesus within Judaism. 60.

13. Ironically, Moses is a prophetic picture or type and shadow of Jesus. See comparisons in Appendix 2.

the temple. In response, the ruling Sadducees excluded them from worship at the temple which

intensified the hatred between them.14

Since the temple was the only place where sacrifices could be made for the atonement of sins, the

Essenes taught that any Jew could abolish his or her sins by repentance and strict observance of the

laws of Moses. However, this abolishment of sin would occur only if the repentant Jew observed the

Essene interpretation of Scripture and practiced the Essene laws. They coined phrases in observance

of these laws, such as, sons of light, sons of darkness, and Belial, 15 a name given to Satan (cf. 2

Cor. 6:14-15). In addition, they called themselves The Way, The Elect, The New Coventers,

and the Yahad (Heb. meaning those who have become one).16 They considered themselves to be

the voice in the wilderness, calling upon people to repent from sin and return to the one true God.

Theologically, they were a splinter group of the Pharisees. While some scholars believe they

numbered only about four thousand throughout Judaea, Josephus says they were settled in large

numbers in every town.17

They are best remembered for writing the Dead Sea Scrolls.

As to their daily activities at Qumran, they arose at sunrise in the nearby caves, where they slept every

evening, and then came to the community center. They spoke no words, prayed certain prayers, and

performed their assigned tasks until about 11:00 a.m. In this communal village, they held all property

in common, shunned trade, wore white uniforms, and maintained a strict lifestyle of work, study, and

worship.18

Then they had a ritual bath and a communal meal in strict order. The evening meal was the

same as the previous one. Strict discipline was their way to earn salvation and encourage the coming

of the messiah, which was the major emphasis of their theology.

They adopted the 365-day calendar, as opposed to the traditional 360-day Jewish calendar. This

caused a major schism between them and the rest of the Jewish world. The primary purpose of the

calendar was the appropriate observance of holy days. Just as modern calendars have a February 29

on leap year, the 360-day calendar had an extra month every six years. The Essenes tried to resolve

this problem.

14. Crutchfield, The Essenes. 104-07; Bruce, Essenes. 1:478.

15. Schmaltz and Fischer, Messianic Seal 10-14; The name Belial in Hebrew is Bee-Yaal, and means utterly worthless.

16. Schmaltz and Fischer, Messianic Seal 18.

17. Josephus, Wars. 2.8.4. 18. Buchanan, Essenes. 2:152-55; Connick, The Message and Meaning of the Bible. 116; Bruce, Essenes 1:478.

The Essenes believed that God demanded purity and holiness, but such virtues needed to be

developed by their own efforts and not by the grace of God. Their view of the world was rather

Calvinistic in that they believed they were predestined to be the holy sons of light, being the exclusive

ones to enjoy the blessings and approval of God, while those outside their group were damned unto

death.

As to the messiah, they had difficulty separating the Old Testament prophecies that referred to Him as

a suffering servant from those that referred to Him as a king. They concluded that there would be

two messiahs: one who was a descendant of David who would be the messianic king and the other a

descendant of Aaron who would be a priest and suffering messiah.19

The Essenes, as well as so many other Jewish people, had four faulty concepts of their messiah.

1. They were interested in a messiah who was only for the Jews.

2. They were interested in a messiah who would accept every Jew.

3. They were interested in a political messiah who would overthrow the Romans

4. They were interested in an economic messiah who would restore the prosperity their

forefathers enjoyed during the days of the Davidic Empire.

They wanted a messiah who would pander Israel, but instead, they were confronted by a Messiah who

confronted Israel and they rejected Him.

The Essenes were observers of the end-times, as they believed the messiah would come and destroy

the Romans. Therefore, the Romans considered these non-violent Jews potentially dangerous and

killed thousands of them after the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The Essenes would have faded

into history and been long forgotten were it not for their writing of the Dead Sea Scrolls (See Dead

Sea Scrolls). Note that messiah is with a lower case m because they did not associate deity with

him.

Critics have long asserted that phrases such as sons of light did not exist in the first century Jewish

world, and were inserted into the gospels by later editors. But when the Dead Sea Scrolls were

19. Buchanan, Essenes. 2:152-55; Harrison, Essenes. 2:370-74; A few scholars do not agree with the two messiah concept, including L. D. Hurst of the University of California, Davis, believes that the Qumran texts do not necessarily support the two messiah viewpoint. See http://www.ibr-bbr.org/files/bbr/BBR_1999_09_Hurst_QumranMessiah.pdf. Retrieved October 10, 2013.

discovered the truth was revealed.

02.01.06.Q1 How did a one become a member of the Essene sect and how does this relate to the

Pharisees?

The Essenes, like the Pharisees, were very legalistic. How a young man became a full pledged

member of the Essene community would generally not have any interest to the study of the life of

Jesus, until one scholar20

indicated that the Pharisees may have had similar requirements of

membership. If so, that presents insights of their legalistic attitudes as revealed in the gospels.

Therefore, if it is possible to review the Essene requirements, we can look backwards and obtain a

better understand of the Pharisees.

There are some interesting common factors between the Essenes and the Pharisees. It is common

knowledge that both the Pharisees and Essenes originated in the early second century (B.C.) in

response to the advances of the Hellenistic culture. Both groups were separatists and, in fact, the

name Pharisee originated from the Hebrew phrase meaning the Separated ones. Both groups were

also highly legalistic in their doctrines and lifestyle.

Fortunately, the Dead Sea Scrolls, written by those Essenes living in the Qumran community near the

Dead Sea, contained two important documents that tell us much about their lifestyle and the

requirements fr entrance into their community of believers. According to the Damascus Document

and the Manual of Discipline, the Essenes had the following beliefs and practices:

1. They categorized members as priests, Levites, Israelites, or Proselytes.21

2. The minimum age of admission was twenty. 22

3. New members had to learn and observe all admission requirements.23

4. Once a candidate felt he was ready for membership, he had to pass a preliminary

20. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 86-88.

21. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 13:12; 14:3. 22. Dead Sea Scrolls, 1 Qsa. 1, 8; This age limit may have been derived from Numbers 1:3. 23. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 13:1, 2; 15:5, 6.

examination. Evidently notes were carefully taken as the exam was administered by a scribe. 24

5. The candidate was required to give an oath of loyalty, after which he was informed of the

secrets of the community.25

6. Upon the completion of the ceremonial oath, the candidate was on a two-year probationary

status. 26

7. Any transgressions during this time could result in either temporary or permanent expulsion

from the community. 27

8. All supervisory scribes had to be between the ages of thirty and fifty. 28

9. Since supervisory scribes were experts of the Hebrew Laws, as well as the community

rules, they could either bind or loose the judgment of a transgressor29

10. Supervisory scribes as well as judges collected charitable gifts from the community and

distributed them to the needy.30

They also functioned as shepherds of the flock, and in that

sense, they were like a pastor or rabbi. 31

While these legalistic requirements cannot be imposed upon the Pharisees per se, these do give some

insight as to what legalistic group might require of a new candidate. Scholars are examining these

requirements with the possibility that very similar procedures existed for new Pharisee candidates.

02.01.18 School of Hillel Hillel, also known as Hillel the Elder, was one of the most important

religious leaders in Israel during the time of Roman occupation. He was born in Babylon around 50

24. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 13:11, 12; 15:11. 25. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 15:6. 26. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 20:1-13; MD 1QS 4:24 7:25. 27. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 20:1-13; MD 1QS 4:24 7:25. 28. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 14:8. 29. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 13:10; 9:18, 22; 12:12. 30. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 14:13. 31. Dead Sea Scrolls, Damascus Document 13:10.

BC, but some sources date his birth as early as 110 BC., and he is believed to have died in AD 10. He

is at times compared to Moses, as both supposedly lived to an age of 120 and Hillel studied forty

years and the last forty years he wa a leader to his people. As such, there is an excellent possibility

that he was in the temple when Jesus was there at the age of 12. He was also from the line of David,

of Shephatiah, the son of Abital a genealogical record that added to his credentials.32

Hillels school of biblical interpretation held to the orthodox form of Judaism. In fact, it has been said

that his way of teaching the core values of the Torah was nearly identical to the teachings of Jesus.33

About three decades before the birth of Jesus, Hillel rose from the lowest ranks among the rabbis and

became President of the Sanhedrin. He was known for his kindness, gentleness, and influences during

the reign of Herod the Great (37 B.C. 4 B.C.) and the childhood days of Jesus. He established an

academy, which was known for its compassion toward fellow Jews and moral Gentiles. The grandson

of Hillel, Gamaliel, trained the Apostle Paul, who was also a Pharisee.34

It appears that Jesus agreed

much more with the teachings of the School of Hillel than with the opposing School of Shammai.35

Since Hillels teachings are often similar to those of Jesus, some scholars have suggested that Jesus

received His ideas of ethics and morality from him. Others believe Hillel was a significant element of

the fullness of time phrase of Galatians 4:4b in that he brought many people in line with what Jesus

would be teaching. After the destruction of the temple, his followers became the dominant influence

in Jewish lives. Leaders of both the Schools of Hillel and Shammai claimed to have had the voice

from heaven, even though on occasion they had strong contrasting interpretations of Scripture. It is

difficult to classify either one as liberal or conservative. However, Hillel had a reputation for being

kind and gentle while Shammai was impatient and abrasive.36

Unit 02

Cultural Background Studies

Chapter 02

Biblical and Extra-biblical Writings 32. Babylonian Talmud, Juchas. 19.2; Lightfoot, A Commentary on the New Testament from the Talmud and Hebraica. 3:35.

33. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 111. 34. Falk, Jesus the Pharisee. 48. 35. Pixner, With Jesus Through Galilee. 32. 36. Edersheim, The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah. 91; Babylonian Talmud, Shabbath 31a.

02.02.08 Didache - The Didache, meaning The Teaching or The Instruction, is a small book

describing the community or church rule of order. It was written about the time John wrote the book

of Revelation, or possibly a decade or two later (A.D. 95-120), but it obviously describes the basic

instruction of the early church that were already well established. Its focus is on how Gentile converts

need to change their lives in order to belong to a Jewish-Christian fellowship.

Its value lies in how the early church interpreted the teachings of Jesus.37

The book begins with the

statement There are two ways, one of life and one of death.38

1. Chapters 1 through 6 explain the two ways and that there is a huge difference between

them.

2. Chapter 7 is on baptism

3. Chapter 8 discusses prayer and fasting, and includes the direct quotation of the Lords

Prayer. The Jewish people already had a ritual of praying three times a day,39

now they

replaced their traditional prayers with the Lords Prayer. Since the Pharisees fasted on

Mondays and Tuesdays, early Christians fasted on Wednesdays and Fridays the fasting

tradition continued but they did not want to be identified with the Pharisees.

4. Chapters 9 and 10 discusses the Communion service, and

5. Chapters 11 through 15 are on church organization and discipline.

The significance of the Didache has, unfortunately, been forgotten in the church today. It was written

to inform new converts the responsibilities of a new lifestyle that was expected of them. The fact that

communion follows baptism, underscores the point that it is intended only for the full membership of

the congregation. The rest of the book deals with administrative issues as well as those who violated

the biblical commands of a Christ-like life as briefly described in chapters 1 through 6.

37. Crossan and Reed, Excavating Jesus. 9.

38. Didache 1:1a. 39. See 08.03.04; Acts 3:1; 10:3, 30; Didache 8:3.

Unit 02

Cultural Background Studies

Chapter 03

Significant Cultural Elements

02.03.09 Messianic Expectations - There was an intense expectation throughout the ancient world

that a messiah would come at any moment and bring political freedom. People had a wide variety of

opinions of the messiah, like who he would be, and what he would do. However, since he was

expected to come as a political leader who would overthrow the Romans to usher in an era of peace

and prosperity, he was not seen as any kind of a divine figure. Hence, in this context, messiah is

spelled with a lower case m whereas the divine Jesus is referred to as the Messiah.

The Jews had great difficulties understanding the prophecies of some of their prophets since they

appeared to be in conflict. Most notable were those prophecies that described the messiah both as a

suffering servant, and as a victorious king. In their thinking, a victorious king would not be one who

suffered. Note, for example, the differences between Daniel 7:13-14 and Zechariah 9:9-10.

13 I continued watching in the night visions,

and I saw One like a son of man

coming with the clouds of heaven.

He approached the Ancient of Days

and was escorted before Him.

14 He was given authority to rule,

and glory, and a kingdom;

so that those of every people,

nation, and the Law

should serve Him.

His dominion is an everlasting dominion

that will not pass away,

and His kingdom is one

that will not be destroyed.

Daniel 7:13-14

9 Rejoice greatly, Daughter Zion!

Shout in triumph, Daughter Jerusalem!

Look, your King is coming to you;

He is righteous and victorious,

humble and riding on a donkey,

on a colt, the foal of a donkey. 10

I will cut off the chariot from Ephraim

and the horse from Jerusalem.

The bow of war will be removed,

and He will proclaim peace to the nations.

His dominion will extend from sea to sea,

from the Euphrates River

to the ends of the earth.

Zechariah 9:9-10

The first part of each passage is especially challenging. In Daniel 7:13, the messianic figure comes

with clouds of heaven while the counterpart in Zechariah 9:9 portrays him riding into Jerusalem on a

donkey. Each of these sections is clearly about a leader who would have a dynamic effect upon the

people. While Christians today have the advantage of recognizing the differences between the first

and second comings of Christ, the first century Jews were unaware of Gods divine plan and,

therefore, could not explain the apparent biblical difficulties.

Adding to the mystery, Zechariah 12:10, describes the messiah as one who would suffer. In their

thinking, one who would be victorious over all of Judaeas enemies could not be made to endure

agony. Therefore, they apparently ignored passages such as:

And I will pour out on the house of David

and the inhabitants of Jerusalem

a spirit of grace and supplication.

They will look on me,

the one they have pierced,

and they will mourn for him

as one mourns for an only child,

and grieve bitterly for him

as one grieves for a firstborn.

Zechariah 12:10 NIV (1984)

Other challenging passages in the Hebrew Bible are found in the book of Psalms and pertain to the

Gentiles coming to God (Ps. 22:27ff; 36:7ff et. al). The common first century belief was that because

the Gentiles had sinned for so many centuries, they would never come to God nor would God want

them. This belief was enhanced by the repeated statement that God said that the Jews were His

Chosen People. Hence, there was no need for their salvation (they already were saved), and the

Gentiles, not being among the Chosen People were therefore forever damned. Little wonder then, that

the temple area known as the Court of the Gentiles was turned into a market place. Yet, as will be

shown later, some Gentiles did convert to the Jewish faith.

These passages illustrate the messianic problems with which the Jews were grappling. In essence,

they shut their eyes to those writings that predicted the sufferings of the Messiah. The disciples had

difficulty believing Jesus would suffer on the cross and die. The Essenes, on the other hand, thought

they resolved the problem by teaching there would be two messiahs ruling together (see 02.01.06).

The rise of Antiochus IV Epiphanes and his Hitler-like tortures in the early second century B.C., led

to a new form of literature known as apocalyptic writings. There was considerable debate in the

Jewish communities as to whether these books were genuinely divinely inspired or simply creative

penmanship. Therefore, it is not surprising to see that there were various opinions among the common

people. While scholars still debate what various people groups believed, what is known is that

nobody expected a messiah like Jesus. Apocalyptic writers created various themes and stories of the

future events of the victorious messiah but nearly all of them rejected the concept of a suffering

messiah. The victorious messiah concept was popular during times of oppression; first by the Greeks,

then their own leaders, followed by the Romans. Most of the expectations follow these lines of

thought even though there were about as many variations as there were Jews:

1. According to the Apocalypse of Baruch 48:41, the people would realize the coming of the

Messiah by the calamities that would fall upon humanity such as wars and famines. Even

nature would experience cataclysmic upheavals. Today orthodox Jews call this time the Time

of Jacobs Troubles and Christians call it the Tribulation.

2. The Messiah could not come to the world unannounced; therefore, he will send Elijah who

will announce His arrival. According to a second century B.C. Jewish writer by the name of

Jesus Ben-Sirach,40

40. See Metzger, The Apocrypha of the Old Testament. 193.

You who were taken up in a whirlwind of fire,

in a chariot with fine horses of fire;

you who are ready at the appointed time, it is written

to calm the wrath of God before it breaks out in fury,

to turn the heart of the father to the son,

and restore the tribes of Jacob.

Sirach 48:9-10

3. The Jews attempted to connect Elijah with the coming judgments, resurrection, and the end

of the world. When he would come, he would settle the major controversies of the first

century, including

a. Settle family issues and bring estranged families together.

b. Settle issues of what is clean and unclean a major issue of contention between

various religious sects.

c. Settle property disputes.

d. Announce the coming of the messiah (small m because they did not know that the

Messiah would be Deity)41

4. The messiah would provoke a coalition of evil men whose identities remain unclear.

Apocalyptic writers mentioned them in Enoch 90; and the Apocalypse of Baruch 40. While

they simply described these as evil, Christians identified them as those who would be a part of

the Anti-Christ.

5. In the final battle between good and evil, those who are evil will be destroyed. However,

the identity of the destroyer is somewhat unclear. Some Jews felt it would be God Himself

according to a book known as the Assumption of Moses (10:7) while a majority felt it would

be the Messiah as found in the Apocalypse of Baruch (39:7ff).42

6. Once the wicked would be destroyed, the messiah would establish his messianic kingdom

and rule from Jerusalem. This would necessitate that all forms of evil, idols, and wickedness

41. Barclay, John. 1:78.

42. These books should not be considered equal to the Bible, but are listed because some first century Jewish people considered them important.

be purged from the city, while instituting pure worship according to the Torah. This new era

would be considered the Kingdom of God. The nation would enjoy peace, joy, prosperity, and

a close relationship with God.

7. The messianic age would not be eternal, but endure for a thousand years after which there

would be another transformation.

8. At the end of the millennium, those who had died would be raised from the grave and

would in fact be restored to their physical bodies.

9. The opinions of the final judgment have a wider spectrum. Some believed that the wicked

would be destroyed at this point and Yahweh Himself would be the judge, while others

believed it would be the Son of Man who in reality was seen as an angel of the Lord (Enoch

69:27). Scholars disagree as to when the Book of Enoch was written. Most believe that the

earliest part was written about 300 B.C. but the chapters 37-71 were written in the first

century B.C., or possibly in the Christian era. Critics believe that any resemblance to Christian

theology might be the result of Christian interpolation. Concerning the final judgment, the

wicked will be thrown into Gehenna (hell) while the righteous will spend eternity with the

Lord in heaven.

10. The Essenes hardly agreed with anyone else. They had great difficulty reconciling the

prophetic passage of the suffering servant with those of the victorious king. They questioned

how a suffering servant could be a victorious king. Therefore, they concluded there would

have to be two messiahs (see 02.01.06).

The Jews remembered very well the overwhelming victories God had given them during the

Maccabean Revolt. The Essenes and the Zealots believed, as did many common people that the

Messiah would be like a glorified Judas Maccabee and bring a greater victory over Roman domination

and oppression.

To the Pharisees, the messiah would be one who would institute the holiness, purity, and truthfulness

of the Torah to all the Jewish people, and purge the effects of Hellenism from the culture. The

Sadducees were the only ones who failed to believe in the coming of a messiah, and if there was one

coming, they feared he would take control of the temple, which was the source of their power and

wealth. The Romans had distrust for anyone who called himself a messiah. The Jews seemed to

produce a messiah every ten or fifteen years, much to the dismay of the Sadducees and Romans. Into

this caldron of severe social tensions and messianic expectations, Jesus came to bring life and hope to

all humanity. Little wonder then, that Jesus was careful to articulate His identity. All three groups had

thoughts about a messiah, but had not believed their messiah would be God in human form, which is

why a lower case m is used for this term.

Most Jewish peasants were downtrodden, depressed, enslaved, and discouraged with the corrupt

religious leadership and merciless Romans. Therefore, hope and interest skyrocketed when Jesus

began doing miracles. He was surrounded by competing religious groups such as the Pharisees, the

Essenes, the Schools of Hillel and Shammai, the Sadducees, and the unknown community/ies that

produced the Pseudepigrapha books such as 4 Esdras, Baruch, and the Psalms of Solomon.43

In

keeping with Jewish traditions, each group had a keen interest in solidarity and distinctiveness. Each

promoted its own agenda of righteousness as superior to other groups and shunned any challenges for

change.44

But none could speak or perform miracles as Jesus did.

The messianic expectations among Jews and Gentiles were at a fever pitch in the early first century.

Men would spend their evenings in the synagogue debating various subjects such as this messianic

problem. The Apostle Paul said that in the fullness of time Jesus came to this earth (Gal. 4:4). If

anything, his words were an understatement.

Finally, it has often been said as a point of humor, that if you want three or four opinions on

something, ask a Jews. There were many Jewish sects in ancient Israel and not all would have agreed

with the above 10-point list. But a vast majority would have agreed with the following expectations:

1. The messiah will be a worrior king who will destroy the Romans

2. The messiah will come for all Jews.

3. The messiah will come only for the Jews.

Those who failed to accept Jesus as their Messiah, such as Judas Iscariot, did so essentially for those

three reasons.

43. The Psalms were written between the year 40-30 BC, although some scholars place the time period between 60 and 30 B.C. See Cosby, Interpreting Biblical Literature. 285. It may also have been used as liturgy according to Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 104.

44. Charry, By the Renewing. 61.

Unit 03

Historical Background

Chapter 04

Inter-Testament Background (c. 400 B.C. A.D. 30)

03.04.05 334 63 B.C. Alexander the Great and the Hellenistic Period

The Greek culture, known as Hellenism, attained a high degree of maturity in Greece. It was well

known for its arts, sciences, medicines, philosophy, and other cultural elements and is equated with

(356 B.C. 323 B.C.) who established one of the largest empires of the ancient world.

Upon his fathers assassination, young Alexander took control of Greece and two years later began a

massive military campaign against King Darius of the Persian Empire. He developed a well-trained

army with 140 to 160 war elephants that he used in five battles. Consequently, in only ten years, he

had control of a vast empire and became the fulfillment of one of Daniels prophecies (11:3). He gave

the Jews first class citizenship and encouraged them to move to his new city of Alexandria in Egypt.

Many did and eventually the city became the largest Jewish metropolitan area of the ancient world. In

fact, he encouraged the Jews to move to all of his Greek cities where they enjoyed religious freedom.

Alexander was a student of Aristotle, a scholar of scholars, and had his own ambitious ideas for the

world. His goal was to civilize the nations of the world with Greek. He would accomplish this by the

introduction of Greek philosophy and select the best qualities of the captured nations to give to all the

peoples of his empire. An important contribution was his effort to make the Greek the lingua franca

or the official language of business and government throughout the empire. It was accepted

everywhere except in the Jewish enclave of Judaea. With this new philosophy known as Hellenism,

came the concept that would challenge the Jews that man and not God, was central to life.45

45. Grundy, A Survey of the New Testament. 22.

03.04.05.A. A MOSAIC OF ALEXANDER THE GREAT vs. THE

INVINCIBLE KING DARIUS III. In one of the most significant battles in the

ancient world, the young Alexander (shown on left side) defeated the seemingly

invincible King Darius III in 333 B.C. The battle is depicted in a first century (B.C.)

mosaic found in Pompeii. A determined Alexander is shown on the left with a lance

while a terrified Darius looks on from his chariot.

Unit 03

Historical Background

Chapter 05

Jewish Sovereignty and Roman Conquest

(c. 164 B.C. A.D. 70)

03.05.00.A. SEA-GOING SHIPS OF HASMONEAN DAYS by Jacob S. Golub.

1929. The Jewish kings of the Inter-Testamental Period had sea-going vessels that

were used for both military and freight transport. They ships dominated the eastern

Mediterranean Sea until the rise of the Roman Empire.

03.05.01 Introduction

The precise date was to when Jewish sovereignty began is difficult to determine as it varied from area

to area. While there was a dramatic improvement that began in 164 B.C., the Jewish people were not

completely free from foreign control for another three decades. National sovereignty in ancient

history was defined as follows:

1. They did not have to pay tribute (taxes) to any foreign overlord.

2. They were a self-determining people.

Although there were pockets of Syrian resistance, generally there was freedom from oppression and

the people quickly began to prosper. Camel caravans that traveled internationally were taxed as well

as shipping. In fact, the Jewish merchant marine sailed to nearly every port that belted the

Mediterranean Sea. Little wonder then, that years later, Herod the Great who was known world-wide

for his architectural wonders, built a three-story ship so he and his friends could sail to Rome.46

However, as the common people would soon discover, their leaders were nearly as corrupt as those

who had previously been their overlords. Jews crucifyed Jews. Murder, theft, and the abuse by the

religious authority are only some of the vices that permeated the leadership. Righteous men and

women were horrified to see widespread unJewish behavior by their own. They earnestly prayed for

their long-awaited messiah to come.

Yet with the news of Jewish freedom spreading throughout the Diaspora, many foreign Jews, such as

those in Babylon, decided to return to their Promised Land. Most settled in Galilee, a region that was

severely devasted by the Asyrians centuries earlier. While there were a few Gentile inhabitants, for

the most part it was barren and became known as Galilee of the Gentiles (who destroyed it).47 In

fact, to confirm the absence of Gentiles living in this area, it is significant that archaeologists have

uncovered numerous villages that had no evidence of pig bones a sure sign of Gentile occupation.48

Now thousand were migrating into the region of rich farmland.49

So many came in the second

century that Josephus said that a countless multitude came from Galilee and other areas to

Jerusalem at Pentecost,50

and that they did so by going through Samaria.51

This underscores the

46. Josephus, Antiquities. 14.14.3. 47. Isa. 9:1; 1 Macc. 5:15; Mt. 4:15.

48. Reed, Archaeology. 47; Dunn, Did Jesus Attend the Synagogue? 208-10.

49. See Galilee of the Gentiles in 06.01.08. 50. Josephus, Antiquities 20.6.1 and Wars 2.12.3. 51. Josephus, Antiquities 17.10.2 and Wars 2.3.1.

significance of the Assyrian destruction. Nonetheless, scholars will continue to debate as to how

Jewish or how Hellenized was Galilee.

Yet while the little Jewish state was trying to re-establish itself, it was sandwiched as the frontier of

two opposing super powers: The Romans and Parthians. To the west, the Roman Empire was

expanding quickly by belting the Mediterranean Sea and spreading into Europe. To the East, the

Parthian Empire was growing to include large portions of India and surrounding areas. The little

Jewish enclave is where the two would meet. As if the influences of the Greek culture had not

challenged the Jews enough, now they were the subject of a tug-of-war of foreign powers.

The significance of this era is that the Maccabean family estyablished itself and the governing dynasty,

and would continue to dominate the Jewish people until the Roman conquest in 63 B.C. Shortly after

that conquest, Herod the Great was appointed by Rome to be king of the Jews. His success was due,

in part, to his marriage Mariamne, a Hasmonean (Maccabean) princess (see the House of the

Maccabees Family Tree below).

Unit 04

The Early Years of Jesus

Chapter 01

Introduction

04.01.01 Introduction: The World Stage is Set; Johns Prologue

John begins his gospel with the eternal nature of Jesus as the Creator who is the Light that brings

salvation. The entire Bible is a story of God love and salvation for humanity.52

Galatians 4:4 states

that in the fullness of time Jesus came. Yet the term fullness is understood only within the cultural

context of the first century and the events that preceded it. There were four major areas of

preparation that had to be completed before fullness could be achieved in preparing the world for

coming of the Anointed One.

52. The divine plan of salvation of the New Testament was taught by the Hebrew prophets, as outlined in Appendix 9.

1. The Greeks: They provided a cultural milieu and language. See more at 03.05.12.

2. The Romans: They provided elements of law and order throughout the empire and

improved transport. This was a profound accomplishment as the previous two centuries were

filled with violence, political and religious chaos, persecution, and assassinations.

3. The people throughout the Roman Empire and in regions beyond were expecting a

messianic figure or king of some kind. From the Roman senate to the common slave, there

were expectations of the appearance of a very important person.53

4. The Jewish people provided the religious background and foundation necessary for Jesus

to come.

The most important and anticipated life in history was born in Bethlehem some two thousand years

ago. Yet John made a distinct point to demonstrate that the life of Jesus did not begin in a manger in

Bethlehem, but that He existed from eternity past. The theme of his gospel is the deity of Jesus, Who

was from the beginning; in essence, he sets forth both the divine and human nature of the Messiah.

The purpose of His coming was to teach men about the Kingdom of God, as well as to pay the high

cost to redeem a lost humanity. Johns point is that only God could have performed such a great

task.

John began his gospel by stating that Jesus was not a mere human, but was God who existed from

before the creation of the earth. In his first sentence for the word Word, John used the Greek word

logos that included the Greek concept of reason and speech.54

God created the world by means of His

Logos.55

Logos is the eternal order of all things that is in God, and Jesus is the incarnation of of that

Logos in history.56

John was not a Greek philosopher, but desired to express the concept that Jesus

was the idea and expression of God in human form and was, in fact, God.57

04.01.02 Jn. 1:1-2 The Eternality of God (NIV 1984)

A In the beginning

B was the Word,

C and the Word was with God,

53. For a brief description of those who expressed this anticipation long before the advent of Jesus, see 03.05.15, 03.05.11, and

03.04.19.

54. Barclay, John. 1:7-9.

55. Hatch, The Influence of Greek Ideas and Usages. 261.

56. Lee, The Galilean Jewishness of Jesus, 115.

C and the Word was God.

B He was with God

A in the beginning.

04.01.03 Jn. 1:3-18 The Word of God Became the Person Jesus. (HCSB, continued)

3All things were created through Him, and apart from Him not one thing was created

that has been created. 4 Life was in Him, and that life was the light of men.

5 That light

shines in the darkness, yet the darkness did not overcome it.

6

There was a man named John who was sent from God. 7

He came as a witness to

testify about the light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the light, but

he came to testify about the light. 9

The true light, who gives light to everyone, was

coming into the world.

10

He was in the world, and the world was created through Him, yet the world did not

recognize Him. 11

He came to His own, and His own people did not receive Him. 12

But

to all who did receive Him, He gave them the right to be children of God, to those who

believe in His name, 13

who were born, not of blood, or of the will of the flesh, or of the

will of man, but of God.

14

The Word became flesh and took up residence among us. We observed His glory,

the glory as the One and Only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth. 15

(John

testified concerning Him and exclaimed, This was the One of whom I said, The One

coming after me has surpassed me, because He existed before me.) 16 Indeed, we have

all received grace after grace from His fullness, 17

for the law was given through Moses,

grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18

No one has ever seen God. The One and

Only Sonthe One who is at the Fathers sideHe has revealed Him.

Literary style

Johns gospel is in typical Hebraic style of poetry that echoes the first sentence of Genesis, yet his

gospel was written for a Gentile audience. It is a genre of complimenting, repeating or contrasting

ideas, rather than rhyming words. Verses 1 and 2 describe the eternal aspects of Jesus from the

beginning (lines A and A) of time with the focus on the Word (of God who was Jesus) being the

eternal Deity (line C). The first lines were written with repeating or contrasting ideas, as noted by the

similarities between lines A and A, B and B, etc. The focus of this short Hebraic poem is the center

line line C and C, being Jesus in human form was God on earth.

57. See Appendix 8 on the Two Natures (human and divine) of Jesus.

Witness to testify. When the New Testament writers used terms such as testimony or bore

witness or I have seen and testify, these are statements of legal terminology. These statements

were common in Roman, Greek, and Jewish cultures whereby the author placed himself under an oath

concerning the truthfulness of the statement made. 58

In the beginning. This phrase in the original Hebrew did not have the definite article the. In

essence, the gospel writer is saying that in beginning there never was a beginning point, but was

eternity past (cf. Jn. 17:5; Col. 1:17). This is a paradox to modern thinking, but understood by his

first century audience. Hence, John reflected upon two writings of Moses in Genesis and in Psalm

90.59

After the summary account of creation, John discusses the condition of man. Man, who was and is

the supreme creation in the image of God (Gen. 1:26), fell into sin and is now offered salvation by

God through Christ Jesus. It was Adam who was defeated by Satan in the beautiful Garden of Eden

(Gen. 2:8), but Jesus came and had victory over Satan. Because of Jesus sinless life, sacrificial

death, and resurrection, eternal life is now available to all men by the One Who was in the beginning.

While the sacrifices of the Old Covenant covered sin, the work of Christ removed sin.60

The New

Covenant fulfilled the old one and completed the way of salvation for mankind.

Video Insert >

04.01.03.V Rev. John Metzger of Cornerstone Bible College discusses the Deity of Jesus in

the Old Testament and in eternity past (27:39). VIDEO COMING SOON.

The climax of this gospel is the only true response one can give to Jesus: My Lord and my

God (Jn. 20:28). John stated that Jesus was with the Father throughout eternity past61 and was the

58. Bookman, When God Wore Sandals. CD Trac 5.

59. Moses authored Psalm 90 - 116.

60. See Appendix 6 concerning Old Testament sacrifices and Jesus. For the New Testament plan of salvation revealed in the Old Testament, see Appendix 9. 61. Prov. 8:22-31; Jn. 17:5, 24.

Creator of all things.62

Furthermore, Jesus is both the light and the life of humanity63

and the darkness

of this world could not extinguish Him. The gospel begins and ends with life. In fact, the word life is

one of Johns key words.

The pre-existence of God as Creator is also found in a Dead Sea Scroll document known as the

Manual of Discipline.64

The ancient Essene writer said,

For judgment is Gods and

from His hand is the way of blamelessness

From His design everything received its origin,

and from His design

Everything that exists was prepared

without Him nothing was made.

Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QS XI:10 65

All that is and ever was

comes from the God of knowledge,

Before things came into existence

He determined a plan for them,

And when they fulfilled their appointed roles

it is in accordance with His glorious design,

That they discharge their functions

Nothing can be changed.

Dead Sea Scrolls, 1QS III:30 66

The Word. John did not speak of a word or words as spoken by Jesus, but rather, he spoke of

the Word as being the essence of Jesus - the essential inner mind of Christ. If the question were

asked, What is in the heart of hearts of Jesus? the answer is His Word. In order to understand the

62. Col. 1:16-17; Eph. 3:9; Heb. 1:2. 63. Jn. 5:26, 8:12, 9:5, 12:35, 46; I Jn. 5:11. 64. See 02.02 Biblical And Extra-Biblical Writings for more information. 65. Santala, The Messiah in the New Testament. 65-66.

66. Santala, The Messiah in the New Testament. 65-66.

mind of Jesus, one must understand His speech, actions, ministry, and life. John essentially gave two

significant points about the Messiah:

1. The Word was with God.

2. The Word was God.

Knowing Jesus was not an either/or choice of these two points, but a combination of both.67

One

cannot understand the Messiahs Word without understanding His mind and heart. With this comes

the understanding of the essence of the mind of God the Father (Jn. 14:23-24).68

Other New

Testament writers referred to the essential inner mind of Jesus as being the logos, which is Greek

meaning Word, of God. Paul said in Ephesians 4:12 that it was sharper than a two-edged sword,

meaning that it can cut to the soul to surgically expose sin. Luke, in his second writing, used it where

the Word of God is understood to be the Spirit of God or the revealed mind of God (Acts

13:48; 18:5). John used logos again in his last work with the Word of God being Jesus Christ

Himself (Rev. 19:13). In the Greek, the word logos is an it, but Johns use of the word logos, which

is rooted in his Jewish background and Aramaic language, it is He. 69

Gnosticism and Docetism were two popular heresies within the Gentile world that confronted the

apostles and other church leaders. These theories of knowledge and God confronted both Jews and

Christians, and for that reason, the Apostle Paul made these two comments:

16

For everything was created by Him, in heaven and on earth, the visible and the

invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authoritiesall things have been

created through Him and for Him.

Colossians 1:16

6 Yet for us there is one God, the Father. All things are from Him, and we exist for Him.

And there is one Lord, Jesus Christ. All things are through Him and we exist through

Him.

1 Corinthians 8:6

67. Stern, Jewish New Testament Commentary. 154.

68. Major, Manson, and Wright, The Mission and Message of Jesus. 679-80.

69. Fruchtenbaum, The Jewish Foundation of the Life of Messiah: Instructors Manual. Class 2, page 6.

While the study of the influence of Gnosticism and various cultic beliefs is beyond the scope of this

study, it must be briefly stated that Johns gospel is to a certain extent, an apologetic document that

refutes these pagan ideas.

The phrase No one has ever seen God, means that no one has ever seen the ultimate glory,

majesty, and nature of God. According to Moses, God said You cannot see my face, for no one can

see me and live (Ex. 33:20). This is due to mankinds sinfulness. Yet according to the Hebrew Bible

(Tanakh), God (Adonai or Elohim) has made Himself known to selected individuals in a limited

manner. Examples are:

(This section is continued)

Unit 04

The Early Years of Jesus

Chapter 02

The Genealogies of Jesus

04.02.02 Mt. 1:1-17 The Genealogy of Jesus as Recorded by Matthew

1 The historical record of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham:

2 Abraham fathered Isaac,

Isaac fathered Jacob,

Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers, 3

Judah fathered Perez and Zerah by Tamar,

Perez fathered Hezron,

Hezron fathered Aram, 4

Aram fathered Amminadab,

Amminadab fathered Nahshon,

Nahshon fathered Salmon, 5

Salmon fathered Boaz by Rahab,

Boaz fathered Obed by Ruth,

Obed fathered Jesse, 6

and Jesse fathered King David.

Then David fathered Solomon by Uriahs wife, 7

Solomon fathered Rehoboam,

Rehoboam fathered Abijah,

Abijah fathered Asa, 8

Asa fathered Jehoshaphat,

Jehoshaphat fathered Joram,

Joram fathered Uzziah, 9

Uzziah fathered Jotham,

Jotham fathered Ahaz,

Ahaz fathered Hezekiah, 10

Hezekiah fathered Manasseh,

Manasseh fathered Amon,

Amon fathered Josiah, 11

and Josiah fathered Jechoniah and his brothers

at the time of the exile to Babylon.

12 Then after the exile to Babylon

Jechoniah fathered Shealtiel,

Shealtiel fathered Zerubbabel, 13

Zerubbabel fathered Abiud,

Abiud fathered Eliakim,

Eliakim fathered Azor, 14

Azor fathered Zadok,

Zadok fathered Achim,

Achim fathered Eliud, 15

Eliud fathered Eleazar,

Eleazar fathered Matthan,

Matthan fathered Jacob, 16

and Jacob fathered Joseph the husband of Mary,

who gave birth to Jesus who is called the Messiah.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations; and

from David until the exile to Babylon, fourteen generations; and from the exile to

Babylon until the Messiah, fourteen generations.

04.02.02.Q1 What was the purpose of a genealogical listing?

It was most important that the gospel writers inform their readers not only that Jesus was the

Messiah, but also that He had the right to be the Messiah and His credentials (including the

genealogy) were presented as evidence of this truth. At the time this gospel was written, the primitive

church was enduring persecution from both Jews and Gentiles. The believers needed assurance. If

they were going to die for their faith, they needed to know who Jesus was as a physical man and,

hence, the genealogies (see 04.02.01 Introduction).

The phrase, A record of the genealogy, could also be translated as reading, the book of the

generations of, or the book of origin, and is similar to records found in Genesis 2:4, 5:1, 6:9, and

37:2.70

These records were important for three primary reasons:

1. They gave a clear identity of ancestral and tribal origins, 71

which led to the second reason,

2. They were critically important for certain religious or political offices.

3. The genealogical record demonstrates the divine purpose for the restoration of man from

the beginning of Adam.

The promise of the Davidic Covenant was fulfilled by Jesus. He received His blood right to

King Davids throne through Mary and His legal right to the throne through His adopted earthly

father Joseph.

Other examples of genealogy are as follows:

1. The historian Josephus preserved his genealogy for posterity (Life 1.3).

2. One ancient rabbi, with a desire that his son would marry only into the right family, traced

the genealogy of a prospective daughter-in-law to King David.72

70. Gilbrant, Matthew. 19; Dalman, Jesus Christ in the Talmud. 31; Jerusalem Talmud, Jbamoth 49b.

71. David, Uzziah, Ahaz, Hezekiah and Manasseh are is among fifty biblical names whose existence has been verified by archaeological studies in a published article by Lawrence Mykytiuk titled, Archaeology Confirms 50 Real People in the Bible. Biblical Archaeology Review. March/April, 2014 (40:2), pages 42-50, 68. This archaeological evidence confirms the historical accuracy of the biblical timeline. For further study, see the website for Associates for Biblical Research, as well as Grisanti, Recent Archaeological Discoveries that Lend Credence to the Historicity of the Scriptures. 475-98.

72. Babylonian Talmud, Ketubot 62b.

3. In Jewish history, when the Jews returned from Babylon, three families, Hobaiah, Hakkoz

and Barzillai, claimed to be of priestly stock, but Nehemiah denied them that privilege of

service because no record was found of them (Ezra 2:61-62).

4. Another returning group of 652 peopleapparently gentileswanted to return to

Jerusalem, but could not prove they were descendants of Israel (Ezra 2:59). They too were

denied the opportunity be become Jewish.

5. The Apostle Paul reflected upon his genealogy when he claimed that he was of the tribe of

Benjamin (Phil. 3:5).73

Ones heritage was always important, not only in the Jewish world, but throughout all ancient cultures

in this area. Lineage was reckoned through the father from whom the son received his heritage. It

made no difference if a father was a biological father or a legal father through adoption or marriage.

This is explained in the second century B.C. Apocrypha book of Sirach.

A covenant was also established with David,

the son of Jesse, of the tribe of Judah:

the heritage of the king is from son to son only;

so the heritage of Aaron is for his descendants.

Sirach 45:25

This ancient custom continues today among some Muslim leaders, who trace their record of ancestry

from Muhammad. Likewise, the Samaritans claim to have their priestly genealogy recorded from

Adam to the present day priests. Their genealogical record is known as the Adler Chronicle or

Chronicle 7.74

Therefore, the genealogy presented by the gospel writers was perfectly in tune with

the cultural requirements for anyone functioning in any religious office.

David, the Son of Abraham. Abraham was the first to receive the messianic promise of salvation

for his future nation (Gen. 12:3; 18:18; 22:18) as part of his covenant with God.75

Matthew wrote to

a Jewish audience and mentioned both Abraham and David in his genealogy, because God had

promised them an eternal throne (2 Sam. 7:16; Ps. 89:1-4). The Jews understood the significance of

73. Golub, In the Days. 41.

74. Information obtained during a personal interview with Hosney Kohen, a Samaritan priest in August of 1999; Neusner and Green, Dictionary of Judaism. 13.

75. Gilbrant, Matthew. 19.

these covenants and the connection Matthew was making to relate them to Jesus (via the genealogy).

The mention of Abraham and David meant far more than historic figures, it meant a promise of God

that was now to be fulfilled. About three or four decades before the birth of Jesus, a book known as

the Psalms of Solomon was written with the following verse that emphasizes the connection of David

and the Messiah as a political figure (see also comments on Mt. 21). While the entire chapter paints a

comprehensive picture of Jewish expectations, this verse is of particular interest as it illustrates the

high level of expectation at the time of Jesus.

See, Lord, and raise up for them their king, the son of David, to rule over your servant

Israel in the time known to you, O God.

Psalms of Solomon 17:2176

The definition of the phrase Son is important in understanding the full depth of Hebraic writings.

The word meant any male offspring, past, present, or future. In Hebrew, there is no word for

grandson, or great-grandson. For example, verse 1 indicates that Jesus was the son of King

David, who was a son of the patriarch Abraham. Since Matthew wrote his gospel to the Jews, it

was critical to demonstrate that Joseph was a descendant of David as well as Abraham. Omitting

several names was not an error. It merely demonstrated that the lineage from Abraham to Jesus is

easily recognized. Old Testament prophets repeatedly foretold that the Messiah would be a

descendant of King David, substantiating the genealogical integrity of Jesus.

The phrase son of David was not only a matter of genealogy, but it also was a messianic title.

Matthews first century readers clearly understood the message. The messianic title appeared first in

the Psalms of Solomon 17:23 and 36 that was written in the first century B.C. Modern critics need to

answer why the Pharisees and Sadducees never criticized His genealogy. It was because records of

families, clans, and tribes were archived in the temple and the Pharisees and Sadducees had access to

them. The focus of Matthew is simply that Jesus, the Messiah, has a verifiable historical trail to

Abraham, that He is a Davidic king, and that He is the fulfillment of the Abrahamic Covenant.77

In fact, the terms Son of Man78

and Son of David became synonyms for Messiah by the first

76. Charlesworth, The Old Testament Pseudepigraphia. 2:667.

77. Merrill, Kingdom of Priests. 186-87.

78. The phrase Son of Man in the Book of Enoch is a figure, who is waiting in heaven until God sends him to earth where he would establish his kingdom and rule over it. This book was common knowledge to the Jewish people, so when Jesus used the phrase about Himself, it was clearly claiming to be the long-awaited Messiah. The phrase Son of Man was originally derived from Daniel 7:13. See Bruce, New Testament History. 167; Tenney, The Gospel of John. 105.

century.79

The expectations were that this Son would excel Davids triumphs, but the Jewish people

did not recognize any elements of deity in the term Son.80

Eventually believers realized that the

expressions of Son of Man and Son of God, express the deity of Jesus,81 but the former title also

asserts His humanity.82

So intense was the passion for a messiah, that some scholars have suggested

that the Psalms were not only written by Pharisees, but at times used as liturgy.83

Luke wrote to a Gentile audience who knew little of Abraham or David. Therefore, he traced the

lineage through David and Adam, the father of humanity. Critics have called attention to the fact that

the father of Joseph was Jacob according to Matthew (1:16), whereas Luke said he was the son of

Heli (3:23). Again, this is hardly an error, for as the ancients called both their grandsons and great-

grandsons sons, they did likewise with their sons-in-law. Heli was, in fact, the father of Mary and

the father-in-law of Joseph.84

During the Reformation Period, in the year 1490, the interpretation was

popularized by Annius of Viterbo who stated that Lukes genealogy connected Joseph as the son-in-

law of Heli.85

04.02.02.Q2 Is there a mistake in Matthew 1:11 concerning the name of Jeconiah?

Jeconiah and his brothers. The biblical record of Jeconiah (also known as Jehoiachin) has given

critics fodder for their arguments that the Bible contains errors. At issue is the verse where Matthew

states that Salathiel (a/k/a Shealtiel) is the son of Jehoiachin while Luke ascribes him to be the son of

Neria. Jeremiah 27:24-30 predicted that Jehoiachin would leave no heirs. Yet, it is altogether

possible for him to have adopted the seven sons of Neria, as implied in Zechariah 12:12. Matthew

made a special note of Jeconiah and his brothers because the Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar had

all of them and their wives imprisoned. In April of 561 B.C., however, the Babylonians released them

and gave Jehoiachin a lifetime pension. The first century Jews were convinced that the Messiah

would come through the genealogy of Jehoiachin, which is precisely what happened.86

79. Richardson, David. 59-60.

80. Psalm of Solomon 17; Ecclesiasticus 47:11; 1 Macc. 2:57. 81. Jn. 3:13; 5:27; 6:27; cf. Mt.26:63-64; Tenney, The Gospel of John. 105. 82. Vincent, Word Studies in the New Testament. 1:312.

83. Moseley, Yeshua: A Guide to the Real Jesus and the Original Church. 104. 84. Willmington, Willmingtons Guide to the Bible. 7. Willmington has an excellent biblical study outline.

85. Gilbrant, Luke. 105.

86. Gilbrant, Matthew