Douglas Jacoby Podcast

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

References

• Acts 24:24
• Josephus, Jewish Antiquities, xx.7.2.
• NT Character Podcast on Felix

Birth

• Born in Rome (?) 38 AD
• The youngest of three daughters of Herod Agrippa I (grandson of Herod the Great), who had killed the apostle James (Acts 12).
• She was apparently quite beautiful.

Marriage

• Married as a teenager.
• Accepted an invitation to leave her lawful husband to marry Felix. Felix engaged the services of a Jewish Cypriot magician (similar to the sorcerer of Acts 13?) to persuade her to leave her husband.
• Thus she ignored the clear teaching of Judaism on marriage.
• Felix and Drusilla had a son, Marcus Antonius Agrippa, as well as a daughter, Antonia Clementiana.

Death

• Died 24 August 79 in Pompeii, with the famous eruption of Mount Vesuvius.
• Two famous people died in the eruption: Drusilla and Pliny the elder. (He was a personal friend of the emperor Vespasian)--who died trying to rescue a friend.

Lessons

• Cultivate character, not only the outward self.
• Remain faithful to your spouse.
• Judgment will eventually overtake us all.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

The man

• Antonius Felix reigned 52-60 AD
• He was a freedman of the emperor Claudius (41-54 AD) or his mother.
• His brother was friend of Claudius.

Three wives

• Drusilla of Mauretania (half-Greek, no issue)
• Felix divorced her to marry a teenage Judean princess of the same name (53 AD)
• She died in 79 AD -- more about that in the next podcast. He then remarried again.

The politician

• Weakness for bribes.
• Cruelty: murder of a high priest, sent many to Rome for trial, crucified thousands.
• A compromiser with apparently little conscience or conviction. In several ways he resembled both Herod Antipas and Pontius Pilate: the adulation of the crowd and the importance of political connection meant more to him than the truth.
• Roman historian Tacitus notes not only that Felix was an anti-semite, but also that he "practices every kind of cruelty and lust, wielding the power of a king with all the instincts of a slave" (Annals,12.54).

References in the New Testament

• Acts 23:23-35 -- Paul is sent to Felix
• Acts 24:1-27 -- Paul speaks (repeatedly) before Felix.
• Also referred to in Acts 25:14.
• Be sure also to listen to the NT Character Podcast on Drusilla.

Lessons for us
 

• Positive lesson (?): We can learn from Felix's shrewdness (see Matthew 10:16). Yet this is hardly to his credit.
• 1. Power corrupts (cruelty, bribery, willingness to compromise the truth).
• 2. Leaders mustn't be self-serving -- which is the exact opposite of Christ (always looking for how he could benefit, not caring about others).
• 3. Don't marry for beauty, but for character. Heart is what counts, not looks.
• 4. It's never convenient to give our lives to God, so busy schedules are no excuse for not putting God first. For all, both great and small alike, will one day stand before the Judge and give an account of his life.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Introduction

• Jesus and Paul are beyond question the two persons in the NT about whom we know most. Paul wrote 13 of the 27 NT documents (87 chapters, nearly as many as the 89 of the four gospels). But there is a major difference between him and Jesus.  Jesus left nothing directly to us in writing. In Paul’s case, we are able to coordinate his missionary activities (in Acts) with his writing and follow-up ministry (the letters). This affords a kind of triangulation; with such perspective the man comes to life.
• In this podcast we will not be examining the letters of Paul. For that, please see the NT chapter studies…

Background

• Paul was a Jew, though not from Palestine. He was a citizen of Tarsus, capital of the Roman province of Cilicia, modern southern Turkey (Acts 9:11, 21:39, 22:3).
• Would have grown up speaking Greek, though fluent too in Hebrew, Aramaic, and possibly Latin.
• He was trained as a rabbi under the distinguished Gamaliel (Acts 22:3).
• His secular profession was tent-making (Acts 18:3; see also 9:43, 20:34-35; 2 Corinthians 5:1).
• Paul was also born of the purest Jewish blood, a descendant of the patriarch Benjamin (Philippians 3:5)—at a time when few Jews would have been able to trace their descent, given the confusion of the exiles. He was named after Israel’s first king, Saul.
• Paul was born a Roman citizen (Acts 16:37, 22:25-28)—when only a minority of those residing within the Roman Empire were given this privilege.
• He was an intensely focused Pharisee (Acts 22:3, 23:6, 26:5; Galatians 1:13-14; Philippians 3:5. A driven man, Paul claims to have advanced beyond many of his contemporaries (Galatians 1:13-14). Certain that the Christians were dangerous heretics, he hounded them, imprisoned them, tortured and killed them (1 Timothy 1:13; 1 Corinthians 15:9).
• Sometimes it is asserted that Saul was troubled during his pre-Christian days by his active persecution of the Christians (Acts 7:58, 8:1,3; 9:1; 22:4,20), but he himself insists that he always had a clear conscience (Acts 23:1, 24:16).
• His training as a Pharisee would have equipped Paul to think long and hard about the relationship of Torah to believers in Christ—appropriate for the one who was divinely appointed to be the apostle to the Gentiles (Romans 11:13; Galatians 2:8).

Chronology

• Paul was baptized within a few years of the resurrection, between 32 and 34 AD (Acts 9:18, 22;16). This is a deduction from Galatians 2:1. Paul wrote Galatians, his first epistle, in 48 AD, and so 34 AD would be the latest possible date for his second Jerusalem visit.
• If Paul can call himself an “old man” by the time of Philemon 9 (c.60 AD)—presumably 60 years of age—then he was born by 1 AD. Note: Saul could easily be called a “young man” at the time of Stephen’s martyrdom [Acts 7:58; cp. John 8:57], as he was not yet 40.
• Phases of his life
  • Phase I – Pharisaic roots
    • 1 BC-AD 1 - Birth in Tarsus
    • 13-16 - Trained by Gamaliel in Jerusalem
    • 31- Presides over martyrdom of Stephen (Acts 8)
  • Phase II – Church planting
    • 32 - Baptism  in Damascus
    • 33-36 - Ministers in Damascus and Arabia; receives further revelation from Jesus Christ in Arabia (Acts 9:19-22, 26:20; Galatians 1:16-18)
    • 36 - First Jerusalem visit (Galatians 1:18; Acts 9:26-30)
    • 36-45 - Ministers in Syria and Cilicia (Acts 9:30; Galatians 1:21)
    • 46 - Second Jerusalem visit (Acts 11:27-30; Galatians 2:1-10), the return to Tarsus
    • 47 - Return to Antioch (required by Acts 11:25)
    • 48 - First Missionary Journey (Acts 13:1-14:28)
    • 49 - Jerusalem Council (Acts 15:1-35)
    • 50 - Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22)
    • 57- Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:16)
  • Phase III – Imprisonment
    • 56-58- In custody in Caesarea
    • 58-60 - Roman imprisonment
    • 60 - Released, resumes mission
    • 64 - Fire of Rome, many Christians seized and killed. Paul rearrested.
    • 67/68 - Execution

Some things we learn from the life of Paul

• Sincerity does not equate with truth (Romans 9:1-5).
• Grace has an impact  (1 Corinthians 15:9-10).
• Suffering is the mark of true leadership (2 Corinthians; Galatians 6:17)
• When we become Christians, we should harness all our energy and momentum and put it in the service of Christ (Galatians 1:13-15; Philippians 3:3-14)

Main scriptures in this podcast

• Pre-Christian past: Galatians 1:13-15 (Acts 22:3, 23:6, 26:5)
• Philippians 3:3-7
• Progression in humility: 1 Corinthians 15:9; 2 Corinthians 12:5,10; Ephesians 3:8; Philippians 2:3-4; 1 Timothy 1:15-16—passages written about 55, 56, 58, 60, and 63 AD, respectively.
• Romans 10:2
• 1 Corinthians 9:19-22
• 2 Corinthians 1:8-9
• Romans 9:1-5
• 1 Corinthians 15:10
• Galatians 6:17

For further thought:

• A legacy of the Protestant Reformation is the conclusion “Paul is the key to understanding Jesus.” But surely this is backwards; Jesus’ life and teaching form the filter through which we understand Paul, not the other way around. Paul himself would be outraged with this teaching (1 Corinthians 1:13-17). After all he had a brilliant mind—but not in comparison to Jesus. And as passionately as he strove to live a holy life, he admits to frequent failure. Jesus is the key to understanding Paul, which means that the gospels, not Paul, are the entrance point to grasping the message of the NT.
• Paul was executed under Nero, who himself committed suicide in 68 AD, which is therefore the latest date for Paul’s death. One tradition says he was beheaded—decapitation was the standard form of execution for Roman citizens—at Aquae Salviae, along the Appian Way just outside Rome. Death is imminent when he writes 2 Timothy 4, likely his last letter.
• Further: A Quick Overview of the Bible: How All the Pieces Fit Together (Eugene, Oregon: Harvest House, 2012), chapter 21.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Name, marriage, means

• Joanna = "God is gracious"
• Wife of Chuza
  • Chuza was steward (financial controller) of Herod Antipas, son of the Herod (the Great) who'd tried to dispatch Jesus c.6-4 BC.
  • Herod Antipas reigned 4 BC - 39 AD. He had John the Baptist decapitated, and also was part of the process that condemned Jesus.
• She may be the Junia of Rom 16:7, if New Testament scholars Ben Witherington and Richard Bauckham are on the right track.
• Wealthier -- upper class. Many such women were attracted to Christianity, as we read about in Luke-Acts.

Scriptures

• Luke 8:3
• Luke 24:10
• Romans 16:7
• Titus 3:3-5, 2:11-14

Impact of Jesus on her life
 

• She was set free, either healed of a medical situation or freed from an evil spirit. Either way, her life was transformed by the Lord.
• She traveled with the apostolic band.
  • Older?
  • "Empty nest"?
• Became a supporter of the ministry, providing
  • homes?
  • food?
  • funding?
  • The women of Luke 8:3 were probably flexible because they didn't have to stay home with their children.
  • Joanna chose to put her allowance to good use.
• She formed friendships with fellow believers. (Recall the comments from the podcast on Mary, the mother of Jesus, who continued to build friendships even later in life.)

Thought questions

• Joanna was loyal emotionally and even financially, because Jesus had touched her life, and she was grateful. Do I ever forget that I too have been touched by the Lord? That I have been redeemed from a life of uncertainty, darkness, secrecy, sin, anxiety, and alienation? See Titus 2-3.
• If I am a person of means, how am I using my fortune to advance God's work?
• The fact that such a person as Joanna was drawn into the ministry tells us something about the Christian faith -- what it is and what it is not. How does the story of Joanna address charges of Christianity being "chauvinistic"?
• If I am a parent, do I look forward to time when I will be freer to travel for the sake of the ministry?
• Do I tend to rush past the "minor" characters of the Bible?

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Birth & marriage

• We have information on her over a period of some 36 years.
• Birth
  • We know nothing of her family, though there is a tradition that her parents were Joachim and Anne.
  • She was named after Miriam (prophetess, leader, singer, sister of Moses).
  • Birth year around 20 BC.
• Marriage
  • Betrothed (Luke 2:5) -- nearly as binding as a marriage, though the relationship was not consummated until after the wedding.
  • Probably married between age 12 and 14.
  • Conception
    • Virgin birth (Isaiah 7:14).
    • 'almah (Hebrew) / parthenos (Greek)
    • But did not remain a virgin (Matthew 1:25), despite later traditions.
• Poor family
  • "No room in the inn" (Luke 2:7). (The word for inn may also mean upper room.)
  • Firstborn cradled in a food trough.
  • Sacrifice of birds at her purification (Luke 2:24; see Leviticus 12:8).
• Large and religiously observant family.
  • Had at least 8 children (Matthew 13:55-56).
  • In Jerusalem for the feasts (Luke 2:41).
  • Circumcises Jesus on the 8th day (Luke 2:21).
  • Offers the required sacrifice for birth of firstborn (Luke 2:24).

A speculative reconstruction of Mary's life

• 20 BC - born in Bethlehem
• 7 BC - engaged to Joseph
• 7 BC - miraculous conception of Jesus
• 6 BC - birth of Yeshua (Jesus), family moves to Egypt
• 4 BC - Death of Herod the Great; return from Egypt; family relocates to Nazareth
• 3 BC - Birth of Ya‘aqov (James)
• 1 BC - First daughter born
• 2 AD - Yosef (Joseph) born
• 3 AD - second daughter born
• 5 AD - daughter born (lives only a few days)
• 7 AD - Luke 2 visit, when Jesus is 12
• 9 AD - third (surviving) daughter born
• 12 AD - Yehudah (Judah) born
• 14 AD - Shimeon (Simon) born
• 20 AD - Joseph dies, Jesus now the male family head and Mary a widow.
• 22 AD - James' first child is born; Mary becomes a grandmother. Many more grandchildren follow.
• 30 AD - Jesus executed 7 April. Mary (now age 49) & the siblings join the apostles in prayer.
• 40 AD - Mary moves away from Palestine, possibly to Ephesus.
• 53 AD - Mary dies, age 72

Character

• Faithful: "How will this be?" (Luke 1:34 [cp. 1:18, Zechariah], 1:38ff).
• Slow to realize identity of her son (Mark 3:20-21). This doesn't mean she was faithless; even faithful people need time to mature, and to reach conclusions esp. where the implications are significant.
• Controlling (John 2:3-4)? Or too eager? Difficult to tell, given the cultural and chronological gap.
• Mobile -- travels for census in Judea; to see Elizabeth; to flee Herod to Egypt; to Nazareth; perhaps to Ephesus.

How Jesus' death may have affected Mary

• Mary is in her late 40s. She has already suffered great loss (husband, children), though not to a degree unusual for women in Palestine.
• "The scandal (stumbling block) of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:23) has nothing to do with the degree of pain, but the shame of the event. For this execution was normally reserved for slaves, never for Roman citizens (except perhaps those guilty of treason). The shame of crucifixion—if we are seeking a modern stigma as degrading and shameful—might be on a par with registration as a pedophile. Even if the accused were innocent, all would naturally assume they must have done something to deserve the label, nor would they easily lose the stigma. (How would you feel about attending a church where the preacher had been tried for pedophilia?) No wonder the cross was foolishness to Greeks and a stumbling block—scandalous nonsense—to the Jews." -- excerpt from A Quick Overview of the Bible (2012)
• She continues to build relationships with Jesus' followers (Acts 1:14); she does not pull back.

Lessons for us:

• Faith
  • When young and life is (relatively) simple, but also
  • When things are disappointing, complicated, painful.
• Flexibility
  • Mobility -- new places
  • Open to relationship -- new friends (Joanna, Susanna, Maria Magadalena, the apostles...)
• Perseverance through hardship (Luke 2:34-35)
  • Suspicion, false accusation / innuendo
  • Loss of husband
  • Probable loss of infant children
  • Loss of firstborn
  • “Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars.” -- Kahlil Gibran (1883-1931)

Mariology

• Terms
  • Mariolatry
  • Mariology
  • Marian
• Historical developments
  • 2nd-3rd centuries AD -- increasing premium placed on virginity
  • 431 -- declared Mother of God at Council of Ephesus
    • And again in 449 (Ephesus) and 451 (Chalcedon)
    • She's mentioned 16x in the NT, 32x in the Qur'an (600 years later), but then 1000s of times! -- through images of her (icons, frescoes, reliquaries, etc) and in songs and prayers.
  • 533 -- declared a perpetual virgin
  • 1050 -- Ave Maria
  • 1854 -- Immaculate Conception
  • 1950 -- assumption of  Mary into heaven (Catholic; Orthodox believe her "dormition" preceded her assumption)
• Queen of Heaven
  • Revelation 12
  • Jeremiah 7:18, 44:17-19,25.
• There is thus no biblical basis for later, fanciful understandings of Mary as the Perpetual Virgin, or the Queen of Heaven.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Identity

1. A common name in the Arab kingdoms of Nabatea and Palmyra. Possibly an Arab slave of Caiaphas?
2. As assistant to the most powerful (Jewish) man in Israel, Malchus occupied a position of respect.
3. Walked at the front of the guards, given his close connection to the high priest.
4. Speculation: M. may have been Caiaphas' "ear" in Jerusalem. (C. would have had many enemies.)
5. May have been the one with whom Judas had made the betrayal arrangements.
6. His relative identified Peter as his attacker (John 18:26).

About the attack
 

• Attacker and victim are unnamed except for in John's account.
  
  • Peter have been put in danger if he'd been named as Malchus' assailant. Once Peter had been executed (64-68 AD), naming him would have been a non-issue.
  • If John is the latest of the four gospels (as commonly presumed), then Malchus may have come to faith in Christ later in life.
• Peter may have been attacking a surrogate.
  
  • Consider 2 Samuel 10:4 and Matthew 21:35.
  • Malchus would have been more accessible (less heavily guarded) than Caiaphas.
• What is the significance of the right ear (detail in Luke's and John's accounts)?
  
  • Insult? Maiming disqualified one for priesthood.
  • Aiming for the head and missed? (Did M. move?)
  • A left-handed attacker? Or was P. attacking from behind?
• Was M. zealous to see Jesus arrested?
  • He may have mirrored the values of his master, or have been selected for his zealous qualities.
  • See the references in Josephus and the Tosefta below.
• Jesus' actions demonstrate love for his enemies.

References

• Mark 14:42
• Matthew 26:51
• Luke 22:50
• John 18:10, 26
• Tosefta Menahath xiii.21 and Josephus Antiquities xx.88, 92: The high priest's servant was noted for his violence.

Conclusion

• The last person Jesus saved was the thief on the cross; the last person he healed was Malchus.
• Did M. become a Christian?
  
  • If he was never converted (and there is no record in church history), then that shows that even a miracle won't cause someone to come to faith and be saved.
  • If he did become a disciple, this would explain the mentioning of his name, then this would have been quite an addition to the gospel story, and esp. to the Passion Narrative.

Lessons to learn:

• Pay attention to the details of the Bible. Even seemingly minor characters may have something to teach us.
• "Put your sword away." Violence achieves nothing.
• Love your enemy.
• Accept God's will, drink the cup. Don't rely on human thinking or the arm of flesh to save yourself from the cross.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas’ website.

Semitic words:

• Yeshua -- Hebrew name for Joshua (Jesus), meaning "God saves," or "salvation. Yesous -- the Greek word for Jesus and Joshua.
• Immanuel -- Hebrew for "with-us God"
• Based on grave inscriptions and other literary sources, the most common names in 1st C. Palestine were, in order: Salome, Simon, Mary, Joseph, Judas, Lazarus, Joezer, John, Martha, and Jesus. (All names Anglicized.)

Outline of the class

1. Birth, family, vocation, celibacy
2. Appearance & character
3. Ministry & message
4. Trek & death (from Caesarea to Jerusalem, and what this means for us)

References

• No other figure in the Bible has 90 continuous chapters devoted to him (Matthew 1-Acts 1). And no one else appears as frequently in scripture (over 1200 times).
• Immanuel: Matthew 1:23; see Isaiah 7:1,14, 8:8.
• The death of Herod the Great in 4 BC was recorded by Josephus in Jewish Antiquities 17.6.4.
• The NT repeatedly refers to Jesus’ brothers, and even his sisters (e.g. Matthew 13:55-56).
• The last time Joseph, Jesus’ father, is mentioned is during a family visit to Jerusalem (Luke 2:41-48).
• Jesus knew from scripture that a forerunner would come, as prophesied in Isaiah 40 and Malachi 3. This was John the Baptist.
• Jesus was righteous. The Bible urges us to defend the cause of the widow (Deuteronomy 10:18); if Mary was widowed, Jesus had a special obligation, and especially if Joseph died when Jesus was still in his teens.
• Though his mission was urgent, he did not rush to begin his ministry. Always he proceeded with a keen sense of divine timing (John 2:4, 7:6,8,30, 8:20, 12:23,27, 13:1, 17:1, 19:30).
• Both Jesus and Paul advocated remaining single as an effective path of service to God, if one has the gift of celibacy (Matthew 19:10-12; 1 Corinthians 7:1-9).
• Average height for a man of his time was under five and a half feet tall. In Mark 14:44, Judas guides the arrest party to the Garden of Gethsemane. It is nighttime (and there is a full moon), yet it doesn’t seem to be obvious to the high priest and his detachment of guards which one they are to arrest.
• The 14th-century forgery The Publius Lentulus Letter described Jesus as having hair the color of a ripe hazelnut, parted in the middle, flowing down to his ears, and then becoming wavy and even curly. His skin was smooth and white—no wrinkles or blemishes—slightly ruddy. Perfect nose and mouth—though he was a man off few words. His beard, of course, was well manicured! "He was never known to laugh, but often to weep."
• While we know little about what Jesus looked like, we know a lot about what he was like. The Bible freely records the sins and weaknesses of all its major characters—Abraham’s lies, Sarah’s meanness, Rebekah’s deceit, David’s adultery, the initial lack of faith on the part of Jesus’ own family members, and so on (Genesis 20:2, 16:6, 27:2-13; 2 Samuel 11, Mark 3:21; John 7:5). Yet at no point is sin attributed to Jesus (Matthew 5:17; 26:59-60; Luke 4:13). Even his enemies were unable to convict him of sin (John 8:46)—not to say they all accepted him. Some charged him with being a fraud (Matthew 12:2,24,38, 13:53-57), or being demon-possessed (Luke 11:15), or as making political threats against the Romans (Luke 23:2,13-15), yet none of these charges was substantiated.
• Jesus was highly intelligent—not just as a scholar of the scriptures (Luke 2:41-47), but as a student of human nature (John 2:25). As you read the gospels, try to see how his mind works when he is in a tight spot (Matthew 21:23-27, 22:16-21).
• His logical mind is truly brilliant—and yet he never bullies others with his intellect, but rather remains humble in every interaction. Many miss his intelligence.
• As for his intensity, the gospels stun us by how much one man can pack into a day, how one can keep giving even though emotionally spent (Mark 3:20-21, 6:30-56). His drive was phenomenal, and the NT invites those who follow him to lead zealous and passionate lives (Luke 13:32-33, 24:19; Titus 2:11-14; 1 John 2:3-6).
• After his baptism and temptation, Jesus embarked on a three-year teaching ministry. In John’s gospel we learn that he returned to Jerusalem for three Passovers [2:23, 6:4, 12:1,]. Thus if he began work in 27 or 28 AD [per the chronology of Luke 3:1-2,21, 4:14ff], he would have been executed in 30 AD.)
• Jesus began in Galilee, working among the towns of present-day Lebanon, Syria, Jordan, and Israel. Once the disciples began to understand his identity as the Messiah, he proceeded to Jerusalem, where he came into direct conflict with the religious establishment and was duly dispatched by them (Luke 9:21-22,51-53, 22:52-23:2).
• His ministry included several components: proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, teaching, healing, exorcizing, training the Twelve and, most important, giving his life for the sins of the world (Mark 10:45).
• Jesus’ central message was the Kingdom of God (Mark 1:15; Matthew 4:17; Luke 4:43). The day of the Lord was dawning even in the present, the future messianic age of righteousness breaking into our world. This means that forgiveness, freedom, and participation in the abundant life brought by the Messiah are available now—not only in the hereafter. Jesus also called his followers to a radical standard of holiness, higher than that of the old law (Matthew 5:21-48).
• Jesus said that we are his disciples if we hold to his teaching, love one another as he loved us, and bear fruit that lasts (John 8:31-32, 13:34-35, 15:16). In another sense the man is the message. Jesus did not only point people to the way (Matthew 7:13-14); he is the way (John 14:6).
• The theme of the trek to Judea (from Caesarea to Jerusalem) is especially brought out by Luke. Passages read are Luke 9:28-31, 51-57, 10:1, 12:49-50, 13:22, 31-35, 17:11, 18:31-34, 35, 19:1, 11, 28-29, 37, 41-44, 45, 47.
• Luke 9:23-24 -- we too are called to make the trek from Caesarea to Calvary.
  • To surrender our will, comfort, pride, sins.
  • To persevere through difficult situations (work, family, health, relationships).
  • Perhaps even to die. Of course the comparison by our death and his must not be pressed to far. Other prophets died for their messages, but their deaths did not accomplish deliverance for the people of God. Other men and women of faith take courageous stands, suffering and dying… for their message – not dying for us.

Conclusion

• We don't know what he looked like – yet we recognize his image in all who are born of God. He left us nothing in writing—and yet he is the Word of God, and through his Spirit the NT was inspired and given to us as a precious gift.
• What should we do? If we are following Jesus, we must
  • Grow spiritually (Luke 2:52), and learn obedience through suffering (Hebrews 5:7-10).
  • Emulate the Lord, who was tough physically and emotionally.
  • Strive for schedules that center around people.
  • Recharge by spending time with the Father (the mountain and the market).
  • Follow him to Jerusalem—to Calvary.
• He told us he is coming back, yet we don’t know when—which means we must strive to live in a state of expectation and preparation. For, as the Lord asked, “When the Son of Man returns, will he find faith on the earth?” (Luke 18:8b)

Further study:

• A Quick Overview of the Bible: How All of the Pieces Fit Together (Harvest House, 2012)
• Your Bible Questions Answered (Harvest House, 2011)
• Compelling Evidence: Finding Truth in an Age of Doubt (Harvest House, 2010)
• Jesus & Islam (IPI, 2009)
• "Why God Sent a Son (and not a Daughter)" (Podcast, 2011)
• Bible trivia: The year zero. The Old Testament prophecies never specified the exact year of Jesus' birth, yet he was most likely born in Bethlehem around 7-5 BC. (Herod the Great, who tried to kill him, died in 4 BC.) This fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5, many centuries earlier. Our calendar, which was created in the Middle Ages and is based on several chronological errors, has Jesus being born after his true birthday! Keep in mind also that there is no "year zero." B.C. conventionally means "before Christ," but A.D. means "Anno Domini" -- Latin for in the year of our Lord. Jesus began his public ministry when he was "about 30," probably in 27 AD, based on the chronology of Luke 2 and 3. He ministered in an area about 10,000 sq mi, similar in size to the very smallest state of the United States. (In other words, he ministered to a region far smaller than 1% of 1% of the planet -- but what an impact!) As for his death, Jesus was likely crucified in May 30 AD, in his mid-30s.
• "Jesus' Siblings" (Podcast, to be released 3 June 2012)

Some things we learn about God:

• God connects with us in the incarnation: God becomes man.
• We learn about God's character--and what it means to lead a godly life--when we see Jesus (Matthew 1:23; John 14:9; Colossians 2:9).
• God wants us to live a life of love, following in the footsteps of his son (1 John 2:6). In following the Lord Jesus Christ, we become like God in living a life of love (Ephesians 5:1-2).

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Review:

Galatians:

• Deals with a set of teachings remarkably similar to modern Messianic Judaism.
• As in Romans, the phrase “the Law” refers to Torah, not works-righteousness. The issue isn’t whether we can scratch and work our way to Yahweh, but whether the regulations of Torah are essential.
• The Law, for the ancient Israelites, was a sort of pedagogue or nursemaid or tutor. Maturity is found in Christ, not in circumcision, phylacteries, tassels, and Sabbaths.
• The true Jerusalem is above—not in the Middle East! And true Jews, the Israel of God, are all who by faith were baptized into Christ—regardless of their religious or ethnic background.

Romans:

• Paul is taking preventative action, lest the chaos of Galatia infect the capital Christians.
• Abraham was justified by faith before and without the Torah
• No one group today enjoys special status before God. True Israel is not an ethnic group, since, as Paul puts it, “not all descended from Israel are Israel…” Only those who put their trust in Christ will be saved.
• We fulfill the law by loving our neighbor—not by eating kosher!

New material

Genesis 49:10: “The scepter shall not depart from Judah, Nor the ruler’s staff from between his feet, Until Shiloh comes, And to him shall be the obedience of the peoples.”

• Jesus as anointed priest—ministry in heaven, no need for sacrifices and priests down here on earth.
• Jesus as anointed prophet—the ultimate prophet—he’s where we need to look (Heb 1:1).
• Jesus as anointed king—“scepter”—just as he warned that the kingdom would be taken away from the Jews (Matt 21:43).
• Adam Clarke (1762-1832), writing a century and a half before the emergence of Messianic Judaism: “Judah shall continue a distinct tribe till the Messiah shall come; and it did so; and after his coming it was confounded [blended together] with the others, so that all distinction has been ever since lost.” Why would Clarke say that? Because Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (Rom 10:4).

Hebrews 8:3-7, 13; 10:1; 12:22

• The Law is a shadow of what was to come in Christ.
• It is neither necessary nor wise to uncritically combine the two covenants. Similarly, when we read the Bible, we need to pay great attention to which testament we are reading in.
• This is not to say OT is unimportant, or that we shouldn't read it in its entirety, with reverence and awe!

Colossians 2:11-17

• Let’s appreciate the hints and types and shadows of the O.T.! But that’s not where we're called to live. The substance—the reality—is in Jesus Christ.
• Dwelling in the light of Christ and the new covenant in his blood is much more substantial than any half-baked combination of the testaments!

1 Timothy 1:3-7

• Despite some positive points, as a system Messianic Judaism is misguided. It has the potential to sidetrack, or even derail, the faith of many.
• Yes, at first blush, the Messianics seem to make a good case. They have Bible verses, doctrines, and confidence that they are right. (If we aren’t deeply rooted in God’s Word, we may be easily persuaded.) Yet, in the words of Paul, “they do not know what they are talking about or what they so confidently affirm.”

Further resources:

• Questions about Modern Israel (15-min podcast, with notes)
• A Mass Conversion of Israel? (41 min, with notes)
• Rob Bell (Velvet Elvis and In His Dust)
• Ron Moseley (The Real Jesus)
• Ran vander Laan (Follow the Rabbi)
• Romans A-Z (subscription required for the later lessons)
• iFaith messages on Romans and Galatians and Hebrews. (Scroll down if necessary.)
• The name of Jesus. How “Jewish” should we try to sound? Is there power in how a word is pronounced?
• A separate covenant for the Gentiles? (Gentiles don’t need to obey Acts 2:38?)
• Sabbath—why we don’t need to follow this OT ordinance
• Holiness—a good supplement to the Sabbath study

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

Main ideas

The Jew-Gentile Controversy

• Just how “Jewish” do Christians need to be?
• The answer: Not at all, although it is okay for actual Jews to hold on to cultural markers—provided they do not force these on others.
• This was the broadest dispute in the first century church, from 30-70 AD. Later centuries had their own hot topics.

Romans

• Paul writes this letter not only to secure mission funding (chapter 15), but also to "inoculate" the Roman believers against the Galatian controversy.
• Chapters 1-3: No ethnic group enjoys a privileged status in the eyes of God.
• Chapters 4-8:  God displays covenant faithfulness to all Abraham’s descendants on the basis of faith, not Torah. (4:11-13).
• Chapter 5: The new distinction is between “in Adam” and “in Christ,” not Gentiles v. Jews.
• Chapters 12-15: 13:10 – We fulfill the law by loving our neighbor (13:10). These chapters show how we are to fulfill the Law. Note that there is no mention of a need for circumcision, Sabbath, etc…

Galatians

• Law = Law of Moses
• Paul is a prime example of someone who knows Torah, and is zealous for Torah—and yet does not rely on Torah for justification in God's sight.
• What was dismantled (system of Torah) must not be rebuilt (2:21).
• Passages read: 1:6, 13-14; 2:11-14, 16, 21; 3:2-3, 23-28; 4:1, 3-11; 16-17, 21-26, 31; 5:1-4, 6-8, 11; 6:15-16.

"The Israel of God"

• We have already seen that Jewish-sounding passages, like Micah 4:1-2 and Amos 9:11, were interpreted as fulfilled in Christ and his church. Now let’s look at passages supporting the interpretation that "the Israel of God" simply means the church.
• Review: Matt 3:9; Rom 2:28-29; 9:6-7; Gal 3:28-29.
• Further: Gal 4:24-31; Rev 3:9; 1 Pet 1:1; 2:4-10.
• Patristic documents: Epistle of Barnabas (Alexandria, Syria, or Asia Minor), 2 Clement (unsure), Justin Martyr (Rome), Irenaeus (Lyon), Origen (Alexandria), Cyprian (Carthage), Lactantius (Rome)
• Gal 6:15-16 refers to the new covenant people of God—not to Israel, Jewish Christians, or followers of Messianic Judaism. All true Christians are the Israel of God.

For additional notes and resources check out Douglas' website.

We have already discussed several major features of Judaism that do not carry over directly into Christianity. For example, consider:

•  
  • Animal sacrifices (Heb 9:22; 10:1-4; 10:18)
  • Warfare: We are no longer permitted to kill our enemies. The church is no longer a political entity.
  • Priesthood. All Christians function as priests, and only Jesus has a special (high) priesthood.
  • Tithing. Tithing is "found" in the NT only in passages referring to OT law (Matt 23 and Heb 7). We are no longer an agrarian church-state, and are thus released from the law of the tithe.

Other significant Messianic teachings include:

• Circumcision. Acts 15; 1 Cor 7:18-19
• The Third Temple. Acts 15:16-18 (citing Amos 9:11 on rebuilding of “David’s fallen tent”).
  • Jesus and the church interpreted the “tent” (tabernacle / temple) figuratively. “Destroy this temple” (John 2:19) = Jesus’ body.
  • Acts 15:16: The "restoration" of Israel was already well underway, through the ministry of the first century leaders like Peter. As a result, the Gentiles mission was really taking off, e.g. through Paul.
  • Another example of a figurative understanding of a passage is Mic 4:1-2 (par in Isa 2), which speaks of the house of the Lord in the last (or latter) days. Peter indicates that the Last Days have already come by 30 AD (Acts 2:16-17). The Gentile mission: not all nations literally streaming to Jerusalem, but the Word going out from Jerusalem to all nations (Acts 1:8 etc)!
  • Further, the true tabernacle is in heaven (Heb 8:2; 9:11).
  • And besides, there is no further need for sacrifice, since Jesus died for our sins.
  • Click here to see the "Holy Temple Museum."
• Kashrut: Perhaps there is nutritional wisdom in some of the food laws. There is also great wisdom in vegetarianism, and some argue that this must be God’s will for us, based on the description of Eden.
  • But Jesus declared all foods clean (Mark 7:19).
  • See also 1 Tim 4:3-5; Heb 9:10; 13:9-10.

Miscellaneous

• Separating from the Gentile church (but Gal 3:28!)
• Hebrew N.T.: it is often believed that the original N.T. was written in Hebrew.
• No communion in the Sunday service.
• Not celebrating Easter or Christmas (but celebrating Passover, Tabernacles, etc). Interestingly, while Messianics celebrate 7 Jewish feasts, historic Christian observances are also 7: Easter Day, Ascension Day, Pentecost, Trinity Sunday, All Saints' Day (1 Nov), Christmas (25 Dec), and Epiphany (6 Jan)
• Reliance on Talmud (competed 400-700 AD) as key to understanding how Jesus trained the Twelve
  • Yet how accurately can we read the practices described in these medieval documents into the 1st century AD? There can be a wide gulf between theory and practice, the ideal and the real.
  • Talmud describes rabbis making disciples of boys, requiring them to memorize the Bible, etc. Messianic teachers often claim the Twelve were youths (the oldest, Peter, around 18, and the youngest, John, perhaps only 9)!
  • Yet after 70 AD, only one sect of Judaism survived, the liberal Pharisees of the school of Hillel. (The stricter Shamma’ite Pharisees, as well as the Essenes, Herodians, and Sadducees all disappear after 70 AD.) Surely this colored the understanding of the rabbis.
  • Messianics do not seem to be reading these ancient Jewish sources critically.
• Bogus argument that we still have to keep Torah, because if God changed the Law, then he would be changing himself (based on Mal 3:6). Yet this confuses God's nature with how he relates to his creatures. Changes in law or covenant do not require a change within the Deity!