Early Christianity and Its Sacred Literature

736 Pages·1995·41.25 MB·English

by  Lee Martin McDonald

E~ARLY
CHRISTIANITY
SAcRED
AND ITs
LITERATURE

SAcRED
AND ITs
LITERATURE
Lee Martin McDonald
Stanley E. Porter
r\
HENDRICKSON
~
~~PUBLISHERS
© 2000 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc.
P. 0. Box 3473
Peabody, Massachusetts 01961-3473
All rights reserved
Printed in the United States of America
First Printing-November 2000
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
McDonald, Lee Martin, 1942-
Early Christianity and its sacred literature I Lee Martin McDonald and Stanley E. Porter.
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 1-56563-266-4 (cloth)
1. Bible. N.T.-Introductions. I. Porter, Stanley E., 1956- II. Title.
BS2330.2 M34 2000
225.6'1-dc21 00-039529
Photo Credits
ROHR PRODUCTIONS
Page number: 48a, 51, 52b, 53a, 53b, SSb, 57a, 58b, 59, 6Sa, 6Sb, 81, 87,123, 13Sa, 13Sb, 137, 138a, 138b, 139,141,
143a, 143b, 145, 146a, 146b, 146c, 146d, 146e, 146r, 148b, 149, 150, ISla, lSlb, 154a, 154b, 156, 157, 159, 161.
162, 163, 165, 179, 225, 226, 23lb, 233, 235, 236, 237, 244, 246, 247, 249a, 249b, 261, 327a, 327b, 327c, 327d,
330a, 330b, 33Sa, 33Sb, 338, 343, 346, 351, 354, 378, 387, 423a, 423b, 426a, 426b, 431, 434, 439, 442a, 442b,
447, 450, 519a, 519b, 522a, 522b, 527a, 527b, 530a, 530b, 530c, 530d, 530e, S3d, 53Sa, 53Sb, 538a, 538b, 543,
546a, 546b, 579
LEE MARTIN MCDONALD
Page number: 48b, 49, soa. SOb, 52a, 54, SSa, 56a, 56b, 57b, 58a, 60, 74, 75, 77, 83a, 83b, 85, 120, 129, 131, 132,
133a, 133b, 134, 136, 140, 142, 144a, 144b, 148a, 153, 155, 230, 23la, 245, 255, 256, 259, 293, 334, 336, 341,
345, 366a, 366b, 372a, 372b, 373a, 373b, 374a, 374b, 375a, 375b, 377a, 377b, 380, 381, 382, 384, 385, 416, 429,
430a, 430b, 43Sa, 43Sb, 436a, 436b, 437, 462, 463, 467, 472, 475, 476, 548, 555, 556, 557a, 557b
Dedicated to
Craig A. Evans
a good scholar and a special friend,
but most of all,
a fellow servant ofJesus Christ

TABLE OF CONTENTS
PREFACE xiii
ABBREVIATIONS xvii
1. HISTORY AND FAITH: CRITICAL ASSUMPTIONS FOR THE STUDY OF THE NEW TESTAMENT 1
1. The Problem of History 1
2. History and the Historical Method 3
The Meaning and Subject of History 3 • The Task of the Historian 5
The Framework of the Historian 6 • History and Science 8
3. Principles and Assumptions of Modern Historiography 9
The Principle of Autonomy 10 • A Closed Causal Nexus 10
The Principle of Analogy 11 • The Principle of Probability 12
4. Historical Assumptions and God's Activity in History 13
5. Historical and "Theological" Explanation 15
Bibliography 18
Notes 19
2. EXAMINING THE BIBLE CRITICALLY 23
1. Introduction 23
2. The Importance of Critical Biblical Inquiry 24
3. Types of Biblical Criticism 26
Textual Criticism 26 • Historical Criticism 27 • Source Criticism 27
Form Criticism 28 • Redaction Criticism 28 • Literary Criticism 29
Rhetorical Criticism 30 • Social-Scientific Criticism 32
Canonical Criticism 33 • Linguistic Criticism 34
4. Biblical Theology: What Comes after Biblical Criticism? 35
5. Conclusion 37
Bibliography 37
Notes 42
3. THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY 47
1. From Cyrus to Augustus 47
Persian Domination of Palestine 47 • Greek Domination of Palestine 49
Jewish Independence and the Hasmoneans 53
viii EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND ITS SACRED LITERATURE
Roman Domination of Palestine and Herodian Rule 53
2. The Jewish Context of Early Christianity 55
Jewish Identity and Religious Beliefs 55 • The Hebrew Scriptures 57
The Rabbinic Tradition and Literature of Ancient Judaism 59 • The Home 62
The Temple 62 • The Synagogue 62 • Conversion to Judaism 63
Apocalypses and Messiahs 63 • Primary Jewish Religious Sects 65
3. The Greco-Roman Context of Early Christianity 80
The Social World 80 • Religion 82 • Christianity and Hellenism 87
Bibliography 88
Notes 93
4. THE QUEST FOR THE HISTORICAL JESUS: RECENT LIFE-OF-JESUS RESEARCH 100
1. Introduction to Life-of-Jesus Research 100
2. The Quest for the Historical Jesus 100
The First Quest for the Historical Jesus 101 • The "No Quest" for the Historical Jesus 102
The "New Quest," or Second Quest, for the Historical Jesus 103
The "Third Quest" for the Historical Jesus 103
3. The Use of Q in Recovering the Historical Jesus 105
4. Criteria for Authenticity 108
5. Problems for Christian Faith 110
Bibliography 111
Notes 113
5. THE STORY OF JESUS, PART A: FROM BIRTH TO BURIAL 116
1. Introduction 116
2. The Life of Jesus: From Birth to Burial 117
The Birth of Jesus 117 • The Genealogy of Jesus 122 • The Early Childhood of Jesus 126
John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus 127 • The Temptation of Jesus 130
The Early Galilean Ministry 130 • Healings, Teachings, and the Nature of Jesus' Appeal 136
The Transfiguration of Jesus 141 • The Triumphal Entry 147
The Passion Predictions of Jesus 147 • The Arrest and Trial of Jesus 147
The Death and Burial of Jesus 158
3. What Factors and People Were Involved in the Death of Jesus? Further Comment 168
Circumstances Surrounding Jesus' Death 168 • Responsibility for Jesus' Death 170
Bibliography 171
Notes 173
6. THE STORY OF JESUS, PART B: EASTER FAITH AND THE RESURRECTION NARRATIVES 178
1. Introduction 178
2. Origins of the Notion of Resurrection 178
3. The Resurrection of Jesus in History and in the Easter Traditions 181
4. The Empty-Tomb Tradition 183
The Time of the Discovery 183 • The Number and Names of the Women 185
The Problem of Opening the Tomb 186 • The Opening of the Tomb 187
The Women Entering the Tomb 187 • The Angels in the Empty-Tomb Stories 188
The Response of the Women to the Angelic Message 190
The Response of the Disciples to the Message of the Women 190 • The Grave Clothes 190
The Guard at the Tomb 192 • Consistencies in the Empty-Tomb Tradition and Their Importance 193
5. The Appearance Stories 197
The Location of the Appearances 197 • To Whom Did Jesus First Appear? 202
The Ascension and the Forbidding of Mary to Touch Jesus 204 • What Was the Ascension? 207
The Nature of the Resurrection Appearances 209 • A Summary of the Events of Easter 214
Concluding Comments on the Easter Narratives 215
6. Conclusion 216
Table of Contents ix
Bibliography
217
Notes
219
7. THE EMERGENCE OF EARLY CHRISTIANITY: A LOOK AT THE FIRST CHRISTIANS 225
1. Introduction
225
2. Organization and Order in the Early Church
225
The Organization of the Early Church 226 • Organization in the Jerusalem Church 228
Conclusion 228
3. Galilee and Early Christianity
229
The Population of Galilee 229 • Silence about the Church in Galilee 231
4. Growth and Development in Early Christianity (A.D. 30-100) 232
The Composition of the First Christian Community 232 • The Names of the Earliest Christians 233
The Church toward the End of the First Century 235 • Worship in the Early Church 241
5. Wandering Preachers in the Early Church
243
6. The Separation of Christianity from Judaism 244
When Christians Ceased Being Jews 244 • The Causes of the Separation and Hostilities 249
Conclusion 254
7. How Others Saw the Christians
255
Suetonius 256 • Tacitus 256 • Pliny the Younger 257 • Trajan 258
Graffiti 258 • Lucian of Samosata 258 • Celsus 259
Marcus Aurelius 260 • Galen 260 • Josephus 261
8. An Outline of the Early Church's Development 262
Timeline 262 • Noteworthy Events and Writings 263
Bibliography
264
Notes
267
8. THE GOSPELS AND THE ACTS OF THE APOSTLES 274
1. Introduction to the Gospels
274
2. The Synoptic Problem: Relationships and Differences
276
Introduction to the Synoptic Problem 276 • The Existence of Q 281
Events Giving Rise to the Gospels 283 • Conclusion 285
3. The Gospel of Mark
285
Authorship 285 • Date 287 • Influence and Reliability 288
Basic Characteristics and Message 289 • Outline of the Gospel of Mark 289
Postscript 290
4. The Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles
291
Introduction 291 • Authorship 291 • Date 295
The Importance of Authorship for Interpretation 296
Outlines of the Gospel of Luke and the Acts of the Apostles 297
5. The Gospel of Matthew
297
Introduction 297 • Authorship 297 • Date, Location, and Occasion 299
Basic Characteristics and Message 301 • Historical Reliability 302
Outline of the Gospel of Matthew 302
6. The Gospel of John
302
Introduction 302 • Distinctive Features 303 • John and the Synoptics 303
Authorship and Date 305 • Purpose and Historical Origins 307
History and the Gospel of John 307 • Outline of the Gospel of John 309
7. Conclusion
309
Bibliography
311
Notes
314
9. THE PAULINE TRADITION 323
1. Who Was Paul? His Importance in Early Christianity 323
The Value of Paul for the Early Church 323 • Paul the Man 325
x EARLY CHRISTIANITY AND ITS SACRED LITERATURE
.Paul and His Upbringing 326 • Paul and the Roman Empire 331 • Paul's Occupation 332
Paul's Religious and Ethnic Background 333 • Paul's Conversion 334 • Acts and Paul 337
2. The Primary Teachings and Thought of Paul 340
The Background to Paul's Thought 340 • Major Pauline Beliefs 352
3. Paul's Mission and Ministry: An Outline 365
Paul's Conversion and the Early Years (ca. A.D. 33-47) 367
First Missionary Journey (Acts 13-14; A.D. 47-49) 367
Second Missionary Journey (Acts 15:36-18:22; A.D. 50-52) 368
Third Missionary Journey (Acts 18:23-21:17; A.D. 53-57) 369
Paul in Roman Custody (A.D. 57-fJ2) 371
Paul's Possible Release from Prison and Later Reimprisonment (A.D. 62-fJ5) 371
4. Paul's Imprisonments 372
Paul the Prisoner 372 • The Places of Imprisonment 373
5. The Pauline Letter Form 377
The Letter in the Hellenistic World 377 • The Purposes of Letters 379
The Form of the Letter 380 • Paul's Use of the Amanuensis 386 • Summary 387
6. Pseudonymity and the Pauline Letters 388
Bibliography 393
Notes 396
10. THE PAULINE LETTERS 409
1. Introduction 409
2. The Main Epistles 410
Galatians 410 • 1 Thessalonians 415 • 2 Thessalonians 422
1 Corinthians 429 • 2 Corinthians 441 • Romans 449
3. The Prison Epistles 461
Philippians 461 • Colossians 471 • Philemon 479 • Ephesians 482
4. The Pastoral Epistles 488
Timothy and Titus 488 • Critical Difficulties 489
Proposed Solutions to the Problems of the Pastoral Epistles 492 • The Evidence 495
Authorship 497 • Outlines of the Pastoral Epistles 497
Bibliography 498
Notes 502
11. HEBREWS, THE GENERAL EPISTLES, AND REVELATION 517
1. Introduction 517
2. Hebrews 517
Introduction 517 • Authorship 518 • Date, Audience, and Destination 521
Literary Genre 524 • Basic Characteristics and Message 526 • Outline of Hebrews 526
3. James 528
Introduction 528 • Authorship 528 • Literary Genre 531 • Date 532
Basic Characteristics and Message 533 • Outline of James 534
4. The Petrine Letters and Jude 534
Introduction 534 • 1 Peter 534 • 2 Peter and Jude 539
Basic Characteristics and Message 544 • Outlines of 1 Peter. 2 Peter. and Jude 545
5. The Johannine Letters 547
Introduction 547 • Literary Genre 547
Reception, Authorship and Date, and Order of Composition 548
Situation and Content 551 • Outlines of 1, 2, and 3 John 551
6. Revelation 5_51
Introduction 551 • Literary Genre 552 • Date 554
Authorship 557 • Problems of Interpretation 558 • Outline of Revelation 561
Bibliography 561
Notes 563