A Quick + Comprehensive Introduction to the Bible
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Ezra and Nehemiah
Ezra and Nehemiah by Daniel J. Lewis ©Copyright 1998 by Diakonos Troy, Michigan USA 2 Ezra-Nehemiah...........................................................................................................3 One Book or Two ..................................................................................................3 Languages ..............................................................................................................4 The Ezra-Nehemiah Chronology...........................................................................5 Authorship .............................................................................................................6 The Exile and the Promise of Restoration.............................................................6 Purpose...................................................................................................................7 Structure.................................................................................................................7 The Book of Ezra...............................................................................................7 The Book of Nehemiah......................................................................................7 The Book of Ezra.......................................................................................................8 The Return of Exiles with Sheshbazzar and Zerubbabel (1-2).............................9 The Restoration of Worship and the Building of the Second Temple (3-6)...... 12 Building the Great Altar and -
Visions of the End? Revelation and Climate Change
Visions of the End? Revelation and Climate Change By The Revd Professor T.J. Gorringe; a chapter from Sebastian Kim and Jonathan Draper (eds.) Christianity and the Renewal of Nature, SPCK, 2011; reproduced with kind permission of the author and publisher. Rev 8: 1 When the Lamb opened the seventh seal, there was silence in heaven for about half an hour. In chapter four of Revelation the author tells us that the song of praise before God ‘never ceases’ (4:8), but now there is silence. ‘Heaven seems to hold its breath because of what is about to happen on earth’. Perhaps the author is thinking of the passage in 2 Esdras where the world returns to its “original silence” as “at the beginning of creation” when nobody will be left alive (7:30 cf.6:39)i. It is an intensely dramatic image which has caught people’s imaginations all the way from the first century to Ingmar Bergman. It could speak about the fear we feel about the possible effects of climate change as represented by James Lovelock in The Revenge of Gaia, or Mark Lynas in Six Degrees. But the silence does not last. Seven trumpets are given to seven angels. These may be the seven archangels found in Jewish tradition and in this tradition trumpets are used to warn or to call. “All you inhabitants of the world, when a trumpet is blown, hear!” says Isaiah(Is.18:3) It is the task of prophets as watchmen to call the people to “give heed to the sound of the trumpet”, to hear the warning says Jeremiah (Jer 6:17 ). -
Introduction to the Millennial Kingdom
What Must Take Place After This (The Millennial Kingdom & the Great White Throne) Text: Revelation 20 Main Idea: When Christ returns He will defeat His enemies, have Satan bound, and set up His throne in Jerusalem and reign for a thousand years on the earth. At the end of the millennial reign Christ will defeat Satan, who will be released, and an army of unbelievers. At that point the whole earth will be destroyed, and all the unsaved through the ages will be resurrected and given bodies to stand before the Great White Throne Judgment and will be cast into eternal hell to be tormented forever and ever. Introduction to the Millennial Kingdom The Three Major Positions: • Amillennialism: The “a” means without. This is misleading because those who hold this position do not reject the concept of an earthly millennium, a kingdom. They believe Old Testament prophecies of the Messiah’s kingdom, but believe that those prophesies are being fulfilled ______currently__________, either by the saints reigning in heaven with Christ, or by the church on the earth. Amillennialists believe that the millennial kingdom is happening right now spiritually. But they do deny a literal reign of Christ on the earth. The hermeneutic of the Amillennialist forces them to interpret everything spiritual. • Postmillennialism: “Postmillennialism is in some ways the opposite of premillennialism. Premillennialism teaches that Christ will return before the Millennium; postmillennialism teaches that He will return at the end of the Millennium. Premillennialism teaches that the period immediately before Christ’s return will be the worst in human history; postmillennialism teaches that before His return will come the best period in history, so that Christ will return at the end of a long golden age of peace and harmony….That golden age, according to postmillennialism, will result from the spread of the ______Gospel___________ throughout the world and the conversion of a majority of the human race to Christianity. -
Eng-Kjv 2MA.Pdf 2 Maccabees
2 Maccabees 1:1 1 2 Maccabees 1:10 The Second Book of the Maccabees 1 The brethren, the Jews that be at Jerusalem and in the land of Judea, wish unto the brethren, the Jews that are throughout Egypt health and peace: 2 God be gracious unto you, and remember his covenant that he made with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, his faithful servants; 3 And give you all an heart to serve him, and to do his will, with a good courage and a willing mind; 4 And open your hearts in his law and commandments, and send you peace, 5 And hear your prayers, and be at one with you, and never forsake you in time of trouble. 6 And now we be here praying for you. 7 What time as Demetrius reigned, in the hundred threescore and ninth year, we the Jews wrote unto you in the extremity of trouble that came upon us in those years, from the time that Jason and his company revolted from the holy land and kingdom, 8 And burned the porch, and shed innocent blood: then we prayed unto the Lord, and were heard; we offered also sacrifices and fine flour, and lighted the lamps, and set forth the loaves. 9 And now see that ye keep the feast of tabernacles in the month Casleu. 10 In the hundred fourscore and eighth year, the people that were at Jerusalem and in Judea, and the council, and Judas, sent greeting and health unto Aristobulus, king Ptolemeus’ master, who was of the stock of the anointed priests, and to the Jews that were in Egypt: 2 Maccabees 1:11 2 2 Maccabees 1:20 11 Insomuch as God hath delivered us from great perils, we thank him highly, as having been in battle against a king. -
Apocrypha, Part 1
Understanding Apocrypha, Part 1 Sources: Scripture Alone, James R. White, 112-119 The Journey from Texts to Translations: The Origin and Development of the Bible, Paul D. Wegner, 101-130 The Doctrine of the Word of God, John M. Frame, 118-139 Can We Still Believe the Bible? An Evangelical Engagement with Contemporary Questions, by Craig L. Blomberg, 43-54 How We Got the Bible, Neil R. Lightfoot, 152-156 “The Old Testament Canon, Josephus, and Cognitive Environment” by Stephen G. Dempster, in The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures, D.A. Carson, editor, 321-361 “Reflections on Jesus’ View of the Old Testament” by Craig L. Blomberg, in The Enduring Authority of the Christian Scriptures, D.A. Carson, editor, 669-701 “The Canon of the Old Testament” by R.T. Beckwith, in The Origin of the Bible, edited by F.F. Bruce, J.I. Packer, Philip Comfort, Carl F.H. Henry, 51-64 “Do We Have the Right Canon?” by Paul D. Wegner, Terry L. Wilder, and Darrell L. Bock, in In Defense of the Bible: A Comprehensive Apologetic for the Authority of Scripture, edited by Steven B. Cowan and Terry L. Wilder, 393-404 Can I Really Trust the Bible?, Barry Cooper, 49-53 Establishing Our Time Frame What are apocryphal books? The word “apocrypha” refers to something hidden (Protestants and Catholics differ on why the term is applied to particular books). It is a general term often used for books not in the biblical canon (apocryphal books), but is also used by Protestants as a specific term for the books officially canonized by the Roman Catholic Church (The Apocrypha). -
Book of Nehemiah - Thorough
Book of Nehemiah - Thorough In the earliest form of the Hebrew canon known to us the books of Ezra and Nehemiah were united in one, under the name of "The Book of Ezra." After a while, a division was made, and the two books which we now recognize were distinguished as "the First Book of Ezra" and "the Second Book of Ezra" Later still - probably not until toward the close of the fourth century - the Second Book of Ezra came to be known as "the Book of Nehemiah." The Book of Nehemiah is composed of four quite distinct sections: (1) Neh. 1-7 containing the record of the 20th year of Artaxerxes (or 445-444 B.C.), but composed by Nehemiah at least twelve years later Neh 5:14. (2) the second section of the work consists of Neh. 8-10, and contains a narrative of some events belonging to the autumn of 444 B.C. In this portion Nehemiah is spoken of in the third person; פחה he is called the Tirshatha (Neh. 8:9)," whereas in the earlier chapters his title is always pechâh ("governor") (Neh. 5:14); and Ezra holds the first and most prominent position. The style of this portion of the book is markedly different from that of the earlier and later chapters; and critics are generally agreed that it is NOT from the hand of Nehemiah. Some assign it to Ezra; others conjecture Zadok (or Zidkijah), Nehemiah's scribe or secretary Neh 13:13, to have been the author. (3) Neh. 11-12:26, which consists of six important lists. -
Syllabus, Deuterocanonical Books
The Deuterocanonical Books (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and additions to Daniel & Esther) Caravaggio. Saint Jerome Writing (oil on canvas), c. 1605-1606. Galleria Borghese, Rome. with Dr. Bill Creasy Copyright © 2021 by Logos Educational Corporation. All rights reserved. No part of this course—audio, video, photography, maps, timelines or other media—may be reproduced or transmitted in any form by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval devices without permission in writing or a licensing agreement from the copyright holder. Scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C. and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. 2 The Deuterocanonical Books (Tobit, Judith, 1 & 2 Maccabees, Wisdom, Sirach, Baruch, and additions to Daniel & Esther) Traditional Authors: Various Traditional Dates Written: c. 250-100 B.C. Traditional Periods Covered: c. 250-100 B.C. Introduction The Deuterocanonical books are those books of Scripture written (for the most part) in Greek that are accepted by Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches as inspired, but they are not among the 39 books written in Hebrew accepted by Jews, nor are they accepted as Scripture by most Protestant denominations. The deuterocanonical books include: • Tobit • Judith • 1 Maccabees • 2 Maccabees • Wisdom (also called the Wisdom of Solomon) • Sirach (also called Ecclesiasticus) • Baruch, (including the Letter of Jeremiah) • Additions to Daniel o “Prayer of Azariah” and the “Song of the Three Holy Children” (Vulgate Daniel 3: 24- 90) o Suzanna (Daniel 13) o Bel and the Dragon (Daniel 14) • Additions to Esther Eastern Orthodox churches also include: 3 Maccabees, 4 Maccabees, 1 Esdras, Odes (which include the “Prayer of Manasseh”) and Psalm 151. -
2 Maccabees Reconsidered,“ ZNW 51 (1960) 10–30
21-2Mc-NETS-4.qxd 11/10/2009 10:31 PM Page 503 2 MAKKABEES TO THE READER EDITION OF THE GREEK TEXT The Greek text used as the basis of the present translation is R. Hanhart’s Göttingen edition, Maccabaeo- rum libri I-IV, 2: Maccabaeorum liber II, copiis usus quas reliquit Werner Kappler edidit Robert Hanhart (Septu- aginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum Auctoritate Societatis Litterarum Göttingensis editum IX [Göttingen: Van- denhoeck & Ruprecht, 2nd ed., 1976 (1959)]), which forms part of the Göttingen Septuagint and is the standard critically established text of contemporary Septuagint scholarship. The texts provided by H. B. Swete, The Old Testament in Greek, According to the Septuagint (vol. 3; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1912), A. Rahlfs, Septuaginta. Id est Vetus Testamentum graece iuxta LXX interpretes (9th ed.; Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935) and F.-M. Abel, Les livres des Maccabées (Etudes Bibliques; Paris: J. Gabalda, 1949) were also consulted. It was not always possible to follow the text reconstructed by Hanhart. Wherever the present transla- tor’s textual-critical decisions differ from those of Hanhart, this has been indicated in the footnotes. Some of the considerations that necessitated such decisions are laid out in the next section. THE NETS TRANSLATION OF 2 MAKKABEES The Text of 2 Makkabees Any critical edition of 2 Makkabees relies mainly on two famous Greek uncial manuscripts: the Codex Alexandrinus (fifth century) and the Codex Venetus (eighth century). There is also a rich tradition of Greek minuscule manuscripts, as well as manuscript witnesses to Syriac, Armenian and Latin transla- tions. There also is a Coptic fragment of some passages from 2 Makk 5–6.1 Hanhart’s edition is based mainly on Alexandrinus and on minuscules 55, 347 and 771. -
A New English Translation of the Septuagint. 15 1 Esdras
15-1Es-NETS-4.qxd 11/10/2009 10:26 PM Page 392 1 ESDRAS TO THE READER EDITION OF THE GREEK TEXT The NETS translation of 1 Esdras is based on the standard critical edition prepared by Robert Hanhart (Septuaginta: Vetus Testamentum Graecum Auctoritate Academiae Scientiarum Gottingensis editum VIII.1: Es- drae liber I [Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1974]). OVERVIEW OF THE BOOK This book is known as Esdras A / in the Greek tradition and 1 Esdras in English translations. 1 Esdras and 2 Esdras (Esdras B /) are one pair of double traditions found in Septuagint collections (see as well the double traditions of Daniel and Esther). They represent material from the Hebrew-Aramaic 2 Chronicles (2 Supplements), Ezra (2 Esdras 1–10), and Nehemiah (2 Esdras 11–23); in addition, in 1 Esdras there is a story of three youths who served as bodyguards for King Darius of Persia. The general relationship of content among the various versions is as follows: 1 Esdras Chr-Ezra-Neh (NRSV) (Suppl–2 Esd [NETS]) 1.1–55 2 Chr (2 Suppl) 35.1–36.21 2.1–5 Ezra 1.1–3 // 2 Chr (2 Suppl) 36.22–23 2.6–14 Ezra 1.4–11 2.15–25 4.6–24 3.1–5.6 – 5.7–45 2.1–70 // Neh 7.7–73 (2 Esd 17.7–73) 5.46–70 3.1–4.5 6.1–9.36 5.1–10.44 9.37–55 Neh 7.73–8.12 (2 Esd 17.73–18.12) The relationship of this Greek book to the Hebrew-Aramaic biblical tradition, from a source-critical point of view, is unclear. -
“Not As the Gentiles”: Sexual Issues at the Interface Between Judaism And
Preprints (www.preprints.org) | NOT PEER-REVIEWED | Posted: 16 July 2018 doi:10.20944/preprints201807.0284.v1 Peer-reviewed version available at Religions 2018, 9, 258; doi:10.3390/rel9090258 Article “Not as the Gentiles”: Sexual Issues at the Interface between Judaism and its Greco-Roman World William Loader, Murdoch University, [email protected] Abstract: Sexual Issues played a significant role in Judaism’s engagement with its Greco-Roman world. This paper will examine that engagement in the Hellenistic Greco-Roman era to the end of the first century CE. In part sexual issues were a key element of demarcation between Jews and the wider community, alongside such matters as circumcision, food laws, sabbath keeping and idolatry. Jewish writers, such as Philo of Alexandria, make much of the alleged sexual profligacy of their Gentile contemporaries, not least in association with wild drunken parties, same-sex relations and pederasty. Jews, including the emerging Christian movement, claimed the moral high ground. In part, however, matters of sexuality were also areas where intercultural influence is evident, such as in the shift in Jewish tradition from polygyny to monogyny, but also in the way Jewish and Christian writers adapted the suspicion and sometimes rejection of passions characteristic of some popular philosophies of their day, seeing them as allies in their moral crusade. Keywords: sexuality; Judaism; Greco-Roman 1. Introduction When the apostle Paul wrote to his recently founded community of believers that they were to behave “not as the Gentiles” in relation to sexual matters (1 Thess 4:5), he was standing in a long tradition of Jews demarcating themselves from their world over sexual issues. -
The Characterization of Tobit in the Light of Tobit 1:1-2
Santa Clara University Scholar Commons Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations Student Scholarship 4-2017 The hC aracterization of Tobit in the Light of Tobit 1:1-2 Emmanuel Nshimbi Follow this and additional works at: http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/jst_dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Nshimbi, Emmanuel, "The hC aracterization of Tobit in the Light of Tobit 1:1-2" (2017). Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations. 6. http://scholarcommons.scu.edu/jst_dissertations/6 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Student Scholarship at Scholar Commons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Jesuit School of Theology Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Scholar Commons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. THE CHARACTERIZATION OF TOBIT IN THE LIGHT OF TOBIT 1:1-2 A dissertation by Emmanuel Kabamba Nshimbi, S.J. presented to The Faculty of the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Sacred Theology Berkeley, California April 2017 Committee Signatures 퐏퐫퐨퐟̅̅̅̅̅̅̅.̅퐉퐨퐡퐧̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅퐄퐧퐝퐫퐞퐬̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅,̅퐒̅̅.̅퐉̅.̅,̅퐃퐢퐫퐞퐜퐭퐨퐫̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅퐃퐚퐭퐞̅̅̅̅̅̅ 퐏퐫퐨퐟̅̅̅̅̅̅̅.̅퐉퐞퐚퐧̅̅̅̅̅̅̅−̅̅̅퐅퐫퐚퐧̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ç̅퐨퐢퐬̅̅̅̅ ̅퐑퐚퐜퐢퐧퐞̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅,̅퐑퐞퐚퐝퐞퐫̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅퐃퐚퐭퐞̅̅̅̅̅̅ 퐏퐫퐨퐟̅̅̅̅̅̅̅.̅퐀퐧퐚퐭퐡퐞퐚̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ 퐏퐨퐫퐭퐢퐞퐫̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅−̅̅̅퐘퐨퐮퐧퐠̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅,̅퐑퐞퐚퐝퐞퐫̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅̅ ̅ ̅ ̅ ̅퐃퐚퐭퐞̅̅̅̅̅̅ Contents CHAPTER ONE ................................................................................................................................. -
A Critical Analysis Ofthe Millennial Reign of Christ in Revelation 20: 1-10
A critical analysis ofthe Millennial reign ofChrist in Revelation 20: 1-10. BY REV. HUMPHREY MWANGI WAWERU Submitted in fulfilment ofthe Requirements for the Degree ofMaster of Theology (New Testament biblical studies) In the faculty ofHumanities School ofTheology, University ofNatal, Pietermaritzburg. January 2001 Supervisor: Prof. Jonathan A. Draper. ABSTRACT This thesis addresses the issue ofthe millennial reign of Christ in Revelation 20: 1-1 O. It is an attempt to investigate whether the millennium is a future event or already inaugurated. The Apocalypse has been the focus ofattention ofmany end time movements down through the ages. This thesis picks up one ofthe most popular issues out ofsuch a focus. One ofthe issues in the Apocalypse of John is the expectation ofa thousand year reign of Christ. During the period of early Christianity up to the middle ages the question ofthe nature ofthe millennium has been controversial. Recently the debate over the millennial reign of Christ in the Apocalypse has intensified more than ever before. Three major views have been advocated and such views have brought in a greater dilemma, since the reader ofthe Apocalypse has to choose one ofthe views. Having grown up in an evangelical religious background, which places emphasis upon apocalyptic ideologies; I found myselfbecoming more and more attracted to this debate. At last I have entered the wagon with a view to demonstrate, in my own way, that the millennial reign is already actualised rather than expected. This sounds very controversial compared to what has always been thought by many Christians since their early days ofSunday School.