The in 50 Days Year 2 — 35 Books

Rev. Chris Dowd, August 2020 Week 1 — Re-introductions, Overview, How We Read the Bible

Recommended : New

Recommended Bible: The Wesley Study Bible (cokesbury.com)

Recommended reading: What Is the Bible? How an Ancient Library of Poems, Letters, and Stories Can Transform the Way You Think and Feel About Everything, by Rob Bell

Syllabus — not cumulative!

What the Bible Is • 66 books in Protestant • Written over the course of 1500 years or so • By we-don’t-know-how-many-for-sure authors and editors • A library — “ta biblia” = the books

How It Functions • Inspired, written by human authors (we’re not literalists; we don’t believe “sola scriptura” like the Reformers) • What it’s authoritative for — “All things necessary for salvation” (Articles of Religion V; Confession of Faith IV) • Four sources and criteria — how we approach our theological task • Revealed in Scripture • Illumined by Tradition • Tested by Reason • “Vivified” in our Experience Week 2 — Gospels Review

Background • euangellion = “good news;” used for victory in battle, emperor’s birth and presence • Timeline — Jesus’ ministry (first third of 1st century); apostolic preaching (2nd third); written gospels (final third) • Not biography; not history; a theological document meant to edify the faithful and bring new people to the faith • Each of the four have different theological emphases, and differ in some details • Written to be heard; 1st century was an oral culture — no more than 5% of the people were literate

Two-Source Theory • Synoptic Gospels • Mark was the earliest Gospel and a source for Matthew and Luke • Mark — 661 verses; Matthew — 1,068; Luke — 1,149 • 80% of Mark is in Matthew; 65% is in Luke — “the Triple Tradition” • 220-235 verses shared by Matthew and Luke, not in Mark — “the Double Tradition” (Q) • John is something different altogether

The Four Evangelists • Mark — 66-70 AD • written to a persecuted community; focus on redemptive suffering • Matthew — 80-90 AD • Greek speaking Jewish Christian; emphasizes Jesus’ teachings and fulfillment of Jewish prophecy; Sermon on the Mount • Luke — 80-90 AD • our greatest storyteller; themes of reversal and assurance; emphasis on the Holy Spirit • John — 90-110 AD • highest Christology; highly symbolic language; written to a community being rejected by the synagogue Week 3 — Esther

Background • Set in the diaspora during the reign of King Xerxes, 486-465 BC • Echoes of the stories of Joseph (Gen 39-41) and Daniel (Dan 1-6 • Part of the Megilloth, the scroll of five short books read on feast days (Feast of Purim) • Two-day festival • “Blest be Mordecai” • “Cursed by Haman” • No direct mention of God • Plot-driven (as opposed to character-driven) narrative • Providence and human initiative combine for triumph of good over evil • Only book of the Old Testament not found in the Dead Sea Scrolls • Perhaps because the community at Qumran was disdainful of how raucous Purim had become

Characters • Esther and Mordecai — complicated heroes • King — stock background figure • Haman (Persian prime minister) — the villain

Themes • Importance of protecting the faith (and the faithful) • Divine help for persecuted faithful • Dangers of syncretism • Vengeance Week 5 — Job

Background • Part of the wisdom tradition (see wisdom poem in ch 28) • Two or three sources — a poem bracketed by a prose prologue and epilogue; Elihu section may be a third source • Probably composed in its final form during or after the Exile • Set during the period of the patriarchs or earlier • Cattle and servants • Monetary unit from Genesis 33:19 • Job’s three friends and the enemy marauders (Sabeans and Chaldeans) are from era of the patriarchs • No priests to make sacrifices

The Story • Prose prologue, ch 1-2 — Job loses a bet between God and “The Accuser” • Poem, ch 3-42:6 • Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar take turns trying to convince Job of his sin and God’s justice; Job defends himself repeatedly (ch 3-31) • Elihu shows up and fusses at all four of them (ch 32-37) • God and Job get into it and Job finally understands (ch 38-42:6) • An entirely unsatisfying (?) prose epilogue (42:7-17)

Themes • The problem of theodicy • The problem of undeserved suffering • Counterpoint to theology of Deuteronomy (do good/get good, do bad/get bad) • Question of “The Accuser”: Is there such a thing as disinterested righteousness? Week 6 — The Pastoral Epistles

Background • 1 and 2 Timothy, Titus — known as the Pastorals since 18th century • Probably written in the last decades of the First Century • Paul’s concerns — faith, law, justification, righteousness • Pastorals’ concerns — godliness, sound teaching, church order • Shift from evangelical fervor to care of evangelized communities

Themes • Church leadership • Church order • Sound teaching/doctrine • Relationship of Church to Culture Week 7 — The Psalms

Background • Written over the course of centuries • “Tehillim” — praises • Intended to be accompanied by music and sung • Helpful analysis in the discipline of form criticism • Boadt — “a vision of the just person at prayer” (p. 279)

Organization • Book I, Psalms 1-41 — early collection of Davidic hymns (Yahweh) • Book II, Psalms 42-72 — northern collection (from Israel, the Northern Kingdom; Elohim) • Book III, Psalms 73-89 — collection from the temple • Book IV, Psalms 90-106 — royal collection, perhaps for New Year’s • Book V, Psalms 107-150 — second, expanded Davidic royal collection

Types • Hymns of praise • Hymns of thanksgiving • Individual laments • Community laments • Royal psalms (honoring either Yahweh or the earthly king as his deputy) • Wisdom psalms Week 8 — Hebrews

Background • Anonymous author (scholars have proposed Barnabas, Apollos, Priscilla) • “Hebrews” was title assigned by scribes in 2nd century, reflecting its (presumed) intended audience • Probably written to second generation (2:3) Christians in Rome who who experienced persecution • Elaborate theology reflects mid- to late-1st century (after 60 AD, quoted by 1 Clement in 95 AD) • More a sermon than letter (13:22 — “words of exhortation”) • Among most sophisticated Greek in NT, among most sophisticated theology in the

• (Greek translation of the Old Testament)• Parallelism of Hebrewinterpreted poetry in light of faith in Christ

Themes • Direct access to God through Christ • Confidence through faith • Perseverance in persecution • High Christology • Christ in priestly role • Atonement Week 9 — Proverbs

Background • Definition of wisdom: “The reasoned search for specific ways to ensure personal well-being in everyday life, to make sense of extreme adversity and vexing anomalies, and to transmit this hard-earned knowledge so that successive generations will embody it.” — Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction by James L. Crenshaw, p. 3 • Attributed to Solomon • Includes sayings that date as far back as the Sumerians in 3000 BC • Proverbs as we receive it includes later additions and final editing after the Exile

Outline 562 775 7879 • Prologue (post-exilic) — 1-9 • Proverbs of Solomon — 10:1-22:16 • “The Sayings of the Wise” — 22:17-24:34 • Proverbs of Solomon recorded under Hezekiah (2 centuries later) — 25-29 • Sayings of Agur and Lemuel — 30-31 Themes • Fear of the Lord • Character formation through a wide variety of topics • Woman Wisdom and Woman Folly Week 10 — James

Background • Definition of wisdom: “The reasoned search for specific ways to ensure personal well-being in everyday life, to make sense of extreme adversity and vexing anomalies, and to transmit this hard-earned knowledge so that successive generations will embody it.” — Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction by James L. Crenshaw, p. 3 • Christian wisdom literature • An essential text to and Wesleyan piety • Raymond Brown — “the most socially conscious writing in the New Testament” • Attributed by tradition to James, the brother of Jesus • Was martyred in the years before the outbreak of the Jewish War, 66-70 AD • Letter probably written in the 80s or 90s

Themes • Christian living • Works and faith • Social concerns Week 11 — Ecclesiastes

Background • Wisdom tradition, attributed to Solomon • Most scholars date it very late — 300-200 BC • In Hebrew, “Qoheleth” = “teacher/preacher” • Includes variety of wisdom forms — proverbs, parables, admonitions • “…it teaches the great gulf between the transcendent God and our human striving to understand and so control him. In the end, Ecclesiastes’ message is one with that of Job — trust and surrender yourself to God’s loving care even if you cannot know where it will lead.” (Lawrence

Boadt, Reading the Old Testament: An Introduction, p. 484-485)

Themes • Life’s limits and contradictions • Realism/skepticism/pessimism (?) • Focus on the present Week 12 — 1 and 2 Peter

Background • Both most likely pseudonymous; 1 Peter 70-90 AD • Written to a church wrestling with its place in a culture with very different values • Romans mistrusted “foreign” religions, believing they would lead to insubordination within the home and disloyalty to the state (or divided loyalty at best) • Christian moral standards were much stricter than pagan culture • 1 Peter is an encouragement, including in what ways to assimilate • 2 Peter is written as a final testament, and a warning about what not to accommodate • Some scholars believe 2 Peter was the last of the New Testament books to be written (Brown — 130 AD) Themes • 1 Peter • Encouraging Gentile converts (alienation vs persecution) • Reasonable assimilation to the cultural norms • 2 Peter • Christian morality • Final judgment Week 13 — Song of Songs

Themes • Love! Week 14 — 1, 2, 3 John

Background • Gospel written ~90 AD; final redaction/editing around 100 AD • According to Raymond Brown, 1 and 2 John probably written 90-100 AD; 3 John ~100 AD • All written in same community, perhaps Ephesus • Letters address developing issues within the community • 2 and 3 John written by “the presbyter” (i.e., “the elder”) • 3 John = shortest book in New Testament • In Gospel, core conflict is between [email protected]@verizon.net and “the Jews”/synagogue leaders • In letters, theological dispute within the Johannine community, re: Christ’s humanity • Later heresy of Docetism claimed that Jesus was a spirit, not a physical human being Themes • Full humanity of Christ (fully human and fully divine) • Salvific work on the cross (and resurrection) • Loving others as a mark of faith • Rejecting claims otherwise (“antichrist”) Week 15 — Isaiah Background • First Isaiah, ~1-39 • 8th Century prophet in Jerusalem • Judah’s enemies = Syria & Israel and Assyria • God speaks of Israel in 3rd person • Second Isaiah, ~40-55 • In Babylon during the Exile • Enemy = Babylon • Speaks to Israel in the 2nd person • Suffering Servant — 43:1-4; 49:1-6; 50:4-9; 52:13-53:12 • Third Isaiah, ~56-66 • In Judah after the return in 539 BC • Enemies = oppressors and syncretists Themes • Covenant responsibilities • To God — no other gods; no trusting in foreign alliances • To others — no exploitation or oppression • Judgment (both now and on the Day of the Lord) • Redemption Week 16 — Jeremiah and Lamentations

Background • From Anathoth in northern Judah • A descendant of Abiathar, one of two chief priests of David • Stays in Jerusalem when the Exile occurs • Lamentations is about the desolation of Jerusalem after its destruction Key Dates • 627 BC • Jeremiah’s call • Beginning of end of Assyrian Empire • Judah’s revolt against Assyria • 605 BC • Battle of Carchemish; Babylonia defeats Egypt • Within a year or two, Judah becomes part of Babylon • 598 BC • Jehoiakim dies in unsuccessful revolt again Babylonians • 597 BC — first deportation • 587 BC • Zedekiah revolts • Jerusalem destroyed • Exile begins • Unknown date — Jeremiah forced to join a group seeking safety in Egypt • 539 BC — Persian king Cyrus conquers Babylon • 538 BC — exiles begin returning to Jerusalem Week 17 — Ezekiel Background • Younger contemporary of Jeremiah, also both priest and prophet • Exiled during first deportation in 597 BC, leader in expatriate community • Prophetic career: 593 - 571 BC • First prophet to preach without either Temple or Promised Land as evidence of God’s favor • Elaborate style — extended prose, longer prophetic oracles • Older prophetic tradition — dreams, trances, ecstatic visions • May have originally been written and organized by the prophet himself Organization • Ch 1-24 — Oracles against Judah, pre-587 BC • Ch 25-32 — Oracles against foreign nations • Ch 33-48 — Restoration oracles (40-48 = new Temple)

Themes • Individual responsibility • God uses Exile as purging judgment to turn people back to God • “You will know that I am the Lord” appears 50 times • New/inner covenant; shift from Temple to covenant devotion as center of faith • Trust in God/continuity of God’s care Week 18 — Minor Prophets, Part I 8th Century to the Exile • Hosea • Northern Kingdom, 750-722 BC • Metaphor of God as aggrieved husband of an unfaithful wife (Israel) • Primary sin — apostasy (esp. Baal, Canaanite god of storms/fertility) • Amos • Earliest prophet with an OT book, ~760 BC; from rural Judah, but prophesied in Northern Kingdom • No call for change, just judgment • Primary sins — social injustice and religious arrogance • Prophecies fulfilled 40 years later with the fall to Assyria • Micah • Last quarter of the 8th century • From rural working class in Judah • Attacked corruption and exploitation of working class • Nahum • Prophecies against Nineveh, which fell in 612 BC • Habakkuk • Last quarter of 7th century or first decade of 6th (just before Exile) • Zephaniah • Early in Josiah’s reign, 640-609 BC (prior to reforms) • “Day of the Lord” judgment, with promise of ultimate restoration Week 19/20 — Minor Prophets, Part II and Jude Exile, Return, Post-Exilic Community • Joel • Unknown author, dated anywhere from 800-300 BC • Locusts and foreign invaders tied to concept of “Day of the Lord” • Call to repentance through worship and fasting (contrast with 8th century prophets) • Includes text used by Peter for his Pentecost sermon in Acts • Rare OT reference to women prophets • Obadiah • Shortest book of the Old Testament — 21 verses • Describes vision of an unknown author • Exilic or post-exilic • Haggai and Zechariah • Contemporaries in post-exilic Jerusalem, both referenced in the Book of Ezra • Focused on the importance of rebuilding the Temple

Jude • Judas in Greek; brother of Jesus (see Mark 6:3) • Prominent leader and traveling missionary in Palestine in the early Christian movement • Cannot be dated, but may very well be early • One of the few writings from Palestinian Christianity • Against heresy of moral laxity, emphasizes importance of obedience to Christ’s moral teachings Week 21 — Jonah Background • Satirical short story — Jonah is a caricature of a prophet • Probably 6th or 5th century BC, exilic or post-exilic • Exile heightens the problem of syncretism (mixing of faiths) • All other prophetic oracles are to Israel or Judah; this is to the Assyrians • Theological questions raised by the Exile • What is the relationship between Jew (i.e., God of Israel) and Gentile? • What about THEIR bad behavior? • Does repentance cause God to relent from judgment?

Themes • Universality of God • Grace of God • Effectiveness of repentance Week 22 — Daniel Background • Unknown author, set in Babylon in the 6th century • In the Hebrew canon, found in the writings, between Esther and Ezra • In the Greek Septuagint, it’s in the prophetic books • Like Jonah, it’s not a traditional prophetic book • Only example of apocalyptic literature in the

Outline • Chap 1-6 — collection of stories from the 4th-3rd centuries BC • Chap 7-12 —four visions that reached their final form during 2nd century • Chap 11 refers to Antiochus IV Epiphanes, Seleucid ruler from Syria • Desecration of the Temple in 167 BC

Themes • Perseverance in times of persecution • Ultimate sovereignty and judgment of God Week 23 — Malachi Background • “Malachi” means “my messenger” in Hebrew — no personal info given • Last book in the Old Testament, but not the last Old Testament book to have been written • Probably a contemporary of Ezra/Nehemiah, around 450BC or later • Six oracles that all begin with a question • Ends on an eschatological note, hence its place at the end of the Septuagint (Greek translation of the Hebrew Bible)

Themes • Concerns about proper temple worship and intermarriage (see Ezra/Nehemiah) • Judgment Day Week 24 — Revelation For next week — email Bible questions to [email protected] by Thursday close of business

Background • More OT allusions and references (esp. Ezekiel and Daniel) than any other NT book • John (not the gospel author) was probably a well-known itinerant prophet in the 7 cities • Probably a Jewish Christian author; written in stages, late 60’s - end of 1st century • Apocalyptic literature; only book-length example other than Daniel; to be read symbolically • Depicts battle between good and evil, reflecting current state of righteous minority and wicked majority • Written during a time of Christian persecution — Nero/Domitian/local officials/combination? • Letter to churches (communities) in 7 cities, of varying quality of faith (chapters 2-3)

Themes • Encouragement to hold on in face of persecution — God is the judge and there will be a final reckoning

Key Images • The Throne and the Multitude (chapters 4 and 7) • Seven seals (chapters 6 and 8) and seven trumpets (chapters 8-11); (Four horsemen (chapter 6)) • The woman, the dragon, and beasts that serve the dragon (chapters 12-13) • Seven last plagues (chapters 15-16) • The choice between two cities, Babylon/Rome and the New Jerusalem (chapters 17-22) Week 25 (50!) — Concluding Matters and Next Steps Note: Look for a survey in your email this week

What the Bible Is • 66 books in Protestant Bibles • Written over the course of 1,500 years or so • By we-don’t-know-for-sure-how-many authors and editors • A library — “ta biblia” = the books

How It Functions • Inspired, written by human authors • (We’re not literalists; we don’t believe “sola scriptura” like the Reformers) • What it’s authoritative for — “All things necessary for salvation” • (Articles of Religion V; Confession of Faith IV) • Four sources and criteria — how we approach our theological task • Revealed in Scripture • Illumined by Tradition • Tested by Reason • “Vivified” in our Experience