1 Nike of Samothrace

History of the Church:

Hellenistic

and Jewish Roots

Randy Broberg

Grace Bible Church

2002

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1 Corinthians 1:17-21

• For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel–not with words of human wisdom, lest the cross of Christ be emptied of its power. For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.

• For it is written: "I will destroy the wisdom of the wise; the intelligence of the intelligent I will frustrate."[ 1:19 Isaiah 29:14]

• Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe.

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• Alexander the Great conquers Palestine:

333/331 BC

•Greek Ptolemies & Seleucids:

•ca. 320-168 BC

• "Septuagint" translation of OT into Greek: ca.

250 BC

• Coming of Rome to the east Mediterranean:

ca. 230-146 BC

Jewish Maccabean revolt & Hasmonean rule:

168/167-63 BC

• Rome (Pompey) annexes Palestine: 63 BC

Hellenistic

Period

333-63 BC

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Alexander the Great

Alexander

the Great (356-323)

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Alexander’s Empire

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• Introduced eastern idea of an absolute monarchy into the Hellenistic World

• Established one currency: emergence of one world economically

• Spread of Greek deities. Greek deities identified with native deities--syncretism

Alexander’s

Influence

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Map of Hellenistic World

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Common Language

Throughout

the Mediterranean: Greek • Greek the common language from Syria to

Sicily

• Widespread Literacy

• The Papyri

As Roman military might and political administration moved east, Greek culture flowed west and came to prevail even

in Rome.

'Captive Greece took captive her

savage conqueror and

brought civilization to rustic Latium'

Horace: (Ep. 2.1.156).

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Hellenistic Men

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Hellenistic Women

Pay close attention to their hair, this will be important later.

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Hellenistic Art

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Venus de Milo(Aphrodite of Melos)

Alexander of

Antioch-on-the-Meander

Crouching Venus, Doidalses

Hellenistic Art

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Athanadoros,

Hagesandros

& Polydoros of

Rhodes

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► Plato (429-347 B.C.)

Doctrine of Ideas or Forms

Rule of a “Philosopher King”

► Aristotle (384-322 B.C.)

Stressed empiricism

► Isocrates (436-338 B.C.)

Advocated Pan-Hellenism

How can I be

happy?

Greek Philosophy

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Influence of Greek

philosophy

• Skepticism

• Agnosticism

• Syncretism

• Monotheism

• Cynicism

• Stoicism

• Epicureanism

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What to Look For:

Origins of Christian Thought &

Practices • Influence of Greek

Philosophy

• Syncretism

• Allegorical

Interpretations

• Spirit vs. Flesh

• Monasticism

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Questions to Consider

• Has our understanding of the Scriptures been influenced

by human reason and philosophy? If so, how?

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The History of the Church:

Jewish Roots

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Hebrews 1:1-3 • In the past God spoke to our

forefathers through the prophets at many times and in various ways, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed heir of all things, and through whom he made the universe. The Son is the radiance of God's glory and the exact representation of his being, sustaining all things by his powerful word. After he had provided purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty in heaven.

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The Jewish Diaspora

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The Jewish

Dispersion

•Jews given protected and special

treatment by Julius Caesar, Augustus

Caesar and Emperor Claudius

•Loss of knowledge of Hebrew outside

a few Rabbis

Circumcision, food laws, etc separated

Jew from Gentile

Separate Jewish Courts established

outside jurisdiction of Roman Courts

Candelabra, NOT STAR OF DAVID, was the universal Jewish symbol

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Synagogues

• Rectangular

Meeting Room

with benches

forming a U

shape

• Kitchens and

Eating Areas

• Libraries and

Meeting Rooms

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Synagogues: Governance

• Ruled by a president (archon), often an very young but wealthy person

• Had a body of elders (gerusia, not presbyeteri of New Testament)

• “Father” or “Mother” of the Synagogue”

• Secretary/Historian/Treasurer

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Diaspora Jews were Evangelistic • 139 BC, Roman edict requiring Jews to “return to

their homes” and stop spreading the worship of “Jupiter Sabazius.”

• Cicero referred to Jewish mobs spreading “barbarous superstitions.”

• Play-write Horace joked that Jews forced people to join them.

• Widespread Roman literary references to the Jewish “sabbath”-- even Augustus claimed to have observed it on occasion!

• Under Domitian, decrees issued to check Jewish proselytizing activities.

• Under Hadrian, decrees forbidding circumcisions of converts to Judaism.

• Significant percentages in Roman synagogues appear to have been Latins, not Jews in terms of ethnic background.

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Gentiles and Women in Synagogues

First Century Jewish Synagogue Inscriptions

showing names of Gentiles and Women as

Benefactors

“pater”/Father of

Synagogue

“Synagogue”

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Diaspora as a

Preparation for

Christianity

• The Proselytizing

Movement

• Spread of Ten

Commandments

• Philo & Hellenistic

Philosophy

• The Greek Bible

– The Septuagint of

Alexandria LXX

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Treatment of Jews

by Rome

• AD 31, While Emperor Tiberius was away, chief of the guard Sejanus expelled foreign Jews and freedmen Jews from Rome (not Jewish Roman Citizens). Upon overthrow of Sejanus, Tiberius reversed the decree and allowed Jews to return to Rome

• AD 37-40 Caligula unsuccessfully attempts to have his statue put in temple in Jerusalem.

• AD 41-54 Claudius issues decree ensuring Jews they can worship in their traditional way and also briefly expels Jews from Rome for rioting about “Chrestus”

• Cicero, Seneca, Tacitus and Juvenal all spoke unkindly of Jews

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What to Look For: Origins of

Christian practices

• Synagogue Rule

• Repetitious Sacrifice

• Infant Circumcision

• Role of the “Priest”

• Concept of Covenant Community

• Eschatological Expectations

• The concept of “Theocracy”

• The Religious Calendar

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Questions to Consider

• What is “messianic Judaism”? Is there such a

thing?

• We know that Gentiles need not become Jews

but do Jews need to become Gentiles?

• What role does Mosaic law have in the

Christian’s life?

• Is there a distinction between “Judaism” and the

Israel of the Bible?