Call As I read through acts and this blog post in particular I see that the early Christian community was more diverse and complex than it may seem at first glance. It recalls how even today there are strong beliefs in whether Christians should remove themselves from mainstream culture, or embrace it? How were they able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help? Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? I think what P. Long mentioned about the issue between the Jews during the stoning of Stephen was most definitely accurate. Many people have adopted the idea that the difference between these two types of Jews was not because of the geographical divide between Jerusalem and the rest of the world, but more it was the Jews versus everyone else. who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." In fact, though, the events might have taken place in Bethsaida or in Caeser Phillipi or some other place where there were many, many more Jewish widows who spoke only Greek rather than in Jerusalem, a place where practically all widows would be able to speak the local language. The Great Persecution and the Coming of Imperial Christianity I see the anointed savior concept as a denunciation of Yahweh as the Yahweh Sabaoth, its most stringent mosaic laws, and its intrinsic Jewish nationalism at the liberal, more Hellenized, end of the spectrum of these evolving sects among the Diaspora which contrasts with the more conservative view that, while relenting on the sacrificial mandates of the Deuteronomists, due to the destruction of the Temple, wish to one day rebuild Jerusalem, (more expansive, more popular, and more populous) and her Temple for the Jews, and Jews alone. Volunteers, Myself or My Family I would suggest starting with this video, in which she asks: What Did Josiah Reform?, http://byutv.org/watch/94f4b39e-ef10-4181-bcad-d0502e924060. If you continue use this site we will assume that you agree to this. Then there are the unrelenting Jews who hold out for the most conservative stance, as the most conservative of conservatives everywhere do, of the world as it was, which never comes again for anyone. 6Witherington,Acts, p. 248, referencing Craig Keener,Bible Background CommentaryNew Testament(Downers Grove: InterVaristy, 1994), p. 338. One thing that I would grasp from learning about the Hellenistic Jews would be that it comes to the diversity of their language compared to the Jews. A common thread through out humanity be it Hebrew or gentile is that one group will discriminate against another picking out physical features dress language what ever is different from themselves or the accepted norm of the dominate culture. Why does the author of Acts fail to tell us what these differences were? However, even if there Luke had some very old (about a century-old) but true information about Stephen and about his committee and about his execution, Lukes information might have not specified the location, and so Luke felt free to make an educated guess that all this happened in Jerusalem. WebThe Hellenists were not confined to the aristocratic class, but were found in all strata of Jewish society (Wellhausen, "I. J. G." p. 194), though the aristocrats naturally profited What is behind Duke's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor's request to rule? This needs to be explained carefully, since the word Jew does not appear in the text (although English translations regularly include it). According to Luke, in Acts 22:1-5, Paul grew up as a Greek-speaking Jew in far-away Tarsus and then as a young man came to Jerusalem and studied under the teacher Gamaliel. In 2019 he published a commentary. WebA special group of scribes known as Hasidim, or Pietists, became the forerunners of the Pharisees, or Separatistsmiddle-class Jewish scholars who reinterpreted the Torah We can also learn how to practically apply their examples to our churches today by studying their culture more seriously. Youre welcome. 242-245. Where did all the Hellenist widows come from? Spirit. But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. Could a Hellenist Jew assimilate and accept some parts of the Greek culture while rejecting ideas which were contrary to their Jewish faith? There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male or female for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) To me, verses like this give off a sense that each group has its own distinct identity or common belief. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). In fact, however, Jesus Christ had not been seen in Judah by anybody at all. Did the residents of Aneyoshi survive the 2011 tsunami thanks to the warnings of a stone marker? The Strangers: Non-Jews who join themselves with the This being the case, it is very useful to understand that Jews can be categorized under the two major groupings of Hebraic and Hellenistic, based on the culture which they had either held to or adopted. The following two tabs change content below. Spirit. A Light from the East: Eastern Christianity (Part 1) Since the Greeks wished to show that humankind was in control of nature, they felt threatened by the Jewish concept of Divinely ordained time. the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. Donations Required fields are marked *. without intent, the widows among the Hellenists. the same care for one another. 3See also Ben Witherington,The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) p. 248. Both are Hellenistic Jews, and neither is numbered among the Twelve. What was the problem reported in Acts 6? WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. ", "Neil, for what it is worth it is obvious to me that if you had earlier in life tracked into a graduate program at one of the worlds leading research universities you would be one of the worlds formidable ones. What I find interesting is not the fact that there were different sects of Judaism, but more the division between the idea of integration with the culture. The Papacy ", "For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isnt a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfreys work posted on the website vridar.org. It reflects well on you. Looking forward to more segments. Luke then linked the expulsion of the Christians to his story about the execution of Stephen. If the whole were hearing, where would be the In light of this we can better see the kind of world the early apostles lived in and as a result better understand why they did the things they did. 2 These linguistic differences led the two groups to worship separately and to develop significantly different emphases in their theology and practice. They fight with one another until a opposing force comes at them then they unify. exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he 7 So the word of God spread. If the foot should Its origin goes back to the captivity. For Ben Witherington, language is the main issue (seeActs, 240-247, for an excellent excursus on the Hellenists). Language is an important issue, but it is not the only issue separating the Greek from Judean Jew. . to express appreciation for your detailed interaction with what Ive written! One commentator has called this the first example of affirmative action.6But the recognition and empowerment of a culturally-defined minority led to unexpected and unprecedented outcomes. There is a dissection and discrimination going on between the Jews. . Acceleration without force in rotational motion? suffer with it; or if one member is honored, all the members rejoice with It appears that the widows among the Hellenistic Jews were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Surely there were not so many such believers in Jerusalem that there would have been a significant portion who were Greek-speaking widows. The response, then, took seriously both aspects of the problem. Thank you for this careful and engaged reading of my work much appreciated!". Recipes, All NJOP Posts When thinking of the term Jew I myself like Tyler, think of one unified group with similar beliefs. Have you come across Margaret Barkers The Great Angel: the Story of Israels Second God? Benedict Marry A Prostitute It seems that between the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews, there was a misunderstanding as to what was expected of each group as the diversity of the early church meant that a lot of cultural aspects were being brought together. Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange is a question and answer site for professors, theologians, and those interested in exegetical analysis of biblical texts. It was actually two-fold. Lukes purpose is to write an origin tale to show how certain things came to be the way they were in his own day and how the true faith even/especially that said to be taught by Paul was founded on the perfect foundation of Jesus and the original Jerusalem church led by the apostles. Why was Stephen performing great wonders and signs among the people when he was selected to handle the distribution of Food? I appreciate this post! Why does Jesus turn to the Father to forgive in Luke 23:34? Next, I would read Temple Theology: An Introduction. 3 We have good grounds for the historicity of the Hellenists. Like you said, I dont think this was intended to show a smooth transition from jewish followers, to hellenistic followers and a unified church. Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. where would be the hearing? They were infuriated by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. Twebrew School . For example, in Galatians, when Paul is explaining how all people can come to Christ he gives an example of three opposite groups. It does seem plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem that some committee was organized to help them. Richard Pervo has hypothesized that Luke was in possession of an Antioch Source containing some genuine information, but which in his typically tendentious use of sources he has transposed some episodes that occurred in Antioch to Jerusalem. With only twelve apostles to tell the tens of thousands of new and But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. Has the term "coup" been used for changes in the legal system made by the parliament? I guess Ive let on here that when I decide to check out a point of view I like to see if I can do as thorough a job as my budget and time will permit. But they had settled in Jerusalem retired, as it were, to the homeland. I dont always agree with them, but I respect their work. Polhill notes that this passage seems to be only one of many serious theological frictions that were happening between the two groups (2092). As P. Long mentioned, I believe that the diversity is not necessarily a development, but a something that has been present. The dispute that divided the church cannot have been caused by a mix-up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims. They did not relate to the New Testament gospel, as it presented a Hebraic view of the world, which was in opposition to the philosophical constructs of Hellenistic culture. be held up while they perform roles that others can perform (In fact, in In the case of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism. The Good Shepherd ), Your email address will not be published. Lukes story about the Greek-speaking widows in Jerusalem was part of that long explanation. Hellenistic Jews to Jerusalem (Acts 6:17). Why wasn't it desirable for the twelve Apostles Explore NJOP What we appear to be reading, what makes most historical sense, is that this is an account of how the seven leaders of the Hellenist church in Jerusalem came to their offices. One doesnt read that version in the Histories. He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. 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