Chapter 2 and Chapter 3 Reading Guide

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY School of Religion RG 102:08 Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ Jesus of Nazareth: His Life, His Message, His Passion By William G. Johnsson Part 1 – Fill in the blanks: “Chapter 2: Can We Trust The Gospels?” 1. Long before Christians came on the scene, the Greeks had a word for news- evangelion . They associated this word with a messenger who brought a good report. 2. Profoundly impacted by His life , teachings , and death - especially His death, because of what His followers believed happed that Sunday morning- Christians look for a world that said it best. They plucked out the centuries-old term evangleion , but filled it with new content. That is the word we translate “ gospel .” 3. At first, " gospel " meant a message – the message about Jesus. 4. Then a little later in the first century AD, the sayings of Jesus began to be gathered together and His story written down. Luke, who probably wrote in the AD 60 s, tells us that by this time, "many" had undertaken to draw up an account of what happened. We don't know how many accounts were produced – they continued for another century after Luke wrote – but we do know that eventually, Christians recognized four of them as authentic: those of Matthew , Mark , Luke , and John . 5. These accounts, although biographical in form, differ significantly from usual biographies. They center on Jesus of Nazareth – He dominates the story – but they omit facts about Him that we expect to find in a biography. Dr. Donna M. Roper-Roach Page 1

OAKWOOD UNIVERSITY School of Religion RG 102:08 Life and Teachings of Jesus Christ 6. Each of these " biographies " focuses on the three -plus years of ministry, but in the telling, devote disproportionate attention to the final week of His life. 7. Over and over, what the Gospels describe matches the way things really were in first-century Jewish Palestine. The Gospels speak of real people like Pontius Pilate , Herod the Great, Herod Antipas, Annas , and Caiaphas . 8. Likewise, the Gospels speak about events like the death of John the Baptist, who was beheaded at the order of Herod Antipas . The Jewish writer Josephus confirms that this event actually took place. 9. The Gospels tell of real places – villages, cities, roads, lakes, and mountains. Other historical sources and archaeology confirm that they existed and clarify our understanding of them. 10. Again, the Gospels record real customs , like the Passover purity concerns, the Sabbath , and divorce law. All of these are corroborated by contemporary writings and archaeology . 11. The Gospels tell about real institutions , such as the synagogue and temple , and what they record matches the way things really were. 12. Finally, the Gospels mention beliefs of Pharisees and Sadducees with their interpretation of Scriptures. Once again, what we read corresponds with information from other sources. 13. Matthew, mark, and Luke write from a common perspective ; hence they are called synoptic (one view, seeing together"). They have much in common, in places word for word, but in other places, they show surprising differences . 14. John’s Gospel, written last, provides theological insights into the life and teachings of Jesus. Part of John's purpose in writing was to fill in gaps in the Synoptic Gospels rather than merely repeating their accounts. Dr. Donna M. Roper-Roach Page 2