Day 1 Flashcards
Apocrypha
A group of writings including Roman Catholic and Orthodox Bibles but not in the Bibles of most Protestants
Genre
A type of literature or literary form, such as a novel a personal letter, an eviction notice, a diary, etc. Such forms create certain expectations in a reader before s/he even starts reading
Gospels
From our perspective, the genre of the four presentations of Jesus in the NT - Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In their world, most look like ancient biographies, although Luke may be considered a history
History (Ancient)
A genre of literature presenting the story of a group of the circumstances surrounding a key period of time. Ancient histories varied somewhat in their precision and in general allowed for greater creativity than modern histories do
Epistle
Basically, a letter, although some scholars only use the word to refer to somewhat official letters than circular to a broad audience
Apocalypse
A type of writing in which a heavenly being brings a revelation to an authority figure, both about things going on in the heavenly realm and about things that are going to happen in the near future
Disciple
A follower of Jesus, someone who attached him or herself to Jesus in order to learn from and become like Him
Apostles
A group of early Christians who saw Jesus after He rose from the dead. The New Testament primarily refers to Jesus’ disciples by this term, but the word can also be used of other like Paul who took leading roles in the spread of Christianity
Original meaning
Reading the Bible’s words for what they meant when they were first written, using what the words and concepts meant 2,000 years ago
Group or Collectivist Cultures
Cultures in which identity is primarily a function of the groups to which an individual belongs. Such as one’s race, family, or gender
Israel
Originally the name of Abraham’s grandson, it would become the name of his descendants and the nation they constituted
Passover
The most important Jewish festival, Passover celebrates the day when the death angel “Passes over” the sons of the israelites before they escaped Eygpt
Exodus
The victorious departure of Israel from Egypt to freedom
The covenant
The solemn agreement between God and Israel. He would bless them if they kept His commandments
Pentateuch
The first five books of the OT - Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. According to Jewish tradition, Moses authored all five of these books
Samaritans
Those who lived in the region formerly known as the northern kingdom of Israel. They were of ethnically diverse origins, including the race of Israel
Babylon
The nation that destroyed Jerusalem and the first temple in BC 586, taking many Jews as slaves. Hundreds of years later, Jews and Christians would also use the term “Babylon” to refer to Rome, which destroyed Jerusalem and its second temple in AD 70
Preists
Those from the Israelite tribe of Levi whose role was to administer the Law to the people. Their duties included such things as offering sacrifices in the temple, settling disputes, and declaring individuals ceremonially clean
Herod the Great
The king the Romans appointed to rule Israel just before Jesus’ birth. The New Testament tells us he put all the infants in Bethlehem to death in an attempt to kill Jesus
Christ/messiah
The term translates as “anointed one” and was originally used to refer to someone such as a king or priest who was set apart for a special, divinely appointed role. This person was often installed into office by being “anointed” with oil.
Lord
A term that implied Christ’s kingship over heaven and earth and that He is the ruler of all
Aramaic
A language related to Hebrew. Most Jews in Palestine spoke this as their first language at the time of Christ
Sadduccess
A small group of aristocratic Jews who held political power in Jerusalem. They did not believe in a resurrection or any kind of afterlife in general
Essenes
The Jewish group that followed the highest standard of ceremonial purity - the standard of priest on duty in the temple. They held their possessions in common and many were celibate
