Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes
According to J. Julius Scott, the Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes were Jewish sects or denominations (Scott, 200). Due to the emphasis on orthopraxy, it is common for the differences between the groups to pertain more to activity than theology (Scott, 201). However,...Matthew’s Purpose in Telling Jesus’s Birth
Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black explain that Matthew’s purpose in the telling of the birth of Jesus was to persuade the Jews of Jesus’s Messiahship (178). Accordingly, Matthew juxtaposed Jesus, the legitimate king of the Jews, with Herod, and likely...Jewish Worldview Intertestamental Period
Julius Scott summarizes the Jewish worldview during the Intertestamental Period in four phases. First, the Jews of the first century believed that God continues His involvement in a universe that He created separate from Himself and inherently good (Scott, 268). In...Jewish Attitudes Toward Gentiles
The basic attitudes of first-century Jews toward the Gentiles were diverse. According to J. Julius Scott, the evidence suggests a general disdain by Jews toward the Gentiles (335). However, exceptions to the general attitude did exist with an acceptance of certain...Intertestamental Sources
Julius Scott provides a rather comprehensive list of major sources used to reconstruct the history of the Intertestamental Period. The sources include the Hebrew Old Testament, the Septuagint, the Apocrypha, the Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament, the Dead Sea...Historical and Literary Criticism
The critical methods of Carson and Moo fit into two broad categories, which include historical criticism and literary criticism. Historical criticism attempts to discover the “historical reality behind the text” (Carson and Moo, 61). Although literary...Christianity and Hellenism
Julius Scott suggests Hellenism originated with Alexander the Great who sought to integrate Greek culture into the vast empire absorbed during his short reign (112). Hellenism then expanded under Alexander’s successors. Through military force, Antiochus...Authorship of Matthew and Mark
This discussion explores the external and internal evidence for authorship along with the purpose and destination of Matthew and Mark followed by an explanation regarding the importance of author identification to modern readers. Thomas D. Lea and David Alan Black...Top Tasks of a Pastor
Before identifying the top five tasks of a pastor, a definition of pastoral ministry is in order. James Thompson (2006, 19-20) suggests that pastoral ministry is “participation in God’s work of transforming the community of faith until it is...
Freedom: How Grace Transforms Your Life Now
Minds on Fire: What Is Wrong With Our Thoughts..And How To Fix It