New Testament 2011 Finals Study Guide

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TERMS TO KNOW
Christ Event – The person and the works of Jesus Christ and the affect they had on
humanity.
Oral Tradition – The process of preserving stories through spoken word rather than
written text.
Passion Narrative – The story of Jesus’ trial, death, resurrection, and ascension into
heaven.
Infancy Narrative – The story of Jesus’ birth and the slaughtering of the infants and the
flight into Egypt.
Evangelist Gospel – The good news of Jesus according to Matthew, Mark, Luke and
John.
Marcion – One of the most prominent heretics in Early Christianity. He came up with the
idea of dual-gods because Jesus’ teachings were not reflective of the God in the Old
Testament.
Synoptic – Means “to see together with a common view” in Greek.
Synoptic Gospels – the gospels of Matthew, Mark and Luke which all follow the same
general timeline and have the same information.
Kingdom of God – It is the rule of God on earth and in heaven as the supreme
theocratic ruler of mankind.
Mary Magdalene – One of Jesus’ disciples and the first to see Jesus’ tomb after he rose
from the dead. She gained Jesus’ favor when she washed his feet with perfume.
Synoptic Problem – Determining how the three synoptic gospels are so similar without a
‘Q’ document.
“Q” – Short for the German Quelle, or "source" and is defined as the "common" material
found in Matthew and Luke but not in Mark.
Special “M” – Information present in Matthew’s gospel but not in Luke’s or Mark’s.
Special “L” – Information present in Luke but not in Matthew’s or Mark’s.
Tradition Criticism – This method is simply what its name implies; tradition criticism
seeks to understand how the traditions of the Bible are used by other Biblical writers.
Literary Criticism – If we do not know what the text says, we can certainl not proceed
any further.
Redaction Criticism – Focuses on how the redactor has shaped and molded the
narrative to express his theological goals.
Trinity – The Father, Son and Holy Spirit together in one being.
Elijah – The prophet who was to return and prepare the way for the Messiah and John
the Baptist was the reincarnation of him.
Abba – The Hebrew word for “Father.”
John the Baptist – The reincarnation of Elijah and the cousin of Jesus who came to
prepare the way for Jesus.
Levi – The Patriarch who started the tribe of Levi and the priests.
Sabbath – The day of rest for Jews.
Apostle – meaning one who is sent forth as a messenger.
Miracle Stories – Stories of Jesus’ miracles and those of the apostles.
Parables – Stories that were told by Jesus to teach his message with images that the
people would understand.
Legion – The name of the demons that Jesus drove out of the man in Gadarenes.
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Jairus – a patron of the synagogue, who asks Jesus to heal his dying daughter.
Herodias – daughter of Aristobulus who asked for John the Baptist’s head on a platter
after promised a favor by Herod because of her dance at his Birthday.
The Transfiguration – When Jesus went up onto the Mountain with Peter, James and
John and appeared in startling white garments with Elijah and Moses. He was called
Son by a voice in the sky.
Election/Chosen – God’s grace alone will save.
The Greatest Commandment – Love the Lord your God above all things.
Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem – Known as Palm Sunday. He was met by people waving
palms and shouting Hosanna. “Deliver Us!”
Judas Iscariot – One of the twelve and the one who betrayed Jesus with a kiss and
handed him over to the Jewish officials.
The Agony in the Garden – Jesus prayed to his father and begged not to have to go
through with the plan but in the end resigns to his father’s will.
Peter’s Denial – Peter, the greatest of the twelve, denied knowing Jesus three times
before the cock crowed twice as predicted by Jesus.
Pilate – The Roman governor of Jerusalem who handed Jesus over to be Crucified.
Barabbas – A murder who was imprisoned along with Jesus and freed by the will of the
Jews over Jesus.
Simon of Cyrene – A man who was forced to help Jesus carry his cross on the way to
the hill of Calvary.
Golgotha – The hill outside the walls of Jerusalem on which Jesus was Crucified.
Joseph of Arimathea – A believer who volunteered his tomb to Jesus.
Righteousness/Justification – Salvation by God’s Grace alone and becoming righteous
by one’s faith in God.

CONCEPTS TO KNOW

Gospels
A. Characteristics of the Gospels
1. Word “Gospel” means “good story” or “good news.”
2. Written records of Jesus’ life and his message.
3. Shows the beginning of the Kingdom of God on earth.
B. How the Gospels developed.
i) The Christ Event
1. The life of Jesus the man and the effect that he had on the world he lived in as
well as the generations to follow.
ii) Oral Tradition
1. The tales of Jesus were first preserved by Oral Tradition.
2. The followers of Jesus thought that his second coming would be within their
lifetime.
3. When the first hand witnesses began to die off, they began to write down the
stories for prosperity.
iii) Written Tradition
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1. The four Gospel writers were either eyewitnesses or took the accounts of
those who were.
2. The Accuracy of the Gospels has beed tested and proven.
3. First written in Hebrew or Greek.
C. The Gospels as portraits of Jesus
1. Matthew introduces Christ, God’s anointed One (Acts 10:38), as Immanuel,
“God with us.”
2. Mark presents the Lord Jesus as the Servant and Prophet who is yet truly God
Him- self: what a blessed mystery (1:1)! God reveals Himself as a Man, and
also as a humble Servant (cf. Phil. 2:6–11).
3. Luke’s Gospel portrays the Son of Man in a way that differs from the other
Gospels. It is correct to say “man” ... but He is man par excellence, the true
Man and therefore often called the “Son of Man,” or genuine Representative of
the human race.
4. In John, he is the eternal Son of the eternal Father, and the eternal Word. In all
of this His own greatness is presented in this Gospel, and this agrees with the
exceptional expression found in 2 John, “the Son of the Father.”
D. Uniqueness of the Gospel Genre
i) Why was it written?
1. The original “gospel” was spoken and taught.
2. Written down to preserve the ideas that were already being taught.
3. The gospel genre could be described as a literature of fulfillment.
E. The Four Evangelists and the reason for inclusion of four gospels.
i) Matthew
1. Was a tax collector who Jesus told to come and follow him.
2. The name "Matthew" means "gift of the Lord."
3. Also Credited with the first writing of the Gospel
ii) Mark
1. Credited with writing the first gospel and it is believed that this provides the
most accurate account of Jesus’ life.
2. Went with Paul on one of his Journeys but was deemed ‘unreliable’ so left out
of any future journeys.
3. The fact that he mentions the young man losing his cloth and running away
naked suggests that this man might have been the writer because it is such a
unneeded fact.
iii) Luke
1. He was a physician who lived in the Greek city of Antioch.
2. A follower of Paul.
3. Credited with being not only the author of the gospel of Luke but also the acts
of the Apostles.
iv) John
1. Not included in the synoptics. Written after.
2. One of Jesus’ twelve apostles.
3. John presents a "higher" Christology than the synoptics, meaning that he
describes Jesus as the incarnation of the divine Logos through whom all things
were made, as the object of veneration, and more explicitly as God incarnate.
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v) Why four gospels?

1. The four gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John) all tell us the same story, but
from four different viewpoints and to four different audiences.
2. Each one presents Jesus in a different way, expressing the many levels that
exist in Jesus.
vi) Marcion
1. He rejected Yahweh, the God of the Old Testament, and celebrated instead
Jesus's Heavenly Father as alone relevant to modern concerns. This rejection
of the Jewish God (and the Mosaic Law) parallels, but goes beyond, the "New
Israel" theory, which held that the Christians, not the Jews, are now the chosen
people of God, and the community in which earlier prophecies and promises
would be fulfilled.
F. Solutions to the “Synoptic Problem”
i) Augustine’s Theory
1. The hypothesis holds that Matthew was written
first.
2. Mark the Evangelist wrote the Gospel of Mark
second and used Matthew and the preaching
of Peter as sources.
3. Luke the Evangelist wrote the Gospel of Luke
and was aware of the two Gospels that
preceded him.
4. Does not rely on the existence of a document
that was not explicitly mentioned in historical
testimony.
ii) Modern Scholarship
1. The Q source (also Q document or Q) is a hypothetical written source for the
Gospel of Matthew and Gospel of Luke
2. States that Mark wrote first and Had completely
independent sources.
3. Matthew and Luke were written with some of
their information from Mark and some from a
‘Q’ document.
4. “Q” is a source that has not been identified but
was used by both Matthew and Luke because
they have identical information.
5. The rest of the Gospels that are not made up of
“Q” or Mark info comes from an independent
source for each, Special ‘M’ for Matthew and
Special ‘L’ for Luke.
G. Why do we employ different types of Criticism to understand the Gospels.
1. Literary Criticism says: If we do not know what the text says, we can certainly
not proceed any further.
2. Source criticism, as the term is used in biblical criticism, refers to the attempt
to establish the sources used by the author and/or redactor of the final text.
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3. Redaction Criticism focuses on how the redactor (writer) has shaped and
molded the narrative to express his theological goals.
H. Portrait of Jesus presented in each Gospel (see C. The Gospels as portraits of
Jesus)
I. Comparison of Synoptics to Gospel of John
John Synoptics

Similarities http://bible.org/ http://bible.org/

seriespage/similarities- seriespage/similarities-
among-johns-gospel-and- among-johns-gospel-and-
synoptic-gospels synoptic-gospels

Differences http://bible.org/seriespage/ http://bible.org/seriespage/

major-differences- major-differences-
between-john-and- between-john-and-
synoptic-gospels synoptic-gospels

J. Importance of the Gospels

Jesus himself gave the example: the gospel is the most important thing that the
world needs to hear.  His earthly ministry was very short, and he had no time to
waste.  But in his very first sermon he preached the gospel (Greek for “good
news” by the way).  Recall the words of the Great Commission: “Go into all the
world and preach the gospel to every creature.”  His first and last words to an
audience was the importance of the gospel. This is out most accurate account of
Jesus’ life and his message.

The Gospel According to Mark

A. Mark 1–4
i) Mark 1:1
1. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God”
2. States right from the start, Mark’s beliefs.
ii) John the Baptist: his message and purpose (1:2–8)
1. The passage from Malachi describes one who will prepare the way of God for
God. Mark has changed the statement of Malachi, which refers to Elijah
returning to prepare God's way, to one in which John is seen as Elijah,
because the spirit of Elijah rested on him and "my" way has been changed to
"your" way, i.e. Jesus' way. Mark thus might be equating Jesus with God.
iii) Jesus’ Baptism (1:9–11)
1. Mark also has John's function as preparing things for Jesus, and some argue
this baptism is meant to forward the fulfillment of Jesus' plan. John 1:31 has
John say his baptism was his method of revealing Jesus to Israel. Perhaps
Jesus is doing this to embrace the doctrine of baptism and repentance of sins
and his oneness with those who embrace it.
2. "heaven being torn open and the spirit descending on him like a dove." (Mark
1:10), telling him that he is his son whom he loves and is pleased with.
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iv) Jesus’ Temptation

1. The Spirit “At Once” sends him out into the desert to be tempted by Satan for
forty days.
2. Unlike Matthew 4:1-11 and Luke 4:1–13 the number of temptations or what
they were are not described. Mark does say that Angels came to minister to
him.
v) The First disciples and the nature of their call. (1:16–20)
Disciple Nature of Call

Simon (Peter) Brother to Andrew and is fishing with

him at the time. Jesus comes to them
and tells them to put down their nets
and he will make them fishers of
men.

Andrew Brother to Simon and is fishing with

him at the time. Jesus comes to them
and tells them to put down their nets
and he will make them fishers of
men.

James Brother to John and is also fishing

with his brother when Jesus
approaches them. They left their
father and hired workers to follow
Jesus.

John Brother to James and is also fishing

with his brother when Jesus
approaches them. They left their
father and hired workers to follow
Jesus.
Mark does not say that they were convinced in any way only that they
followed Jesus without question.
vi) The story of Levi’s Call and its significance (2:13–17)
1. Jesus, while teaching a large crowd by the lake, finds Levi at the tax collector's
booth and says, "Follow me!"
2. This is the apostle Matthew.
3. It is significant because it shows the wide range of people that Jesus was
reaching out to and that anyone could follow him.
vii) Jesus’ clash with the Jewish leaders: the Letter of the Law vs. the Spirit of the
Law. (2:18–28) (3:1–6)
1. Jesus justifies not fasting while the Pharisees are and speaks of himself
as the bridegroom and his disciples as his guests at his wedding and by
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giving the parable of the Patch and the Wineskins. Jesus speaking of
himself as the bridegroom carries messianic overtones.
2. He heals a man on the sabbath and when they look at him with disgust,
he asks the people "Which is lawful on the Sabbath: to do good or to do
evil, to save life or to kill?" (3:4) They do not answer and he angrily looks
around at the crowd and is "distressed at their stubborn hearts"
viii) The accusation that Jesus is possessed and drives out the demons.
(3:20–27)
1. Jesus’ family accused him of being crazy and some other people said
that he was possessed by demons.
2. To this Jesus said his “House divided” speech in which he states that if
he were possessed and an instrument of Satan, he would not be able to
drive out demons.
ix) Who is Jesus’ Family? (3:31–35)
1. Answering them, He *said, “Who are My mother and My brothers?”
Looking about at those who were sitting around Him, He *said, “Behold
My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God, he is My
brother and sister and mother.”
x) Major Miracles and Parables.
Miracles Parables

Healing the possessed man in New Cloth on Old Garments

Capernaum

Healing of Peter's Mother-in-law New Wine in Old Wineskins.

Cleansing of a Leper A House divided Against Itself

Healing of a Paralytic The Growing Seed.

Cure of the Man with a Withered Hand

Calming of the Storm at Sea

B. Mark 5–6
i) The Gerasene Demoniac (5:1–20)
1. Jesus and his disciples travel to the country of the Gerasenes across the lake
by boat, a region that is in modern Jordan. A possessed man comes to meet
them. Mark relates that the man had lived in nearby tombs, and had fought off
all attempts to chain him up. He roamed the tombs and hills screaming.
2. He Calls the demon by name and drives all of them out. They go into a heard
of swine.
3. Shows that even the demons and Satan need to bow to the power of God.
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ii) Jairus’ daughter and thw woman with the Hemorrhage (5:22–43)
1. Jairus, a Synagogue Ruler, asked Jesus to come and heal his daughter who
was very ill.
2. Along the way, a woman with a hemorrhage touches Jesus’ cloak and is
healed.
3. Jairus’ daughter is dead by the time that they arrive but Jesus raises the girl
from the dead.
4. Both of these occurrences elude to the idea of salvation by faith alone because
Jesus said to all of them that they were healed because of their faith.
iii) Jesus’ Reception at Nazareth (6:1–6)
1. The people question his authority and don't seem to think much of the Jesus
they remember or his family. "Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and
the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with
us?" Jesus replies "Only in his hometown, among his relatives and in his own
house is a prophet without honor."
iv) Herod’s view of Jesus/Death of John the Baptist (6:14–29)
1. John condemns Herod so Herod incarcerates John.
2. Herodias seeks revenge on John during a birthday party for Herod. Her
daughter dances for Herod and persuades Herod to kill John.
v) The Mission of the Twelve (6:7–13; 30–31)
1. Jesus sends the Twelve out to the various towns, in pairs, to heal the sick and
drive out demons.
2. They are only to take their staffs and that if any town rejects them "...shake the
dust off your feet when you leave, as a testimony against them."which is "...a
gesture both of contempt and of warning."
vi) The feeding of the 5,000 (6:34–44)
1. Jesus teaches the people waiting to hear him several unrecorded things, then
feeds the entire crowd of 5,000 people by turning five loaves of bread and two
fish into enough food to feed everyone.
2. This shows that God will provide for all that we need.
vii) Jesus walks on water (6:45–52)
1. All the Apostles are on a boat on a large lake and a storm comes up suddenly.
Jesus has been asleep the whole time while the apostles are scared out of
their wits.
2. Jesus wakes, calms the storm and walks on water. He makes a point about not
being afraid because they are safe with God.
viii) The mercy of Jesus (6:53–56)
1. They reach Gennesaret and people recognize Jesus. People bring sick people
on mats to wherever they hear Jesus is.
2. He healed all who asked for it. This shows that God is merciful and will help us
even if we do not always have faith in him.
C. The Mystery of Jesus
i) Peter’s Proclamation (8:27–30)
1. Jesus and the disciples travel to Caesarea Philippi. Jesus asks them who
people think he is. John or Elijah, they reply. Jesus asks them what they think.
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Peter says he thinks Jesus is "the Christ", the Anointed One. Jesus tells them
to keep it a secret.
2. This is part of the “Messianic Secret” idea.

ii) The “Suffering Servant” (8:31–33)

1. Jesus tells the apostles what he will have to do in order to save them and
Peter rebukes him.
2. Jesus responds harshly and his answer could represent Mark's trying to dispel
a reader's disbelief in Jesus' death and divinity.
iii) Terms of Discipleship (8:34–9:1, 33–37, 10:13–16)
1. “If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his
cross and follow Me. For whoever wishes to save his life will lose it, but
whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does
it profit a man to gain the whole world, and forfeit his soul? For what will a man
give in exchange for his soul? For whoever is ashamed of Me and My words in
this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of
him when He comes in the glory of His Father with the holy angels.”
2. “Whoever receives one child like this in My name receives Me; and whoever
receives Me does not receive Me, but Him who sent Me.”
3. whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.
iv) The Transfiguration (9:2–8)
1. Jesus takes Peter, James and John up an unnamed high mountain, which
many came to believe was Mount Tabor. Suddenly Jesus' cloths become
dazzingly white "... whiter than anyone in the world could bleach them." and
Elijah and Moses appeared.
2. A voice comes from a cloud and says that "This is my Son, whom I love. Listen
to him!"
3. Jesus told them not to tell anyone what they saw. Messianic Secret.
v) Elijah (9:9–13)
1. It is written that Elijah must come before the messiah to restore all things and
prepare the way for him.
2. John the Baptist was the second coming of Elijah.
vi) Jesus’ Entry into Jerusalem (11:1–11)
1. Jesus instructs two men to fetch him an ass to ride in on because it is said that
the Messiah will ride in on an ass.
2. The People are waving palms and shouting “Hosannah” (“Deliver Us”) to him.
3. This angers the men in power in Jerusalem.
vii) Jesus cleans the Temple (11:15–19)
1. Jesus went into the temple and began turning over tables and driving out the
money changers.
2. He is furious at them for turning his house into a “den of thieves.”
viii) The Great Commandment (11:27–33)
1. A man asks Jesus, “What is the greatest commandment?”
2. Jesus tells him it is to worship God and God alone and to love thy neighbor as
thyself.
3. These are the basic ideas of the Church.
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D. The Passion Narrative: Mark 14:12–16:8

i) The Last Supper (14:12–31)
1. Jesus Broke bread with his apostles and told them about what was to come.
2. He said that there was one of them there who would betray him and one who
would deny him thrice, giving them an opportunity to back out.
3. Precursor to modern Eucharist.
ii) Jesus’ Agony in the garden, betrayal, arrest, trial before the Sanhedrin (14:32–65)
1. Agony in the garden was when Jesus begged his father to not make him die.
He said that everything was possible for God and therefore he could do
whatever he wanted without Jesus dying.
2. Jesus accepts it as his father’s will and does it anyway.
3. Judas arrives with an army and betrays Jesus with a kiss. In this version, Peter
cuts off the man’s ear and Jesus heals him.
4. The Sanhedrin tries to find evidence against Jesus but cannot, they only get
false testimony from people.
5. Asked if he was the Son of Man. He said, “I am.”
iii) Pontius Pilate, Barabbas and mockery by the soldiers (15:1–20)
1. Pilate does not want anything to do with Jesus and tries to get the people to let
him go.
2. He tries to get them to release him but instead they release a man named
Barabbas who is a revolutionary.
3. Mark says the soldiers took Jesus to the Praetorium, either Herod's palace or
the Fortress Antonia.
4. They scourged him, gave him a crown of thorns and mocked him.
iv) Way of the cross, crucifixion, death of Jesus (15:21–41)
1. Jesus walks up the the Hill of Calvary and along the way fulfills the stations of
the cross.
2. He is Crucified and as he lets out his dying breath, he says, “Father, into your
hands I commend my spirit.”
v) The burial of Jesus (15:42–47)
1. According to Mark, only Jesus’ women followers are still with him at this point.
2. Evening is approaching and Joseph of Arimathea, a member of the sanhedrin,
who was also waiting for the "Kingdom of God," goes to Pilate and asks for
Jesus' body.
vi) The Resurrection of Jesus (16:1–8)
1. It begins with the discovery of the empty tomb by Mary Magdalene, Mary the
mother of James, and Salome — there they encounter a man dressed in white
who announces the Resurrection of Jesus. Verse 8 ends with the women fleeing
from the empty tomb, and saying "nothing to anyone, because they were afraid."
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