Religion(Old Testament up to Judges) Exam Notes

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By: kdixon13 11
October 7, 2009 | History - Stigall

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RELIGION EXAM

- Grand Christian Narrative
  - Act 1: Creation-God establishes kingdom
  - Act 2: Corruption-Rebellion in the kingdom
  - Act 3: Correction-The King chooses Israel and initiates redemption
    - Covenant
    - Christ
    - Church
Act 4: Completion-Return of the King, The fulfillment of redemption

Creation Christ Completion

Scripture- an authoritative, sacred text for a community
Canon- An exclusive collection of scripture, only some are authoritative
Canonization- The process by which writings are singled out as authoritative for a community

Jewish (TANAK)- 3 Divisions
- Torah
- Nevi’im
- Kethuvim
- Roman Catholic Old Testament- 4 Divisions
  - Pentateuch
  - Historical Books
  - Wisdom and Poetry
  - Prophets
Apocrypha- various religious writings of uncertain origin regarded by some as inspired but rejected by most authorities.

Protestant Old Testament- 4 Divisions
- Pentateuch
- Historical Books
- Wisdom and Poetry
- Prophets
NO Apocrypha

CANONIZATION NOTES
- The early church received the Jewish scriptures because Jesus regarded them as authoritative.
- Used the Greek translation (Septuagint) of the Jewish scriptures.
- Divergences in the Christian OT are because of influences on Martin Luther.
- The importance of endings
  - Tanak ends with: 1 and 2 Chronicles, The Hope of Return from Exile
  - Christian OT ends with: Malachi, The Hope for the Coming Messiah

New Testament Canon
- 4 Divisions
  - Pauline Materials
  - Gospels (Acts)
  - Catholic Letters
  - Revelation

Heresy- going against the orthodox
Marcion- The breadth of authoritative writings
Gnosticism- The true teaching (very diverse)
Montanists- The limits of authority (ultra Pentecostal)
Catholicity- (universal) Applicable to church today
Orthodoxy- Follows the rule of faith
Apostolicity- From an apostle or follower
Traditional Use- Handed down through generations
Historicity- based on the history

Athanasius- Doctor of the Church in the Roman Catholic Church
Council of Carthage- In 397 AD the council of Carthage put their approval on the canon that was already read by and throughout the church. It then became a fixed canon for the western church as it was for the eastern.

Scriptures
- Textual Critism
  - ISSUE: Which form of text do you live by; do you always accept the text the church says is authoritative?
  - PURPOSE: Recovery of the original text
  - INTENTIONAL CHANGES
    - Harmonizations (smooth out differences)
    - Grammatical issues
    - Theological tendencies (can’t decipher which meaning was originally meant so it is changed for easier understanding)
    - UNINTENTIONAL CHANGES
      - Haplography (omission)
      - Dittography (duplication)
      - Continuous Script (no punctuation marks or spaces, abbreviations)
      - There are no vowels in Hebrew so translators could have easily made mistakes
      - PRINCIPLES
        
        External Evidence
        
        Manuscripts should be weighed not counted
        
        Date of witnesses (earlier the better)
        
        Geographical distribution
        
        Internal Evidence
        
        Reading that is more difficult is better
        
        Shorter reading is better
        
        If the writer’s style changes it is probably not original
        
        The readings should explain the other readings
        
        MARK 16
        
        External
        
        Earliest and best end is at 16:8
        
        Majority of manuscripts include 16:9-20
        
        Internal
        
        16:8 is shorter
        
        16:8 is more difficult
        
        16:9-20 is “non-Markan” style
        
        Therefore, the longer ending of Mark 16 is not original. The version that ends at 16:8 is the correct version.

The two creation stories

GENESIS 1

GENESIS 2

God Speaks

God doesn’t speak, he only works

Negative Commands

Order
1. Light and dark separate

2. Sky and water

3. Earth and vegetation

4. Stars, lesser and greater light

5. Birds, sea life

6. Livestock, humans

7. Rest

NO ORDER

Nothing God can’t do

Adam

-Garden (God tills, rivers formed, rain)

-Animals

Eve

-Multiply

The Documentary Hypothesis (JEDP)
- This is an attempt by scholars to categorize the Pentateuch
  - Yahwist (J)- Jews call God Yahweh
  - Elohist (E)- General, called God Eloheim
  - Deuteronomist (D)- The historical account
  - Priestly (P)- Focuses on importance of laws and the temple
  - Narrative Purpose- A proper introduction
  - The creation accounts are didactic (teaching) and polemic (argument)

Inerrant or Infallible
- Scripture is completely free from error (inerrancy)
- For something to be infallible the characteristic of being incapable of failing to accomplish a predetermined purpose
- For Protestants: Applies to scripture
- For Catholics: Extends to include the teachings of the church
- Inerrancy is the doctrinal position that, in its original form, the Bible is totally without error, and free from all contradiction
- Infallibility is a theological term to describe the belief that the Bible is free from errors on issues of faith and practice, while minor possible contradictions in history (or geography, science etc.) can be overlooked as insignificant to its spiritual purpose.

Consequences of Corruption
- Human relationships
  - Child birth is painful
Relationship between God and Humanity
- Adam knows he is naked and hides from God
Humans and Creation
- Thorns and thistles grow up
- Labor is harder for the males
An inversion of the created order
Ongoing effects
- Did Adam and Eve die?
  - Not immediately, but everyone will surely die
  - Do the effects of sin continue today?
    - Humans are prone to bad behavior
Literary pattern of Genesis 3-11
- Genealogies, narratives
- Sinful act, speech of judgment, act of judgment, act of grace

Abrahamic Covenant
- 4 versions- Genesis 12,15,17,22
- PURPOSE: To bless all nations
  - Land, Great Nation, Blessing to all Nations is promised
OVERVIEW: 1^st deception of Sarah, Sarah barren, Sarah convinces Hagar to conceive she does and Sarah gets jealous, Sarah’s laughter at the fact she will have kids, 2^nd deception of Sarah… all lack faith in God
- God tells Abe to kill Isaac, he is about to and God stops him; God provides another sacrifice
  - GOD PROMISES AGAIN, A NEW COVENANT FOR ABRAHAM
  - Abe’s faith is confirmed

Patriarchs are Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. A patriarch is the head of the family or church.

Mosaic Covenant
- Resembles a Hittite Vassal (parcel out and king protects) Treaty
  - Historical Prologue
  - Stipulations of the Relationship
  - Blessing and Cursing
  - An oath
The significance?
- Yahweh is Israel’s King
This is an OBLIGATORY covenant

The Function of the Law
- Legalism: a person keeps the law in order to gain and keep relationship with God
- Covenantal Nomism: a person keeps the law out of gratitude
- Types of Law
  - Apodictic Law- direct second person commands without any statement of circumstances or sanction (10 Commandments)
  - Casuistic Law- conditional statements where the “if clause” states the circumstances and the “then clause” the legal consequence

Did Israel keep the covenant?

A Idolatry: Golden Calf

B Complaining

C Dissatisfaction with God’s provision

D Rebellion against Moses

E Failure to enter Cannon

D’ Rebellion against Moses

C’ Dissatisfaction with God’s provision

B’ Complaining

A’ Idolatry: Baal, Peor

Israel’s ability to keep the law
- Enable, they had idols, Chan’s sin, they wandered forever, act.

Who is Joshua?
- Military leader
- Moses’ attendant
- Faithful spy
- He was a prophet like Moses
  - The Context of the Prophet
    - The need for a mediator
    - The need for a spiritual leader
Chapter overview
- Tanak- part of former prophets
- LXX-Part of history
  - Dueteronomistic History
  - Didactic History
  - Apologetic History

Abrahamic/Mosaic Covenant
- God gives Israel the land because of his promise…
- …But Israel keeps it because of obedience
- Remember sin of Achan
  - He tried a different way than God had instructed. He followed his own plan instead of following God's plan.