Download Chapter 16: The World of the New Testament

Chapter 16: The World of the
New Testament
UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Opening Prayer on Isaiah 9:1–6.
Some Jews thought prophecies such as this were fulfilled when the
Maccabees established a Jewish state independent of foreign control.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
BASIC QUESTIONS
Was the Davidic Covenant fulfilled under the Maccabean kings?
Who were the Pharisees, and how did they answer the question of how to live Judaism in
the world?
Who were the Sadducees, and how did they answer the question of how to live Judaism in
the world?
Who were the Essenes and Zealots?
Why did Rome conquer Israel?
KEY IDEAS
God’s promise to David was not yet fulfilled: the kings were Levites.
The Pharisees were learned laymen who believed Judaism involved strict separation from
Gentiles and faithful adherence to the Mosaic Law.
The Sadducees were politically connected priests who believed in accommodating Jewish life
to Gentile rule; they accepted only the Pentateuch and denied life after death and the
existence of angels.
The Essenes withdrew to live a purified Judaism, and the Zealots were nationalists willing to
embrace violence.
Given its geographical importance, Israel was attacked in part because of internal disunity.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did John Hyrcanus “Judaize” Israel?
He required every man to be circumcised or leave. Being circumcised meant obeying
the whole Mosaic Law with all its rites and requirements.
How did John Hyrcanus earn the Samaritans’ hatred?
He destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim, the center of their religious life.
Why did Aristobulus having named himself king, not fulfill the Davidic
promises?
Aristobulus was a Levite, not a descendant of David.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did the Pharisees answer the question, “How can the Jews be faithful to
God in a pagan empire?”
They kept out the Gentiles. Pharisee comes from the Aramaic perushim, which means
separated.
How was the practice of Judaism under the Pharisees?
The Pharisees thought everyone should follow the ritualistic purity regulations of the
priests of Jerusalem and strictly obey all the Law.
Extension: There are 613 commandments in all.
What was the Pharisees’ hypocrisy?
They evaded the spirit of the Law and invented interpretations to cheat the poor or
their parents. The letter of the Law became more important than its spirit.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
GUIDED EXERCISE
Read Matthew 23:1–39.
Then discuss why a speech like this would have earned the Pharisees’
hatred.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Complete the following table to organize the various groups in Israel.
Group
Pharisees
Sadducees
Essenes
Zealots
Jewish Parties at the Time of Christ
Brief Description
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
Group
Pharisees
Sadducees
Essenes
Zealots
Jewish Parties at the Time of Christ
Brief Description
The forerunners of the rabbis who advocated a strict observance of the
Law and separation from Gentiles.
Wealthy and politically connected Jews who cooperated with the pagan
rulers, accepted only the books of Moses, and rejected angels and life
after death.
A “pure and righteous” group who withdrew into t he wilderness to
practice their Jewish faith untainted by the corruption of the Sadducees.
Revolutionaries who wanted to overthrow Roman rule in Judea.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share according to the map “The Babylonian Empire
After the Destruction of Jerusalem” (p. 253) using the following question:
Why was Israel in a strategically important location?
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Who were the Sadducees?
They were a priestly class who dominated the Sanhedrin.
Extension: The Sanhedrin was a council of seventy-one priests who made
legislative and judicial decisions.
How did the Sadducees answer the question, “How can the Jews be
faithful to God in a pagan empire?”
They advocated cooperation with Gentile rulers and held political power.
What were some of the Sadducees’ distinctive beliefs?
They believed only the Pentateuch was inspired and denied life after death
and angels.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A paragraph shrink on the paragraph “The Pharisees had come...” (p.
291) to learn what the Pharisees rejected in order to separate from Gentiles.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
CLOSURE
Using the completed Graphic Organizer on page 290, write a well-organized
essay detailing the four major groups in Israel at the time of Christ.
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 1– 11 (p. 303)
Practical Exercise 1 (p. 303)
Workbook Questions 1– 11
Read “Herod the Great” through “Religion in the Roman Empire” (pp.
292– 296)
1. The Major Jewish Parties (pp. 288–291)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Read Luke 20:27–40.
The Sadducees came to Christ to make the ideas of Heaven and the
resurrection from the dead seem ridiculous.
Free write for five minutes about what Christ revealed in this passage about
the nature of Heaven.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Brainstorm facts about the Roman Empire.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
BASIC QUESTIONS
 What were the character and accomplishments of Herod the Great?
 What does it mean to say Christ was born in the fullness of time?
 How was religion viewed in the Roman Empire?
KEY IDEAS
 Herod the Great was a crafty and murderous king who nevertheless
brought prosperity to Israel and added to the Second Temple.
 Christ was born in the fullness of time when the known world was unified
and at the beginning of two centuries of relative peace.
 The pagan inhabitants of the Roman Empire were relatively open to new
religious ideas, and the empire itself was fairly tolerant of the religious
practices of conquered peoples.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What are some examples of Herod’s crafty insanity?
He killed three of his sons in horrible ways, ordered the death of every male in
Bethlehem under two years of age when he learned of Christ’s Birth, subsidized
the Temple priests generously so they would support him, sent lavish gifts to
prominent Romans to keep himself in favor with them, and claimed to be an
exiled Jew—he was not a Jew, but an Edomite—so the Jews would accept him.
What are some examples of Herod’s sense of grandiosity?
He had multiple wives, added to the Temple in Jerusalem on a lavish scale, and
erected grand palaces, fortresses, and public buildings throughout his kingdom.
Why is Herod called the Great?
His reign was prosperous compared to his successors’.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why did some people believe the messianic prophecies were fulfilled by the end
of King Herod’s reign?
King Herod had built a glorious Temple in Jerusalem.
What was the Pax Romana?
It was the two centuries-long relative peace across the Roman Empire.
How did the Pax Romana and universal Roman rule facilitate the spread of
Christianity?
There was an extensive network of roads, one currency, one law, no borders to cross,
and travel was relatively safe.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What was the essence of Roman religion?
It was mechanistic and contractual: performing the sacred rites properly would ensure
the desired result.
What was the Roman attitude to other religions?
The Romans generally tolerated any religion as long as its adherents did not cause
problems.
What did some philosophers believe about religion at this time?
Some had reasoned their way to monotheism with God as a first cause. Others thought
God or the gods were too distant to care about human affairs. Still others no longer
believed in any gods.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
GRAPHIC ORGANIZER
Complete the following table according to the map “Herod’s Sons
Inherit His Kingdom: The ‘Tetrarchy’” (p. 295).
Herod’s Sons Inherit his Kingdom: ‘The Tetrarchy’
Which tetrarch controlled Judea?
Who controlled Galilee?
Name a city that Herod Antipas ruled.
Which province consisted of four separate
areas?
Whose realm included Samaria?
In whose realm are most of Herod the
Great’s fortresses located?
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
Herod’s Sons Inherit his Kingdom: ‘The Tetrarchy’
Which tetrarch controlled Judea?
Archelaus.
Who controlled Galilee?
Herod Antipas.
Name a city that Herod Antipas ruled.
Livias.
Which province consisted of four separate
The Province of Syria.
areas?
Whose realm included Samaria?
Archelaus.
In whose realm are most of Herod the
Archelaus.
Great’s fortresses located?
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
CLOSURE
Free write for five minutes about the character and accomplishments of
Herod the Great.
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 12–16, 20–21 (p. 303)
Workbook Questions 12–18
Read “The Spread of the Jewish Religion” through “The
Samaritans” (pp. 296–300)
2. The Fullness of Time (pp. 292–296)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
Many educated Romans, whose studies included philosophy, came to
consider the new religions as well as the Greek and Roman gods to be
superstitious nonsense.
Some of them became philosophical monotheists.
Discuss the following question:
How can education lead to a belief in God just as easily as a denial of
his existence?
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
ANTICIPATORY SET
Read aloud the story of the Samaritan woman at the well (cf. Jn 4:4–29).
Parts:
1.Narrator
2.Christ
3.The Samaritan Woman
N.B. the Pharisees considered even to drink out of a cup touched by a
Samaritan would make one impure.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
BASIC QUESTIONS
What status did Jews have in the Roman Empire?
What is the Septuagint?
Who were the proselytes of the Gate?
How did Jews view Galilee?
How did Jews view Samaria?
KEY IDEAS
Jews had spread throughout the Roman Empire and become a respected population.
After the Sacred Scriptures had been translated into Greek, they were understandable
to almost all the inhabitants of the eastern half of the Roman Empire.
The proselytes of the Gate were Gentiles who were attracted to Judaism but did not
convert because of its strict demands; they knew the Scriptures (Old Testament) and
thus were open to Christianity.
To Jews, Galilee was considered a region of poor, backward farmers.
Israel’s neighbors, the Samaritans, were a mixed population whom the Jews
considered heretics and with whom they were supposed to have no contact.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How extensive was the Jewish presence in the Roman Empire?
There were Jewish neighborhoods in most towns in the Roman Empire, some
10,000 living in Rome itself. A quarter of the population in Alexandria, the second
largest city in the Empire, was Jewish. Possibly seven percent of the population of
the empire was Jewish.
What is the Septuagint?
It is the Greek translation of the Old Testament made in Alexandria in the third
century BC. It was read by Jews and others throughout the empire. Christians have
always revered it, and it is quoted in the New Testament.
What is the relationship between synagogue worship and the Liturgy of the
Word?
They are substantially the same except the Liturgy of the Word includes a Gospel
reading.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
Why did Judaism appeal to so many Gentiles in the Roman Empire?
The Romans were a people searching constantly for new religions, and many Romans
were skeptical of their own religions.
Extension: God is inherently attractive, so this must have played a part. The Jews also
had a high moral code, which contrasted with the immorality of many around them.
Who were the proselytes of the Gate?
They were God-fearing Gentiles who were deeply attracted to Judaism and kept many
strictures but were not willing to convert.
How did the proselytes of the Gate facilitate the rapid spread of Christianity?
These Gentiles knew the Scriptures, awaited the Messiah, and could understand how
Jesus Christ fulfilled the messianic prophesies.
Extension: Christianity was attractive because the proselytes could convert fully
without having to undergo circumcision, follow Jewish dietary or purification laws,
repudiate their families, or disinherit their children.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
GUIDED EXERCISE
A focused reading of Luke 7:1–9 using the following question:
What evidence points to the man coming to Christ for help is a proselyte of the
Gate?
GUIDED EXERCISE
A think / pair / share on the Catechism, no. 2 (p. 304).
Identify the policy of Ezra and the Pharisees regarding contact with Gentiles.
Compare the two points of view toward salvation.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
How did the Romans deal with Jewish insurrectionists?
They sent Roman legions to put down disturbances.
Extension: Putting down a disturbance often included jailing (cf. Mk 15:7),
enslaving, or killing the rebels.
What was Judea?
It was the name the Romans gave the region around Jerusalem where the Jewish
remnant had settled upon their return from the Babylonian Exile. Its inhabitants
were called Judeans.
Extension: In the second century AD, the Romans renamed the region Palestine
after the coastal Philistines, the Jews’ traditional enemies.
What did Judeans think of Galileans?
They considered them backward peasants with distinctive accents.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
GUIDED EXERCISE
In your assigned group, formulate responses to Practical Exercise 2 (p. 303).
To some extent, the question can be answered with evidence from this
chapter, but, at the same time, it requires some speculation.
Share responses with the class.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
FOCUS QUESTIONS
What does it mean to say the Samaritans were a mixed population?
Their blood lines included a mixture of different peoples, some
descended from Abraham and others not. In the Samaritans’ case, they
were the descendants of Israelites who were not deported by the
Assyrians having intermarried with peoples from all over the Assyrian
Empire, who had resettled in the region.
Why did the Jews refuse to have any contact with Samaritans?
Jews considered the Samaritans heretics to be shunned. The two had also
mistreated each other over the years, so a mutual mistrust was present.
What is the state of the Samaritans today?
There are a persecuted minority of whom only a few hundred remain.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
CLOSURE
List ways the dispersion of the Jews prepared for the coming of
Christ.
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENT
Study Questions 17–19, 22 (p. 303)
Practical Exercises 2–3 (p. 303)
Workbook Questions 19–32
3. The Spread of Judaism (pp. 296–300)
ALTERNATIVE ASSESSMENT
A class discussion using the following questions:
If Judaism had been different, could it have converted the Roman Empire
instead of Christianity?
What would those differences have been?
The End