Recap Notes | Solo Seminary | Great World Religions | Christianity | Lecture 2

Great World Religions

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Class Notes | Lecture 2 | How Did a Small Sect Within 1st-Century Judaism Become a World Religion?

I. The Role of Jesus in Christianity

• Jesus as "Founder":

  • Christianity begins after Jesus’s death.

  • He is central to the religion because:

    • His resurrection gave birth to a religious movement.

    • His life story remains central to Christian identity.

• Historical Jesus:

  • Hard to reconstruct due to reliance on Christian writings (mainly the Gospels).

  • Actions and teachings:

    • A prophetic figure within Judaism, marked by urgency and authority.

    • Preached the rule of God and called for repentance, focusing on the marginalized.

    • Symbolically chose 12 followers to represent the restoration of Israel.

• Opposition and Crucifixion:

  • Conflict with Jewish leaders.

  • Executed by crucifixion under Roman authority.

II. The Centrality of the Resurrection

• Key Beliefs:

  • Not a resuscitation but a transformation—Jesus transcended mortality and shared in God’s power.

  • The Resurrection reveals Jesus as:

    • God’s unique Son.

    • The "Life-Giving Spirit" (1 Corinthians 15:45).

    • The "new Adam," representing a new humanity.

  • Establishes Jesus as Lord, exalted to divine status.

• Implications of the Resurrection:

  • Made Jesus more than a Jewish messiah.

  • Enabled Christianity to expand beyond Judaism into a global religion.

  • Established the expectation of Jesus’s return as the judge of the world.

III. Christianity’s Rapid Expansion

• Spread Across the Roman Empire:

  • Within 25 years, Christian communities stretched from Jerusalem to Rome.

  • Expansion was marked by:

    • Persecution.

    • Lack of centralized control.

• Key Transitions Managed:

  • Geographical: Movement spread far beyond its Jewish origins.

  • Sociological: Grew beyond a single ethnic or religious group.

  • Linguistic: Shifted from Hebrew/Aramaic to Greek.

  • Cultural: Adapted to Gentile (non-Jewish) contexts.

  • Demographic: Included Gentile believers without requiring adherence to Jewish customs.

IV. Early Christian Communities

• Paul’s Letters:

  • Reflect the vibrancy and challenges of early Christian communities.

  • Churches met in households, displayed spiritual gifts, and practiced common rituals.

  • Communities faced disagreements about how to live out the Resurrection experience.

V. The New Testament: Scripture of the Early Church

• Overview:

  • Composed of 27 writings in Greek, responding to the needs of early believers.

  • Reinterpreted Jewish Scripture in light of Jesus’s crucifixion and resurrection.

• Structure:

  • Letters:

    • 13 by Paul (to Gentiles), 2 by Peter, 3 by John, 1 each by James and Jude.

    • Includes an anonymous sermon to the Hebrews.

  • Historical Narrative: Acts of the Apostles (documents the early church).

  • Visionary Composition: Book of Revelation.

  • Gospels: Four accounts of Jesus’s life (Mark, Matthew, Luke, John).

• Gospels:

  • Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) are interdependent.

  • All portray Jesus as a 1st-century Jew with remarkable accuracy.

  • Focus: Jesus as the present, powerful Lord, while also highlighting his human example.

VI. Conclusion

• Christianity’s growth from a small Jewish sect to a global religion is rooted in:

  • The Resurrection experience as the transformative event.

  • The adaptability of the movement across cultures and languages.

  • The dynamic community life reflected in the New Testament writings.

  • The central role of Jesus as both the human founder and divine Lord.