1-3-3-Christ the King

When the Kingdom of Heaven comes in power into our lives, and we let Jesus rule over every part, wonderful things begin to happen.  After reading Romans 14:17, write in what the Kingdom of God is:

In Galatians 5:16-17 Paul describes this constant struggle in the life of a believer, between our own will and that of Christ.  In these verses he calls: our own self-will the sinful nature and the will of Christ the spirit.

So you can see that as members of Christ's Kingdom we are engaged in a spiritual battle.  Sometimes we can fall by letting SELF-WILL get the upper hand again.

IF I fall into this trap, what steps should I take to correct it?  How can I keep it from happening again?

a.  Say to the Lord that I'm sorry and ask him to forgive me, and restore me, believing that he will.

b.  Ask, and make sure, that Jesus comes back on the throne of my life, and is ruling over everything again.

c.  Try not to let self-will get the upper hand again.

d.  Lift the shield of faith; faith in God's great love and power.

In Matthew 6:33 Jesus gives us some very good advice.  He says "Seek first his Kingdom."  To seek first the Kingdom of God means: to be ready to do Christ's will always, in thought, word and deed.

Christ, our king, died so that we should live no more for ourselves but FOR HIM.  Therefore, whether we are eating, sleeping, traveling, praying, or even just breathing, it must be for him.

The five steps in Jesus' life is closely associated with a special place and semesters:

1. Infancy - Bethlehem - 3rd Semester-Year 1

2. Year of Preparation - Nazareth - 1st Semester-Year 2

3. Year of Popularity - Capernaum - 2nd semester-Year2

4. Year of Passion - Jerusalem - 3rd Semester-Year 2

5. Resurrected Life-All Nations - 1st Semester-Year 3

6. Christ's Church-All Nations - 2nd Semester-Year 3.

The Jewish World

Historical Background

It is impossible to fully understand the New Testament without a knowledge of the times in which it was written.  Political control of Palestine had changed hands several times since the days of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi.  At the time of Christ, the rulers of the world were the emperors of Rome - Caesar Augustus, Tiberius Caesar (Luke 2:1, 3:1), and their successors.  

Between the prophet Malachi and the New Testament writers there elapsed over four hundred years - silent years to one who reads only the Bible.  The world felt the impact of a great Greek culture during the intertestamental period.  It was "Hellenized."  The Hellenistic influence was pervasive, touching language and customs.

Judaism

The term "Judaism" spells out rules of conduct between man and man and between man and nature, in addition to regulations for man's spiritual relationship with God.  Thus, Judaism includes cultural, ethical, and spiritual factors.

A turning point in the history of religion occurred in 587/586 B.C.  Before that point we properly refer to the religion of Israel.  The term "Judaism" is used to designate the religion of Israel which had been changed because of the change in the circumstances of the people resulting from the exile to Babylon.

The Diaspora

The word "diaspora" means, literally, "scattering abroad of seed" (as seed is sown in a field).  It refers to the scattering of the Jews from their homeland (Palestine) into many foreign countries in the sixth century B.C.  Following the destruction of the Temple by Nebuchadnezzar and the deportation to Babylon, the Jews found themselves in new circumstances.  They were living among people whose religious concepts, culture, and language differed from their own.  This condition was painful for many, and overwhelming for others - they capitulated.

After Cyrus the Great of Persia conquered Babylon in 539 B.C., the Jews were permitted to return to Palestine.  The Second Temple was completed in 515 B.C., and Jerusalem was re-established as the center of Jewish life and religion (Ezra 6:14-22).  Relatively few Jews chose to return to Palestine (Ezra 2:64-65).  The only place of sacrifice was in Jerusalem, but there were many centers of study and prayer in the diaspora.

Key Institutions

Two key institutions of Judaism between 58 B.C. and A.D. 70 were the Temple and the synagogue.  There was only one Temple, which was in Jerusalem, but there were many synagogues throughout Palestine and the lands of the dispersion.

The Second Temple was built by Zerubbabel.  It was enlarged and beautified by Herod the Great beginning in 19 B.C.  It was sacred, the place of worship and sacrifice.  Here the priests officiated services, the religious festivals were observed, the Scriptures were read, and prayers were offered.  In addition, the Temple served as a treasury for tax money, offerings, and private fortunes.  The outer court was almost a place of commerce.  Buying and selling, money-changing,  and other traffic were carried on (see John 2:14; Mark 11:15).

The synagogue served to "cement" the scattered people.  Through synagogue instruction, love of the law has been inculcated in the people through generations.  The meaning of the word "synagogue," a gathering (of people) or a place of gathering, indicates that it was initially a communal institution.  It served as: (1) a center for reading and institution in the law (Luke 4:16-21) in addition to praise and prayer; (2) a place of judgment (Matt. 10:17); (3) a school, and (4) a community social center, especially outside Palestine.

Key Sects or Parties

According to Flavius Josephus, a Jewish historian of the first century A.D., there were three sects among the Jews: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Essenes.  In another work, he mentions a fourth sect called the Zealots, founded by Judas of Galilee.  There were approximately 6,000 Pharisees and 4,000 Essenes.  The Sadducees were not numerous.  Compared to the total population of Palestine in the first century, approximately 500,000, these sects represented a small but influential percentage of the total population.

The Sadducees and the Pharisees occupied the leading positions of public influence.  The Essenes were ascetics, living in communities separated from society.  The Zealots formed a fanatical resistance movement which opposed the Roman regime.  On the basis of other (Jewish) writings, we know that there were many great and noble persons among them.

The Pharisees were mainly concerned with religious observance including the Torah and the Oral Tradition of the rabbis, which led them to separate themselves from all sources of defilement - unclean things and persons.  Their key tenets of belief include: predestination and free will (*God controls history, but man has a responsibility to fulfill His will); resurrection of the body, final judgment, and the reward of eternal life, the messianic  hope and the expectation of the kingdom of God.

The Sadducees denied the authority of the Oral Tradition, which embodied a complex series of interpretations and applications of the law of Moses.  The Sadducees were mainly concerned with politics.  They were the conservatives of the day in both politics and religion.  Holding only to the law of Moses (the Torah), they rejected the Pharisaic interpretations and denied the idea of predestination or the afterlife.

Apparently most of the Sadducees came from priestly families.  In the New Testament times they held the leadership of the Sanhedrin (the supreme council or court of Palestine).  Their influence rested mainly among the wealthy, and they attempted to maintain good relations with their political overlords (being pro-Roman in this period).

The Essene sect was composed of priestly members.  Many today believe that this sect included the ascetic community living on the shores of the Dead Sea, just east of Jerusalem.  If the people of Qumran (the name of the center rediscovered by archaeologists since the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1947) were in fact Essenes, our knowledge of the latter has been considerably increased.  We see them as a closely knit community of dedicated, contemplative persons, very concerned with ceremonial purity and the study and preservation of the Scriptures.  They looked intently toward the coming  of a Deliverer, and believed they would have a key place in establishing the kingdom of God upon earth.

The Zealots, on the other hand, were militant patriots, bitterly opposed to the Roman rule.  They believed that God alone was their Master.

The Literature

The literature of Judaism may be divided into two main groups: (1) the canonical writings, namely, the Scriptures (for the Christian, the "Old Testament"), and (2) the noncanonical books namely the Apocrypha.

Josephus counted twenty-two books in the Bible.  In the apocryphal book of 2 Esdras (14:45) the number of books given is twenty-four.  Both counts represent the same thirty-nine books known to us today; the difference is simply a question of grouping.  For example, in the Hebrew Bible the twelve minor prophets are called "the Twelve" (one book); First and Second Samuel are one book, as are First and Second Kings, First and Second Chronicles, and Ezra and Nehemiah.

Most of this literature was originally written in the Hebrew language, with some short sections (as in Ezra and Daniel) in Aramaic (the language of Abram-Syria).  But few could read these books, for after the Babylonian Captivity the Jews began to use Aramaic and lost their knowledge of Hebrew.  Thus, an undertaking of great significance was the translation of the Bible into Greek during the second and first centuries B.C. in Alexandria (Egypt).  In those days, Greek was the linua franca (the common tongue) of the world.  This translation, called the Septuagint (meaning "seventy"), made the message available to aa great segment of humanity.

The second group of writings was not regarded by  the Jews as canonical.  Including about twenty-five (or more) books, they were written during the period 200 B.C.-A.D. 100.  The word "apocrypha" means "hidden things."

This collection is of great importance to a study of Jewish thought during the intertestamental period.  These works reflect the ideas and hopes of the Jewish people during this period of "great distress in Israel, such as had not been since  the time that prophets ceased to appear among them" (1 Macc. 9:27).

Read 2 Kings 24:17-25:21 and 2 Chronicles 36:11-21 concerning the fall of Jerusalem and the Babylonian captivity.  What are the causes for this judgment listed in these passages?  Is the Church today guilty of some of these sins?

Read Daniel 1.  How would you respond given the same circumstances?  Do you thing Daniel's actions were typical of the Jews in captivity, or were he and his three friends an exception?

Read Ezra 4-6:12 and Nehemiah 4-6.  What difficulties did the returning Jews face in rebuilding the temple and walls of Jerusalem?

The Pharisees were careful to observe the oral traditions of the Jewish Rabbis.  Read the following Scriptures  and note the different ways the New Testament speaks of tradition.  Matthew 15:2-6; 1 Peter 1:18; Colossians 2:8; 2 Thessalonians 2:15; 3:6.

Read the following statements, and label each corresponding blank true by checking the box.

Over four hundred years elapsed between the prophet Malachi and the New Testament writings.

The intertestamental years refer to the silent period between the Old and new Testament.

The term "Judaism" applies to the religion of the Jews since the time of the Babylonian Captivity.

Herod had his troops begin the rebuilding of the Temple in approximately 20-19 B.C.

The Zealots were among one of the key sects of the Jews.

Pharisees and Sadducees were distinguished mainly in their attitudes toward the Oral Tradition.

The Pseudepigrapha is the Greek translation of the Jewish Bible.

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