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Topic 16 The Consolidating Church: Pastorals, General Letters, Revelation

Topic 16 The Consolidating Church: Pastorals, General Letters, Revelation. New Issues Confronting the Settling Churches Growing hostility of Roman Empire Earlier period (before 64) – “benign neglect” Later NT period – increasing hostility

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Topic 16 The Consolidating Church: Pastorals, General Letters, Revelation

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  1. Topic 16 The Consolidating Church: Pastorals, General Letters, Revelation • New Issues Confronting the Settling Churches • Growing hostility of Roman Empire • Earlier period (before 64) – “benign neglect” • Later NT period – increasing hostility • Growth; separation from Judaism; peculiar practices. • Refusal to worship emperor and Roman gods. • Suspected of disloyalty; ostracized; episodes of persecution. • Nero (54-68) • Fire in Rome (64) needed to shift blame. • Persecution of Christians in Rome (64-65). • Early traditions that Peter and Paul were executed by Nero. • Domitian (81-96) • Demanded divine honors. • Persecution in Asia Minor (c. 95-96) • Trajan (98-117) • Christianity illegal; not systematically hunted down. • When accused, given chance to renounce the faith; otherwise, punished. • Ignatius of Antioch (c. 110).

  2. New Issues – cont. • Christian complacency and apathy • “Delay” of the Parousia • Combatting heresy and defining orthodoxy • Heresy (false teaching) reaching new proportions. • Three criteria of orthodoxy (right teaching): • Scripture • Apostolic tradition • Church order • Development of organizational structure • Early period had been free, charismatic. • Later, more definitive structures emerge. • Ignatius of Antioch describes 3 offices in a graded hierarchy: • Bishop = overseer • Presbyter = elder • Deacon = servant

  3. Pastorals: 1 & 2 Timothy and Titus • Authorship – highly disputed • Paul’s name in salutation. • Probably pseudonymous: • Different vocabulary/style – 306 words not in undisputed letters. • Theological differences. • Opponents reflect well developed Gnosticism. • Church organization is advanced. • Do not fit known life of Paul. • Date – c. 100-110 • Purpose • Opposes Gnostic heresy with ascetic practices. • Perhaps early form of Marcionism (1 Tim. 4:1-5; 6:20). • Writer appeals to: • Scripture (1 Tim. 4:1-5; 2 Tim. 3:16). • Apostolic tradition (2 Tim. 2:1-2). • Church order (1 Tim. 3:1-13; 5:17-19; Tit. 1:5-8).

  4. General Letters • Hebrews • Authorship – anonymous (no salutation); unknown • Date – c. 80-90 • Purpose – Written for Jewish Christian church; complacent in the faith; under threat of persecution; was in danger of apostasy. Complacency + Persecution = Apostasy • Highlights – Calls the church to faithfulness: • By demonstrating superiority of Christianity. • 3:1-6 – Christ superior to Moses. • 7:23-28 – Christ superior to priests. • 10:1-4, 11-14 – Christ superior to sacrifices. • By warning against consequences of apostasy. • 6:4-6 – No second repentance. • By pointing to example of biblical heroes of faith. • ch. 11 – Roll call of the faithful. • 12:1-3 – Appeal for faithful endurance.

  5. James • Authorship • Salutation: “James, a servant of God…” • Tradition: James, brother of Jesus (cf. Mk. 6:3; Gal. 1:19). • Possibilities: Jesus’ brother; another James; pseudonym. • Date – before 62 or c. 90-100. • Purpose – Collection of moral exhortations; emphasizes importance of moral action. • Highlights • 1:22 – “Be doers of the word…” • 1:27 – True religion: moral purity and readiness to help the needy. • 2:14-26 – Corrects abuse of “justification by faith.” • James: justified by works, not by faith alone (v. 24). • Paul: justified by faith in Christ, not by works of law. • Luther took offense at James: “right strawy epistle.” • James opposes not Paul but a misunderstanding of Paul: [Paul: faith = trusting God with dependence/obedience. [James: faith = believing the right doctrine.

  6. General Letters – cont. • 1 Peter • Authorship • Salutation – Apostle Peter • Debated – genuine or pseudonym? • Date • If Peter – c. 64 • If not Peter – c. 95 or 98-117 • Purpose • To encourage persecuted Christians in Asia Minor. • Portions may be borrowed from baptismal sermon on confidence in the hope of salvation. • Highlights • 2:12-17 – Obey civil authorities in spite of persecution. • 3:13-17 – Accept suffering with clear conscience. • 4:12-19 – Persecution is not shameful.

  7. General Letters – cont. • Jude • Authorship • Salutation: “Jude, brother of James.” • Tradition: Jude, brother of Jesus (cf. Mk. 6:3). • Possibilities: Jesus’ brother Jude; pseudonym; unknown Jude. • Date – c. 100-125 • Purpose • Opposes a libertine heresy involving sexual immorality. • Denounces opponents’ lifestyle (v. 12-13). • 2 Peter • Authorship • Salutation: “Simeon Peter…apostle…” • Probably pseudonymous • Date – c. 100-150 • Uses Jude (cf. 2 Pet. 2:1-18; 3:1-3 with Jude 4-18). • Probably latest book of NT. • Purpose – Opposes false teachers who denied Parousia. • 3:3-4 – Hope of Parousia doubted, scoffed at. • 3:8-10 – Parousia will come.

  8. Revelation: God’s Final Victory over Evil • Authorship • Christian prophet named John (1:1) • Tradition: Apostle John – probably not. • Place – island of Patmos • Date – c. 95-96 (near end of Domitian’s reign) • Purpose – To strengthen/encourage churches in Asia Minor facing persecution for refusing to worship emperor. • Genre – Apocalyptic literature • Apocalypses were written in times of persecution/crisis. • Gave symbolic visions of heavenly world and end of world. • Looked for imminent intervention of God to end Evil Age and establish New Age of justice. • Gave hope to oppressed communities trying to be faithful. • Rev. is an apocalypse (title apocalypsis = revelation).

  9. 6. Comments on Revelation • Addressed to churches c. 95 AD – encourages them with what God is about to do “soon” (1:1, 3; 22:6, 7, 10, 12). • Interpretin ways relevant/meaningful to first readers. • Apocalyptic symbols – give eschatological significance to current crisis. • Beast from Sea (13:1) = Roman Empire • Beast from Earth (13:11) = Imperial cult • 666 (13:18) = number of “the beast” – Who is the beast? • Gematria – numerical symbolism; add up value of letters in a word or name. Whose name “adds up” to 666? • Probably refers to “Neron Caesar” (Nero). • Babylon (17:5; 18:2; etc.) = Rome • Two main parts • ch. 1-3 – Letters to seven churches of Asia (Minor) • ch. 4-22 – Visions of God’s victory over evil • Conflict has two levels: • Earthly: Church vs. Empire • Cosmic: God vs. Satan • Message – Gives assurance that,despite appearances, God is in control and ultimately will be victorious; calls church to faithful endurance on that basis.

  10. Four Ways Revelation Has Been Interpreted • Continuous historical – Visions predict all of history from 1st century to end of the world. • Futurist – Visions predict events in the last few years of history before the end of the world. • Preterist – Visions refer to events of John’s day and shortly after; interpret in context of John and his readers. • Idealist - Visions do not refer to specific historical events but express timeless truth that good ultimately triumphs over evil.

  11. Outline of Revelation • Letters to the Seven Churches (ch. 1-3) • Prologue (1:1-8) – frames apocalypse in form of a letter • Commissioning (1:9-20) – call of John on Patmos • Letters (ch. 2-3) – seven churches called to repentance and endurance • Visions of the Future (ch. 4-22) • God’s judgment of “Babylon” (ch. 4-18) • Heavenly throne room (ch. 4-5) – vision of God and the Lamb • Seven seals (ch. 6-7) – “four horsemen” (6:1-8) • Seven trumpets (ch. 8-11) – more calamities (cf. 11:15) • Great conflict (ch. 12-14) – revolt of “the Dragon” and his 2 Beasts • Seven bowls (ch. 15-16) – final calamities; “Armageddon” (cf. 16:16) • Fall of “Babylon” (17-18) – “lament” over fallen city (cf. 18:2) • God’s redemption of the “Holy City” (ch. 19-22) • Final victory (ch. 19-20) – defeat of Beasts and Dragon; “millennium;” final judgment (cf. 19:6) • New Jerusalem (ch. 21-22) – renewal of Creation (cf. 21:1-2) • Epilogue (22:6-20) – do not seal the book for the time is near (v. 10)

  12. Seven Churches of Revelation

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