January 1st Bible Study Companion

The New Testament

When we last visited the Jews living in and around Jerusalem, they were ruled by a Persian King.  Malachi was the last recorded prophet to speak for God.  This silence lasted for about 400 years, but there were major changes taking place in the land – changes foretold by Daniel.  In the 330’s BC the Persians were overthrown by the Greeks under Alexander the Great who ruled from 334–323 BC.  The Jews were introduced to Greek (Hellenistic) culture and the Greek language.  Following Alexander's death his empire was divided among four of his generals.

From 320 to 198 BC, the Jews were controlled by the Egyptian Ptolemaic Empire. A sizable Jewish community also grew in Egypt, and a large Jewish colony in Alexandria was influential well past the time of Christ (consider Apollos in Acts 18:24). A Greek translation of the Pentateuch (first 5 books of the Bible) was made in Egypt around 250 BC, and of the rest of the Old Testament by about 130 BC (together commonly called the Septuagint). Most of Palestine's countryside, outside Jerusalem, adopted Greek culture (Hellenism).

In about 198 BC, the Seleucid (Syrian) Empire to the north of Palestine gained control over the Jews. The Seleucids attempted to spread Hellenism throughout their empire. The Jews were forbidden, on pain of death, to practice their traditional way of life, including their religion. The Jerusalem temple was turned into a pagan shrine, and persecution became prevalent.  This defilement led Mattathias and his five sons to lead a revolt.  After Mattathias's death, leadership fell to one of his sons, Judas (called “Maccabeus”). Judas and his successors eventually won independence.  In 164 BC the temple was cleansed, and the daily burnt offering and other religious ceremonies resumed. The event is still commemorated by Jews each December as Hanukkah, the “Feast of Lights.”

During the Maccabean period (164–63 BC) all rulers were from the same family of Jewish priests (also called the “Hasmonean” family after the Hebrew name of Simon, an early Maccabean leader). Nine rulers followed Judas Maccabeus to the throne, including two of his brothers. From the second generation onward, the Maccabean rulers became progressively dictatorial, corrupt, immoral, and even pagan. Internal strife led Jewish leaders to ask the Roman general Pompey to come and restore order. Pompey did come, but he also brought Roman rule, which began in 63 BC and lasted into the fourth century AD.

When Pompey took Jerusalem, he entered the temple and even the Most Holy Place. To the Jews, this was the ultimate insult, but the Romans could not understand why.  Pompey was a ruler, and a ruler would do as he pleased.  After this, deep suspicion began to grow between Rome and Israel; a growing tension that lasted over a century until the Jews rebelled and the Romans destroyed the Jewish state in 70 AD. 

The Jews realized their mistake and continued to look for ways to remove themselves from under Roman rule, even though the nation, as a whole, benefited from Roman rule.  The Roman Government did establish Israel’s rulers and even determined who could be High Priest, but for the most part the Jews were allowed to practice their religion within the confines of Roman Law. 

All of the tensions the remnant experienced in the years after the exile become an undercurrent that colors much of what takes place in Israel during the ministry of Jesus.

These are events that defined who the Jews had become. It is into this tension that Jesus arrives claiming to be the Messiah. But somehow the people of Israel missed all that the Messiah would accomplish. He would bring freedom to the Jews and He would reestablish the dynasty of David, but not until He first accomplished Salvation to those nations that had never called on the name of God. If the Jews who were alive when Jesus began to minister had truly understood even Daniel’s prophecies, they would have realized many more kingdoms needed to arise before the time of the Gentiles would come to an end. The Messiah would first come as a Savior. And when that work was accomplished, He would come as a Ruler. But because of the tension in Israel, the Jews were looking for a Ruler. They had no desire to see the Messiah as Savior. They were not the ones needing saving. They were Jews. They were God’s chosen people. And they had no desire to see their enemies come to God. Reminds me of Jonah’s attitude toward Nineveh!

The Recorded Ministry of Jesus

As we begin our study of the four Gospels (the first 4 books of the New Testament), let me say that I flatly deny the existence of a mysterious document named “Q”.  Some Bible scholars believe that Matthew, Mark, and Luke incorporated their own personal observations into a source called the Quelle, or “Q” for short.  They observe that 93 % of Mark can be found in Matthew and Luke, and that the 200 verses common in Matthew and Luke must have then come from a different source.  If this theory were true, and if this document was truly valuable to the church, then why was it not preserved?  If both Matthew and Luke found this document worthy repeating, why didn’t the church find it worthy of preserving?  No early church father mentions this mysterious lost document.  So I reject the theory.  It’s really no surprise to me that there are similar stories in these three accounts of Jesus’ life.  Matthew walked with Jesus.  Mark spent time with Peter.  Luke spent time interviewing those who witnessed the events.  But most of all, the Holy Spirit helped these men remember all that Jesus had said to them (John 14:26).