1. The
Chapter 1
Historical
Jesus

2. Historical Evidence For Existence of Jesus
Tacitus
Suetonius
Pliny the Younger
Josephus
TACITUS :
Roman Historian
Writing early 2nd century A.D.
His Annals provide us with a single reference to Jesus of considerable value. Rather frustratingly, much of his work has been lost, including a work which covers the years 29-32, where the trial of Jesus would have been had he recorded it. (tektonics.org)
SUETONIUS:
Roman Biographer
Writing circa 120
Made one statement that may refer to Christ in The Twelve Caesars, about an incident that took place in Rome during the reign of Emperor Claudius
PLINY THE YOUNGER
Governor of Pontus & Bithynia ( AD)
Writes to Emperor Trajan on several political matters
JOSEPHUS
Jewish Historian (a non-believer)
Commanded Jewish forces in first Jewish revolt against the Romans (AD 66-70)
Wrote Jewish Antiquities & mentions John the Baptist, James the Just (who he calls brother of Christ)
Wrote account of Palestinian rule of Pontius Pilate (AD 26-36)

3. God’s Covenant 1900 BCE…….Abraham enters into a covenant with God
1300……………. The Exodus – Moses leads people out of Egypt
……. David moves gov’t to Jerusalem/rules
……………..Solomon’s kingdom divided into North & South
……………..Northern half of kingdom fell to Assyria
……………..Southern kingdom fell to Babylonians
……..Captivity in Babylon
532………………Return from Babylonian Exile
167………………Maccabean Revolt
63………………..Pompey captures Jerusalem
4-6………………Birth of Jesus

4. Bible Biblia Inspired Word of God The Inerrancy of the Bible Canon
Different kinds of truth
The Inerrancy of the Bible
Inerrancy
Strict inerrancy
Limited inerrancy
Canon
Septuagint
Biblia - Greek word = the books
Put together over approx years
Inspired Word of God
Scripture is inspired – fundamental xtn doctrine
Inspiration defined –
The divinely guarenteed written record of revelation
Dependable because of some sort of intervention by God
It is “God-breathed” Ruah=spirit (2 Tim 3:16)
Inspired by same Spirit whom the creed confesses as having “spoken through the prophets”
CCC #105, 106
The Inerrancy of the Bible (Tradition & Incarnation by Portier)
Inerrancy – (no error) without distortion
Strict inerrancy – inspiration understood as factual errorlessness or inerrancy extends to every single word
Limited inerrancy – focuses on content instead of words
Primary purpose of bible is not to make assertions about science & history – strict inerrant wants to hold the bible as truth in regards to these two truths
The God upon whom we can rely has given us a scripture that teaches without error the religious truths that we need for salvation

5. Canon = “rule or measure” table of contents
The list of books contained in the bible
Septuagint - Latin word = seventy
For legendary 70 scholars who translated it
Translation of Hebrew scriptures into Greek
Most ancient translation of the Old Testament

6. Old Testament Number of Books Deutero-canonical/Apocryphal books (7)
Jewish/Protestants vs. Catholic
Deutero-canonical/Apocryphal books (7)
Sirach Judith Wisdom
Baruch Tobit 1&2 Maccabees
Divisions of the Old Testament
Jewish vs. Christian
1. Torah Pentateuch
2. Prophets Historical Books
3. Writings Wisdom Writings
4. The Prophets
Number of Books
Jewish/Protestants: 39 books (total in bible = 66) canon set 80BC
Catholic: 46 books (total in bible = 73)
Deutero-canonical (second canon) Apocryphal (hidden) (7 books)
Sirach Judith Wisdom
Baruch Tobit 1&2 Maccabees
Divisions of the Old Testament
Jewish vs. Christian
1. Torah (Law) 1. Pentateuch (greek=“five books”)
2. Prophets 2. Historical Books
3. Writings 3. Wisdom Writings
4. The Prophets
Pentateuch – 1st five books of the bible
Genesis
Exodus
Leviticus
Numbers
Deuteronomy

7. New Testament Testament Primary source/historical Jesus
The divisions within the New Testament
Gospels
Acts
Epistles
Revelation
Testament = covenant
Xtns calling it the NT is a proclamation that God has established a new covenant with his people in Jesus Christ
Primary source/historical Jesus
The divisions within the New Testament
Gospels – (4) Matthew, Mark, Luke, John
Gospel=“good news”
Synoptic = greek for “seeing together”
Acts – 2nd half of Luke’s gospel
Epistles = letters (21)
Revelation or Apocalypse = revelation in greek

8. The Canon of the New Testament
The Four Gospels
Acts of the Apostles
Epistles
Thessolonians
Revelation
Dates to Know
65 CE 125 CE
75 CE CE
85 CE 400 CE
95 CE CE
What inspired them to put NT canon together?
Matthew Mark
Luke John
Acts of the Apostles
Romans
1Corinthians
2Corinthians
Galatians
Ephesians
Philippians
Colossians
1Thessalonians
2Thessalonians
1Timothy
2Timothy
Titus
Philemon
Hebrews
James
1Peter
2Peter
1John
2John
3John
Jude
Revelation
The Four Gospels – narratives of life of Jesus
Acts of the Apostles
Ascension
Pentecost
Deeds and acts of the apostles
Epistles – written to the xtn communities
Pauline letters first (ordered longest to shortest)
Rest of letters also ordered longest to shortest
Thessolonians – oldest writing in NT (50 A.D.)
Revelation
Dates to Know
65 A.D. – Mark written 125 A.D. – writings were completed
80 A.D. – Luke written A.D. – attempt to put Gospels together
85 A.D. – Matthew written 400 A.D. – By this time Canon of NT is completed
95 A.D. – John written A.D. – Council of Trent decreed the canon of the bible for the church
What inspired them to put NT canon together?
Self-identity in face of martyrdom & persecution
To fight/respond to heresy

9. SCRIPTURE HALLENGE Mt 25:31-46 1 Cor 11:27 Heb 11:1 Gal 6:1-10
Mk 16:15
Jn 13:34
2 Thes 2:13-15
3 Jn 11
HALLENGE
The scriptures used by Peter & Paul were the Hebrew Scriptures usually in Septuagint version, interpreted in a Christ-centered way
The canon of the NT comes to us from out of the life of the church, the communion of xtn churches
ACTIVITY
Give students list of passages to look up, utilizing abbreviations
Mt 25:31-46
1 Cor 11:27
Heb 11:1
Gal 6:1-10
Mk 16:15
Jn 13:34
2 Thes 2:13-15
3 Jn 11

10. TIME LINE 4-6 BCE 30-33 CE 65 CE 75 CE 85 CE 95 CE Jesus' Birth Jesus'
Death
Mark
Luke
Matthew
John

11. The Formation of the Gospels
Stage 1- Public Life & Teaching of Jesus
4 BC – 33 AD
Stage 2 – Oral Tradition
33 AD – 65 AD
Stage 3 – New Testament Writings AD
Stage 1- Public Life & Teaching of Jesus
4 BC – 33 AD
Stage 2 – Oral Tradition
33 AD – 65 AD
Stage 3 – New Testament Writings AD

12. SCRIPTURE HOW THE CHURCH INTERPRETS SCRIPTURE Author’s intentions
Conditions of the time
Must read in light of the Spirit
Content and unity
Read in “the living Tradition of the Church”
Be attentive to analogy of faith
INTERPRETING SCRIPTURE
Have to discover the sacred author’s intention (ccc 110)
To do this take into consideration conditions of the time
Political, historical, cultural, literary genres
Must be read and interpreted in light of the same Spirit by whom it was written (ccc111) Vatican II indicates three criteria for interpreting scripture in accordance with the Spirit who inspired it:
Be especially attentive to content & unity of the whole Scripture
Scripture is a unity (no matter how different the books might be)
Read scripture within “the living Tradition of the whole Church”
Be attentive to the analogy of faith
The coherence of the truths of faith among themselves and within the whole plan of Revelation

13. THE TYPES OF CRITICISM Source Criticism MARK MATTHEW LUKE John
Tries to determine what source/sources the gospel & other NT writers used
Mark
Matthew (Mark, Q, M)
Luke (Mark, Q, L)
“Q” Source = quelle (german) = source
Look at sample p 48 of text

14. THE TYPES OF CRITICISMS
Historical Criticism
HISTORICAL CRITICISM
Tries to discover what the evangelists really wanted to say when they wrote the text
Asks questions related to the historical context
Do Journal Activity on page 48

15. THE TYPES OF CRITICISMS
Form Criticism
FORM CRITICISM
Focuses on the literary differences in each NT book and the individual literary units each contains
Some Literary Forms in the Gospels:
(see page 50 of text)
Do activity on page 51

16. THE TYPES OF CRITICISMS
Redaction Criticism
MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
Audience: Jewish-Christian
Portrays Jesus: As the New Moses who gave humanity to the Law of Love
Stresses: How Jesus fulfilled OT prophecies
MARK’S GOSPEL
Audience: Non-Jewish Christians (gentiles) experiencing persecution
Portrays Jesus: As the suffering servant
Stresses: Jesus’ followers should follow him by accepting the
challenges of their own crosses
LUKE’S GOSPEL
Audience: Gentile-Christians
Portrays Jesus: As the Universal Messiah
Stresses: Jesus brings salvation to all, especially the oppressed/poor/despised
JOHN’S GOSPEL
Audience: Various churches around Roman empire
Portrays Jesus: Word of God, Bread of Salvation, The Way Truth & Life
Stresses: Jesus is source of eternal life
REDACTION CRITICISM
Redact means to “edit for publication”
Focuses on the evangelists as editors
How & Why they arranged their sources the way they did
Tries to discover particular theological insight/slant of the evangelist & how it influenced the arrangement of material
It helps us discover how the theology of each evangelist & needs of their audience helped shape & give form to their final work
SEE NEXT PAGE FOR GOSPEL WRITER ANALYSIS

17. MATTHEW’S GOSPEL
Audience: Jewish-Christian
Portrays Jesus: As the New Moses who gave humanity to the Law of Love
Stresses: How Jesus fulfilled OT prophecies
MARK’S GOSPEL
Audience: Non-Jewish Christians (gentiles) experiencing persecution
Portrays Jesus: As the suffering servant
Stresses: Jesus’ followers should follow him by accepting the
challenges of their own crosses
LUKE’S GOSPEL
Audience: Gentile-Christians
Portrays Jesus: As the Universal Messiah
Stresses: Jesus brings salvation to all, especially the oppressed/poor/despised
JOHN’S GOSPEL
Audience: Various churches around Roman empire
Portrays Jesus: Word of God, Bread of Salvation, The Way Truth & Life
Stresses: Jesus is the source of eternal life

18. THE TYPES OF CRITICISMS
Textual Criticism
TEXTUAL CRITICISM
Compares minor changes & mistakes that have been made through the centuries so translations are as accurate as possible