Learning Objectives

Upon successful completion you should be able to:

• Understand the effect of Hellenism on Second Temple Judaism

• Discuss the significance of the temple in Second Temple Judaism

• Summarize the ways in which Jesus created conflict with the religious leaders

• Compare and contrast the canonical Gospels with the “missing gospels”

• Explain the issues of authorship and date associated with each Gospel

• Describe the concept of resurrection in Judaism and the Graeco-Roman world

• Discuss the significance of the resurrection in each Gospel account and to the gospel message

• Summarize the key events in the life of the early church

Course Outline

Introduction

• Introducing the Speaker and the Course

Unit 1: Background to the New Testament

• Understanding Backgrounds

• The Nature of Judaism

• Alexander the Great

• Hellenization and First Maccabees

• Jewish Responses to Hellenism

• The Temple Story

• The Start of the Maccabean War

• The Impact of Hellenism and the War on Jewish Identity

• The Romans in the Holy Land

• Psalms of Solomon

• The Ministry of Jesus

• Forgiving Sins: The Healing of the Paralytic

• Messing with the Sabbath

• Challenging Tradition and Ritual Purity

• Claiming to Be King

• Cleansing the Temple

• The New Testament Collection

Unit 2: The Nature and Purpose of the Gospels

• Orality and Memory

• The Value of a Voice

• The Quality and Types of Orality

• Corporate and Individual Memory

• Examples of Memory

• The Gospel Genre

• The Dates of the Gospels

• The Authorship of Mark

• The Authorship of Luke

• The Authorship of Matthew

• The Authorship of John

• The Four Gospels

• Four Perspectives

• The Missing Gospels

• Gnosticism

• The Gospel of Thomas

• Background of the Gnostic Creation Story

• The Gnostic Creation Story

• Summary of the Missing Gospels

• Summary of the Nature and Purpose of the Gospels

Unit 3: Resurrection in the Gospel Accounts

• An Introduction to Resurrection

• Resurrection in Judaism and the Graeco-Roman World

• Jesus’ Predictions about His Resurrection

• Resurrection and the Old Testament

• Jesus at His Jewish Examination

• Resurrection in Mark’s Gospel

• Resurrection in Matthew’s Gospel

• Resurrection in Luke’s Gospel

• Resurrection in John’s Gospel

• The Credibility of the Resurrection

• The Significance of the Resurrection

Unit 4: The Early Church in Acts

• The Ascension of Jesus

• Pentecost: The Spirit and the Resurrection

• Pentecost: The Exaltation

• To the Gentiles

• Jew and Gentile Together: The Jerusalem Council

• Jew and Gentile Together: Ephesians 2

• Persecution and Martyrdom: Acts 4

• Persecution and Martyrdom: Stephen

• Persecution and Martyrdom: Paul

• The Gospel Message

• The Core Message of the Gospel

• The House Church

Conclusion

• Course Summary

Details

• Title: NT211 Introducing the Gospels and Acts: Their Background, Nature, and Purpose

• Instructor: Darrell L. Bock

• Publisher: Lexham Press

• Publication Date: 2014

• Product Type: Logos Mobile Education

• Resource Type: Courseware, including transcripts, audio, and video resources

• Courses: 1

• Video Hours: 6