English 116B: New Testament Literature Texts: New Testament and Other Early Christian Writings, 2nd edition, ed. Bart D. Ehrman; The New Testament: a Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings, by Bart D. Ehrman, 3rd edition, Reader available today from Grafikart in IV.

Requirements Two essays (due dates on syllabus) on topics to be assigned. Participation in discussion section. Midterm exam. Final exam. Lecture attendance is important; please be on time and as a courtesy to fellow students and the lecturer, please do not leave before the lecture is over. You’ll find the percentages of each assignment on class webpage

What is The New Testament? Part 2 of “The Bible”. Bible = “ta biblia,” the books. 27 books in NT, some long, some very short. All written in Koiné Greek (as opposed to the Hebrew of “Old Testament” or Hebrew Scriptures.) Four gospels, written by anonymous authors traditionally designated Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Acts of the Apostles, originally Part II of a large work that began with Gospel of Luke. Then the “Epistles,” 21 books ranging from the lengthy theological treatise of Romans to short, one-page letters like Philemon, some by St. Paul, some by others, including the anonymous Letter to the Hebrews. Finally, Revelation to John, or The Apocalypse, a radically symbolic, visionary book.

“The Law and the Prophets” Two-part division of Hebrew Scriptures as understood in time of Jesus. Refers to the Law, or Torah, the first five books of Hebrew Bible, and the second part, the prophetic and wisdom writings. In ordering of NT, are four gospels and Acts intended as analogous to Law/Torah? And “Epistles” plus Revelation equivalent to “Prophets”?

The Canon and the non-canonical texts “Canon” = measuring rod. “Canon” of NT scriptures only emerged three centuries after time of Jesus and apostles, in fourth century C.E. But previous lists indicate that not all 27 books were always accepted everywhere. E.g., lots of doubt about Revelation. And some early Christian communities accepted other books. After discoveries of Nag Hamadi documents, we know there was a huge variety in what early Christians believed, what books they read, valued. Lots more books than the canonical 27! We’ll read Gospel of Thomas and some fragments of other non-canonical gospels.

Central idea of each part of Bible In Hebrew Scriptures: that God is one and that he revealed himself over time to Israel. That the Law (639 precepts) contain his will for Israel, that Israel’s history similarly manifests his design for Israel. In (canonical) New Testament: that God revealed himself definitively in one man, Jesus, an itinerant rabbi from Nazareth. This one man and the question of his identity is at the center of all NT books.

Jesus/Yeshua Actual name in Aramaic = Yeshua, a variation of Joshua. “Christ” a title, not his last name! From Greek “christos,” “anointed one”. Which translates “messiah,” a title of kings in Hebrew Scriptures. In later biblical times, “messiah” referred to a king or warrior who would liberate Israel from first Greek, then Roman dominance. So “Christos” makes a particular claim about Yeshua one that doesn’t necessarily include a claim about divinity, divine sonship, etc.

Relationship of “Old” and “New” Testaments On one hand, Jesus was a devout Jew, whose identity was founded on the Hebrew Scriptures. All of his immediate followers similarly were Jews, who revered the Hebrew Scriptures. But many gentile (= non Jewish) followers in second generation would not have understood or valued Hebrew Scriptures. In second century, nascent Christianity was tempted to sever the link to Judaism, Hebrew Scriptures.

Marcion In middle of second century, c. 144, Marcion, an early Christian bishop, taught that God of Hebrew Scriptures and God of Jesus were different, opposed gods. God of “Old Testament” was a harsh, judgmental god, entirely separate from merciful god of “New Testament.” Entirely rejected “Old Testament” and all NT writings except 10 Pauline epistles and an edited version of Gospel of Luke. But this was rejected as heretical by the church in Rome, to which Marcion presented his ideas. Marcion then formed his own sect, “Marcionites,” who were judged heretical. But survived as a separate Christian movement for a couple of centuries.

Essential relation to “Old Testament” Henceforth, Hebrew Scriptures, the “Old Testament” was considered essential to Christian understanding. Understanding prevailed that Jesus was the messiah who emerged from Israel. NT writers quote Hebrew Scriptures some 1600 times. In spite of tragic conflict of Judaism and Christianity that occurred at end of 1 st century, the relation of Christianity to Judaism was preserved.

Do all canonical books agree? The Canon imposes a kind of artificial sense of agreement on 27 books of NT. NT written within a 75 year time period, from early 50’s (early letters of Paul) to first decades of second century (letters of “Paul” to Titus, Timothy, letters of “Peter”). But when seen individually and in historical development, canonical books don’t always agree. In fact, elements of some books oppose things in other books. Some books perhaps written in opposition to one another! For example, why four gospels? No single, monolithic understanding of Jesus of Nazareth among gospels and other NT texts. Elements of agreement – yes – but also significant disagreement at times.

Need to “defamiliarize” NT texts Traditional view of Bethlehem scene: three magi, shepherds. But this comes of two different, partially opposing texts, Matthew and Luke. Defamiliarizing means seeing each text afresh, seeing each as having separate identity and purpose, coming from different communities.

Before there was Mark, Matthew, Luke, John there was “Q”! “Q” = “quelle,” “source” in German. Scholars hypothesize that this was originally a separate document that preceded the canonical gospel texts. Q, as now constituted, is extracted from Matthew and Luke, sayings they have in common that are not found in Mark. (Mark and Q are the sources common to both Matthew and Luke.) A non-narrative text – a collection of sayings. We can thus call Q a “sayings gospel,” collection of sayings of Jesus. Q becomes for us a “virtual gospel,” i.e., real, but something that must be reconstructed hypothetically.

The “synoptic question” The relationship of Matthew, Mark, Luke, the “synoptic gospels.” John is a separate tradition, mostly unrelated to M, M, L. Best understanding: Mark came first. And was the narrative source, independently, for Matthew and for Luke. And Matthew and Luke shared another source, now lost which is Q. (Each also had independent source material.) Modern scholarship sees Q existing independently in various versions.

What do we make of Q and a “Q community”? Don’t take too seriously the various “strata” of Q that Burton Mack posits. Mack’s agenda. But how would we characterize the teaching of Jesus from Q, if all we had was Q? What’s missing in Q from sense of Jesus drawn from later, narrative gospels? What sort of community would value this Q version of Jesus. How do we interpret, lacking any narrative context?