Our Heritage from the First CenturyHistory of the Church based on Acts

Why is this subject important

1. The Christian Faith is based on God’s revelation in history in words and deed, culminating in the Incarnation of His Son. The Christian Faith is not based on mystical revelation.

2. Our Scripture contains significant amount of historical material – historical studies help us understand Scripture better.

The most prolific NT write, Luke (wrote 27% of the NT, Paul 25%) , is an avowed historian.

Luke as Historian (Luke 1:1-4)

1 Many have undertaken to draw up an account of the things that have been fulfilled[a] among us, 2 just as they were handed down to us by those who from the first were eyewitnesses and servants of the word. 3 With this in mind, since I myself have carefully investigated everything from the beginning, I too decided to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, 4 so that you may know the certainty of the things you have been taught.• Who was Theophilus?• 5 features of historical preface - Importance of the subject,

previous treatments (Many have … many will!), author’s credential, and effort to secure the truth, author’s thesis

• “Know the certainty “ asphaleian” – what is involved? Investigation, scrutiny, questioning,etc (Acts 21:34, 20:30, 25:26 – cognate “asphales” used in context of rivaling claims, examination, scrutiny.

Contemporary Towns in the Four Gospels

references Name

66 Jerusalem

21 Nazareth

16 Capernaum

5 - 12 Bethany, Bethlehem, Bethsaida, Jerico, sidon, Tyre

1-4 Aenon, Arithmathea, Bethphage, Caesarea Philippi,Cana, Chorazin, Dalmanutha, Emmaus, Ephraim, Magadan, Nain, Salim, Sychar

Canonical Gospels vs 2nd-3rd Century Apocryphal Gospels Regarding Place Names

– The Four Gospels» 12-14 towns each» Total 23 or more

– Gospel of Philip» 2 (Jerusalem and Nazareth)

– Gospel of Peter and The Savior» 1 town in each - Jerusalem

–Other 2nd-3rd Century gospels:» no town mentioned

Challenges to NT’s Reliability

Bart Ehrman, Jesus Interrupted, pp. 166-167

“What do you suppose happened to the stories [about Jesus] over the years, as they were told and retold, not as disinterested news stories reported by eyewitnesses but as propaganda meant to convert people to faith, told by people who had themselves heard them fifth- or sixth- or nineteenth-hand? Did you or your kids ever play the telephone game at birthday party?

Bart Ehrman, chairman of Dept of Religious Studies, UNC. Graduate of Moody Bible Institute, Wheaton (IL), Princeton Theological Seminary (Ph D). Popular writer and speaker. Author of 20+ books. Misquoting Jesus is a best seller on NY Times’ list.

Getting to Know Dr. LukeColossians 4:10 - 14

10My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) 11Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my fellow workers for the kingdom of God …

12Epaphras, who is one of you and a servant of Christ Jesus, sends greetings …14Our dear friend Luke, the doctor, and Demas send greetings.

Is the Dr. Luke of Col. 4 the author of the 3rd Gospel and Acts?

• The testimony of the church from 2nd century on:– Unanimous– Luke from Antioch

• The medical language of Luke-Acts (W. F. Hobart vs H. Cadbury of Harvard)

• Since Luke is not as well-known as others (the Twelve), a pseudepigraphic work is not likely to bear Luke’s name.

Luke the World Traveler, Companion of PaulA

We Passages:

Acts 16:10-17 -Troas to Philippi, 2nd journey-Was Luke left behind to pastor the new church?

Acts 20:5-15 and 21:1-18 -Philippi to Jerusalem, 3rd journey

- What would have occupied Luke while Paul was in prison for 2 years in Judea?

Acts 27:1-28:16 • -Jerusalem to Rome

Methods to Validate Historicity

• Criterion of Consistency – consistency of the account under study with known culture, geography, customs, agriculture, architecture, Botany, economics, language, law, personal names, politics, religion, society, topography, weather, etc.

• Criterion of dissimilarity – powerful tool when applied to Jesus’ distinctive teachings (next week)

• Criterion of Multiple Attestation (next Week)

Titles in Acts

Examples of historical accuracy can be found in Luke’s use of titles of local officers:

• “proconsul” for senatorial provinces –Acts 13:7 Sergius Paulus (Cyprus) ; Acts 18:12 Gallio (Achaia)

• “procurator” for imperial provinces – Acts 24, 25 Festus, Felix (Judea)

• “politarchs” Acts 17:6, magistrates at Thessalonica, confirmed by 5 inscriptions from 2nd to 3rd centuries

• “city clerk (grammateus)” Acts 19:35 (Ephesus)• “the first man” Acts 28:7 Publius (Malta – a small island south of

Sicilia) – a title which appears nowhere in extant literature is now confirmed by 2 inscriptions

Onomastics Significant Advance Since 2003

• Tal Elan, Lexicon of Jewish Names in Late Antiquity: Palestine 330 BCE - 200 CE, 2003

• Richard Bauckham, The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony, 2008

• Peter Williams , Warden of Tyndale House various lectures in US. Check youtube.

Onomastic ExerciseAs part of an attempt to write a Gospel, the author decided to supply a list of guests attending the wedding at Cana. The intention is to identify guests who were eye-witnesses of Jesus’ first miracle. You are to help to author to come up with a list. Write on supplied card 5-10 names.

1. Could be just one name2. Could be double name (John Mark, Simon Peter, Herod

Agrippa, Saul Paul, etc)3. Could be first name with additional info–

(Simon of Cyrene, John son of Zebedee, James the Pharisee etc)

4. Pick name from supplied list only – places name, professions, etc – you are free to pick reasonable ones

Onomastic Research Results

1. There were a few extremely popular names so that almost 50% of the individuals bore these names.

2. The list of high frequency names in Palestine is different from the list from Diaspora.

3. High frequency names are often disambiguated.4. About 15% of individuals bore Greek first name (male 12%,

female 18%).5. Double names in Palestine are of the form: <Jewish name>

<Greek name>, rarely and perhaps never :<Jewish name><Jewish name>.

6. David, Moses, Elijah – not used. These are eschatological figures.

Names Statistics: NT vs Palestine

Hasmonean Dynasty

• 140 bc – semi autonomous reign under Seleucids

• 110 - 63 bc took title of “king” – became independent while The Seleucid Empire disintegrates.

• 63 bc onwards – Romans ruled Judea

Hasmonean influence on Palestinian Names

• Mary is a telling case – The name has little evidence of use until it was born by Herod the Great’s popular Hasmonean wife.

• Salome – Likewise has no evidence of use until Salomezion became queen of Alexander Jannaeus

• After the second Jewish revolt against Roman (AD 132-135) Hasmonean names gave way to patriarchal/matriarchal names – Jacob, Samuel, Sarah, Isaac etc probably because nationalistic aspiration finally subsided.

Hasmonean non-influence in Egypt• Jews in Egypt and Cyrene did not feel the same towards the Hasmoneans –

they did not seem to crave for independence. When the war refugees from the revolt against Rome around AD 70 came to them, the reception was decided hostile.

• The 7 most popular names in Egypt and Cyrene are:– Eleazar – Sabbataius– Joseph– Dositheus– Pappus– Ptolemaius– Samuel

Note: 3 are non-Hebraic.

Disambiguation of the Twelve (Mat 10:2-4)

Gospel of ThomasStarting line: “These are the secret words which the living Jesus spoke, and Didymus Judas Thomas wrote them down.”

Please evaluate the name “Didymus Judas Thomas” in light of our onomastic study.

Note: • “Thomas” is Aramiac for “Twin”. John 11:16, 20:24, 21:3

“Thomas also known as Didymus…” (Didymus means “twin” in Greek) Thus Thomas is a nick name.

• Early Church has a tradition that Thomas’ Hebraic name is “Judas”. Probably reliable.