1 Tenniel Jordan BIB-105 March 16, 2014 Prof.

Berger

New Tes a!en "is or# $ %orld&iew In order o for! a 'e er (nders anding of New Tes a!en "is or# and %orld&iew one !(s firs 'eco!e )nowledgea'le in he fai h and *rac ices of he Jewish *eo*le. M(ch of he +hris ian %orld&iew as well as he fai h i self are roo ed in Jewish fai h and his or#. ,e*ara ing J(dais! and +hris iani # canno 'e done 'ased (*on a !ono heis ic &iew. Bo h religions 'elie&e in he -ne Tr(e .od and !an# of he religio(s *rac ices are shared. /e , 0ccording o Jose*h(s, a Pharisee, here were !an# differen 1*hiloso*hies2 or 'eliefs in J(dais!. 3Niswonger, 14425 Beca(se of hese &ariances of o*inion, differing sec s or *ar ies co(ld 'e fo(nd. The !a6or sec s of he i!e were Pharisees, ,add(cees, 7ssenes and Na ionalis s or 8ealo s. %i h he life of Jes(s in he foregro(nd, he era of he New Tes a!en (shers in a whole new se of Jewish 'eliefs. 0l ho(gh he# are all 'ased in *ar on he oral elling of he 9aws of Moses and he *ro*hecies *er aining o he co!ing Messiah, !an# had o do wi h he foreigner li&ing in heir land. :irs cen (r# Pales ine was a *lace filled wi h !an# fac ions. In order o 'e er (nders and he en&iron!en ha Jes(s was 'orn and raised in one !(s firs ge a &er# i!*or an fac s raigh . ;nli)e oda#, religion and *oli ics were no wo se*ara e en i ies. The# were in erwo&en and de*enden (*on each o her for heir e<is ence. The -T is filled wi h ad!oni ions fro! he *ro*he s for r#ing o se*ara e he wo. 30!os 2=6->, Isaiah 1=1-1?, Micah 6=6->5 The *ro'le! wi h Pales ine in he firs cen (r# was no ha he# weren@ religio(s eno(gh. The *ro'le! was ha he# were oo religio(s and heir grandiose religiosi # did no ransla e o a social *olic# of

2 eA(ali # and 6(s ice. Their religiosi # did no al er he wa# in which he# cond(c ed go&ern!en , '(siness and social rela ionshi*s. The# ended o show disdain for or*hans, widows, he disad&an aged and he des i ( e. The# i!*osed (nfair fines, foreclosed on de' s wi ho( !erc# and oo) 'ri'es. /e , hose who were of Jewish descen and held so!e se!'lance of *ower did no acA(ire his *ower alone. In he i!e of Jes(s *oli ics and religion were in !an# wa#s inse*ara'le. Beca(se he Bo!ans go&erned wi h a s ern hand and laid hea&# a<es on he Jewish *eo*le, !an# held an an agonis ic &iew of he! and an# foreigner. This &iew of he Bo!ans was heigh ened 'eca(se he# oo) he land deeded o he! '# .od '# force. 0l ho(gh allowed o *rac ice heir !ono heis ic religion he Bo!ans (sed i o heir 'enefi . The# relied hea&il# on hose wi h religio(s *ower o infl(ence heir laws and *oli ical agenda. The ,add(cees were one s(ch gro(* co!!issioned '# Bo!e o hel* he! in heir reg(la ion of he *o*(lo(s. The ,add(cees were *ries s and !e!'ers of he aris ocra ic fa!ilies. C(e o heir *ro"ellenis ic leanings, he# !ain ained close ies wi h Bo!e. +onsidered *oli ical and religio(s li'erals he ,add(cees held he fo(nda ional 'eliefs of he Jews ra her loosel#. The !os *ro!inen doc rine of he ,add(cees was he denial of he i!!or ali # of he so(l and of he res(rrec ion of he 'od#. 3Niswonger, 14425 The# also denied he e<is ence of de!ons, angels and di&ine *ro&idence. The# did, howe&er, 'elie&e in he free will of !an. Their religio(s 'eliefs were s(*erficial a 'es and h#*ocris# a he wors . %an ing o *ro ec heir s a (s and heir weal h he# loo)ed down (*on an# who ried o o**ose Bo!an r(le. The religiosi # of he ,add(cees had no real econo!ic or socio-*oli ical effec on heir co(n r#!en. The# were onl# concerned wi h he sec(ri # of heir *osi ion. The# held no concern for he *ligh of he a&erage !an or wo!an. ,o, o**ression no onl# ca!e fro! he Bo!ans '( fro! he ,add(cees as well.

E Beca(se of his o**ression and see!ingl# lac) religio(s o'ser&ances here were !an# who chose a !ore conser&a i&e &iew. The Pharisees were a !a6or Jewish sec who had a'andoned heir *oli ical a!'i ions for heir religio(s in eres s. 3Niswonger, 14465 0l ho(gh he# did hold so!e *oli ical swa# hro(gh heir re*resen a ion in he ,anhedrin, he# s ric l# o'ser&ed he !anner of radi ional law and all he ordinances concerning 9e&i ical *(ri #. The# were *ar ic(larl# !e ic(lo(s in all hings connec ed o religio(s d(es s(ch as i hes and offerings. Be6ec ing he &iews of he 7ssenes and ,add(cees, he Pharisees 'elie&ed ha .od and !an had a hand in h(!an e&en s. The# also 'elie&ed in he i!!or ali # of he so(l, res(rrec ion of he 'od# and he e<is ence of angels and de!ons. 3Niswonger, 14465 -n he whole, he Pharisees were a igh l# )ni gro(* organiDed aro(nd he o'ser&ance of *(ri # and i hing laws. 0l ho(gh !ainl# religio(s and so!ewha fana ical, he# held *oli ical swa# as well. The# hel*ed infl(ence he de&elo*!en of J(dais!. %hile he Pharisees were r#ing o 'ring 'ac) he laws and reg(la ions o( lined in Torah hro(gh he confines of he Bo!an occ(*a ion, o hers fel ha i co(ld no 'e done and se*ara ed he!sel&es fro! who he# *ercei&ed he *ro'le! o 'e. The 7ssenes, an o( grow h of he "asidi!, were e< re!e in heir 'eliefs. The# were se*ara is s of he highes order. ,hro(ded in !#s er#, he 7ssene sec secl(ded he!sel&es fro! he religio(s leadershi* of Israel. 3Niswonger, 14465 This sec considered he e!*le and i s *ries s !orall# 'an)r(* . Prac icing s ric asce icis! !an# wen (n!arried. The# )e* he!sel&es o all# se*ara e fro! he radi ional Jewish wa# of life. 0l ho(gh here are differing o*inions on heir 'elief in he res(rrec ion of he 'od# he# did 'elie&e in he i!!or ali # of he so(l. There s ric religio(s o'ser&ances lef li le roo! for *oli ical as*ira ions. Their !ain concern was )ee*ing he!sel&es *(re in he e#es of .od. "a&ing no real *oli ical a!'i ions, he# (rned o hel*ing he *oor and he des i ( e. Their infl(ence on he life and i!es of he Jews in he firs

4 cen (r# see!s !ini!al a 'es . 0l ho(gh he# did no li)e he occ(*a ion of he Bo!ans he# did no hing in wa# of eradica ing he! fro! he land. ;nli)e, he na ionalis s he# held no real for! of *a rio is!. The Na ionalis s were hose of he Jewish *ers(asion who had a fascina ion wi h freedo!. Their s r(ggle consis ed of he inde*endence of i s *eo*le. B# an# !eans necessar#, he# a e!* ed o hwar he r(ling Bo!ans a e&er# (rn. No a'o&e (sing error and &iolence heir fierce lo#al # o Jer(sale! is clearl# seen. Their *oli ical !o i&a ion was onl# freedo! of heir *eo*le. "a&ing no s rong religio(s &iews or &al(es heir con ri'( ion o heir *eo*le was heir a e!* o free he! fro! Bo!an r(le. 9i)e heir con e!*oraries, he# fo(gh heir Bo!an r(lers in he wa# he# ho(gh 'es . The *ro'le!s of firs cen (r# Pales ine were *oli icall# s*iri (al in na (re. Beca(se of he di&ersi ies of hese *ro'le!s, !an# sec s rose (* o challenge wha he# *ercei&ed o 'e he !ain *ro'le!. %ha he# all ha&e in co!!on was heir *erce* ion of who he# were as a *eo*le. 0l ho(gh so!e ried o *h#sicall# se*ara e he!sel&es fro! heir *ro'le!s, he *ro'le!s did no go awa#. The !ain *ro'le! which he# ref(sed o see was he!sel&es. -f en fana ical in na (re and reg(la ion he Jews of he firs cen (r# in &aried for!s (rned o he onl# hing ha held he! oge her. The# (rned o heir 'elief in .od. /e , he 'elief alone co(ld no and wo(ld no s(s ain he!. ,h(nning *ar of heir wri en acco(n s while !ain aining o hers, he# all held on o he 'elief in a ,a&ior of )ingl# lineage o sa&e he! fro! heir o**ressors. %hile he# wai ed on heir Fing@s a**earance, he# i!!ersed he!sel&es in heir own 'rand and in er*re a ion of he scri* (res o gi&e he! ho*e and ins*ira ion. C(e o heir diligence in heir own 'rand of 'elief he# !issed he one sen o he! o se he! free fro! he #rann# ha holds (s all ca* i&es. The #rann# s*o)en of is o(rsel&es.

Beferences Niswonger, B. 314425. New es a!en his or#. 8onder&an P('lishing "o(se.