THE APOCALYPSE OF GOD S RIGHTEOUSNESS Ryan White
SOLA SCRIPTURA "All I need is my Bible..."
ב ראש ית ב ר א א לה ים א ת ה ש מ י ם ו א ת ה א רץ ו ה א רץ ה י ת ה ת ה ו ו ב ה ו ו ח ש ע ל פ נ י ת ה ום ו ר וח א לה ים מ רח פ ת ע ל פ נ י ה מ י ם ו י אמ ר א לה ים י ה י א ור ו י ה י א ור ו י רא א לה ים א ת ה א ור כ י ט וב ו י ב ד ל א לה ים ב ין ה א ור וב ין ה ח ש ו י ק ר א א לה ים ל א ור י ום ו ל ח ש ק רא ל י ל ה ו י ה י ע רב ו י ה י ב קר י ום א ח ד פ ו י אמ ר א לה ים י ה י ר ק יע ב ת ו ה מ י ם ו יה י מ ב ד יל ב ין מ י ם ל מ י ם
7.1 Οὗτος γὰρ ὁ Μελχισέδεκ, βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ἱερεὺς τοῦ θεοῦ τοῦ ὑψίστου, ὁ συναντήσας Ἀβραὰμ ὑποστρέφοντι ἀπὸ τῆς κοπῆς τῶν βασιλέων καὶ εὐλογήσας αὐτόν, 2 ᾧ καὶ δεκάτην ἀπὸ πάντων ἐμέρισεν Ἀβραάμ, πρῶτον μὲν ἑρμηνευόμενος βασιλεὺς δικαιοσύνης ἔπειτα δὲ καὶ βασιλεὺς Σαλήμ, ὅ ἐστιν βασιλεὺς εἰρήνης, 3 ἀπάτωρ, ἀμήτωρ, ἀγενεαλόγητος, μήτε ἀρχὴν ἡμερῶν μήτε ζωῆς τέλος ἔχων, ἀφωμοιωμένος δὲ τῷ υἱῷ τοῦ θεοῦ, μένει ἱερεὺς εἰς τὸ διηνεκές.
CONTEXT IS KEY! Concordances and Dictionaries can't tell you everything
CONTEXT IS KEY! Concordances and Dictionaries can't tell you everything
CULTURAL CONTEXT IS KEY Actions are more informative than words
REFERENCES In the Shadow of the Temple by Skarsaune Paul and the Empire by Horsley Paul: Fresh Perspectives by NT Wright An Introduction to the New Testament by DeSilva Backgrounds of Early Christianity by Ferguson The Beginnings of Jewishness by Cohen Paul Within Judaism by Nanos The Jewish Gospels by Boyarin
Economi c Moral Ethical Western Political Society Social Cultural Religiou s Individualism
Economi c Moral Ethical Political Scripture Society Social Cultural Religiou s
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Distribution of Wealth United States Roman Empire 40% Slaves Top 1% 95-99% 80-95% Bottom 80% (<90k/year) Top 3% Bottom 97%
The Caesar Patronage Roman gods Patricians Land owners Senators Ruling Class Priests Plebians Social Order Artisans, shopkeeps Usually poor Freed slaves POWs Workers Doctors Freemen Slaves Same jobs as a slave Couldn t own property
Caesar Patron of the Empire Patronage Son of God Savior Patricians Plebians Lord, Master, Kurios Peace on Earth (Pax Romana Faith of Freemen Caesar Birthday as Gospel Slaves
GOSPELS AS APOCALYPTIC LITERATURE Gospel, euangelion, had political connotations, particularly when used in propaganda of leaders who touted their reigns as legitimate and as good news for the world. It seemed good to the Greeks of Asia, in the opinion of the high priest Apollonius of Menophilus Azanitus: Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior [sōtēr], both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance [epiphanein] (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings for the world that came by reason of him [ērxen de tō kosmō tōn di auton euangeliōn hē genethlios hēmera tou theou], which Asia resolved in Smyrna. (The Priene inscription)
How Did Rome Control the Empire?
Imperial Cult Required to proclaim Caesar as God Fastest growing religion in the Empire Prayer to Caesar Sacrifice to Caesar Temples to Caesar Jewish exemption Sacrifice & prayer on Caesar s behalf twice daily Jewish Tax (Mark 12:14)
How did Rome control the other areas?
Crucifixion Shame Afterlife? Fear
A History of Fear and Subjugation to a Divine King If you eat of it, you will be like God Sons of God and the daughters of men Nimrod Pharaoh Kings of Israel Nebuchadnezzar Antiochus Ephiphanes Alexander Janus Method of Control? Shameful Caesar Kim Jong II And many more. Death
Was Was Justice Yeshua s Served Was Who Put Pilate were Yeshua a Sadducees? Nice to Death? Guy? When Death Yeshua Political? Died?
Philippians 2:5-11 Set your mind in this manner, the same manner that was also in Messiah Yeshua, who, being in the embodied form of God, did not consider that equal form with God as a thing to be take of advantage of; but rather he set aside any claim to divine title by taking upon himself the embodied form of a servant and being born into the nature of man. And being found in human appearance, Yeshua humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death; put to a shameful death on a cross like a rebel! For this reason, God honored him above all others and graciously granted him to have a reputable name which is to be above all other names. The result will be that at the name of Yeshua every knee will bow, of those in heaven and on earth and in the underworld, and every tongue shall publicly declare Yeshua as their Kurios for the honor of God the Father.
Romans 1:4, 15-17, 10:9 [Yeshua] who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection of the dead, according to the Spirit of Holiness, Yeshua Messiah our Kurios. I am eager to preach the gospel to you also who are in Rome. For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone first, to the Judean first and also to the Hellenist. For in it the covenant justice of God is revealed from, from faithfulness to faithfulness, for the righteous shall live by faithfulness. For if you confess with your mouth, Yeshua as Kurios, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved!
Romans 3:21-25 But now, independent from law, God s righteousness has been made known, being attested by the Law and the Prophets; God s righteousness revealed through Yeshua Messiah s faithfulness, into all the ones who are believing (because there is no distinction, for all have sinned and are needing the glorious honor of God ), being freely justified by His grace through the redemption in Messiah Yeshua; whom God publicly set in place to function like the mercy seat through faithfulness in his blood, which is proof of his righteousness, after having previously cancelled the debt of sin in God s enduring patience, in order to prove His righteousness in the present time, in order that He be righteous and He is justifying the one by Yeshua s faith
The Effect Hebrews 2:9, 14-16 Yeshua, because of the suffering death was crowned with glory and honor Honor-Status Therefore, since the children share in flesh and blood, He Himself also partook of the same, that through death He might render powerless Reversal who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and might free those who through fear of death were subject to slavery all of their lives. For assuredly He does not give help to angels, but He gives help to the descendants of Abraham!
Matthew 10:27-28 What I tell you in the darkness, speak in the light; and what you hear whispered in your ear, proclaim upon the housetops. Do not fear those who kill the body but are unable to kill the soul; but rather fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell.
Paul Against the Empire Who is Your Patron? Caesar Yeshua Submission through Oppression Servant Leadership by Example
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