Reading Qs Summer 2024
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Jun 24, 2024
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BBST 330 READING QUESTIONS
JLM Reading Questions
Summer, 2024
Hutchinson: Author’s Note/Introduction
xv-
xvii, xix-xxviii
1)
In what way was Hutchinson’s “path to the academic study of the New
Testament” the opposite of several popular writers today, such as Bart
Ehrman?
2)
What did Hutchinson begin to notice about how the media treated some of the new discoveries that challenged the skeptical scholarly theories?
3)
After identifying the two groups for whom he is writing, what does Hutchinson say most of his book is about?
Hutchinson: Prologue
xxix-
xxxii
1)
What does Hutchinson say about the effect of Jesus’ life if his mission was “to change the world”?
Hutchinson: Ch. 1
1-38
1)
Though the Gospel of John has for some time been considered of little historical value, what have the archaeological discoveries led Rami Arav and John Rousseau to conclude? 2)
As a result of their “bias” in presenting Jesus to their readers, how do the gospel writers arrange their accounts of Jesus, according to Hutchinson?
3)
What is the “Christ myth theory”?
4)
What is Ehrman’s response to the question, “Why no mention of a miracle-working Jesus in secular sources?”
5)
What does Mark Roberts conclude most people would acknowledge about the NT gospels if there were no miracles reported in them?
6)
What do the differences in the accounts in the Gospels lead “one British barrister” to conclude about the reliability of the NT accounts?
7)
What date does James Crossley put on the composition of Mark’s Gospel? What does this imply about the dates of “some of the earliest
source material for the Gospels”?
8)
Richard Bauckham contends that much of the NT Gospels’ narratives are based on eyewitness testimony. To what is this testimony “tied” in
the Gospels, and why do we know the traditions were passed on accurately?
Stein: Chapter 3
51-
60
1)
Were the gospel writers concerned with the “when” of Jesus ministry?
Briefly describe how the various authors outline the framework of their works.
2)
Briefly describe three solutions to the problem of the census at the time of Jesus’ birth.
3)
What are the two years during which Jesus died? For which have most scholars opted?
Stein: Chapter 4
63-
80
1)
Why is it illegitimate to say that the concept of the virgin birth was created by Greek Christians borrowing from similar accounts in ancient literature?
2)
What can be said to counter the argument that the early church created the virgin birth to fulfill the Old Testament prophecy in Isaiah 7:14?
3)
Give at least two possible explanations for the two varying genealogies of Jesus in Matthew 1:1-16 and Luke 3:23-38.
4)
To what may the references to the shepherds and the wise men be alluding with regard to the nature of Jesus' purpose?
5)
Why did the authors of The Fundamentals
place importance on the virgin birth of Christ?
Stein: Chapter 5
81-
89
1)
What evidence does Stein give to propose that Jesus’ childhood was “normal”
2)
What doctrine of the Roman Catholic Church (and Eastern Orthodox) affects one’s understanding of who Jesus’ “brothers” and “sisters” were? What is more likely to be the case here?
3)
What do we know about Jesus’ socio-economic status?
Stein: Chapter 6
90-
101
1)
What are the differences
between John’s baptism and those of the Qumran community and proselyte
baptism?
2)
What does Stein mean when he says that John’s baptism was “
ecclesiastical
” in nature?
3)
What were the beliefs and expectations regarding the ministry of the Holy Spirit prior to John’s ministry?
4)
What did John teach would be the negative and positive elements of the Messiah’s coming? 5)
What were the similarities
between John and the Qumran Community?
Do we know for certain if John was one of them?
6)
What two reasons are given by Stein to demonstrate the historical certainty of the baptism of Jesus?
7)
John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Since Jesus was sinless,
why would he be baptized by John?
8)
What three unusual events occurred at the time of Jesus' baptism? What is the significance of each?
9)
What Old Testament passage does Jesus quote in relationship to his anointing by the Spirit? Why does he omit part of it?
10)
Briefly explain why the statement, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased," does not refer to Jesus' being "adopted" by the Father (i.e., a change in status before God)?
Hutchinson: Ch. 2
39-
68
1)
When discussing the supposed “discrepancies” in the Gospels, what does Hutchinson conclude regarding “abbreviation”?
2)
According to Hutchinson, what is “the problem with debunkers of Christianity” using discrepancies to undermine the Gospels’ credibility?
3)
Hutchinson explains what he means by the distinction between “the real Jesus” and “the Christ of faith” in the next paragraph. What is his explanation?
4)
What does Hutchinson mean when he concludes that the First Questers could “have their cake and eat it too”?
5)
What does Hutchinson mean by the term, “Liberal Protestantism”?
6)
What did Weiss think Jesus intended by the term, “the kingdom of God”?
7)
In what way is modern critical scholarship like the portrayal of John Nash in the movie, A Beautiful Mind
?
8)
What does the “criterion of dissimilarity” assert?
9)
According to many scholars who believe Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet, what did Jesus conceive the “kingdom” would involve?
10)
According to John Dominic Crossan, Jesus was a “wisdom _______.”
11)
According to Marcus, Borg, Jesus was a “man of the ________.”
12)
According to the “Global Movement” advocates, Jesus came to inaugurate what?
Hutchinson: Ch. 3
69-
90
1)
The papyrus fragment of the Gospel of Mark that was recently discovered has been dated as coming from which century, according to Dan Wallace?
2)
On what does the edition of the Greek New Testament compiled by Desidarius Erasmus depend? How does this relate to the King James Version?
3)
How many manuscripts (whole and partial) of the Greek NT do we presently have?
4)
What did Bart Ehrman argue in his book, The Orthodox Corruption of Scripture
?
5)
What are the two large chunks of our Gospels that likely did not appear in the original manuscripts?
6)
What have various scholars complained with regard to Ehrman’s writings?
7)
What do “many top textual critics think” with regard to the trustworthiness of our New Testaments? At the end of the day, is the issue of inaccurate texts of the NT a reason to be skeptical about Christianity’s claims?
Hutchinson: Ch. 4
91-
115
1)
In his discussion of the possible background of Mary, what does Hutchinson suggest was the name a messianic sect, which settled in the region of Sepphoris, may have called itself? What does this word
mean? To what OT text might this be related?
2)
What kind of tomb has been found on the site of the house some scholars believe could be Jesus’ childhood home, and what does this affirm about the dating of the house?
3)
In what building in Magdala is found one of the few places where scholars can confidently say, “Jesus almost certainly stood here”?
4)
What was discovered in the skeleton of a man named Yehochanan, and how does this affect the reliability of the Gospels?
5)
What did archaeologists discover beneath an octagonal church in the ruins of Capernaum?
6)
To what was Jesus’ words, “den of thieves” likely referring?
Stein: Chapter 7
102-
11
1)
Why does Stein think that the temptations were necessary immediately after Jesus’ baptism?
2)
Matthew and Luke place the 2nd and 3rd temptations in different order. Why? What do most scholars prefer as the original order?
3)
What did the first temptation involve concerning Jesus’ calling and ministry?
4)
There are two interpretations of the second temptation. What are they and which does Stein prefer?
5)
In the last temptation Satan offered Jesus all the kingdoms of the world. According to Stein, did he really have them to give? What did this temptation “boil down to” for Jesus?
6)
According to Stein, was Jesus really capable of sinning? Give evidence from his argument to support your answer.
Stein: Chapter 9
123-
40
1)
Why were the parables particularly useful for Jesus as a teaching device?
2)
What did Jesus view as evidence that the kingdom of God had been inaugurated
?
3) How does Stein propose understanding the contradiction between the
“realized” view and the “consistent” view of the kingdom? What kind of entity is the kingdom in his view?
4)
Is there any record of “Abba” being used to address God in the OT? From where does Stein think the NT church received the “Abba”
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