Great devotions and sign language by St. Dina. What do you remember?
Great teaching by the whole class with only 7 minutes pep time.
:I always enjoy asking classes these
four questions below..
just fill in the blank (or answer the question)for #1-4 below with your first gut-instinct before reading any further down.
1)"In England, they drive on the ___________ right side of the road."
2)What continent is Israel on?
3)"Man, you can sure tell _____ is at work nowadays in the secular world! All you have to do is look around!"
4)Raise your hand if you are in a cross-cultural marriage
Remember our definitions of:
- Text?
- Sign?
How would you define 'culture'?
CULTURE=
a way of
- thinking
- feeling
- valuing and
- acting
by one or more persons.
So, re: culture, and the central question of our class,
Who is Jesus is Matthew?:
He is:
a) someone who is cultural:
he was a member of a culture ( Was Jesus bicultural in any way?
How did you respond to the suggestion that Jesus was Asian? What other 'cultures' was he part of?).
Consider: "All divine revelation is culturally mediated." (Leonard Sweet, "Aqua Church 2.0," p.. 67...context).
b)someone who often was, and whose message often was, counter-cultural. ('the first shall be last," etc.... see The Upside Down Kingdom textbook)
c)someone whose ministry and message were cross-cultural (not just to Jews, etc).
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That's so UPSIDE DOWN!
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Each party has their own culture and response to culture.
Since we will so much time discussing the various "parties" of Jesus day, it is helpful to our discussion of culture to hear how one writer views and succinctly characterizes each group's approach to culture (even though the following is overstatement:
- "Pharisees separated from culture
- Sadducees blended into the culture
- Zealots ruled over culture/misused it
- Essenes ignored culture....
The Pharisees were sectarian, developing an unending number of laws to separate themselves from the common people.
The Sadducees were syncretists, compromising their beliefs in order to blend into the culture.
The Zealots misused culture as they attempted to usher in God’s kingdom through the use of force.
The Essenes ignored culture altogether, retreating from society where they could seek mystical encounters with God in monkish privacy...
And so we see that sectarians love God but fail to love their neighbors,And so we see that sectarians
love God but fail to love their neighbors,
while syncretists love their neighbors,
but fail to love God."
--
Many
changes ocurred as the Jews fret (new temple , synagogues, etc. But
key for understanding Matthew are four "parties," groups, sects that
emerged. These are discussed in detail in Hauer/Young, Chapter 10, Pharisees .lay scholars/ middle class Oral and Written Torah angels, demons, resurrection........
Sadduccees priestly/aristocratic Written Torah only no angels, demons, resurrection
Essenes: quiet, communal, prob connected to Dead Sea Scrolls
Zealots advocated armed rebellion against Rome
Read more on each from Ray VannDer Laan:
See also H and Y Chapter 10, and Upside Down book, pp for more info on the four parties.
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Remember the "Orthodox Triangle" of Three Villages vs. "Decapolis"/Ten Cities?
We'll take a field trip all the way to the dreaded "other side" of the lake today..
RECURRENCE OF THE PHRASE "the other side" IN CHAPTERS 8-10:
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It's called THE OTHER SIDE....The circle is the Sea of Gallilee. On the NW corner, you see the "Orthodox Triangle" of Three Jewish Villages (Capernaum, Korazim, Bethsaidad)
vs. the SE side (OR "THE OTHER SIDE"...the pagan side of the "Decapolis"/Ten Cities.
We'll take a field trip all the way to the dreaded "other side" of the lake today..
We watched two Van Der Laan videos:
"When Storms Come"
and
"Piercing the Darkness"
Too bad these are not online..but here and here are some notes.
And here's the slideshow of the first "field trip" we'll take today:
>>"When Storms Come (Sea of Galilee)"
From that slideshow, pay special attention to a)why bodies of water had negative "historical world" symbolism and b)"The Orthodox Triangle" vs. "the other side": the Decapolis,
More: here is a significant VanDer Laan article on the Sea of Galilee which touches on its symbolism.
Here also are notes on water:
>>"Piercing The Darkness (Decapolis on the Other Side of the Lake" (CLICK)
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- Note the cross-cultural implications of Jesus' two feedings of the multitude:
-
see:
(diagram below by John Stevenson, see 2nd link above)
Feeding of the 5,000Feeding of the 4,000Mark 6:34-44Mark 8:1-9Took place after the multitude had been with Jesus for one day. Took place after the multitude had been with Jesus for three days. The multitude was mostly Jewish. The multitude would have been mostly Gentile. Took place near Bethsaida on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Took place in the Decapolis on the southeastern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Jesus used 5 loaves and 2 fish. Jesus used 7 loaves and a few small fish. There were 12 small baskets of leftovers. There were 7 large baskets of leftovers.
Q>Who is Jesus in Matthew?
A>The one who is not afraid to go to "THE OTHER SIDE"
GATES OF HELL
Matthew 16: 13-20 :When Jesus came to the region of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say the Son of Man is?”
--------------------------
They replied, “Some say John the Baptist; others say Elijah; and still others, Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
“But what about you?” he asked. “Who do you say I am?”
Simon Peter answered, “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.”
Jesus replied, “Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven. And I tell you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hell will not overcome it. I will give you, Peter, the keys of the kingdom of heaven; whatever you, Peter, bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.” Then he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.
Matthew 18:15-19 “If your brother or sister sins, go and point out their fault, just between the two of you. If they listen to you, you have won them over. But if they will not listen, take one or two others along, so that ‘every matter may be established by the testimony of two or three witnesses.’[ If they still refuse to listen, tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector.
“Truly I tell you, whatever you [all of you] bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you [all of you] loose on earth will be loosed in heaven.
“Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I withyou
Here below is summary of the Vander Lann video "Gates of Hell".
>>How does it help you interpret the passage?
Gates of Hell
City of Pagans
Caesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, was a city dominated by immoral activities and pagan worship.Caesarea Philippi stood only twenty-five miles from the religious communities of Galilee. But the city's religious practices were vastly different from those of the nearby Jewish towns.
In Old Testament times, the northeastern area of Israel became a center for Baal worship. In the nearby city of Dan, Israelite king Jeroboam built the high place that angered God and eventually led the Israelites to worship false gods. Eventually, worship of the baals was replaced with worship of Greek fertility gods.
Caesarea Philippi, which stood in a lush area near the foot of Mount Hermon, became the religious center for worship of the Greek god, Pan. The Greeks named the city Panias in his honor.
Years later, when Romans conquered the territory, Herod Philip rebuilt the city and named it after himself. But Caesarea Philippi continued to focus on worship of Greek gods. In the cliff that stood above the city, local people built shrines and temples to Pan.
Interestingly, Jesus chose to deliver a sort of "graduation speech" to his disciples at Caesarea Philippi. In that pagan setting, he encouraged his disciples to build a church that would overcome the worst evils.
The Gates of Hell
To the pagan mind, the cave at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld, where fertility gods lived during the winter. They committed detestable acts to worship these false gods.Caesarea Philippi's location was especially unique because it stood at the base of a cliff where spring water flowed. At one time, the water ran directly from the mouth of a cave set in the bottom of the cliff.
The pagans of Jesus' day commonly believed that their fertility gods lived in the underworld during the winter and returned to earth each spring. They saw water as a symbol of the underworld and thought that their gods traveled to and from that world through caves.
To the pagan mind, then, the cave and spring water at Caesarea Philippi created a gate to the underworld. They believed that their city was literally at the gates of the underworld—the gates of hell. In order to entice the return of their god, Pan, each year, the people of Caesarea Philippi engaged in horrible deeds, including prostitution and sexual interaction between humans and goats.
When Jesus brought his disciples to the area, they must have been shocked. Caesarea Philippi was like a red-light district in their world and devout Jews would have avoided any contact with the despicable acts committed there.
It was a city of people eagerly knocking on the doors of hell.
Jesus' Challenge
Jesus presented a clear challenge with his words at Caesarea Philippi: He didn't want his followers hiding from evil: He wanted them to storm the gates of hell.Standing near the pagan temples of Caesarea Philippi, Jesus asked his disciples "Who do you say that I am?" Peter boldly replied, "You are the Son of the living God." The disciples were probably stirred by the contrast between Jesus, the true and living God, and the false hopes of the pagans who trusted in "dead" gods.
Jesus continued, "You are Peter, and on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it" (see Matt. 16:13-20).
Though Christian traditions debate the theological meaning of those words, it seems clear that Jesus? words also had symbolic meaning. His church would be built on the "rock" of Caesarea Philippi—a rock literally filled with niches for pagan idols, where ungodly values dominated.
Gates were defensive structures in the ancient world. By saying that the gates of hell would not overcome, Jesus suggested that those gates were going to be attacked.
Standing as they were at a literal "Gate of Hades," the disciples may have been overwhelmed by Jesus' challenge. They had studied under their rabbi for several years, and now he was commissioning them to a huge task: to attack evil, and to build the church on the very places that were most filled with moral corruption.
Jesus presented a clear challenge with his words at Caesarea Philippi: He didn't want his followers hiding from evil: He wanted them to storm the gates of hell.
Not Ashamed
Jesus' followers cannot successfully confront evil when we are embarrassed about our faith.After Jesus spoke to his disciples about storming the gates of hell, he also gave them another word of caution: "If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory" (Luke 9:26).
Jesus knew that his followers would face ridicule and anger as they tried to confront evil. And his words came as a sharp challenge: no matter how fierce the resistance, his followers should never hide their faith in God.
Jesus taught with passion, even when bystanders may have thought him a fool. And at Caesarea Philippi, he challenged everyone within hearing: "What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very soul?" (v. 25).
In a city filled with false idols, Jesus asked his followers to commit to the one true God. While false gods promised prosperity and happiness, they would ultimately fail to deliver. Jesus didn't promise an easy life, but he delivered on the promise of salvation;the only kind of prosperity that really matters.
Today, Christians must heed the words of our Rabbi, especially when we are tempted to hide our faith because of embarrassment or fear. Our world is filled with those who have "gained the world" but lost their souls. If we hide our faith, they may never find the salvation they need.
On the offense
As we listen to Jesus' challenge today, we as Christians should ask ourselves the important question: When it comes to the battle against evil, are we on defense or offense?
In a culture that embraces diversity, it is offensive to suggest that there are certain truths that apply to everyone. Pointing out sin isn't popular and many Christians are labeled as "intolerant" for refusing to accept certain behaviors and ideas.
Unfortunately, many people have embraced a distorted Christianity that tries to be "politically correct." They don't want to offend anyone, so they accept sin rather than confronting it. Ultimately, their words of "love" ring empty because they accept sins that ruin people's lives.
Other Christians just try to avoid sinful culture altogether. They have been taught to go on the defense—to hide in their churches, schools, and homes and to shut the door on the evil influences of culture.
But Jesus challenged his followers to be on the offense—to proclaim the truth without shame.
Our schools and churches should become staging areas rather than fortresses; places that equip God's people to confront a sinful world instead of hiding from it. Jesus knows that the pagan world will resist, but he challenges us to go there anyway, and to build his church in those very places that are most morally decayed.
As we listen to Jesus' challenge today, we as Christians should ask ourselves the important question: Are we on defense or offense? -LINK
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--
.
The day Metallica Came to Church: What do you think as soon as you see this headline?:
Jesus Asks Church To Host Anti-Christian Concert
NOW..watch the video below, and do you feel differently?
----- Today: discussion of first two views of Jesus' death/theologies of the atonement,
- Penal substitution
- Christus Victor
- "
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---Matrix Revolutions...ending:
Click here to watch all 4 parts at once..
OR
Part 1 (click here)
(Check the cross over Neo's head at 1:26 at that click)
-----------------------
Part 2: is embedded below..
Check the crosses at 2:00 amd 2:56
What Scripture at 3:15?
--
part 3Here
part 4:
...........
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see also:
- "Christus Vicror" atonement (see p, 148 of "Teaching the Bible through popular culture and the arts"
- by Mark Roncace, Patrick Gray)
: Neo Victor and the "literal Deus ex machina"
Anabaptism, Christus Victor, Postmodernity
--
--Christus Victor (Christ the Victor) is a view of the atonement taken from the title of Gustaf Aulén’s groundbreaking book, first published in 1931, where he drew attention back to the early church’s Ransom theory. In Christus Victor, the atonement is viewed as divine conflict and victory over the hostile powers that hold humanity in subjection. Aulén argues that the classic Ransom theory is not so much a rational systematic theory as it is a drama, a passion story of God triumphing over the powers and liberating humanity from the bondage of sin. As Gustav Aulén writes, “the work of Christ is first and foremost a victory over the powers which hold mankind in bondage: sin, death, and the devil.”[1]Christus Victor
The Ransom Theory was predominant in the early church and for the first thousand years of church history and supported by all Greek Church Fathers from Irenaeus to John of Damascus. To mention only the most important names Origen, Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianzus, and John Chrysostom. The Christus Victor view was also dominant among the Latin Fathers of the Patristic period including Ambrose, Augustine, Leo the Great, and Gregory the Great.
A major shift occurred when Anselm of Canterbury published his Cur Deos Homo around 1097 AD which marks the point where the predominate understanding of the atonement shifted from the ransom theory to the Satisfaction Doctrine in the Roman Catholic Church and subsequently the Protestant Church. The Eastern Orthodox Church still holds to the Ransom or Christus Victor view. This is built upon the understanding of the atonement put forward by Irenaeus, called “recapitulation”.[2]
As the term Christus Victor indicates, the idea of “ransom” should not be seen in terms (as Anselm did) of a business transaction, but more of a rescue or liberation of humanity from the slavery of sin. Unlike the Satisfaction or Penal-substitution views of the atonement rooted in the idea of Christ paying the penalty of sin to satisfy the demands of justice, the Christus Victor view is rooted in the incarnation and how Christ entered into human misery and wickedness and thus redeemed it. Irenaeus called this “Recapitulation” (re-creation). As it is often expressed: “Jesus became what we are so that we could become what he is”. LINK
Where else does a "Christus Victor": show up in literature/film?
C.S. Lewis, "The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe" :
See:
The Beautiful Victory of the Cross and the Table of Aslan Table of Aslan
The Ransom Theory
The ransom theory is the oldest atonement theory. It is sometimes called the classical theory or the bargain theory. It was developed and articulated by early church fathers such as Irenaeus, Origen, and Augustine. The ransom theory holds that when Adam and Eve sinned, they placed themselves under the dominion of Satan. To free humanity, Jesus gave himself as payment to Satan. Satan agreed to the deal, and put Jesus to death in place of humanity. Yet since Jesus was without sin, Satan overstepped his bounds. Jesus rose from the dead, liberated humanity, and conquered Satan and his kingdom.
In explaining the Ransom Theory, Pope Gregory the Great wrote:
matching deceit with deceit, Christ frees man by tricking the devil into overstepping his authority. Christ becomes a “fishhook”: his humanity is the bait, his divinity the hook, and Leviathan [Satan] is snared. Because the devil is proud, he cannot understand Christ’s humility and so believes he tempts and kills a mere man. But in inflicting a sinless man with death, the devil loses his rights over man from his “excess of presumption,” Christ conquers the devil’s kingdom of sin, liberating captives from the devil’s tyranny. Order is reinstated when man returns to serve God, his true master.” (1)Christus Victor (Christ the Victor)
The Christus victor theory is closely tied to the ransom theory. It was articulated by Swedish theologian Gustaf Aulen. Aulen argued that payment to Satan is not the focus of the classical theory. Rather, the focus is on Jesus liberating humanity from the power of death and sin.
Adherants
The Eastern Orthodox church holds to the ransom view. Many in the Western church find it helpful, but most do not accept it as a stand alone view.
Criticisms of the Ransom Theory:
- Not enough focus on God
- makes God a debtor to Satan.
- Tricking Satan seems to imply deceit on God's part.
- For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave himself as a ransom for all, which is the testimony given at the proper time. 1 Timothy 2:56
- You were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your body. 1 Corinthians 6:20
- For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many -Mark 10:45
- For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins. -Colossians 1:13-14
- The Lion The Witch and the Wardrobe (C.S. Lewis). Aslan tricks the White Witch into giving up her claim on Edmund by offering his life as a ransom in place of Edmund's.
- The Champion (Carman) - Jesus defeats Satan in a cosmic battle represented by a boxing match.
LINK
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We didn't watch this video in class yet, but it should help:
Do you see BOTH Christus Victor and Penal Substitution in this text?:
Colossians 2 13 When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made you[d] alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, 14 having canceled the charge of our legal indebtedness, which stood against us and condemned us; he has taken it away, nailing it to the cross. 15 And having disarmed the powers and authorities, he made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them by the cross.[e]
Preparation
Reading:
Acts
chapters 1-15
Galatians, Ephesians, James, 1 John (entirety of each)
Kraybill
chapters 11-12
Hauer
&Young chapter 13, and pp. 284-293, 296-297, 301-303, 305-311,
314-318
Preparation
Assignments:
Letters
to NT Churches Worksheet
Service
Project, Log of hours, and Response Essay (see description attached to this
syllabus)
Also; remember you can write your signature paper as a member of one of the groups or parties instead:
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