You'll remember that took this class....and passed it. Even though I only had this typewriter.
Remember:
- Pick your case study as soon as possible, and start taking notes on how readings and class topics speak to it,.
- Be sure to follow instructions about what kind of church to visit.
- The section on Matthew in your H and Y book, pp 264-269 will help a lot with the class.
The two questions of the class are:
"Who is Jesus (in Matthew?"
and
"What is Church?"
==================================
Who is Jesus? and who is he NOT?:
===Thanks to Mike Furches, and his wonderful "Faith and Film" seminar, for the tip.
Watch South Park's "Do The Handicapped Go to Hell?" episode.
It raise great questions about "set theory" and the two questions of the class:
In Paraguay, I met the Julio of the toothless grin who broke my heart, and taught me how to pray.
He (photo, on left) had latched on to me, as I spoke
Spanish to him...and was a bigkid myself .
"What are you building here?," he asked.
"A church."
"What's a church?"
"A place where people can worship Jesus."
Of course, I know now...well, knew then (but didn't take time for theological distinctions) that is ddecidedly the wrong answer: church as a place, edifice complex, etc...)
I gulped. I was guessing, dreading/hoping what his next question would be.
It's one thing to hear that billions around the world have never even heard of Jesus, but I had just met my first.
Yep, he said it:
"Who's Jesus?"
Those are the two questions!
-------------------------------------------------------------------
And we use a
"Three Worlds" approach to reading the text of Matthew.....and any text..
---
We became familiar/reacquainted with the "Three Worlds" concept which comes from your Hauer/Young Textbook, see especially chapters two and three, and see class notes.
Here below is how one student summarized the worlds (she has more detail here)
Literary World--The literary world of the Bible is simply the text itself, apart from anything outside the text. We mean the world (or, better, worlds) created by the text; the words on the page, by the stories, songs, letters and the myriad other types of literature that make up the Bible. All good literature (and the Bible is, among other things, good literature) creates in readers' minds magnificent, mysterious, and often moving worlds that take on a reality of their own, whether or not they represent anything real outside the pages (Hauer and Young ch 2).
Historical World--The historical world of the Bible isthe world "behind the text" or "outside the text". It is the context in which the Bible came to be written, translated, and interpreted over time, until the present. In studying the historical world of the Bible, we look for evidence outside the text that helps us answer questions such as, who wrote this text, when was it written, to whom was it written,
and why was it written. We also probe the text itself for evidence that links it to historical times, places, situations, and persons (Hauer and Young 2)..Contemporary World--The contemporary world is the "world in front of the text" or the "world of the reader." In one sense, there are as many contemporary worlds of the Bible as there are readers, for each of us brings our own particular concerns and questions to the text. They inevitably shape our reading experience. We are all interested in answering the questions of whether the Bible in general, or particular texts, have any relevance to our personal lives (Hauer and Young ch3).
-Brolin
------------------------
TEXTS.
a TEXT is technically ":any message in any medium, designed to communicate anything"so obviously the Bible counts as a TEXT message.
Texts need contexts.
I'll have you text me (cell phone) random text messages during class to illustrate that texts need contexts.
Because several of the classes I teach have to do with how to read and interpret texts (particularly biblical texts) , contexts, and intertextuality...I actually encourage students to send me text messages in class.
They often look at me as if I am kidding, even afraid I will confiscate their phone if they do.
Because several of the classes I teach have to do with how to read and interpret texts (particularly biblical texts) , contexts, and intertextuality...I actually encourage students to send me text messages in class.
They often look at me as if I am kidding, even afraid I will confiscate their phone if they do.
-------------------------------------
..
..
You'll remember we started by getting acquainted, looking at the case studies from the signature paper, encouraging you
to pick yours as soon as possible, so you can personalize/focus the class, asking how any night's topics will fit int your paper:
HERE ARE THE CASE STUDIES FROM THE SYLLABUS
BIB 314 Signature Assignment Due 1
week from last class session
The
culminating assignment for this course provides the opportunity for students to
consider how the person, teaching, and ‘work’ of Jesus continue to impact the
world today by using the text of Matthew and at least two other sources
from the list below to respond to a specific situation. Students will select a
case study from among those provided below and develop an analysis of how Jesus
would respond
to the situation using Matthew and their 2 other selected sources from the list
below. Students will conclude the essay by reflecting briefly on their own
resonance or dissonance with the Jesus-style response they have presented. This
assignment must be submitted to turnitin.com (see instructions below).
Use
two of these sources in
addition to the text of Matthew to develop your Jesus-style response:
1)
Kraybill The Upside-Down Kingdom
2)
Service project experience and
response essay
3)
Church visit and response essay
4)
Preparation worksheet(s) for this
course
5)
In-class activities and/or
discussion
NOTE: to pass the course you must complete and
submit this Signature Assignment
Cases
(Students
may develop and propose their own case drawing on newspaper articles or other
real or imagined scenarios but the case must be proposed in writing to
the instructor no later than the Week 4 class session, and must be formally
approved for use by the instructor.)
1.
How to Serve?
There is a JCC service project that involves making and
distributing food to the homeless in downtown Fresno. Would Jesus choose this
avenue of service? Explore especially in relation to kingdom values. Include discussion
of the benefits and limitations of the project.
2.
Where to Work?
Discuss how the Gospel of Matthew and your other 2 sources
contribute to your thinking about possible future occupations that you choose
to pursue. Where would Jesus work?!
3.
Whether to Move?
Your church has the opportunity to relocate to a larger piece of
land in a growing part of the city. The relocation will put them in the middle
of a region where new homes are being built with new schools and shopping
areas. The older part of town where the church is now located is decaying. Few
people from the church choose to live there anymore. Would Jesus counsel the
church to move or stay? What issues would Jesus raise concerning this decision?
4.
Forgiveness
One of your parents/ family members/ friends has been caught
cheating with another person. S/he asks for forgiveness and desires to work
through the problem. How would Jesus respond? Discuss what “working through the
problem” would look like in a cross section of the relationships involved.
5. Where
to Live
You live in an older neighborhood where you were able to afford
your first home and it is close to work, but the house is not as large as you
would like. Home prices are rising, but not nearly as quickly as other parts of
town. The area is increasingly diverse in racial, economic and social
categories. Neighbors voice some concerns about schools and safety, but you also
have some close friends in the neighborhood. Would Jesus stay or move? What
issues would Jesus raise concerning this decision?
6. How to Spend?
Your favorite band is coming to town on a farewell tour. Tickets
are $100-$150 and you want to take someone special to dinner and to the
concert. Other financial obligations that you are facing include a credit card
bill, a tuition payment, Christmas, books for next term, a cell phone bill, etc.
How do values presented by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel and your other 2 sources
shape this decision? What would Jesus do?
7. Which School?
You have been attending a school near home
where most of your friends also attend. The school has an excellent reputation,
but is suffering budgetary constraints and is downsizing certain academic and
athletic departments. You, however, have been given the option of transferring
to a lesser known school with good programs. The school is in a distant town,
the costs are higher, and you know no one there. Which school would Jesus
choose? How do values presented by Jesus in Matthew’s Gospel and your 2 other
sources shape this decision?
8. How to Respond?
A note has just come from close friends stating that they are
expecting a baby. One friend is still in high school and the other is in college.
They are not married and no one knew they were pregnant. The lack of proper
pre-natal care has contributed to the baby’s serious medical condition; the
degree of possible birth defects is not fully known. The couple is from different
denominational and ethnic backgrounds. They are asking for support because this
has caused serious stress with their families. What issues would Jesus raise
concerning this situation? How would Jesus respond?
1.
How to React?
You
are exiting the 99 highway and a woman is standing at the end of the exit ramp,
in old, dirty clothing with a somber look on her face. You notice she has a
small bottle of vodka and is smoking a cigarette. She holds a sign that reads,
“Homeless Widow. No family. No money. Anything helps, God Bless.” What issues would Jesus raise concerning this situation?
How would Jesus respond?
2. How to Manage?
You
are an entrepreneur who owns a restaurant employing 50-100 people. Your wait
staff is all part time, but the majority work 39 hours and are sent home prior
to broaching 40 hours; for you know you can’t afford to offer benefits or your
business would quickly become insolvent. During flu season you notice that
Denise, a single mother of three has been ill for over two weeks, but continues
to work; for Suzanne knows she must work or her three children will not eat. What issues would Jesus raise concerning this situation? If
he were General Manager, how would Jesus respond?
Guidelines
· Cover page:
student name, cohort, location of class,
assignment, course number, faculty name
· Formatting:
12 point Times New Roman font; double-spaced; one inch margins.
· Length:
7-10 pages (page range indicates expected depth and thoroughness of discussion)
· Mechanics: use formal, academic writing;
avoid the use of second person (“you”); avoid the use of contractions;
utilize your word processor’s spelling and grammar tool.
References:
Cite all sources used in a parenthetical format in the body of the essay
and provide a list of works cited at the end. Failure to cite sources is an act
of plagiarism and will be treated accordingly.
If your paper has
red marks in every paragraph (typos, grammar), it will fail.
Grading and Assessment
Rubric is at
tiny.cc/bib314rubric
· Assignment Submission:
1) Submit
papers electronically on Turnitin.com by 11:59pm on the due date. FPU is
committed to preserving academic integrity. Students should presume that all
their written work will be checked against international electronic databases
of student work and published sources to detect plagiarism. These electronic
databases often add the submitted material to their sources to compare against
other student work. By submitting assignments, a student agrees to these
processes.
2) Faculty may
require additional paper submission or electronic submission to campus cruiser.
·
Grading:
1)
Papers
may receive a reduced grade for lateness, not following formatting instructions,
inconsistency in style, numerous spelling or grammatical errors, failure to
submit to turnitin.com, may receive a
reduced grade.
2)
Papers
may require rewriting and resubmission (resulting in a reduced grade) if they fail
to address the assignment given, or if they exhibit excessive problems in
content, argumentation, formatting, spelling or grammar. If your paper has red marks in every paragraph
(typos, grammar), it will fail.
3)
Plagiarism
on the paper may result in an F in the class. Plagiarism is theft and can be
committed intentionally or unintentionally. Plagiarism can occur by
representing the writings, works or ideas of another as one’s own, or by
copying material from a resource without proper citation. Exact copying and
paraphrasing from sources both require proper citation. For more information
see the Academic Integrity Policy in the FPU Catalog.
Grading and Assessment
Rubric fir case study is at tiny.cc/bib314rubric and included at end of syllabus
---------------------------------------------------------------
One of the classes I teach for
Fresno Pacific University
call the "Three Worlds"" approach to biblical study.
Here below is how one student of the book summarized the "three worlds" (she has more detail here):
Literary World--The literary world of the Bible is simply the text itself, apart from anything outside the text. We mean the world created by the text; the words on the page, by the stories, songs, letters and the myriad other types of literature that make up the Bible. All good literature (and the Bible is, among other things, good literature) creates in readers' minds magnificent, mysterious, and often moving worlds that take on a reality of their own, whether or not they represent anything real outside the pages (Hauer and Young ch 2).
Historical World--The historical world of the Bible is the world "behind the text" or "outside the text". It is the context in which the Bible came to be written, translated, and interpreted over time, until the present. In studying the historical world of the Bible, we look for evidence outside the text that helps us answer questions such as, who wrote this text, when was it written, to whom was it written, and why was it written. We also probe the text itself for evidence that links it to historical times, places, situations, and persons (Hauer and Young 2)..
Contemporary World--The contemporary world is the "world in front of the text" or the "world of the reader." In one sense, there are as many contemporary worlds of the Bible as there are readers, for each of us brings our own particular concerns and questions to the text. They inevitably shape our reading experience. We are all interested in answering the questions of whether the Bible in general, or particular texts, have any relevance to our personal lives (Hauer and Young ch3).
-Brolin
The "historical world" section sounds so boring, and ...well, historical. But most realize that grasping what the Bible meant to "them" (the original hearers/readers) in their day is often lost on us thousands of years later, as we live in another culture, day...and "world."
Since our class focuses on Matthew's gospel, we talk a lot about the geography, political/religious climate of Jesus' day. We deal with the reality that the original readers had the benefit of shared history; shared memory. This even includes "memory" of events that happened long before the disciples were born (the Moses/Exodus motifs throughout Matthew, etc).
We consider questions like:
- Why was the Sermon on the Mount on a mount?
- Why did Jesus take his peeps way out of their way to Caesarea Phillipi to pop the question of who he was?
- What might the disciples thought/felt when they was the Herodian fortress?
As exciting as these lessons are for us who teach, it can be hard for student to catch how crucial historical context is to interpreting the text. faithfully
So to model what it mighty have been like for Jesus the Rabbi and his discioles to walk around the land for teaching moments and intentional backdrops; and to illustrate in an interactive way that places and memory matter when reading the "historical world" of the text, I take students on a literal tour of MY "historical world."
Since I myself went to FPU (so long ago it was only an FPC), and even became a Christian due to the influnece of its hallowed grounds and people, I have lots of stories to tell.
As one hilariously-phrased brochure announced, "I met Jesus and his wife" while a student..
So I tell stories about events in my past at the places where they happened.
..and the students sometime feel as if "they were there" with me as I retell the stories "on location'"..."on sight with insight."
In fact, one of my stories revolves around fact that when I took this same class (so last millenium), I wasn't a Christian when I enrolled, but I was soon after the final exam . This testimony was featured in the Fresno Pacific magazine article featuring my beloved professor Leslie Mark.
I take them to spots on campus where the conversion process continued.
Every "campus tour" is slightly different. Sometimes the lessons are in historical order (This happened to me right here, and then the next year, this happened to me in this building) , But more likely, a given tour is in order of the sidewalks, and thus out of historical order. A given cluster of stories I tell is somewhat selective (much like the four gospel accounts)
Sometimes while I am walking around campus with a class, owe run into formner students of mine I'll ask them which stories they remember from a year or twoi ago. This gives us a chance to compare notes on how "rememberers" emphasize or remember different details of the same event/.story.. again, much lkike the four gospel writers..
I show them my old dorm in what was then "Module E by the Sea"..even our phone/prayer closet which is still there.
Across the quad, I "tell and show" them Michel and Diane Bucci's former apartment.
Michel and Diane were a French Canadian married couple, who were students when I was. Soon before he came to FPC, Michel was training for the Canadian Olympics, and missed the trampoline because he was showing off for a girl.
He landed a quadriplegic..
He later landed at Fresno Pacific, and shared his riveting tesintiony in many venues.
The memories are bittersweet, as Michel died a few years later..
Students tell me that can never walk through that
On a lighter note, but just as significant tot my historical (hysterical) world, and most tours:
I suggest to students that there out to be a hoistiral marker plaque on the men's room in Sattler Hall..because back in our day ...the most beautiful girl I had ever seen (before we got married or even dated) cleaned that room as part of her on-campus job (the "Sparkle Crew"). I knew that, so I would often be out early in the morning. ostensibly for prayer walk, but in reality as more of a stalk..hoping I'd run intop Sonya. One day we had a delightful conversation as I helped her clean a toilet.
The rest is history.
Until recently, the story students teased me about most was the time when Sonya uttered those words that no lovesmiiten college student wants to hear:
"I think we should just be friends."
Gulp.
 |
| click to read all about this artwork |
Where does a guy go after hearing that? As a new Christian, how dis I respond/grieve/rebel//"backslide?"
I tell students this particular story at a particular place, so I can literally point, so they get the point and picture.
What do I do? (Historical present tense)? Devastated, I go across the street from campus to the grocery store (I point to the store) and buy a pack of cigarettes (50 cents?), and walk back to campus to climb to the roof of the seminary house.... and lie there and smoke!
Years later, near same spot..
I point at the street where a girl jumped in my car and.... let's just say, made me an offer I could refuse.
Suffice to say this story affords a great chance/segue to talk about Jesus' temptations!
But now the story everyone wants to hear about is the following.
This story has just entered a second life, as recently the university finished a wonderful new m sign..
The only problem with the caption on the left is that, unlike it assumes, the sign did not look like this from 1962-1989/
That's my fault.
The sign was indeed there all that time.
But the cross you see on it was only on it for a few hours, and very few ever saw it.
Many heard all about it, though...
There's quite a story here.
In 1984, the college decided the school sign needed to be replaced.. An exploratory committee was put together to make proposals about what it should be made of, what it should include, etc
One of the early decisions that was released (leaked?) was that nowhere on any eventual new sign should there be anything "conspicuously Christian."
Now, one can understand reasons for that (particularly understanding the Mennonite Brethren tradition which sponsored the school has long been more concerned about quiet, humble, practical and radical discipleship and Christian action, rather than just words...and well, signs.
But that phrase tripped up some of us students.. especially new Christian like me.
We were a Christian school, why not let it be known?
.
So we came up with a plan.
A subversive one.
And right or wrong, we carried it out.
We would subvert the dominant paradigm...or at least convert the current sign.
I enjoy taking my current students to the scene of the crime, and telling the story.
Without telling anyone, we commissioned two of our number (not to mention any names: Mark Hill and Randy Richmond) to use their carpenter gifts and craftily craft a nice wooden cross.
One night we snuck out (in fatigues and camouflage, no less), eluded security ,,,and attached the cross to the sign.
In the morning, we posted signs in the cafeteria (Alumni Hall) saying "Have you seen the new sign? It's the work of the "Cross Committee'. We wanted to stir up conversation, and hopefully impetus to reverse the "nothing conspicuously Christian" decision.
We soon found ourselves mildly disciplined . and then brought into/dialogue with the administration. They seemed open to our concerns, and promised to consider them...
...as long as we didn't pull another prank, no matter how prophetic it was.
Several years later, as the college became a university, a new sign was added (including a Christian motto)
And then this year, an even newer and larger ...and conspicuous>..sign was constructed.
Note that at not one, but two places, a pretty conspicuous "founded in Christ" appears.
I have no idea if that had anything with the Cross Committee. of nearly three decades ago.
I's like to think so, but I doubt it.
Yes, I love the new sign!
So I I posted a photo of the new sign on my Facebook, and soon current and former students of mine..., as well as friends I went to college with, even members of the renegade Cross Committee....began teasing me afresh in the comments.
Graham Dyck, a member of the committee, even dug up and posted some photos (see them here) of our middle of the night adventure.. I had never seen them before, and they had never posted anywhere.
Graham posted:
Graham Dyck Lest anyone think the underground cross committee is a hoax, here is the photographic evidence.http://www.facebook.com/
Facebook friends got a holy kick out of that!
The photo on the left was Graham's photo (someone official had obviously seen it in their feed but not gotten that it was part of a rebellion. They assumed that's how the sign always looked ...when actually it only looked like that for a few historic hours..
Graham commented:
That is way too funny. I love that the caption provides the time frame as 1962 to 1989, a whopping 27 years. The cross was on the sign for one day from about 3:00 am until maintenacne showed up at 7:00 am and took it down as their first order of business. Anyway, we "remember the past with gratitude" even though few can actually remember that part of the past.
:https://www.facebook.com/
Mike Lebsock (went to school with us, and here's a pic
of Sonya and i in his apartment back then) thinks Steve Wiest (facilities team back then) may have a picture of his workers taking the mystery cross down that morning.We'll see..
Just don't tell him I had anything to do with it (:
It was all Mark's idea...
------------
Set theory::
See:
-----------
We then looked at Matthew 1 and 2:
GENEALOGY
We began looking at the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1, noting
-that since "genealogy" is literally "genesis" ("beginning"), there is an inclusio from the first sentence of Matthew to the very last sentence ("till the end of the age"). Point: Who is Jesus in Mathew?
He is the Beginng and End.
We also noticed that strikingly, against Jewish tradition, women were mentioned in the geneology.
Not only that, but most were controversial and GENTILES (outside the bounded set of Judaism.
We noted yet another inclusio from beginning of the gospel (Gentiles highlighted in the geneology in cghapter 1 and end of gospel ( "Go and make disciples of all nations [literally "Gentiles"] 28:18-20
- not just women,
- but 5 (hmm, remember that number) women,
- and 5 women who had a "shady reputation".
That's no accident; we decided that one way to answer "Who is Jesus in Matthew?" is
"One who includes all types, even outcasts, in his family, Very centered set, and we are only in Chapter 1. (:
Please be familiar with this crucial point, by re-reading Hauer and Young, p, 270, 2nd full paragraph
a chart revealing the "skipped" names from an article( link)
"Matthew arranged the geneology to reflect the significance of the Hebrew gematria of King David's name which was the number 14 [D = 4, V= 6, D= 4; Hebrew was written only in consonants] and the significance of number symbolism in his division of the 42 generations from Abraham to David to Jesus the Messiah. Matthew's manipulation of the genealogy is reflected in the fact that he dropped the names of the 3 Judahite kings in Jesus' line: Jehoahaz, Jehoiakim and Zedekiah [see 2 Chronicles 36:1-13], doubled the use of the name of both King David in verse 6 and King Jechoniah in verses 11 and 12 in the beginning of his 2 and 3 sets, and added the name of Tamar's other son Zerah (not in the line of descent) to make his list reflect the symbolism he desired in the total number of names/ males, and to produce 3 sets of 14 generations for a total of 42 generations from Abraham to Jesus of Nazareth.
Set #1
| 1. Abraham | fathered | Isaac | |
| 2. Isaac | fathered | Jacob | |
| 3. Jacob | fathered | Judah | |
| 4. Judah | fathered | Perez | |
| additional names of Zerah and Tamar (woman #1) | |||
| 5. Perez | fathered | Hezron | |
| 6. Hezron | fathered | Ram | |
| 7. Ram | fathered | Amminadab | |
| 8. Amminadab | fathered | Nahshon | |
| 9. Nahshon | fathered | Salmon | |
| 10. Salmon | fathered | Boaz | |
| Rahab (woman #2) | |||
| 11. Boaz | fathered | Obed | |
| Ruth (woman #3) | |||
| 12. Obed | fathered | Jesse | |
| 13. Jesse | fathered | ||
| 14. David |
There are 14 generations
There are 3 names of gentile women
There are 3 names of gentile women
Set #2
| David | fathered | Solomon | Uriah's wife (note: David's name is repeated) |
| 1. Solomon | fathered | Rehoboam | |
| 2. Rehoboam | fathered | Abijah | |
| 3. Abijah | fathered | Asa | |
| 4. Asa | fathered | Jehoshaphat | |
| 5. Jehoshaphat | fathered | Joram | |
| 6. Joram | fathered | Uzziah | (3 missing kings) |
| 7. Uzziah | fathered | Jotham | |
| 8. Jotham | fathered | Ahaz | |
| 9. Ahaz | fathered | Hezekiah | |
| 10. Hezekiah | fathered | Manasseh | |
| 11. Manasseh | fathered | Amon | |
| 12. Amon | fathered | Josiah | |
| 13. Josiah | fathered | [see #14] | |
| 14.Jechoniah | [deportation of Judah to Babylon] |
There are 14 generations (no repeats)
There are 29 names of males total if you include Uriah
There is 1 female mentioned
There are 29 names of males total if you include Uriah
There is 1 female mentioned
Set #3 (after the deportation to Babylon; notice no restoration is mentioned)
| 1.Jechoniah | fathered | Shealtiel | |
| 2.Shealtiel | fathered | Zerubbabel | |
| 3. Zerubbabel | fathered | Abiud | |
| 4. Abiud | fathered | Eliakim | |
| 5. Eliakim | fathered | Azor | |
| 6. Azor | fathered | Zadok | |
| 7. Zadok | fathered | Achim | |
| 8. Achim | fathered | Eliud | |
| 9. Eliud | fathered | Eleazar | |
| 10. Eleazar | fathered | Matthan | |
| 11. Matthan | fathered | Jacob | |
| 12. Jacob | fathered | Joseph | |
| 13. Joseph | husband of | Mary | (the 5th woman) mother of |
| 14. Jesus the Christ | (bringing true restoration to Israel) |
--
Since "genealogy" is literally "genesis" ("beginning"), there is an inclusio from the first sentence of Matthew to the very last sentence ("till the end of the age"). Point: Who is Jesus in Mathew?
He is the Beginning and End.
We also noticed that strikingly, against Jewish tradition, women were mentioned in the geneology.
Not only that, but most were controversial and GENTILES (outside the bounded set of Judaism.
By the way, how many controversial Gentile women show up here?
5...hmm. Must be no accident
Who is Jesus in Mathew?
The One who is not ashamed to include four triple outcasts: gentile/women/people with a shady reputation in his family tree. The fifth woman was Mary, who fit all three categories except "Gentile". All women have a) a ":sexually suspect" reputation
and were surprisingly and sovereignly used of God.
Note this:
- It is also organized into three tesseradecads (sets of fourteen). Hmm, 3? 14? No accident. (Note: Luke's version: Luke contains three blocks of 21 names and one block of 14 names)
- David is prominent here. And his name in Hebrew adds up to 14.. Hmmm consonants DVD = 14 ( See article on Isopsephy..
graffiti in Pompeii dating frotm around 79 AD reads Φιλω ης αριθμος ϕμε, "I love her whose number is 545." 666 is clearly the name/number of Nero Caeser, the Roman Emperor
Numbers simply "stood out"...almost as in synesthesia
 |
| link |
Try this mouseover test.
Imagine you are a member of the Ku Klux Klan. You get to a board meeting and you see these names nominated for board members:
Which names would stand out?
- John Smith
- Pete Redneck
- Snoop Dog
- Joe White
- Barack Obama
- Jay Z
- Tom Wilson
- Bobby Jo MacCereety
- Bill Cosby
- Sham McGrath
- Pierre LePew
- Kobe Bryant
You might as well print the list like this:
- John Smith
- Pete Redneck
- Snoop Dog
- Joe White
- Barack Obama
- Jay Z
- Tom Wilson
- Bobby Jo MacCereety
- Bill Cosby
- Sham McGrath
- Pierre LePew
- Kobe Bryant
------------------------------------
Birth
Remember our manger scene test.
- It nowhere says there were three.
- It no where says they were wise
- It nowhere says they were men.
And we know for a fact they weren't at the manger.
But the real shocker:
But the real shocker:
We know for a fact they were not Jews. Uh, oh, RED FLAGs.
Hhhhmmm..and we are only in chapter 1!b>video field trip :
We moved into the "Christmas" story in chapter 2 (noting how it compared and contrasted with modern mangewr scenes and Christmas cards), and we watched the Ray VanDer Laan"In the Shadow of Herod" video below as a classic example of how a verse that at first seems so matter of fact, comes alive when we grasp the historical and literary world. (remember that for each VanDer Laan video we watch, there will be a question on the midterm about the main point of the video as it related to the Three World (in this case, we learn about Herod, and we see that he is a very different kind of king than Jesus,
and we learn it by the literary world of Matt. 2:1a, and the historical world image of the Herodian fortress, in whose shadow is baby Jesus). REWATCH IT BELOW..
THE MASTER BUILDER
There was another side to Herod. His visionary building programs, his ingenious development of trade with the rest of the world, and his advancement of the interests of his nation are legendary. Many of his building projects were designed to strengthen the loyalty of his subjects, a goal he never achieved. Most seem to have been built to strengthen his relationship with Rome and to establish himself as the greatest king the Jews had ever had. Herod built on a magnificent and grandiose scale. His building projects included:
The Herodion: This mountain fortress overlooked the town of Bethlehem. Standing on a high hill, the upper fortress was round and more than 200 feet in diameter. Originally, it was seven stories high, with an eastern tower that stood more than 40 feet higher. Packed dirt covered the first four stories, giving the upper fortress a cone shape. Inside were a peristyle garden, reception hall, Roman baths, and countless apartments. The lower palace included an enormous pool, a colonnaded garden, a 600-foot-long terrace, and a building more than 400 feet long. The Herodion was the third-largest palace in the ancient world....
....The visitor cannot help being impressed with Herod's vision and ingenuity. However, all that remain are spectacular ruins, because Herod lived for Herod. By contrast, another builder, a humble carpenter born in Bethlehem, used a different material than did Herod (Matt. 16:18; 1 Peter 2:4-8). Jesus' buildings continue to grow because He built for the glory of God. Like David (1 Sam. 17:46), Elijah (1 Kings 18:36), and Hezekiah (Isa. 37:20), He lived so that the world may know that Yahweh, the God of Israel, is truly God. His construction projects will last forever because He built for the glory of God the Father. -link
HOMEWORK help:
One change: Delete the "Wonders and Mighty Deeds" worksheet..will do in class
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