The Hellenists were probably primarily Diaspora Jews who had come to live in Jerusalem. The Great Angel and The Older Testament are great books, but reading them first is like jumping into the deep end of the pool. Ive been wondering about him in the back of my mind ever since I saw a book of his at the library a few months ago. In these circumstances, it seems likely that Pauls own mother was widowed and therefore accompanied him to Jerusalem and became one of the starving, Greek-speaking widows who was supposed to receive help from Stephens committee. 7 So the word of God spread. Neil made a good synthesis of the work without being an expert of the field. In Acts, it talks about a division in Judaism that I had not heard of before: Acts 6:1 (NIV) ), Your email address will not be published. Does With(NoLock) help with query performance? But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. Polhill (2008) states, The Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora (dispersed Jews living outside Palestine). Theres always differences even among the different. They attempted to remain in a pristine, unique state of Judaism. (1 Corinthians 12:12-26). This is one of the three feasts Jews are commanded to go to Jerusalem. this context, to "serve tables" didn't even The Hellenistic culture was a center of great creativity. ", "Fantastic. have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. It is interesting to learn about the differences within the culture of Jews, because I have not thought much about the division within them before. All of them: "For as the body is one and has many members, but all Its a lot to get a handle on, but whats compelling is that it makes sense of a whole lot of things, as you said, ties many loose ends together. You should visit her web site, too http://www.margaretbarker.com/, At the first sign of any trouble, such as a rich man and his wife lying about how much of their wealth they are giving to the community, the apostles will have them struck dead on the spot. Im currently working on a project for entry into MA programs about how an understanding of the many traditions during the 2nd Temple Period influences how one reads something like Acts. When I think about Judaism, I never thought about if there were divisions or not but in Acts 6:1 we see that there is a division of Jews. 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10105 and time obviously had whatever information still was available about Paul. . ", "Neil, for what it is worth it is obvious to me that if you had earlier in life tracked into a graduate program at one of the worlds leading research universities you would be one of the worlds formidable ones. What did the Jewish exorcists do wrong in Acts 19:13. On a deeper level, however, circumcision represents humanitys ability to have control over ones physical self. the body? In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. . For in fact the body is not one member but many. 6Witherington,Acts, p. 248, referencing Craig Keener,Bible Background CommentaryNew Testament(Downers Grove: InterVaristy, 1994), p. 338. Tags: Acts of the Apostles, Schmithals: Paul and James, 1. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or have no need of. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, who returned to settle in Jerusalem. To identify them, Luke uses the term Hellenistai. Theres always sub-cultures within cultures. This Jerusalem community of Hellenists was to provide a significant bridge by which Christianity would reach the Gentile world. Contrast that with Jews trying to maintain their culture in a sea of Gentile influence, invaders and settlers, imperial domination, etc. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? Read Fullers Statement on Nondiscrimination. I think the answer is yes, just as much as believers today can do the same. What then could be the problem with setting a calendar? using them to glorify Him: "For as we have many members in one body, They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. This needs to be explained carefully, since the word Jew does not appear in the text (although English translations regularly include it). Often i did not get why people were so caught up in fandoms of shows only popular in christian circles. The Sabbath What is behind Duke's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor's request to rule? Some versions translate this as a complaint, though the Greek term implies a misdirected rather than a straight-forward protest (compare John 6:41, 43). According to Acts 21:17-26 are the Jews who are under the New Covenant bound to keep the law of Moses for any reason? The Jews, in contrast to the Hellenists, are those Jews that remained faithful to the Torah and rejected the Greek culture and language. Only mentioned four times in the New Testament are the "proselytes" (Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43). They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, who returned to settle in Jerusalem. Torsion-free virtually free-by-cyclic groups. Schism Constantine, Monks and Imperial Christianity Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the great miracles that happened during the Maccabee revolt in the time of the Second Temple period. ", "Note that I do not use the term amateur pejoratively. Arius and Nicea The Sabbath Six days shall you work and do all your labor, but the seventh day is Shabbat for the Lord your G-d. On it, you shall do no [creative] work. The seventh day is the Jewish Sabbath on which a Jew does no work. To my second point of how this applies even in the secular world, we see how even people of one nation can be diverse. [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 8], Two Covenants: Israel and Atlantis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7f], When Yahweh was at Peace with Other Gods [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7e], Table of Nations and other Post Flood events [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7d]. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. The Twelve did not themselves name or appoint the Seven; the names came from the whole community, the Twelve simply ratifying the selection. If Margaret Baker is arguing that the shift in attitude as expressed by Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40-66) beginning the second temple period is from El Elyon (failed to preserve Judea) to Yahweh Sabaoth (one of the seventy, & God of Armies) as a result of suffering through the Babylonian Exile, prima facie, that makes sense to me. Were the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews able to speak each other's language in Acts 6:1? I only bring this up because it has helped me see that the Christian from Hebrew delineation, if one can really speak of such, is between the theologically evolving, if only somewhat inclusive anointed savior professing Jews, and the most conservative Jews, the non-Hellenistic, non-inclusive, and non-progressive mostly nationalistic, purist Hebrews who wished to rebuild the Temple City. Esther To be a Hellenist was to adopt the language and culture of the Greeks, while to be a Hebrew was to adopt a more tradition Jewish language and lifestyle. use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in Audio & Video Benedict 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. But they had settled in Jerusalem retired, as it were, to the homeland. Host or attend the exciting Chanukah programs and classes provided by NJOP and find out how you or your community can participate. A Light from the East: Eastern Christianity (Part 1) Yet often it seems that one of the big discussions is how much one should be of the world, but not in the world. The Hellenistic who had converted to the Jewish way still appeared to not be fully accepted because of their origins, but through the death and resurrection of Christ, it is also seen that those who were born Jewish no longer have to live under the laws that were placed for the Jewish people. Their names are standard Greek names rather than Jewish or Graecized Jewish names, and the additional information we have about three of them point to their Hellenistic identities (Stephens debate is with the Diaspora synagogue, 6:9; Phillip evangelizes beyond the Jewish community, 8:5, 26, 40; and Nicanor is a Gentile convert to Judaism from Antioch, 6:5). To read more about Neil, see our. Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science. We can look to the political setting today in the U.S. this being a election year, look at the fictionalized in fighting between gop members and the democrats. Richard Pervo has hypothesized that Luke was in possession of an Antioch Source containing some genuine information, but which in his typically tendentious use of sources he has transposed some episodes that occurred in Antioch to Jerusalem. I like this! The more I read your stuff (and I still do, of course), the more I realize how much we all owe you. Acts 6-8 describe the activities of two non-apostles, Stephen and Philip. Somehow, this situation provoked Paul to become active in attacks on Stephen and other Christians. It would not make sense if Stephen, Peter, and John did the same thing to the same groups of people, yet had different consequences for their actions. Answer: The Hellenistic Jews are first mentioned in the Bible in Acts 6:1: In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. The believing Jews are How to extract the coefficients from a long exponential expression? Vridar: Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science (http://vridar.org/) by Neil Godfrey", -- Klaas Spronk, - Bibliotheca Orientalis LXXI, 3/4 (2014), "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. I tend to think that way for almost every religion. Now, it would seem, he sought to undo the evil that he had then wrought, by preaching to them the faith which he had then opposed, and presenting, we Through their marvelous creations, the Greeks proclaimed their might over the world. Connect and share knowledge within a single location that is structured and easy to search. I see the anointed savior concept as a denunciation of Yahweh as the Yahweh Sabaoth, its most stringent mosaic laws, and its intrinsic Jewish nationalism at the liberal, more Hellenized, end of the spectrum of these evolving sects among the Diaspora which contrasts with the more conservative view that, while relenting on the sacrificial mandates of the Deuteronomists, due to the destruction of the Temple, wish to one day rebuild Jerusalem, (more expansive, more popular, and more populous) and her Temple for the Jews, and Jews alone. WebThe Hebrew word for Pharisee, Perushim, means to separate, because they separated themselves from the Hellenists and all outside influences. 242-245. Great topic for an MA project, where are you looking to study? Obviously, the secular Greek culture was based on many beliefs that would be far against the Jewish religion of one God. But lets accept an author of Acts who is working with material, tradition, whatever, that obliges him to write Acts 6:1-7. School of Psychology & Marriage and Family Therapy, Student Right-To-Know and Consumer Information, Part 1: Leading Myself and Building My Team, Part 4: Leading for Transformative Change, Background Episode A: Charlottes First Sunday, Episode 2: Brandis Confessions Almond Springs, Episode 21: Sin & Forgiveness (Coming Soon), Moving Beyond the Plateau: Embracing Weakness, The Delayed Damage of Defensive Reasoning, Extraordinary Leaders Focus on their Failures, The Only Way to Improve is to Make Mistakes On Real People, How to Take Responsibility Rather Than Project Blame, Formative Assessment Not Summative Assessment, The Structural Or Organizational Approach To Leading, Defining Characteristics of the Structural Approach, Biblical and Theological Perspectives on the Structural Approach, The Interpersonal Or Relational Approach To Leading, Defining Characteristics of the Relational Approach, The Cultural Or Interpretative Approach To Leading, Defining Characteristics of the Cultural Approach, A Cultural or Interpretive Take on Leading, Christian Leaders Transform Mental Models, The Meaning Making Leader: Jesus and the Sermon on the Mount, Loud Wrong: How Stories Instruct Without Insulting, Constructive Conflict Rather Than Destructive Conflict, Dont Push; Build Them a Golden Bridge to Retreat, The Great Persecution and the Coming of Imperial Christianity, Constantine, Monks and Imperial Christianity, A Light from the East: Eastern Christianity (Part 1), A Light from the East: Eastern Christianity (Part 2), Student Right-to-Know and Consumer Information. Why does he not tell us anything about how the Hellenists came to emerge as a separate party in Jerusalem? I would suggest here that Luke has intentionally arranged several stories concerning Peter and John in chapters 2-4, and several stories concerning Stephen and Philip in chapters 6-8. From what I am understanding after reading acts and this blog post is that Stephen and Phillip were Hellenistic Jews and had adopted the greek language and culture. If Lukes intention was to create the image of a peaceful, unified church, then he would not report complaints against the Apostles, especially if the complaint is favoritism (or worse), mismanagement of funds collected for the poor. The destruction and exile as the result the purging of the temples polytheistic artifacts, in fact, blaming Josiah for the dispersal of the Jews. Circumcision Remember, the Greeks idealized the beauty of the physical form, particularly the male body, as can be seen in so many of their sculptures. Councils Long (2015) explains the difference by stating how a Hellenist Jew has to adopt the language and culture of the Greeks. And his open arms are equally for all those who believe in Him. Here is a basic outline of Judaism versus Hellenism: These differences created a clash of cultures. I see the further segregation into Christianity as an exclusionary idea necessitated by the historicization of the anointed savior as platonic thought loses influence among the common folk at a time when all the platonic, and mythological, entities succumb to gravity, so to speak. Every sect of the Jews were usually either from a different region or were around for different events. If in doubt look to the changing of the guard from Peter to James and son on. Pentecost is a great example of this. To repopulate the world, they throw stones which turn into people; the first stone they throw becomes their son, Hellen. | GotQuestions.org This idea of Hebraic vs Hellenistic Jews is really interesting to me, at least, because I think we often view Judaism as this one culture and one ethnicity when, in reality, it was more diverse than that. Explore NJOP The division of labor between the Twelves attention to prayer and the Word, and the Sevens serving at tables (6:2, 4) is not as clear-cut as one would expect. Spirit. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. But this is just my buck-and-a-quarter on the topic. If Peter and John represent the only form of the early followers of Jesus, then it is hard to explain the violent suppression of Stephen. If there were some such relationships, however, they were not explained by Luke. We can also learn how to practically apply their examples to our churches today by studying their culture more seriously. . It is clear even today that every religion has different aspects of conservative vs. liberal beliefs. A Jew from Alexandria, arriving in Jerusalem after a life of tensions in a sometimes hostile Graeco-Roman environment, might discover that life in the Holy Land was less than ideal, and that the locals seemed to lack sympathy, and the sophistication of their counterparts back home. Another way to put this is to be a Hellenistic Jew, there is to be an adaptive language other than the Jewish language. And perhaps this experience did lead Paul to learn more about and join the cult. Stack Exchange network consists of 181 Q&A communities including Stack Overflow, the largest, most trusted online community for developers to learn, share their knowledge, and build their careers. 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