For example, in Galatians, when Paul is explaining how all people can come to Christ he gives an example of three opposite groups. Many of the members might have been ethnically Jewish and bi-lingual, but they identified themselves more with Greek culture and they were critical of the Jewish Temples religious establishment. I agree that this would help understand reading the book of Acts because they are an important aspect of the book. labor was somehow below them, but that telling people about Jesus couldn't These adjusted stories then supported an impression that thousands of Christians had lived in Jerusalem during that period. 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). As referred to in this passage, "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews who had returned to Judea after having He notes, for example, as four of thirteen points, that Luke is unlikely to have introduced the notes of dissension between Hebrews and Hellenists ", "I want to say here that this site is so resourceful and highly on top of the most modern scholarship in the areas discussed here. Required fields are marked *. This is one of the three feasts Jews are commanded to go to Jerusalem. where would be the hearing? Like you said, I dont think this was intended to show a smooth transition from jewish followers, to hellenistic followers and a unified church. Schism ", "For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isnt a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfreys work posted on the website vridar.org. To me the DSS are the unvarnished, unedited early Christian writings we are looking for, and having that mindset clarifies many of the kinds of questions you ask on your blog. Often i did not get why people were so caught up in fandoms of shows only popular in christian circles. Read Fullers Statement on Nondiscrimination. The church established the acceptable doctrine that was pleasing to all the faction by enlarge. This is the point at which some scholars suggest the real reason for the rift and the real reason for the sudden inequitable treatment of the Hellenists had to do with doctrinal teachings, that is missionary efforts of the Hellenists that were felt to be threatening by the Hebrews. Why wasn't it desirable for the twelve Apostles Angels intervened. . There was a large division between the Hellenistic Jews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the language barrier. Acts 6-8 describe the activities of two non-apostles, Stephen and Philip. use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in It reflects well on you. 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. 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. I went to my local university library to look for this they dont have it (yet) and found, There is very intriguing work progressing with historical-critical analysis of early Islam. 2 So the Twelve gathered all the disciples together and said, It would not be right for us to neglect the ministry of the word of God in order to wait on tables. This was a really interesting blog post. Chanukah, the Festival of Lights, celebrates the great miracles that happened during the Maccabee revolt in the time of the Second Temple period. Why were the widows among the Hellenists "neglected in the daily distribution" What Luke wrote had to of been strategical to set up 2 hebraic Jews, then following 2 hellenistic jews who werent considered apostles, or might not have been there until Pentecost. And if they were all one member, where would the body With there being so many different types of Jewish groups they put them in to Hebraic and Hellenistic groups to categorize them easier but also the Hellenistic Jews were over looked upon food distribution which would also cause uproar inside that group. It seems that between the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews, there was a misunderstanding as to what was expected of each group as the diversity of the early church meant that a lot of cultural aspects were being brought together. WebI. They abhorred circumcision because it focused on the fact that a person is capable of channeling his/her passions. This part of Acts for me has been super confusing to read and understand. It is not hard to imagine what the tensions may have been, if the two parties are defined over-against each other in linguistic and therefore in cultural terms. The dispute that divided the church cannot have been caused by a mix-up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims. The Greeks believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline. And those members of the body which we think to Its a good reminder that the church is allowed to be diverse, but that we also have to make an effort to understand the backgrounds and ideas of those who are different from we are within the Christian community. If the whole body were an eye, 241-257. We can also learn how to practically apply their examples to our churches today by studying their culture more seriously. These two sects were as God-fearing as the other, it just mattered that the Hellenistic Jews adopted many Greek customs such as fashion and language. Has Microsoft lowered its Windows 11 eligibility criteria? Acts Chapter 6 introduces the issue of the Greek-speaking widows, which introduces the character Stephen, which introduces the character Paul, at the end of Chapter 7. You dont hold out on Peter the Rock. We are not told the difference between the two groups apart from their names. Were the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews able to speak each other's language in Acts 6:1? It is inconceivable that all those chosen to manage the supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews. Long has taught full time at Grace Christian University since 1998, specializing in Bible and Biblical languages. As you know, Jesus died on Pessach. 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. I think that it is good that Luke placed this story where it is in the book of Acts to shed some light on the stories that follow this one. Your email address will not be published. Its always gratifying when a reader zeroes in on exactly those aspects I thought were most interesting and most central to my argument. Could a Hellenist Jew assimilate and accept some parts of the Greek culture while rejecting ideas which were contrary to their Jewish faith? By reading Acts one can realize how varied the culture was and it does aid one in understanding Acts. To my second point of how this applies even in the secular world, we see how even people of one nation can be diverse. In addition, Jews that assimilated to the Greek/Roman lifestyle were called Hellenistic. who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.". Acts 11:20 Interlinear Acts 11:20 Parallel Texts Acts 11:20 NIV Acts 11:20 NLT 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. And why did so many men from various geographic locations rise up against Stephen (6:9)? I think the answer is yes, just as much as believers today can do the same. the body? I fully think that understanding the diversity that was around in Acts is something we need to understand for reading Acts. I dont recall the title, but now I want to check it out and have a look. rev2023.3.1.43269. Web1 Earlier scholarship assumed that there must have been a theological difference between Hellenists and Hebrews; but the linguistic and therefore basically cultural basis of the The scene is said to conflict with his special purpose. (Schmithals, Paul and James, p. 16) Not so. Understanding the difference between these branches of Judaism will help you recognize the seriousness and momentousness of Stephen acting as the first martyr of the early church. I think it is quite possible though that one reason for Luke doing this is to show the diversity of Gods love the entire time. The Greeks could not understand why the Jews did not instantly embrace their His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). And, Ill try not to cling to any preconceived notions as I read it. We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. 1345 Avenue of the Americas, 2nd Floor, New York, NY 10105 The month was not declared based on the counting of days, but rather based on the appearance of the new moon, according to G-ds commandment of how the months should be calculated. Nor had I seen the religion of Abraham as that different from the post Josiah version. Your voice is unique. Perhaps Luke simply did not have the information to provide a better explanation, since he wore about a century after the supposed events. if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us To solve this problem, the church chooses seven deacons to oversee the physical work of distributing food to the needy brethren, and one of these is "Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch." ", "These reviews of yours are so bloody weird! . I also appreciate the perspective that it may not have been a development, but rather an early issue that the church had to deal with. Why does he not tell us anything about how the Hellenists came to emerge as a separate party in Jerusalem? WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. From ancient Greek traditions, the Western world has inherited a remarkable legacy of literature, sculpture, philosophy, and architecture. 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 refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. Some such episode had to be found as surely as the author of Genesis had to introduce the tempting serpent and fall of Adam and Eve to get the story rolling. 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. 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