Week Six - Summer Reading Challenge 2024

Welcome to the last week of the summer reading challenge! We move on to what we may call POST-APOSTOLIC ERA. Paul represented the gentile Christianity while Peter and James were associated with the Jewish Christianity. It seems that there were some tensions between these two divisions of Christianity and it continued into the post-apostolic times.

Pseudonymous (writing in the name of someone else – normally in the name of a leader who is no more) were common in those days. It did not mean deception but confidently articulating what the person would have said today, if he were alive. It was about being faithful to tradition. When it comes to the authorship of the biblical books, we should remember that the authenticity of the book does not depend on individual authorship as most of the books emerged as works of a community; the Spirit inspired the people of God to create narratives and discourses of God.

Bishop John

POST - APOSTOLIC ERA

All the influential apostles were removed from the scene by AD 65 or a little after that. So we may call the period after A.D. 65 as 'post-apostolic'. All the Gospels and the non-Pauline books in the NT seem to have originated in this era.

a) THE GOSPELS:

As the eyewitnesses of the Christ-event were passing away and as the Church was concerned with its didactical and apologetic responsibilities writing down of the Gospel became necessary. The Gospel tradition was developing through oral transmission. Then small stories, like on birth of Jesus, passion of Jesus or miracles of Jesus came to be written. Then some longer documents were compiled which became ‘sources’ for the final editors who edited these sources and brought out the story of Jesus in the form of four Gospels. Each Gospel was addressing the issues that faced the community in which it was produced. The story of Christ had to be told and reflected upon in four different situations and hence there are four Gospels.

MARK was the Gospel in the context of post-Pauline gentile Christianity. Written between A.D.66 and 70. The emphasis is on Jesus being the Son of Man and the Son of God. This presentation was necessitated by the situation in which gentile Christians began to overemphasis the divine side of Jesus, neglecting his humanity.

MATTHEW was the product of Jewish Christianity. Written probably between A.D. 70 and 80. Establishes Jewish particularity on one hand and the universal significance of Jesus on the other. Author emphasizes the fulfillment of the OT in Jesus’ life and so very rich in Old Testament quotations and citations.

LUKE represents the early catholic Christianity – beyond the division of Jewish and Gentile Christianities. The author presents the story of Jesus in the context of the issues his Church faced: questions over the delay of Parousia, de-historicizing tendency of the Gnostics, relationship between Judaism and Christianity, etc. Written probably between A.D.85 and 95.

JOHN represents the struggle against Gnostic tendencies. Gnostics emphasized ‘knowledge’ as the way to God. John’s Gospel is a theological re-formulation of Jesus tradition. Probable date of writing is A.D.90-100.

b) Pauline tradition:

Pauline Christianity continued with its distinctive characteristics. Some of the Epistles which were traditionally attributed to Paul himself, seem to have been originated in the Pauline Church after Paul's death.

EPHESIANS represents the maturing Church. The concept of the Church as the universal body of Christ is developed in this Epistle. Two great themes dominate the letter: the unity of all things in Christ and the Church as the visible symbol of that unity. Time of writing can be A.D. 80-90.

c) Jewish Christianity (Post-apostolic):

Jewish Christianity also continued with its Jewish particularities even after the death of Peter, James and other leaders of its early age. We must assume that there were some tensions between Jewish Christianity and Hellenistic Christianity.

JAMES was written by some leader of the Jewish Christianity who cannot be identified with certainty. The Epistle is thoroughly Jewish in its ethical appeal. The author strings together a series of moral injunctions with little connection between them. James talks of practical religion.

d) Conflict with the State:

In the very beginning of the Christianity, Jews were the enemies of the Church. The Church did not come in conflict with Rome. But this situation did not last long. The Church came in conflict with Rome, particularly during the time of Emperor Domitian (81-96 A.D.). Some of the books in the NT were written in the context of this conflict.

1 PETER seems to have been written by some elder of the Church around A.D.95 in Peter's name. The letter encourages believers in the face of persecution. Shows a moderate attitude to the State.

HEBREWS also may be considered as coming from the same historical condition. Contains the exhortation of a Church leader to a community threatened by persecution (6:4-8; 10:32-39). Strengthening the readers in their faith is the purpose. Superiority of the Son of God is established in the letter.

REVELATION is a call to Christians to stand firm in their faith and an assurance that GOD is in a control of all things and GOD's people will emerge victorious in the struggle. The author of revelation is not a moderate like the authors of 1 Peter and Hebrews. To him, Rome is no servant of GOD, but the embodiment of the evil. Faithful resistance is expected of believers.

e) Conflict with false teaching:

False teachings were there in the Church from the very beginning. The conflict with the heretic teaching became an essential aspect of the Church’s life by the end of the first century. There are several letters in the NT which reflect Church's struggle with false teaching.

I TIMOTHY, II TIMOTHY & TITUS which together are called Pastoral Epistles, show marked evidence of this struggle. The author of these letters, clearly a great admirer of the apostle Paul. They talk about administration and teaching in the Church in the context of false teaching. They show a deep concern for right teaching and the dangers of false teaching. Written probably towards the end of the first century.

I, II & III JOHN constitute another group that shed light on the early Church's struggle with the false teaching. Written by some Church leader perhaps in Ephesus. They are primarily concerned with combating false teaching of a gnostic type, as is in the Gospel of John.

JUDE & II PETER constitute the last group among the conflict Epistles. Since the false teaching that these Epistle combat seems to have reached an advanced stage, the historical setting of the Epistles was possibly the early second century. II Peter seems to be a word-for-word restatement of the Epistle of Jude.

Hope you have enjoyed the rapid reading of the Bible, and I hope these notes will provide you some encouragement for further exploration of what you have read! Every blessing.

Bishop John