Early Christianity
Second Temple backgrounds, apostolic communities, and the early church.
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Sunday worship predates Constantine, but the earliest sources do not establish a universal apostolic command replacing the Jewish Sabbath.
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Explore the world between Malachi and Matthew: Persian, Greek, Hasmonean, and Roman rule, and the Jewish setting behind the New Testament.
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How does Marcion’s legacy surface in modern Bible reading? Examine the separation of Jesus from Israel’s Scriptures and the apostolic gospel.
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Examine the appeal of secret spiritual knowledge and the return of Gnostic patterns in modern Christianity, with an emphasis on public apostolic teaching.
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Read Jesus’ ministry against Israel’s first-century crisis, examining covenant judgment, prophetic warnings, and the historical setting of his proclamation.
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Enter the assumptions of a first-century Jewish reader: covenant, community, judgment, and hope as background for understanding the New Testament.
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Explore the shared biblical world Paul assumes in his letters, and why later theological categories should be tested against that original setting.
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Why did Paul write so many letters? Explore mission, distance, pastoral care, and the particular churches and problems behind his correspondence.
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Compare Luke’s account in Acts with Paul’s letters, considering genre, purpose, and the challenges of reconstructing history from different witnesses.
