A Brief Book Notice from Books At a Glance
This book helpfully highlights seven events essential to understanding the New Testament.
Table of Contents
- The Death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE)
- The Process of Translating Hebrew Scriptures into Greek (ca. 250 BCE*)
- The Rededication of the Jerusalem Temple (164 BCE)
- The Roman Occupation of Judea (63 BCE)
- The Crucifixion of Jesus (ca. 30 CE)
- The Writing of the New Testament Texts (ca. 50–ca. 130 CE)
- The Process of “Closing” the New Testament Canon (397 CE)
Selected Quotes
- “Whatever Alexander’s aims or intentions, more important for our purposes is the question of the impact of his endeavors…What does Alexander have to do with Jesus and Jesus-followers who live over three centuries after him?” (8)
- “These actions are the exact opposite of Alexander’s actions as a manly man. Paul offers a partially different vision of being a man and a human being. Along with dominating others, Jesus shows concern for the other in self-giving. Jesus’s action of becoming a slave—the lowest of the low in the Greek and Roman worlds—exemplifies Paul’s instruction about how Jesus-followers are to live.” (19)
- “The translation of sacred Hebrew writings into Greek is, then, one means whereby Jewish people mark their identity and make their way in a Greek-dominated world.” (31)
- “What was the significance of these Greek translations for Jesus-followers? They became the dominant version of the Hebrew Scriptures for the Jesus movement.” (34)
- “Jesus’s declarations about God’s kingdom/empire, his conflicts with Rome’s allies in the Jerusalem temple leadership, and his eschatological declarations—all resulted in his being crucified as one who was understood to threaten Roman rule. The New Testament writers interpret his crucifixion in numerous ways to show its significance for Jesus-believers.” (106)
- “The Gospels, like Paul’s Letters and like documents such as Hebrews and Revelation, address the specific situations and needs of their communities of Jesus-believers.” (124)
- “Reading with Jesus-glasses produced readings of the Septuagint that no one else had ever developed. These insights from the biblical paradigms were crucial for early Jesus-believers. Hearing New Testament writings shaped the practices and thinking of communities of Jesus-believers.” (158)