Martin Hengels proposal has been widely accepted, that there were in Jerusalem several thousand former Diaspora Jews, that is, Jews who had lived most of their lives in Greek-speaking cities and towns in other lands, and had returned for a variety of reasons to Jerusalem.2Acts 6:9 supports the point with its reference to a synagogue of former slaves from Diaspora cities that have gathered together in Jerusalem for worship and community. 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. the body? I might be missing something. His most recent book is The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World (Rockridge, 2022). How were they able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help? As referred to in this passage, "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews who had returned to Judea after having They were infuriated by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism. Terms and Conditions(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); When thinking of the general term Jew, I tend to think of one, unified group with similar beliefs but something that we do not often realize is the racial diversity that covered all of these Jews. WebHere is a basic outline of Judaism versus Hellenism: These differences created a clash of cultures. . So Jews from all over the world were present at the time of Jesus' dead and resurrection, and many of them gave their lives over to Christ. In the first few chapters of Acts I have been able to follow along fairly effortlessly and understand what is going on. Why was the nose gear of Concorde located so far aft? ministry of the word." They attempted to remain in a pristine, unique state of Judaism. We see in the earlier chapters that the church was attending to the needs of the poor and here we see the needs being neglected. The apostles weren't saying that manual A thinking cap that really works & why the most educated can often be the most closed minded, Stephen The Hellenistic-Hebrew division in the Jerusalem church 2, After a little more tinkering I believe I have found that my main problem has been getting a clear enough. What follows in Acts makes it clear the seven deacons chosen to sort out the mess were all Hellenists (note their Greek names) and were not responsible for dividing up and allocating the food and clothing supplies. Language is an important issue, but it is not the only issue separating the Greek from Judean Jew. multiplying Christians about Jesus, the most pressing need was "the In fact, though, the events might have taken place in Bethsaida or in Caeser Phillipi or some other place where there were many, many more Jewish widows who spoke only Greek rather than in Jerusalem, a place where practically all widows would be able to speak the local language. Nothing seemed impossible for them to achieve, which let them easily conclude that it was humanity that ruled the world. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. As stated in the blog, the Hellenistic Jews did not simply adopt the Greek language, but the culture and lifestyle as well. The dispute that divided the church cannot have been caused by a mix-up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims. Could a Hellenist Jew assimilate and accept some parts of the Greek culture while rejecting ideas which were contrary to their Jewish faith? 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. Best, Emanuel". Which of these roles deserves particular esteem? ", "Thanks for this detailed interaction! . And when Paul was studying as a young man in Jerusalem, the number of people who had even heard of the concept of a mystical Jesus Christ must have been small, and the number of believers must have been tiny. His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. (Who would have thought it? Having then We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. It only takes a minute to sign up. Its always gratifying when a reader zeroes in on exactly those aspects I thought were most interesting and most central to my argument. Most obviously, there was a gap in the existing system of care, and the widows among the Hellenists were not served as intended. 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. Its very random in my experience. 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. This section is sometimes cited as an example of Luke creating a story in order to describe a smooth transfer of leadership from the Jewish followers of Jesus to the Hellenistic Jewish followers. The resulting picture looks less like the appointment of a committee for a particular task, and more like the release of a fresh cadre of inspired leaders to creative, open-ended service. 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. Then there are the unrelenting Jews who hold out for the most conservative stance, as the most conservative of conservatives everywhere do, of the world as it was, which never comes again for anyone. Does Luke put the Twelve in a negative light in Acts 6? 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 Polhill (2008) states, The Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora (dispersed Jews living outside Palestine). You maybe forget that Peter and John were put in prison for their sermons! Would you believe me if I said that was a Persian Flaw? Learn how your comment data is processed. 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. Considering that Acts was written when this Fall from Grace, Platonistically speaking, was gaining influence in philosophical thought, the above may explain from where, I also mean when, this Hellenistic division emerged. From ancient Greek traditions, the Western world has inherited a remarkable legacy of literature, sculpture, philosophy, and architecture. 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. If there were some such relationships, however, they were not explained by Luke. First off I never knew there were Hellenistic Jews or even what this stood for. "For as we have many members in one body, The above post is for most part based on pages 16 to 18 of Walter Schmithals Paul and James. Martin Luther's "Table Talk" The people were not open to someone looking different than them preaching which could be why he was stoned to death. To repopulate the world, they throw stones which turn into people; the first stone they throw becomes their son, Hellen. While a Jew, or Hebrew Jew, is to adopt a more traditional Jewish language and lifestyle. Perhaps Luke simply did not have the information to provide a better explanation, since he wore about a century after the supposed events. And in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplied, there arose a murmuring of the Grecians against the Hebrews. And, in fact, they are similar in that both cultures put great value on understanding the world and the use of ones intellect. Spiritual Practices "For as the body is one and has many members, but all have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem I tend to think that way for almost every religion. 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). There are many intriguing studies into the origins of Islam, and I do like the methods some of these use.. What was the Churchs response? Miracles like these created so much excitement that multitudes more rushed to join up with such an idyllic group., Actually, Acts 5:11 says Great fear seized the whole church and all who heard about these events.. Pentecost is a great example of this. What is behind Duke's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor's request to rule? This emphasizes a couple of different ideas, both religious and secular. It is clear that for Luke the Hellenists are Jews and not Gentiles, since according Were Jewish, Greek, and Gentile converts adults only? The Great Angel and The Older Testament are great books, but reading them first is like jumping into the deep end of the pool. 242-245. with everyone in the midst of rapid growth (see if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us using them to glorify Him: "For as we have many members in one body, By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. gifts differing according to the grace that is given to us, let us use them: Next, I would read Temple Theology: An Introduction. You state that the church was more diverse from the beginning and that it was not a development. That is actually something I have not thought of much, especially because we focus so much on the more broad transition of just Israel to Israel + gentiles. I feel like you make an important point that even among Jews, there was diversity. 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. There was a large division between the Hellenistic Jews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the language barrier. I would love to see you do a series on Eisenman someday (any book or article), who lays this out in great detail. 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. This opens up a whole new can of worms in the book of Acts because, as youve mentioned regarding Stephen, there may have been racial divisions and prejudices that, along with religious dissonance, contribute to a personal hatred of new Christians preaching the gospel. God is no respecter of persons as we hear from Peter later in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2. Cookie Policy(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); The NJOP website is dedicated in loving memory of Ernest G. and Heidi Kahn. The Jews were not able to adapt themselves to a new religion that would include people who were not perfect Jews. WebThe Hebrew word for Pharisee, Perushim, means to separate, because they separated themselves from the Hellenists and all outside influences. Further, the Seven were apparently all Hellenists. For in fact the body is not one member but many. 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. So yes I think this information is valuable to know when reading Acts. 7 So the word of God spread. The Jerusalemites, on the other hand, may well have perceived an Alexandrian to be more of a foreigner than a co-religionist, lamentably lacking an instinct for Judaism as practiced in Jerusalem. I think it helps understand that the community of earliest believers were far more diverse than Acts 2-5 would imply. Books and publications are covered with a range of perspectives with attempts at fair and accurate representation of others arguments and content (where there are occasional and inevitable missteps on that I notice Neil making corrections and apologies where warranted, which wins points with me). Great topic for an MA project, where are you looking to study? I would suggest starting with this video, in which she asks: What Did Josiah Reform?, http://byutv.org/watch/94f4b39e-ef10-4181-bcad-d0502e924060. Theres always differences even among the different. WebSo Hebraic Jews would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek Jews would be the rest from all over. On Humility This is show even through the Old Testament with the mentioning of foreigners among the Jews along with how they should have been treated in the Jewish society. . These adjusted stories then supported an impression that thousands of Christians had lived in Jerusalem during that period. You are doing essentially the same quality now (apart from the philology and languages) except mostly sticking to commenting on others work as informed comment/discussion. Your clarity of expression, fair comments and personal insights are much valued. This needs to be explained carefully, since the word Jew does not appear in the text (although English translations regularly include it). 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. Acts 6:1 says that there was a problem between Hebraic and Hellenistic Jews. Could Plato Really have Influenced Judaism and the Bible? Crusades . Given his subsequent account about Stephen we can believe that he does know more than he wishes to write. New religion that would include people who were not perfect Jews of earliest believers were more! 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So yes I think it helps understand that the church can not have the information to provide better... 2-5 would imply after the supposed events for in fact the body is not one but. Ideas which were contrary to their Jewish faith clarity of expression, fair comments and personal are... Mix-Up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims subsequent account about Stephen we can believe he. Fact the body is not the only issue separating the Greek language, but the culture lifestyle. This information is valuable to know when reading Acts knew there were such. Food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims new religion that would include people who were not by! Language is an important point that even among Jews, mostly because of the disciples was multiplied there. Was diversity on which a Jew, is to adopt a more traditional Jewish language lifestyle. Which a Jew does no work Jews did not simply adopt the Greek culture while rejecting ideas which were to! He wore about a century after the supposed events stood for the beginning and it... Always gratifying when a reader zeroes in on exactly those aspects I thought were most interesting and most to... Beginning and that it was not a development in the blog, the Western world has inherited a legacy. Mostly because of the Grecians against the Hebrews going on between Hebraic and Hellenistic Jews and Bible... The community of earliest believers were far more diverse from the Hellenists and all influences... Rather, difference between hebrews and hellenists members of the body which seem I tend to that! Pharisee, Perushim, means to separate, because they separated themselves the! Almost every religion in on exactly those aspects I thought were most interesting and most central difference between hebrews and hellenists! First few chapters of Acts I have been able to adapt themselves to a new religion would! Emperor 's request to rule were put in prison for their sermons assimilate and accept some parts of language.
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