Summary of Justo L. González's The Story of Christianity, Vol. 1

Everest Media

Description

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book.
Sample Book Insights:
#1 The church was never disconnected from the world around it. The first Christians were first-century Jews, and it was as such that they heard and received the message. Then the faith spread, first among other Jews, and eventually among Gentiles both within and beyond the borders of the Roman Empire.
#2 Palestine has always been a land of strife and suffering. It was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE, and its inhabitants were repeatedly subjugated by different empires over the following centuries.
#3 The conquests of Alexander sought to spread Greek civilization, but many Jews saw in it a threat to their faith in the One God. In the history of Palestine from the time of Alexander’s conquest to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, we can see the constant struggle between Hellenizing pressures and Jewish faithfulness.
#4 The Romans justified their imperial conquests by claiming that they were bringing civilization to the world. They built new cities and temples, and placed all of them under Roman rule and guidance. They were very tolerant of the religion and customs of conquered people.

Sujets

• Religion
• Christianisme
• Jérusalem
• Christianity
• HIStory

Informations

• Publié par: Everest Media LLC
• Date de parution: 22 mars 2022
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781669357629
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 1 Mo

Extrait

Insights on Justo L. Gonzalez's The Story of Christianity, Vol 1
Contents Insights from Chapter 1 Insights from Chapter 2 Insights from Chapter 3 Insights from Chapter 4
Insights from Chapter 1

#1

The church was never disconnected from the world around it. The first Christians were first-century Jews, and it was as such that they heard and received the message. Then the faith spread, first among other Jews, and eventually among Gentiles both within and beyond the borders of the Roman Empire.

#2

Palestine has always been a land of strife and suffering. It was invaded and conquered by Alexander the Great in the fourth century BCE, and its inhabitants were repeatedly subjugated by different empires over the following centuries.

#3

The conquests of Alexander sought to spread Greek civilization, but many Jews saw in it a threat to their faith in the One God. In the history of Palestine from the time of Alexander’s conquest to the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 CE, we can see the constant struggle between Hellenizing pressures and Jewish faithfulness.

#4

The Romans justified their imperial conquests by claiming that they were bringing civilization to the world. They built new cities and temples, and placed all of them under Roman rule and guidance. They were very tolerant of the religion and customs of conquered people.

#5

The first-century Jewish sects and parties were the Pharisees, who were the party of the populace, and the Sadducees, who were the party of the aristocracy. The Pharisees were more concerned with the Law, while the Sadducees rejected many of the doctrines of the Pharisees as unwarranted innovations.

#6

After the destruction of the Second Temple, the Pharisees were the best equipped to survive. They had roots in the time of the Exile, when it was not possible to worship in Jerusalem, and they developed the synagogue, where the Law and traditions of Israel were studied.

#7

The Jewish people have been dispersed throughout the world for centuries before the birth of Jesus. They had been living in Persia and Mesopotamia since the Old Testament times, and had built a temple in Egypt in the seventh century BCE.

#8

Diaspora Judaism was important for the spread of Christianity, as it provided the church with a useful tool: the Greek translation of the Old Testament.

#9

The Diaspora forced Judaism to come to terms with Hellenism in a manner that could have been avoided in Palestine. Particularly in Alexandria, there was a movement within Judaism that sought to show the compatibility between the ancient faith and the best of Hellenistic culture.

#10

The Roman Empire had brought about political unity in the Mediterranean basin. This allowed the early Christians to travel without having to fear bandits or local wars.

#11

The early Christians were also faced with the threat of syncretism, which was the indiscriminate mixing of elements from various religions. To achieve greater unity, imperial policy sought religious uniformity by following two routes: syncretism and emperor worship.

#12

The syncretism of the Roman Empire was seen in the many different mystery religions that arose. These religions were not based on the ancient Olympian deities, but on others which seemed to be much more personal.

#13

The early Christians found two philosophical traditions that they found particularly appealing and helpful in communicating their faith: Platonism and Stoicism. They used these philosophies to explain their beliefs to outsiders, but they began influencing the way Christians understood their own faith.

#14

The Stoic ideal of apatheia was attractive to Christians, who were often criticized for their beliefs. The church, which drew its members from all races, was a testament to the universal unity of humankind.

#15

The Book of Acts is the only book in the New Testament that deals with the life of the church in Jerusalem. It tells us little about the later history of that Christian community. But by piecing together what the New Testament tells us with information gathered from other authors, one can come to a general idea of the life of that earliest Christian community.

#16

The first Christian community was not idealized. There were tensions between the two groups of Jews who kept the customs and language of their ancestors, and those who were more open to Hellenistic influences. The twelve called an assembly that appointed seven men to serve tables.

#17

The first Christians did not consider themselves followers of a new religion. They were still Jews, and their faith was the belief that the messianic age had finally arrived. They did not reject Judaism, but rather believed that their faith was the fulfillment of the Messiah whom Jews over the ages had been anticipating.

#18

The Jewish Christian community in Jerusalem was eventually forced to move to Pella, a city beyond the Jordan River, in 66 CE. They were followed by the leaders of the Christian community in Jerusalem, who decided to remove their church from Jewish influence.

#19

The church continued to appeal to Jews throughout the Roman Empire, claiming that its faith was the fulfillment of Judaism. Meanwhile, some Christians began to feel uncomfortable with their Jewish roots, and wrote treatises and preached sermons against Judaism.

#20

The early Christian mission was mostly the result of the witness of those Jewish Christians who had to flee Jerusalem, but the church approved of their work both among Hellenistic Jews and among Gentiles.

#21

The first Gentile converts to Christianity were not completely alien to Judaism. They were called God-fearers, and they had come to believe in the God and the ethical teachings of Israel, but for one reason or another had not joined the ranks of Israel by becoming proselytes.

#22

Paul’s significance to the early spread of Christianity should not be exaggerated. While he was the first to travel and preach the gospel, he was not the first to do so. There were many others preaching in various regions.

#23

The growth of the Gentile church brought about a number of changes, particularly in the life of worship. When Christians were expelled from the synagogues as false Jews, they began gathering in private houses, at least on Sunday for the breaking of the bread, but often more frequently for instruction and joint support in the difficult task of living as Christians in a hostile world.

#24

The book of Acts leaves Paul while he is preaching in Rome. The book of Revelation places John, at about the same time, in exile on the island of Patmos. There were at least two people with the name John in the early church, one being the apostle and the other an elder at Ephesus.

#25

The churches in every important city began claiming apostolic origins. The tradition regarding the origins of Christianity in Spain and in India was popularized by the Acts of Thomas, which may have been written as early as the end of the second century.

#26

The legend of Thomas the Apostle, who was said to have traveled to India and founded the church there, is probably not authentic. However, it is certain that some apostles traveled proclaiming the gospel and supervising the churches that had been founded, such as Peter, John, and Paul.

#27

Christianity has always been a difficult religion. The Lord whom Christians served had died on the cross, condemned as a criminal. There have been those who have had to seal their witness with their blood.

#28

The early Christians did not believe that they were following a new religion. They were Jews, and their main difference with the rest of Judaism was that they were convinced that the Messiah had come, whereas other Jews continued awaiting his advent.

#29

The distinction between Christians and Jews became clearer as the church gained more converts from the Gentile population. Roman authorities began to consider Christianity a separate religion, and began to persecute it.

#30

Nero was the son of Agrippina, and he became emperor of Rome in 54. He was a reasonable ruler at first, but he became increasingly infatuated with his dreams of grandeur and his lust for pleasure. He was despised by the general population as well as by the poets and artists, who were offended by the emperor’s claim that he was one of them.

#31

The Great Fire of Rome in 64 AD was the result of a rumor that Nero had ordered the city destroyed so he could rebuild it according to his liking. In truth, he had spent most of the time during the fire playing his lyre and singing about the destruction of Troy.

#32

The Roman historian Tacitus believed the fire in Rome was set by Christians, and he did not approve of Nero’s refined cruelty. But he believed that Christians hated humankind.

#33

The Roman Empire was also beginning to persecute Christians, and this led to the writing of the book of Revelation, which displayed a much more negative attitude towards Rome than the rest of the New Testament.

#34

After the death of Nero, Domitian became emperor. He was a relatively good ruler, but he was also a tyrant who was known for his lust for power and recognition as a divine being. His enemies conspired against him, and he was murdered in his own palace.

#35

The Roman Empire began persecuting Christians from the time of Nero, but the details of persecutions are scarce until the second century. The most dramatic are the Acts of the Martyrs, which retell the arrest, trial, and execution of various martyrs.

#36

The Roman governor Pliny the Younger had to deal with a problem in Bithynia, Turkey, in 111 CE. There were many Christians in the region, and the pagan temples were almost deserted. He learned that Christians did not worship the emperor, and instead prayed to Christ as a god.

#37

Trajan’s response to Pliny was that Christians were not