Exam 3: Jesus and the New Testament

Typically, Romans used the term gospel, or euangelion in Greek, to praise the emperor who was imagined to be a semi-deity.

In which Gospel is Jesus most imagined as a kind of new Moses?

Which gospel emphasizes metaphors of absolute distinction, for example, light or darkness, spirit or flesh?

What new era did Jesus preach?

Jesus tried to make friends with the Pharisees, but they rejected him.

John the Baptizer preached about the coming of a new age.

When was the canon of the New Testament ultimately determined?

Which gospel tells of the baby Jesus being swept off to Egypt by his parents?

Unlike the Sadducees, the Pharisees believed that the prophets and the writings were canonical.

Is there a particular gospel that appeals more to you than others? What do you think this implies about your life?

Given Jesus's concentrating on the message of the kingdom of God, some scholars have posed the provocative thesis that Jesus went about preaching the kingdom of God and his followers changed the message to preaching about Jesus. What do you think about this position? Is there evidence in the New Testament to support it? Is there counter-evidence in the New Testament to challenge it?

Jesus often preached about

Does the plurality of interpretations of Jesus in the four gospels bring confusion to his message or fill it out? Explain.

The Zealot party was particularly known for their understanding of the oral law.

Which gospel has the highest Christology?

Which gospel is Jesus's message focused on works of righteousness?

Which gospel portrays Jesus as an apocalyptic hero?

According to the author, which gospel was written first?

According to the author, which gospel was the last to be written?

Which religious party saw only the first five books of the Bible as canonical?