THRS 106 Final Exam Part 2
In his speech, "Why Jesus Called a Man a Fool," Martin Luther King, Jr., mentions various reasons why Jesus dared to call a man who is considered highly successful according to the standards of this world, a fool. Explain the reasons and show how the story demonstrates a concern for social justice?
-Number one, Jesus called this man a fool because he allowed the means by which he lived to outdistance the ends for which he lived. -He didn't make contributions to civil rights. He looked at suffering humanity and wasn't concerned about it. He probably gave his wife mink coats, a convertible automobile, but he didn't give her what she needed most: love and affection. -This man was a fool because he said "I" and "my" so much until he lost the capacity to say "we" and "our." This man talked like he could build the barns by himself, like he could till the soil by himself. ALSO READ: Denzel Washington: Put God First Speech (Full Transcript) He failed to realize that wealth is always a result of the commonwealth. And oh my friends, I don't want you to forget it.
In John 4:1-42, we read about the conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman at the Well. How does the story of the Samaritan woman express the Fourth Gospels characteristic richness in symbolism, missed connections (misunderstandings), and double meanings? Use examples from the story of the Samaritan woman.
39 Many of the Samaritans from that town believed in him because of the woman's testimony, "He told me everything I ever did." 40 So when the Samaritans came to him, they urged him to stay with them, and he stayed two days. 41 And because of his words many more became believers. 42 They said to the woman, "We no longer believe just because of what you said; now we have heard for ourselves, and we know that this man really is the Savior of the world."
What is the messianic secret? How does it function in the Gospel of Mark? In other words, why does Jesus insist on maintaining the secrecy of his identity? Be able to explain at least four reasons.
In biblical criticism, the Messianic Secret refers to a motif primarily in the Gospel of Mark in which Jesus is portrayed as commanding his followers to maintain silence about his Messianic mission. -keep faith from public scrutiny -He would not encourage these incomplete expectations of being a Messiah -prevent the wrath of the Roman government before the appointed time. -not have false expectations of Jesus' work -protect public image
Scholars often refer to Luke as the Gospel of social justice. Explain any five reasons to support this view. Examples from the Gospel of Luke will help to support your ideas.
Luke's Gospel is a portrayal of Jesus as a model of social justice. Hence, the reader is empowered and influenced by the Gospel to be actively involved in social justice issues. The Catholic Church has sought to reach out to those in need, and Luke's Gospel demonstrates this through injustices that Jesus challenged. In addition, mental illness, which is a current social justice issue reflects and appeals to problems that Jesus faced and reacted to in his time. Luke's Gospel greatly emphasizes the social justice aspect of Christian living. Throughout the third book in the New Testament, the story and history of Jesus Christ is written, and Luke preserves the many sayings of Jesus
One could say that the Gospel of Matthew presents Jesus as a Jewish Messiah. Explain any four reasons to support the idea that Matthew presents Jesus as the Jewish Messiah. Use examples from the Gospel of Matthew to defend your position.
Matthew's main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah. He does this primarily by showing how Jesus in his life and ministry fulfilled the OT Scriptures. Although all the Gospel writers quote the OT, Matthew includes nine proof texts unique to his Gospel (1:22-23; 2:15; 2:17-18; 2:23;4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 27:9-10) to drive home his basic theme: Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT predictions of the Messiah. Matthew even finds the history of God's people in the OT recapitulated in some aspects of Jesus' life (see, e.g., his quotation of Hos 11:1 in 2:15). To accomplish his purpose Matthew also emphasizes Jesus' Davidic lineage (see Recipients, p. 1945).
What is the Synoptic Problem? What is the four-source hypothesis? Do you find the four-source theory convincing? Why? If not, can you formulate another plausible (historical) scenario?
The Synoptic Problem -Matthew, Mark, Luke are known as the "Synoptic Gospels" -The problem of how to explain the similarities and differences between them is called the "Synoptic Problem" -The four-source hypothesis is the most popular explanation A four-document hypothesis or four-source hypothesis is an explanation for the relationship between the three Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. It posits that there were at least four sources to the Gospel of Matthew and the Gospel of Luke: the Gospel of Mark, and three lost sources: Q, M, and L. The Four-Source Hypothesis -Markan Priority: Mark the first of the gospels to be written -Matthew and Luke use Mark as a source -Matthew and Luke use a common source, called "Q" (short for "Quelle", German for "source" -Matthew's unique material from source "M" -Luke's unique material from source "L"
