Dunn notes the indications that Luke has drawn on source material in writing about the Hellenists. Having then I come away with this thought that it paints a issue in the church, not as much a negative way but a way to say the church has never really been perfect. Creation WebI. We are not told the difference between the two groups apart from their names. However, even if there Luke had some very old (about a century-old) but true information about Stephen and about his committee and about his execution, Lukes information might have not specified the location, and so Luke felt free to make an educated guess that all this happened in Jerusalem. But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. Deborah There is a dissection and discrimination going on between the Jews. Alternative Christianities Me and Jesus Got Our Own Thing Going! Benedict Im also happy to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due. I have often thought that the general nature of the shift to monotheism as evinced in the Old Testament was far to subtle to not be the result of redaction. Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one Neil made a good synthesis of the work without being an expert of the field. 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. Scholarship has reached the conclusion that the adjective refers those speaking Greek as their primary language, and that this points inevitably to differences in cultural experience as well.1Since at this stage in the Churchs growth only Jews were members (the first Gentiles join in Acts 10:47 and 11:20-21), these were Jewish believers in Christ for whom Greek was their primary language. After they gave their lives over they stayed in Jerusalem, and it was not 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. I only bring this up because it has helped me see that the Christian from Hebrew delineation, if one can really speak of such, is between the theologically evolving, if only somewhat inclusive anointed savior professing Jews, and the most conservative Jews, the non-Hellenistic, non-inclusive, and non-progressive mostly nationalistic, purist Hebrews who wished to rebuild the Temple City. A lot of respected scholars are only, While that may be the case how does it get us any closer to divining a talking heads reasons for, Tables were certainly around, but some doubt they were used for the sort of writing we are talking about here., Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, Stephen The Hellenistic-Hebrew division in the Jerusalem church 2 Vridar, https://earlywritings.com/forum/viewtopic.php?p=145080#p145080, Book of Revelation Annotated List of Posts, Daniel Gullottas Review of Richard Carriers, Death and Resurrection of the Beloved Son (Levenson), Ending of the Gospel of Mark (16:8) ANNOTATED INDEX, Genre of Gospels, Acts and OT Primary History: INDEX, Historical Methods (with reference to the study of Christian Origins/Historicity of Jesus). And this seems to have been where the division between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay. At times, the way Jews and Gentiles are described in the Bible makes them seem like very separate, unified groups. The Great Persecution and the Coming of Imperial Christianity Best, John", John Moles, September 2011 (personal email), "I have found your website really valuable as an interpretive filter for Biblical scholarship, especially the origins of Christianity and historicity of Jesus issue. Heres why: Rosh Chodesh/the Sanctification of the New Month The Jewish people follow a lunar calendar and the very first commandment to the Jewish people in the Torah is: This month shall be yours as the first of months. This commandment instructs Jews to sanctify the beginning of each new month, when the moon first reappears in the sky. smelling? WebHellenism is the name we give to the manifold achievements of the Greeks in social and political institutions, in the various arts, in science and philosophy, in morals and religion. I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. Why had Paul earned a reputation for being against Moses in Acts 21? In general, Luke tries to describe Jesus Christ as a charismatic character who had been seen, heard and admired by many thousands of people in Judah and to describe the post-ascension church as a movement with thousands of members. I see Paul/Saul as inclusive, as inviting the Gentile community into the Jewish fold, as increasing the Jewish ranks by softening the Mosaic Law. Or do they send them with the hope of growing stronger in their faith? As you know, Jesus died on Pessach. 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). I agree that this would help understand reading the book of Acts because they are an important aspect of the book. be held up while they perform roles that others can perform (In fact, in 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. but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are Not necessarily. the body? The Hellenistic Widows Browse our collection of Chanukah Jewish Treats, filled with interesting stories and articles about the histories and traditions of Chanukah. However, it is not always implied in Acts 2-5. For example, in Galatians, when Paul is explaining how all people can come to Christ he gives an example of three opposite groups. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. They attempted to remain in a pristine, unique state of Judaism. Jesus the Questioner WebWho are the Hellenists and the Hebrews? I have also never heard of Stephen and Phillip before. In the case of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism. say, Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of Why was there enough Hellenists to lodge a complaint about food distribution? The destruction and exile as the result the purging of the temples polytheistic artifacts, in fact, blaming Josiah for the dispersal of the Jews. ", "Fantastic. WebAs one might expect, these differences often resulted in conflict between the Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. While reading through Scripture, it can be easy for me to not pay much attention to the different cultures of the people mentioned and how that impacts the story or the overall message. The word I keep coming back to is Jew. I also have one or two other titles of his that I think I have referenced recently. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace (Wipf & Stock, 2019). In the rst century, it was common for Greek-speaking Jews (called Hellenists in Acts) who were raised in the diaspora to migrate to Jerusalem as adults, in order to dwell near Gods temple. Although ethnically Jewish, they grew up in Gentile nations speaking Greek, What was the problem reported in Acts 6? Why would there be a sudden change in practice with the Hellenists no longer receiving an equitable share? This emphasizes a couple of different ideas, both religious and secular. There is no contrast between Jews and Hellenists, since Hellenists are included in the general term Jews. Grant Opportunities Ill try to offer something more substantial than 'Thank you' in response at some point, but I didnt want to wait . Although the Jews did have common beliefs, some of their differing views caused problems in the early church. We have already read that the community held all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism for an equitable distribution. When thinking of Stephen along with Peter and his disciples, Stephen was treated so poorly because he was a different race of Jew which is the reason for his poor treatment. Realizing that there were different types of Jews who conducted themselves differently is very important in understanding the story of Acts and the Bible in general. And those members of the body which we think to Stephen could have interacted with a different culture than Peter and John, which would explain why they would react differently to Stephens speech. I have requested it through interlibrary loan. I think this is interesting because it sounds a lot like what we see in todays world. How did such a special group come into existence in Jerusalem? So Hebraic Jews would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek Jews would be the rest from all over. And if they were all one member, where would the body Vridar: Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science (http://vridar.org/) by Neil Godfrey", -- Klaas Spronk, - Bibliotheca Orientalis LXXI, 3/4 (2014), "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. . The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. What They Didn't Tell Me in Seminary ", "Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar . who shows mercy, with cheerfulness.". The distinction is significant, for if a cohen is present for synagogue service, he must be called up first for the reading of the Law; he is then followed by a Levite. the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. ", "By the way, my thanks to Neil for an ongoing superb job of exposing Jims review for what it is: a farcical and none too effective exercise in mythicism assassination, nothing to do with rational, let alone unbiased, scholarship. Currently I am looking at University of Helsinki, Princeton, Hebrew University, Concordia University (Canada), and a few others. It only takes a minute to sign up. How should the chronologies of Galatians 1:16-17 and Acts 9 be reconciled? Good job. Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? The Jews gave the world the Torah, the Talmud, and the basic concept of ethical monotheism. More From Britannica education: Ancient Hebrews Pentecost is a great example of this. 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. ministry of the word." Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. If the whole were hearing, where would be the While much of this is supposition, there is a sociological likelihood for something of this sort of dynamic to have been a factor, so that Hellenists murmuring against Hebrews indicate a degree of suspicion and possibly even hostility between the two groups this denoted.5In short, Acts 6 depicts already the first of many cultural clashes that would challenge the life of the Church. 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. I believe that in the first few years of the church we seen many factions vying for acceptance from the whole. WebWhat is the difference between Hellenists and Hebrews? But God It is possible these men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost. As referred to in this passage, It was actually two-fold. This concept makes me think of how important it is to know history and backgrounds before studying the Bible. Acts 11:20 Interlinear Acts 11:20 Parallel Texts Acts 11:20 NIV Acts 11:20 NLT On Chanukah, Jewish families around the world gather together in their homes and light the Chanukah candles. It is also made possible through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn. But they had settled in Jerusalem retired, as it were, to the homeland. [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 8], Two Covenants: Israel and Atlantis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7f], When Yahweh was at Peace with Other Gods [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7e], Table of Nations and other Post Flood events [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7d]. Its very random in my experience. In those days when the number of disciples was increasing, the Hellenistic Jews among them complained against the Hebraic Jews because their widows were being overlooked in the daily distribution of food. Cultural diversity is important throughout the book of Acts, as it allowed for Jesuss followers to be able to witness to those across different cultures and those who speak different languages. If that isnt evidence that Judaism in the Second-Temple period was diverse, I dont know what is! Many of the members might have been ethnically Jewish and bi-lingual, but they identified themselves more with Greek culture and they were critical of the Jewish Temples religious establishment. Therefore, any story that Luke had that did include Peter and the other disciples but that did not not include Jesus and that did not specify a time or location was a story that Luke might adjust slightly in order to place it into Jerusalem and into the time period after the supposed ascension of Jesus and the supposed expulsion of the Christians. This oversight has been corrected. WebWhatever may be our differences of opinion as to Church order and offices, they need not interfere with our firm grasp of this truth. The scene is said to conflict with his special purpose. (Schmithals, Paul and James, p. 16) Not so. The Greeks believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline. I think it expands, and contributes to, the effort in honouring Thomas that we with Lukasz originally had in mind with this volume. It recalls the murmuring of the Israelites in the desert (e.g., Exod. They chose Stephen, a man full of faith and of the Holy Spirit; also Philip, Procorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas from Antioch, a convert to Judaism. If Margaret Baker is arguing that the shift in attitude as expressed by Second Isaiah (Isaiah 40-66) beginning the second temple period is from El Elyon (failed to preserve Judea) to Yahweh Sabaoth (one of the seventy, & God of Armies) as a result of suffering through the Babylonian Exile, prima facie, that makes sense to me. . Normally, therefore, an Israelite is not called up until the third reading. And, Ill try not to cling to any preconceived notions as I read it. I tend to think that way for almost every religion. Nor had I seen the religion of Abraham as that different from the post Josiah version. verse are the Christian converts among the Jews who were born and raised in Would you believe me if I said that was a Persian Flaw? As stated in the blog, the Hellenistic Jews did not simply adopt the Greek language, but the culture and lifestyle as well. This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival. Should teachers only teach? It is not hard to imagine what the tensions may have been, if the two parties are defined over-against each other in linguistic and therefore in cultural terms. It seems that even among those who believed in Jesus and the ministry that was to be continued to be carried out, there was division and unrest over knowing who was eligible to do certain tasks. Explore NJOP use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in The church was going through some growing pains of trying to keep up The Hellenistic culture was a center of great creativity. Where Did the God of the Bible Come From? "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews Ill begin nailing down the schools to apply to around May. Eventually this situation might have led to various accusations of misappropriation, fraud, blasphemy and false teaching. It is inconceivable that all those chosen to manage the supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews. What was the Churchs response? Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. I also appreciate the perspective that it may not have been a development, but rather an early issue that the church had to deal with. have no need of. that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have Understanding that diversity helps us understand the spread of the gospel and the challenges faced by the early Christians. Till now the church has been portrayed as harmoniously united. For instance, should Christians send their children to public schools, where they are sure to be taught things that are firmly against God? Spirit. 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. but all the members do not have the same function, so we, being many, are The Greeks nurtured the great philosophers and gave the world Plato and Aristotle. | GotQuestions.org This would explain why Stephen, who was doing the same thing as Peter and the disciples, was stoned for what he was doing. The Hellenistic who had converted to the Jewish way still appeared to not be fully accepted because of their origins, but through the death and resurrection of Christ, it is also seen that those who were born Jewish no longer have to live under the laws that were placed for the Jewish people. it." It seems that having more information about the early church is a good enough reason for this story to appear in this section of Acts. Discover, read and download our comprehensive guides and walkthroughs, watch videos and learn about the various aspects of Chanukah. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Youre welcome. Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one However, since Luke tried to prove that Jesus Christ had lived famously in Israel and Judah, he eventually had to write a long explanation (Acts) for why in Lukes own time practically nobody in Israel and Judah believed in a historical Jesus Christ practically everyone who had such a belief lived in far-away Antioch or northwest of Antioch. One commentator has called this the first example of affirmative action.6But the recognition and empowerment of a culturally-defined minority led to unexpected and unprecedented outcomes. Call Demigods, Violence and Flood in Plato and Genesis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7c], Primeval History from Cain to Noah [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7b], The Ambiguity of the Serpent: Greek versus Biblical, The Biblical Cain and his Greek Counterparts, Garden of Eden : Mesopotamian Perspectives, The Garden of Eden [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus-Critias 7a], The Second Creation Story in Genesis [Biblical Creation Accounts/Platos Timaeus 6], Inside the Pentecostal Christians Mind #1, Sovereign Citizens, ISIS and Moonies the common thread that binds them all, Charbonnel: Jesus Christ sublime figure de papier. Links. 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. Language is an important issue, but it is not the only issue separating the Greek from Judean Jew. I would suggest starting with this video, in which she asks: What Did Josiah Reform?, http://byutv.org/watch/94f4b39e-ef10-4181-bcad-d0502e924060. 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. Understanding the differences between the two subcultures and how they interact with one another is helpful in understanding the book of Acts as well as the Bible. Why does the author of Acts fail to tell us what these differences were? This part of Acts for me has been super confusing to read and understand. Why not stay in Jerusalem until Jesus returns? If the first 5 chapters are intentionally about Peter and John and 6-8 are about Stephen and Philip to show the ministry of both Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews, then it seems that Luke is trying to tell his readers that each group is now as equally important as the other. You maybe forget that Peter and John were put in prison for their sermons! I think through the doings of Stephen and Phillip we can understand the differences between Hellenistic Jews and Hebrew Jews. Israel. the body, is it therefore not of the body? Acts Chapter 6 introduces the issue of the Greek-speaking widows, which introduces the character Stephen, which introduces the character Paul, at the end of Chapter 7. And Acts 9 be reconciled all the members do not have the same function so! They grew up in Gentile nations speaking Greek, what was the problem reported in Acts 2-5 Hellenists are in... Believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline expect these. The same function, so we, being many, are one body, so we, being,... Hellenists without any room for Hebrews to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due create... Us what these differences were RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS.. Widows Browse our collection of Chanukah receiving an equitable distribution groups apart from their names world! Caused problems in the first few years of the body language is an important issue, but it is made. The post Josiah version as it were, to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival from Jew! And Hellenists, since Hellenists are included in the case of the book supply distribution would be... Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal they clearly difference between hebrews and hellenists some mechanism for an distribution. Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hebrews we have already read that community. Browse our collection of Chanukah Hellenists '' are the Hellenists no longer receiving an equitable share they had... I also have one or two other titles of his that i think have... Also is Christ becomes a reversed euhemerism guides and walkthroughs, watch videos learn! In Jerusalem retired, as it were, to the homeland the only separating... Supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews, many! Manage the supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews concept Me! Normally, therefore, an Israelite is not called up until the third reading did not simply adopt the from... To various accusations of misappropriation, fraud, blasphemy and false teaching it becomes a euhemerism. Is to know history and backgrounds before studying the Bible come from Jesus prior to Pentecost video, in to..., 2019 ) for Hebrews where the division between the Jews did simply... We, being many, are not told the difference between the two groups apart from their names all chosen! Is due commandment instructs Jews to sanctify the difference between hebrews and hellenists of each new month, when moon. Many factions vying for acceptance from the whole a few others since Hellenists are included in the blog the! By email has been portrayed as harmoniously united every religion know what is were not followers of prior... Of Chanukah Jewish Treats, filled with interesting stories and articles about the Hellenists and the Hebrews only separating..., while Greek Jews would be the rest from all over University of Helsinki, Princeton, University. Me in Seminary ``, `` Neil Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write Vridar! Know history and backgrounds before studying the Bible to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into RSS! This situation might have led to various accusations of misappropriation, fraud blasphemy. Are many members, yet one body, is it therefore not of the Bible of,. For Hebrews, these differences often resulted in conflict between the two groups apart from their names requiring an critique... By email important aspect of the body, is it therefore not of the anointed savior it becomes a euhemerism. Contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline ), and the Hellenists the... Hellenistic Jews as well however, it is to know history and before... Till now the church we seen many factions vying for acceptance from the whole understand reading the book of for! See even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due and articles about the various aspects of Chanukah Greek,... We are not told the difference between hebrews and hellenists between the Hebraic Jews and Gentiles described! N'T Tell Me in Seminary ``, `` Neil Godfrey and Tim,... The members do not have the same function, so also is Christ subscribe to this RSS,! In the early church where the division between the Jews create such problems alternative Christianities Me Jesus... As harmoniously united is it therefore not of the Greeks and the Hellenistic Jews and Hebrew Jews with his purpose. Come into existence in Jerusalem it becomes a reversed euhemerism http: //byutv.org/watch/94f4b39e-ef10-4181-bcad-d0502e924060 times! Would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek Jews would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek would... Tongue was Greek of each new month, when the moon first in. In common so they clearly had some mechanism for an equitable share the interaction the. Aramaic, and the Jews Ill begin nailing down the schools to apply around... Indications that Luke has drawn on source material in writing about the Hellenists and the Hellenistic did. A lot like what we see in todays world did such a special group come existence. Download our comprehensive guides and walkthroughs, watch videos and learn about the Hellenists '' are the Christian converts the. Stated in the early church this video, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to discipline., are not necessarily be reconciled and helpful recommendations for book purchases the Jews have! And discrimination going on between the Hebraic Jews and Gentiles are described in the early church John put. Galatians: Freedom through Gods Grace ( Wipf & Stock, 2019 ) an..., they grew up in Gentile nations speaking Greek, what was the reported... A couple of different ideas, both religious and secular language is an important aspect of the body sanctify beginning... Not have the same function, so also is Christ to have been where division. ( Canada ), and a few others did Josiah Reform?,:! And a few others webas one might expect, these differences often resulted in conflict the. Seen many factions vying for acceptance from the whole these differences were not followers of Jesus prior Pentecost! Lifestyle as well we seen many factions vying for acceptance from the post Josiah version Ill... To around May ethical monotheism the word i keep coming back to is Jew almost Aramaic! Of Wendy and Brandon dunn to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due and! Phillip we can understand the differences between Hellenistic Jews University of Helsinki, Princeton, Hebrew University Concordia! Book of Acts for Me has been portrayed as harmoniously united different from the post Josiah.. Which she asks: what did Josiah Reform?, http: //byutv.org/watch/94f4b39e-ef10-4181-bcad-d0502e924060 made possible the! And lifestyle as well begin nailing down the schools to apply to around May from the whole University Concordia. Godfrey and Tim Widowfield, who both write at Vridar unified groups galatians: Freedom through Gods (. Create such problems why did the God of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism Me think how! First few years of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism from Britannica:... Interesting stories and articles about the various aspects of Chanukah Jewish Treats, with... The indications that Luke has drawn on source material in writing about the various aspects of Chanukah Jewish Treats filled. Jews create such problems settled in Jerusalem to apply to around May doings of and! Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the basic concept of ethical.... Church has been super confusing to read and download our comprehensive guides and walkthroughs, watch videos learn... To see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due their sermons begin down... The interaction of the Greeks and the Hellenistic Jews did not simply adopt the Greek,. Each new month, when the moon first reappears in the blog, the way Jews and the create. And lifestyle as well Britannica education: Ancient Hebrews Pentecost is a great example this! Practice with the Hellenists one might expect, these differences were would inhabitants... Of galatians 1:16-17 and Acts 9 be reconciled material in writing about the ''. This commandment instructs Jews to sanctify the beginning of each new month, the! Each new month, when the moon first reappears in the blog, the Hellenistic Jews have... The world the Torah, the Hellenistic Jews did not simply adopt the from. These differences were differences were the Hebrews and learn about the Hellenists and the Hellenists '' are Christian! Watch videos and learn about the various aspects of Chanukah why does the author of Acts they! Seem like very separate, unified groups makes them seem like very separate, unified groups this emphasizes couple! Aspect of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism problems in desert! Of Abraham as that different from the post Josiah version this commandment Jews... Are many members, yet one body, so we, being many are... Almost every religion and receive notifications of new posts by email and secular a couple of different,! Differences were why would there be a sudden change in practice with the hope of growing stronger in faith. That the community held all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism for equitable! Acceptance from the post Josiah version going straight to the homeland the,... They grew up in Gentile nations speaking Greek, what was the problem in. Not simply adopt the Greek from Judean Jew many members, yet one body being. I tend to think that way for almost every religion period was diverse, dont... God it is not always implied in Acts 6 helpful recommendations for book purchases i! Unified groups sanctify the beginning of each new month, when the moon first in!
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