Deck 9: The Life of Jesus and Its Aftermath

Question 1

Discuss the criteria scholars use to test the authenticity of a Gospel tradition. What is the logic behind each? Choose one or two examples from the Gospels and apply the criteria to them.

Answer 1

The criterion of independent attestation states that stories that appear in multiple sources that are independent of one another are more likely to be historically reliable. For example, several sources attest to Jesus' association with John the Baptist, that Jesus had a brother named James, and that Jesus taught in parables. These traditions, therefore, are likely historically reliable. The criterion of dissimilarity states that a story that goes against the Christian agenda is likely to be historically reliable, because it is unlikely that Christians would fabricate a story that worked against their beliefs. For example, all of the following pass the criterion of dissimilarity: Jesus' baptism, his betrayal by Judas, and his crucifixion. The criterion of contextual credibility states that any story that cannot plausibly be placed within a first-century Palestinian setting is not historically reliable. For example, Jesus' encounters with Nicodemus and the Samaritan woman in the Gospel of John depend on a verbal misunderstanding in Greek, but Jesus and his followers spoke Aramaic. These stories, therefore, are not contextually credible and are not reliable traditions about the historical Jesus.

Question 2

Many scholars believe that Jesus was an apocalyptic prophet. Explain what they mean by this, what evidence they use to argue for it, and how persuasive you find it to be.

Answer 2

When scholars refer to Jesus as an apocalyptic prophet, they mean that Jesus preached the imminent coming of the Day of Judgment and the establishment of the kingdom of God on earth. When God overthrows the forces of evil, he will establish a new kingdom on earth where there will be no suffering or injustice. There are many elements of Jesus' life and ministry that may point to his apocalyptic belief: (i) He associated with John the Baptist who preached an apocalyptic message; (ii) he preached the coming kingdom of God and the need to repent and prepare for its arrival; (iii) Jesus provides the link between the apocalyptic John and the apocalyptic Paul; (iv) he may have been crucified because his apocalyptic teachings threatened the future of the political and religious powers; (v) he had twelve disciples, perhaps symbolizing the twelve tribes of Israel; (vi) he associated with outcasts and taught that their lot would be reversed in the kingdom of God; (vii) his healings may have illustrated to his followers that God had power over evil; and (viii) Jesus' resurrection was interpreted as the first fruits of the anticipated general resurrection that would take place when the kingdom of God arrived.

Question 3

How did the earliest Christians understand Jesus' resurrection? How did this event confirm their apocalyptic worldview?

Answer 3

Because Jesus' earliest followers were apocalyptically minded, this worldview affected their understanding of the resurrection. They believed that a cosmic battle was being waged between Satan and God, and Jesus' resurrection signaled the beginning of the end. Christian apocalypticists believed that Jesus' resurrection signaled the coming of the general resurrection that would accompany the end of the age.

Question 4

Who do the Gospels portray as having discovered the empty tomb. How does this relate to Paul's testimony about the evidence of the resurrection in 1 Corinthians? Why does it matter?

Question 5

The only Jewish author to mention Jesus within 100 years of his life is _____.

A) Josephus
B) Pliny
C) Plutarch
D) Apollonius

Question 6

The first New Testament Gospel was written approximately _____ years after Jesus' death.

A) five
B) fifteen
C) twenty-five
D) forty

Question 7

Which of the following is not a criterion used by scholars to authenticate traditions about Jesus?

A) independent attestation
B) the criterion of dissimilarity
C) the criterion of similarity
D) contextual credibility

Question 8

The criterion of dissimilarity says that a tradition is more likely historically reliable if _____.

A) it agrees with Jesus' teachings
B) it agrees with proto-orthodox theology
C) it disagrees with the author's theology
D) it is not found in another source

Question 9

Which of the following traditions does not pass the criterion of contextual credibility?

A) Jesus' baptism
B) Jesus' death
C) Jesus' teaching to Nicodemus: "you must be born again"
D) Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount

Question 10

Which of the following best summarizes Jesus' impact on wider society in his own day?

A) practically none
B) brief fame before death
C) regional impact but not much outside Judea
D) similar to the Beatles

Question 11

Which of the following people/groups was not apocalyptically minded?

A) John the Baptist
B) Sadducees
C) Jesus
D) Paul

Question 12

Which is not a problem historians face when studying Jesus?

A) Earliest sources are from many years after his life.
B) highly biased sources
C) no pagan witnesses
D) only one eyewitness source d.

Question 13

Jesus provides the continuity of apocalyptic belief between which of the following?

A) John the Baptist and the early church
B) Tacitus and the church
C) Paul and the church
D) There is no continuity of apocalyptic belief.

Question 14

Jesus began his ministry _____.

A) by preaching in the temple
B) by being baptized by John
C) by arguing with the Pharisees
D) by joining the Essene community

Question 15

Jesus identified most closely with _____.

A) the Sadducees
B) the Essenes
C) John the Baptist
D) the Fourth Philosophy

Question 16

All of the following are indications of Jesus' apocalyptic actions except _____.

A) his crucifixion
B) the Temple incident
C) calling twelve disciples
D) his baptism

Question 17

Which of the following is not true about Cynics?

A) They were philosophers.
B) They rarely bathed.
C) They generally enjoyed the finer things of life.
D) The word literally means "dog".

Question 18

All of the following were groups that associated with Jesus except _____.

A) Zealots
B) women
C) tax collectors
D) sinners

Question 19

All of the following are associated with Jesus' apocalyptic thought except _____.

A) the coming kingdom of God
B) the coming judgment brought by the Son of Man
C) the reversal of fortunes
D) righteous people would be taken up alive into heaven

Question 20

According to the Gospels, people believed that Jesus' ability to work miracles reflected all of the following except _____.

A) he was empowered by Beelzebul
B) he was empowered by God
C) he was like other prophets
D) he would die

Question 21

Jesus was tried before all of the following except _____.

A) the Sanhedrin
B) Pontius Pilate
C) Caiaphas
D) Tiberius

Question 22

Historically speaking, it is probable that Jesus came to Jerusalem at the end of his life to _____.

A) die for the sins of the world
B) bring his message to the Temple
C) celebrate Yom Kippur
D) be raised from the dead

Question 23

The Romans convicted Jesus because _____.

A) he blasphemed by claiming to be God
B) he claimed to be king
C) he was not Roman
D) he broke the Jewish law

Question 24

Historically speaking, who was responsible for Jesus' death?

A) Sadducees
B) Pharisees
C) Herod
D) Pontius Pilate

Question 25

Death by crucifixion was saved for _____.

A) the prestigious members of society
B) the lowest members of society
C) rulers
D) Christians

Question 26

According to all of the New Testament Gospels, who discovered the empty tomb?

A) the Jews
B) Peter
C) women
D) Paul

Question 27

In contrast to most Jews' expectations, Christians came to believe that the messiah was _____.

A) a powerful king
B) a priestly figure
C) an innocent suffering man
D) Elijah

Question 28

The passages referred to as the "Songs of the Suffering Servant" appear in what book?_____.

A) the Psalms
B) the Gospels
C) Ezekiel
D) Isaiah

Question 29

The idea of the "Son of Man" first appears in _____.

A) Paul
B) the Gospels
C) Daniel
D) Psalms

Question 30

Jews expected the Son of Man to be _____.

A) Jesus
B) a cosmic judge
C) God
D) King David

Question 31

Which of the following likely helped Christians understand Jesus' suffering as vicarious?

A) Jewish martyrs
B) Elijah
C) King David
D) Revelation

Question 32

Which of the following women is not named by a Gospel as being among those at Jesus' empty tomb?

A) Martha
B) Joanna
C) Mary Magdalene
D) Salome

Question 33

For apocalyptic Jews, which of the following was not typically associated with the end of the age?

A) the resurrection of the dead
B) the kingdom of God
C) the arrival of the Son of Man
D) the death of the messiah

Question 34

Christians used Psalms of _____ to show that Jesus was the messiah.

A) Triumph
B) Lament
C) Victory
D) Coronation