Study Questions &
Essay Topics
Study Questions
1. What are the
significant differences between Matthew’s and Luke’s narratives
of Jesus’s infancy?
The different purposes with which Matthew
and Luke approach their narratives influence the ways that they
tell the story of Christ’s birth. Because both authors are primarily
interested in establishing the divinity of Christ, they both call
Jesus’s birth miraculous, and cite God alone as the creator of Jesus’s
life. But Matthew, who is interested in the Jewish lineage of Christ
and the relationship between Christ’s teachings and the Judaic tradition,
focuses on the social ramifications of Mary’s pregnancy more than
Luke does. Matthew lauds Joseph for not abandoning his fiancée,
even though Jewish custom dictates that pregnancy outside of wedlock
is so shameful as to require a man to abandon his future wife. Luke’s
narrative seeks to declare the good news of Christ’s birth to the
poor and outcast, including women. As a result, Luke focuses on
the humility of Jesus’s origins, pointing out that Jesus’s birth occurs
in humble peasant surroundings. Luke also exalts Mary for her courage,
making her a prominent female character with whom women in his audience might
be able to sympathize.
2. How does
the historical context of the Book of Revelation affect its content?
The Book of Revelation was written between 81 and 96 a.d. by
a leader in a small church community on the island of Patmos. This community
experienced persecution by the Roman Empire, which forced early
Christians to put their allegiance to the empire before their allegiance
to religion. When the Book of Revelation was written, the Roman
Empire was expanding, and many Christians resisted both this expansion
and Roman cults. Much of the Book of Revelation focuses on the contrast
between the evils of the Roman Empire, personified as the two beasts
in Revelation 13, and the true Christian
God, who, according to Revelation, will “wipe away every tear” (21:4).
Furthermore, in the first century a.d., apocalyptic
literature like the Book of Revelation was very common, and Revelation
contains many of the conventions of this literary form. Apocalyptic
literature involves revelations that claim to predict future events,
whereas previous revelations had only claimed to deliver the word
of God. Moreover, apocalyptic literature almost always follows dual
narratives of hope and despair, at once describing the current evils
of the world and promising a figure who would save the righteous
or faithful from the ultimate demise of the sinful world. The Book
of Revelation uses the conventions of a popular literary form to
address a pressing contemporary event. By describing equally vivid
scenes of destruction and salvation, the Book of Revelation attempts
to instill a hatred for the Roman Empire and strengthen faith in
Christianity.
3. What is
Paul’s relationship to Judaism, and what does he see as the relationship
between Judaism and Christianity?
Paul of Tarsus calls himself a “Jew of Jews,”
and never would have thought of himself otherwise. Like most of
the early followers of Jesus, he came from a Jewish background,
and saw Jesus’s teachings as an extension rather than a challenge
to Judaism. However, the two religions come into conflict on many
points. For Paul, the most significant conflict is between the Jewish
idea that people will be judged according to their good or bad deeds
on Earth and the Christian idea that faith in Christ is the only
way to earn eternal salvation. Paul’s egalitarian approach emphasizes
equality rather than inequality between Jews and Gentiles, saying
that only with faith in God and Jesus Christ is salvation possible.
His writing does not reconcile this conflict, but he does express
his belief that the people of Israel are chosen and merit special
grace, but that the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ could
also assure a promise of grace. Paul’s belief that forgiveness and
love are given to all people, Jew and Gentile alike, made him a
popular missionary. Rather than preaching religion as an exclusionary
institution, his writing suggests that there is room within Christianity
for people of different backgrounds. He views his belief as a renewed
form of Judaism, not as an abandonment of his tradition.
Suggested Essay Topics
1. Choose one New Testament parable
that is found in more than one Gospel. Provide an analysis of the
similarities and the differences between the versions. What is the
significance of this comparison for understanding the distinctive theological
perspectives of the Gospels?
2. Describe the similarities
and differences among two of the Passion narratives (i.e., the trial
and crucifixion). What is significant for the authors of these accounts?
What is at stake in answering the question of who killed Jesus?
3. Consider the Book of Revelation.
How might one be able to use the book in a contemporary learning
context, without using it to claim salvation for the few and destruction
for the many? Does it have anything to say to contemporary society?
4. The New Testament contains
numerous discussions pertaining to the resurrection of Jesus. Compare
and contrast a resurrection account in one of the Gospels to Paul’s understanding
of the living Christ in one of his letters.
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