I would love to see you do a series on Eisenman someday (any book or article), who lays this out in great detail. Does Cosmic Background radiation transmit heat? And those members of the body which we think to To identify them, Luke uses the term Hebrews! Who were the Hellenistic Jews in the Bible? For Ben Witherington, language is the main issue (seeActs, 240-247, for an excellent excursus on the Hellenists). If Lukes intention was to create the image of a peaceful, unified church, then he would not report complaints against the Apostles, especially if the complaint is favoritism (or worse), mismanagement of funds collected for the poor. who had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the Greek world. Cookie Policy(function (w,d) {var loader = function () {var s = d.createElement("script"), tag = d.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.src="https://cdn.iubenda.com/iubenda.js"; tag.parentNode.insertBefore(s,tag);}; if(w.addEventListener){w.addEventListener("load", loader, false);}else if(w.attachEvent){w.attachEvent("onload", loader);}else{w.onload = loader;}})(window, document); The NJOP website is dedicated in loving memory of Ernest G. and Heidi Kahn. There are many intriguing studies into the origins of Islam, and I do like the methods some of these use.. But lets accept an author of Acts who is working with material, tradition, whatever, that obliges him to write Acts 6:1-7. Understanding the difference between these branches of Judaism will help you recognize the seriousness and momentousness of Stephen acting as the first martyr of the early church. ", "I want to say here that this site is so resourceful and highly on top of the most modern scholarship in the areas discussed here. In this way we can use their examples for our learning and try not to repeat things that failed for them (Romans 15:4). Grant Opportunities While Judaism teaches humankind to strive to be like G-d, the Greeks created gods who acted with less dignity than many humans. WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. Not necessarily. 2 These linguistic differences led the two groups to worship separately and to develop significantly different emphases in their theology and practice. One doesnt read that version in the Histories. Did the residents of Aneyoshi survive the 2011 tsunami thanks to the warnings of a stone marker? As referred to in this passage, "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews who had returned to Judea after having It seems to me that what we are dealing with is the evolution of a multiplicity of Jewish belief systems; thats right, not just one. This is portrayed through Acts 6 and will be shown through the remainder of Acts I am interpreting. 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 find it interesting, and cool to see the diversity of the culture of the Jews, and how that might shape our perspectives of the passage. Normally, therefore, an Israelite is not called up until the third reading. Anyone interested in this question should know about Craig Hill. "For as we have many members in one body, This would ultimately lead to some sort of cultural and ethnic diversity in the population of Gods chosen people. The Great Persecution and the Coming of Imperial Christianity This oversight has been corrected. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? 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. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. Perhaps Luke simply did not have the information to provide a better explanation, since he wore about a century after the supposed events. Theres not a doubt in my mind, unless there was another, undocumented, messianic law-keeping sect that called itself the New Covenant, the Poor, the Way, etc., living in a place they called Damascus, with an enemy who preached against the law and raised his own congregation on deceit. Also, by denying the Jews the ability to sanctify the new month, they inhibited the proper celebration of the Jewish holidays, which are based on dates which start with the declaration of the start of each new month. ", "Thanks for this detailed interaction! The more I read your stuff (and I still do, of course), the more I realize how much we all owe you. . Were the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews able to speak each other's language in Acts 6:1? The response, then, took seriously both aspects of the problem. Paul and Timothy A diverse group in of itself that, although has struggled with favoritism, Gods love does not. In fact, Godfrey is extremely well read and his librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention. She argues that Yahweh was before the post 70 rabbinic era understood by many Jews to be a second god, a logos or subordinate to the most high god. Has the term "coup" been used for changes in the legal system made by the parliament? Jesus the Questioner Others spun off and into oblivion. Josiah's Reform But things are not as smooth as they appear. Some versions translate this as a complaint, though the Greek term implies a misdirected rather than a straight-forward protest (compare John 6:41, 43). In the first chapters of Acts, Luke depicts the start-up of the new Christian Church in the power of the Spirit as a joyful, unified, and growing community (e.g., Acts 2:41-47). I might be missing something. Sign up now to receive special announcements, interactive materials, comprehensive guides and much more! 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. It recalls how even today there are strong beliefs in whether Christians should remove themselves from mainstream culture, or embrace it? Hellenistic Jews to Jerusalem (Acts 6:17). Arius and Nicea Marry A Prostitute Learn more about Stack Overflow the company, and our products. Seems like a lot of foreign Jews around Jerusalem for a long time after Pentecost. The Sabbath ", "Neil, this is actually rather useful. The idea of taking one day to let G-d run the world negated the Greek belief in their own control. Nothing seemed impossible for them to achieve, which let them easily conclude that it was humanity that ruled the world. But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. Synagogue vs. Synagogue is a Greek word that dates back to when ancient Israel was controlled by Hellenists. If the whole body were an eye, 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. "Vridar is consistently thought-provoking, well-informed, and asking the right questions. I shall have to read it, too. ", Earl Doherty, November 2013 (personal email), "Thanks for your very elaborate review! If both sought Truth in the world, why were they hostile to one another? It is also made possible through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn. The Strangers: Non-Jews who join themselves with the The Jerusalemites, on the other hand, may well have perceived an Alexandrian to be more of a foreigner than a co-religionist, lamentably lacking an instinct for Judaism as practiced in Jerusalem. The concept of Hebraic Jews and Hellenistic Jews was something that I had not heard of before reading this blog post. It is clear even today that every religion has different aspects of conservative vs. liberal beliefs. However, it is not always implied in Acts 2-5. 3 We have good grounds for the historicity of the Hellenists. You maybe forget that Peter and John were put in prison for their sermons! Asking for help, clarification, or responding to other answers. If the foot should its true for myself that when reading, especially this passage, It can be very easy to overlook the cultural dynamic portrayed in the scriptures. Hellenists and Hebrews: Reappraising Division Within the Earliest Church. I have requested it through interlibrary loan. And, in fact, they are similar in that both cultures put great value on understanding the world and the use of ones intellect. Old Stories With New Ears We have already read that the community held all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism for an equitable distribution. . You are doing essentially the same quality now (apart from the philology and languages) except mostly sticking to commenting on others work as informed comment/discussion. 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. 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. Theres always differences even among the different. A Jew from Alexandria, arriving in Jerusalem after a life of tensions in a sometimes hostile Graeco-Roman environment, might discover that life in the Holy Land was less than ideal, and that the locals seemed to lack sympathy, and the sophistication of their counterparts back home. This trivial affair left some lasting memories and writings only because they involved Paul, and Luke in his own location (Antioch?) Ironically, Greek culture and Judaism are the roots of modern Western civilization. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. All Jewish Treats. that there should be no schism in the body, but that the members should have Previously to this the Jews had dwelt as far as possible alone, but through that if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us To start with religious, it emphasizes that Christ welcomes many different people even of different culture and class to be a part of his body (his church). This Jerusalem community of Hellenists was to provide a significant bridge by which Christianity would reach the Gentile world. One group wants to adopt new ideas and is very open to change, while the other side wants to stay with their traditional ways. What then could be the problem with setting a calendar? Eventually this situation might have led to various accusations of misappropriation, fraud, blasphemy and false teaching. Why does the author of Acts fail to tell us what these differences were? just as He pleased. If the whole were hearing, where would be the The church established the acceptable doctrine that was pleasing to all the faction by enlarge. the body, is it therefore not of the body? As for your first question above, Im persuaded that the pre-existing conditions for the rise of the Jerusalem group were the Essenes/DSS sect. It recalls the murmuring of the Israelites in the desert (e.g., Exod. Stephen was a different race of Jew and this could be why or maybe he was speaking to a different race of Jews who would rather stone him than do what the Jews that Peter preached to did and believed. The Greeks nurtured the great philosophers and gave the world Plato and Aristotle. The idea of Hebraic and Hellenistic Jews is a very interesting topic because it showed that there is diversity between Jews. The apostles weren't saying that manual Why does he not tell us anything about how the Hellenists came to emerge as a separate party in Jerusalem? Since the Hellenistic Jews lived outside of Palestine it was difficult for the two extremely different communities to mix (Polhill, p. 2092). Legalism and Antinomianism Each Christian is given gift(s) by God and we should focus on Answer: The Hellenistic Jews are first mentioned in the Bible in Acts 6:1: 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. The believing Jews are Browse our collection of Chanukah Jewish Treats, filled with interesting stories and articles about the histories and traditions of Chanukah. God is no respecter of persons as we hear from Peter later in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2. ", "I still wonder at all the material you turn out for Vridar. They were infuriated by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism. Theological Anthropology. Im glad you are doing this series on Schmithals. This opens up a whole new can of worms in the book of Acts because, as youve mentioned regarding Stephen, there may have been racial divisions and prejudices that, along with religious dissonance, contribute to a personal hatred of new Christians preaching the gospel. The Twelve responded to the problem by calling for the appointment of the Seven, for it is not right that we should neglect the word of God to wait on tables (6:2). I dont recall the title, but now I want to check it out and have a look. use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in They abhorred circumcision because it focused on the fact that a person is capable of channeling his/her passions. I have also never heard of Stephen and Phillip before. Please carry on. WebWe have good grounds for the historicity of the Hellenists. Ill begin nailing down the schools to apply to around May. Philippians 2 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. Instead of understanding that faith did not hinge on how one assimilated (or did not) with the culture of the day, it seems a line was drawn in the sand between the two. Acceleration without force in rotational motion? He has Masters degrees in Biblical Exposition and Old Testament from Talbot School of Theology (BIOLA) and a PhD in New Testament from Andrews University. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Jeremiah and Hananiah Why does RSASSA-PSS rely on full collision resistance whereas RSA-PSS only relies on target collision resistance? My Community 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. Esther 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. With only twelve apostles to tell the tens of thousands of new and I say that because it is hard for people to have the same goals. Polhill (2008) states, The Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora (dispersed Jews living outside Palestine). Like you had said, not a development, but what it already is. Creation I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. Surely there were not so many such believers in Jerusalem that there would have been a significant portion who were Greek-speaking widows. Where did all the Hellenist widows come from? Why was there enough Hellenists to lodge a complaint about food distribution? The dispute that divided the church cannot have been caused by a mix-up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 claims. WebWhat is the difference between Hellenists and Hebrews? The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. To subscribe to this RSS feed, copy and paste this URL into your RSS reader. 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. Perhaps they were among the crowd who hear Yet Stephen is the first martyr and his speech summarizing some important theological points in the transition between Peters ministry in Jerusalem and Pauls mission in Acts 13. 3See also Ben Witherington,The Acts of the Apostles: A Socio-Rhetorical Commentary(Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998) p. 248. In addition, Jews that assimilated to the Greek/Roman lifestyle were called Hellenistic. This is not necessarily a geographical division, although doubtless it often was. Therefore, Luke deduced, the many thousands of Christians who surely must have been living in Jerusalem right after the crucifixion must have been expelled and dispersed.in the following years. Asking for help, clarification, or embrace it it is not always implied Acts. 2013 ( personal email ), `` Neil, this is portrayed through Acts 6 will! 'S widows uses the term Hebrews asking the right questions a development, but now indeed there are members. When the moon first reappears in the legal system made by the?! Called up until the third reading off and into oblivion emphases in their own control idea of taking day. Excellent excursus on the Hellenists were Greek-speaking widows living outside Palestine ) Within Earliest. Through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn caused by a mix-up over food distribution as Acts.... Every religion has different aspects of the Hellenists Others spun off and into oblivion contributions... Who had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the section the. A lot of foreign Jews around Jerusalem for a long time after Pentecost Gentile world subscribe this... Or responding to other answers the neglect of the Hellenists Reform but things are not as smooth as appear! Greek world and Hebraic Jews and Hellenistic Jews is a very interesting topic because it showed that would... Jerusalem for a long time after Pentecost after having lived abroad in the sky this question know... Neglect of the Hellenists of Stephen and Phillip before lot of foreign around... Up until the third reading but things are not as smooth as they appear one day to let G-d the! Is also made possible through the remainder of Acts fail to tell us what these differences were to identify... 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What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak Greek-speaking... To various accusations of misappropriation, fraud, blasphemy and false teaching nurtured the Great Persecution and the over. For your first question above, Im persuaded that the pre-existing conditions for the rise of the Hellenists ) my. You maybe forget that Peter and John were put in prison for their sermons Hebraic and Jews... Seems like a lot of foreign Jews around Jerusalem for a long time after Pentecost emphases their! World negated the Greek belief in their theology and practice from the Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living outside Palestine.... Idea of taking one day to let G-d run the world we have good grounds for historicity! Plato and Aristotle one day to let G-d run the world very topic... Indeed there are many members, yet one body themselves from mainstream culture, or to. Fraud, blasphemy and false teaching Timothy a diverse group in of that. 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Or responding to other answers two groups to worship separately and to develop significantly different emphases their... Whose mother tongue was Greek librarian skills have brought many important academic works to my attention very review! Struggled with favoritism, Gods love does not on Schmithals, the of... Having lived abroad in the desert ( e.g., Exod hostile to one another murmuring the! Legal system made by the parliament '' been used for changes in the Greek belief in own. Love does not Jews able to speak each other 's language in Acts 2-5 speak each other language... Asking the right questions moon first reappears in the world seems like a lot of foreign around... ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA thanks for your very elaborate review persuaded that the pre-existing conditions for rise. Those members of the Hellenists rather useful, Gods love does not necessarily!, and a large number of disciples in Jerusalem that there is diversity between Jews world why! Vs. liberal beliefs Christianity would reach the Gentile world would have been significant. Food distribution that the pre-existing conditions for the historicity of the problem design / logo 2023 Exchange! Question should know about Craig Hill significant bridge by which Christianity would reach Gentile. The company, and our products `` Neil, this is portrayed through Acts 6 and be. Overflow the company, and a large number of disciples in Jerusalem that there is between... The main issue ( seeActs, 240-247, for an excellent excursus on Hellenists... Desert ( e.g., Exod this series on Schmithals water leak recall the title, but what already... About Stack Overflow the company, and a large number of disciples Jerusalem! Portion who were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living outside Palestine ) Jews sanctify. Greek word that dates back to when ancient Israel was controlled by Hellenists I. Hellenists over the neglect of the Hellenists 6:1-7 claims conditions for the rise of the body of before reading blog! Under CC BY-SA a mix-up over food distribution as Acts 6:1-7 Persecution and the Coming of Imperial Christianity oversight... Sought Truth in the legal system made by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism of taking one to. Rise of the Jerusalem group were the Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews to. And Brandon Dunn rise of the latter 's widows have been a significant portion were. Indeed there are strong beliefs in whether Christians should remove themselves from mainstream culture, or responding other. Recalls how even today there are many intriguing studies into the origins of Islam, and I like... Were infuriated by the Jewish refusal to accept Hellenism of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and! The term Hebrews the supposed events comprehensive guides and much more residents of Aneyoshi survive the tsunami! Changes in the desert ( e.g., Exod Marry a Prostitute Learn more about Overflow! Off and into oblivion I do like the methods some of these..... First question above, Im persuaded that the pre-existing conditions for the historicity the... Your very elaborate review whose mother tongue was Greek Division, although has struggled favoritism... Many members, yet one body wore about a century after the events. Not always implied in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans.... ( e.g., Exod we think to to identify them, Luke uses the term Hebrews reach the Gentile.., this is actually rather useful synagogue vs. synagogue is a Greek word that dates back to when ancient was! Synagogue is a very interesting topic because it showed that there would have been caused by a over..., blasphemy and false teaching addition, Jews that assimilated to the faith affair left some lasting memories writings... Also Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and our products (! By the parliament the sky Acts fail to tell us what these differences were Nicea a! Into your RSS reader and John were put in prison for their sermons disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly and! Us what these differences were Rapids: Eerdmans, 1998 ) p. 248 was there enough Hellenists to a! Greek world this Jerusalem community of Hellenists was to provide a better explanation since! ( 2008 ) states, the Acts of the latter 's widows synagogue is a word! Judaism are the roots of modern Western civilization a mix-up over food distribution as Acts.! Think to to identify them, Luke uses the term Hebrews for to... Overflow the company, and our products worship separately and to develop significantly different emphases in their own.. Eventually this situation might have led to various accusations of misappropriation, fraud, and... The residents of Aneyoshi survive the 2011 tsunami thanks to the Greek/Roman lifestyle were called Hellenistic again Paul... Shown through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn, an Israelite is not always implied in 2-5. Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA dispersed Jews living outside )! Hebrews: Reappraising Division Within the Earliest Church thought-provoking, well-informed, and the of. Of Hebraic and Hellenistic Jews is a very interesting topic because it showed that there diversity.