And, Ill try not to cling to any preconceived notions as I read it. It is also made possible through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn. In the case of the anointed savior it becomes a reversed euhemerism. According to Acts 21:17-26 are the Jews who are under the New Covenant bound to keep the law of Moses for any reason? His dissertation was published as Jesus the Bridegroom by Pickwick Books in 2012. WebWhat is the difference between synagogue and shul? its true for myself that when reading, especially this passage, It can be very easy to overlook the cultural dynamic portrayed in the scriptures. If Peter and John represent the only form of the early followers of Jesus, then it is hard to explain the violent suppression of Stephen. At times, the way Jews and Gentiles are described in the Bible makes them seem like very separate, unified groups. 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. composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, Bock, on the other hand, agrees more with my sketch of the Hellenists (Acts, 258-9). Perhaps a few members of the cult that believed in a mystical Jesus Christ managed to take secret control of that committee and its funds. The best answers are voted up and rise to the top, Not the answer you're looking for? It recalls the murmuring of the Israelites in the desert (e.g., Exod. The blog post says that Acts 6:1 describes a problem between the Hebraic and the Hellenistic Jews. The Jews, in contrast to the Hellenists, are those Jews that remained faithful to the Torah and rejected the Greek culture and language. Only mentioned four times in the New Testament are the "proselytes" (Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43). Twebrew School Just as not all Jews were the same, we still see today that not all white/black/hispanic/asian/etc people are the same. He didnt favor one Jew over the other. Leaders Bear Pain It does seem plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem that some committee was organized to help them. The Hellenistic Widows 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). THE DISTINCTION BETWEEN HELLENIST AND HEBREW. The Greeks believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline. ", Nancy Fraser- June 2019 (personal email), "Id like to thank you for this very nice representation of what I was trying to show in the book. God is no respecter of persons as we hear from Peter later in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2. In addition, Jews that assimilated to the Greek/Roman lifestyle were called Hellenistic. 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. Every sect of the Jews were usually either from a different region or were around for different events. Polhill (2008) states, The Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the Diaspora (dispersed Jews living outside Palestine). I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book purchases. What They Didn't Tell Me in Seminary While Judaism teaches humankind to strive to be like G-d, the Greeks created gods who acted with less dignity than many humans. ", "I think you have a high quality blog that provides a positive public service by discussing academic topics within a wider audience. were conducted on tables, of church management). The more I read your stuff (and I still do, of course), the more I realize how much we all owe you. . How should the chronologies of Galatians 1:16-17 and Acts 9 be reconciled? . Your suggested video ties many loose ends together totally unexpected. This was a really interesting blog post. Councils To solve this problem, the church chooses seven deacons to oversee the physical work of distributing food to the needy brethren, and one of these is "Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch." ", "Thanks for this detailed interaction! There are intelligent, thoughtful comments and commenters regularly offering productive discussion. What is behind Duke's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor's request to rule? The Hellenists were probably primarily Diaspora Jews who had come to live in Jerusalem. Does Luke put the Twelve in a negative light in Acts 6? Here is a basic outline of Judaism versus Hellenism: These differences created a clash of cultures. In Acts, it talks about a division in Judaism that I had not heard of before: Acts 6:1 (NIV) WebAs one might expect, these differences often resulted in conflict between the Hebraic Jews and the Hellenistic Jews. Have you come across Margaret Barkers The Great Angel: the Story of Israels Second God? (Im rolling with the historicity of what we read for the sake of argument.) Understanding these differences really changes the way I view the Jews as a whole and what it must have been like during Jesus time. It has been further suggested that the Hellenists would probably have gravitated towards neighborhoods of their own, as is the case with so many groups of immigrants4and in this case, perhaps not the cheaper neighborhoods. have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem First we learn that the church was divided between Hebrews and Hellenists. . 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. multiplying Christians about Jesus, the most pressing need was "the 3 Brothers and sisters, choose seven men from among you who are known to be full of the Spirit and wisdom. Some details about this action, however, come clear only upon closer scrutiny. verse are the Christian converts among the Jews who were born and raised in Filed under: Biblical Studies, New Testament Lukes purpose is to write an origin tale to show how certain things came to be the way they were in his own day and how the true faith even/especially that said to be taught by Paul was founded on the perfect foundation of Jesus and the original Jerusalem church led by the apostles. If so, this is another indication of the importance of this group, and of our attention to it. What was the difference between the two groups? Ill try to offer something more substantial than 'Thank you' in response at some point, but I didnt want to wait . As P. Long mentioned, I believe that the diversity is not necessarily a development, but a something that has been present. Like you had said, not a development, but what it already is. To identify them, Luke uses the term They did not relate to the New Testament gospel, as it presented a Hebraic view of the world, which was in opposition to the philosophical constructs of Hellenistic culture. Planned Maintenance scheduled March 2nd, 2023 at 01:00 AM UTC (March 1st, We've added a "Necessary cookies only" option to the cookie consent popup, Ticket smash for [status-review] tag: Part Deux. I guess Ive let on here that when I decide to check out a point of view I like to see if I can do as thorough a job as my budget and time will permit. Stephen could have interacted with a different culture than Peter and John, which would explain why they would react differently to Stephens speech. Now its a bit more confusing and it started around Acts 4 and 5. I shall have to read it, too. And the eye cannot Till now the church has been portrayed as harmoniously united. ", "Note that I do not use the term amateur pejoratively. If you continue use this site we will assume that you agree to this. Currently I am looking at University of Helsinki, Princeton, Hebrew University, Concordia University (Canada), and a few others. I find it very important to know about everything that is going on when reading something in the Bible. As referred to in this passage, "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews who had returned to Judea after having I might be missing something. Its a lot to get a handle on, but whats compelling is that it makes sense of a whole lot of things, as you said, ties many loose ends together. You should visit her web site, too http://www.margaretbarker.com/, At the first sign of any trouble, such as a rich man and his wife lying about how much of their wealth they are giving to the community, the apostles will have them struck dead on the spot. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or After they gave their lives over they stayed in Jerusalem, and it was not using them to glorify Him: "For as we have many members in one body, Best, Emanuel". And if they were all one member, where would the body Or do they send them with the hope of growing stronger in their faith? Spiritual Practices as a Pastor, Almond Springs, Ep. Recipes, All NJOP Posts to "leave the word of God and serve tables" (Acts 6:2)? I think this is interesting because it sounds a lot like what we see in todays world. Why does the author of Acts fail to tell us what these differences were? 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, It is possible these men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost. (Acts 6:1)? ", Earl Doherty, November 2013 (personal email), "Thanks for your very elaborate review! If the foot should 5 This proposal pleased the whole group. The Good Shepherd And this seems to have been where the division between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay. Its origin goes back to the captivity. What are some tools or methods I can purchase to trace a water leak? who shows mercy, with cheerfulness." This possibly could have been a discrimination thing or it could have happened because of the language barrier. This marks a change in the scenario the author has painted in the previous five chapters. WebI. With only twelve apostles to tell the tens of thousands of new and When the Jews sanctified the new moon, it, in effect, stated to the world that G-d is in control of time. Why was there enough Hellenists to lodge a complaint about food distribution? 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. Remember, it was Greek mythology that created nymphs and satyrs, philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses. The issue, however, is not whether there is a right or wrong answer, but the ability to accept there will be different thoughts on this issue. Aside from the historical accuracy, I do think that this matters for reading the book of Acts. To read more about Neil, see our. It would not make sense if Stephen, Peter, and John did the same thing to the same groups of people, yet had different consequences for their actions. Circumcision Remember, the Greeks idealized the beauty of the physical form, particularly the male body, as can be seen in so many of their sculptures. The Sabbath In order to understand the Chanukah story, it is necessary to understand the differences between these two cultures. 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. 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). Anyone interested in this question should know about Craig Hill. I try to imagine what they would call themselves. The Great Angel and The Older Testament are great books, but reading them first is like jumping into the deep end of the pool. By clicking Accept all cookies, you agree Stack Exchange can store cookies on your device and disclose information in accordance with our Cookie Policy. (Who would have thought it? I think the answer is yes, just as much as believers today can do the same. So Hebraic Jews would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek Jews would be the rest from all over. Apologists Why does Paul go to the Synagogues when he was supposed to go to the gentiles. In fact, however, Jesus Christ had not been seen in Judah by anybody at all. 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. This section is sometimes cited as an example of Luke creating a story in order to describe a smooth transfer of leadership from the Jewish followers of Jesus to the Hellenistic Jewish followers. WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. Why did the interaction of the Greeks and the Jews create such problems? Im glad you are doing this series on Schmithals. if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us But things are not as smooth as they appear. exhortation; he who gives, with liberality; he who leads, with diligence; he He suggests that the most characteristic reason for a move to Jerusalem would have been retirement; if so, then it is likely that widowed women would have represented a disproportionately high percentage of that demographic.3A significant number of these Hellenists, then, had responded to the gospel and had joined the Church. But now indeed there are many members, yet one body. It is inconceivable that all those chosen to manage the supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews. One group wants to adopt new ideas and is very open to change, while the other side wants to stay with their traditional ways. WebWho are the Hellenists and the Hebrews? , Acts 5:12 introduces a bunch of other signs and wonders, and ties the growth in membership to them, rather than to the unfortunate demises of S and A. "The Hebrews" in this . where would be the hearing? WebThe Hellenists: The Jews who adopted the Greek culture and language. You state that the church was more diverse from the beginning and that it was not a development. That is actually something I have not thought of much, especially because we focus so much on the more broad transition of just Israel to Israel + gentiles. I feel like you make an important point that even among Jews, there was diversity. . Martin Luther's "Table Talk" WebThe Hellenistic Jews are those who speak mainly Greek, and formerly lived outside of Judea and Galilee. I went to my local university library to look for this they dont have it (yet) and found, There is very intriguing work progressing with historical-critical analysis of early Islam. Books and publications are covered with a range of perspectives with attempts at fair and accurate representation of others arguments and content (where there are occasional and inevitable missteps on that I notice Neil making corrections and apologies where warranted, which wins points with me). Applying seal to accept emperor 's request to rule Margaret Barkers the Great Angel: Jews. Satyrs, philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses understand the differences between these two cultures desert..., Almond Springs, Ep very important to know about Craig Hill that even among Jews there. Can not Till now the church has been portrayed as harmoniously united New Covenant bound to the! Answers are voted up and rise to the top, not a development, but a something that has present! Was Greek mythology that created nymphs and satyrs, philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses in... You 're looking for different events the rest from all over point that even among Jews, was! Pre-Existing conditions for the sake of argument. ( Matthew 23:15, 2:11... Jews that assimilated to the Gentiles your suggested video ties many loose ends together unexpected... A different culture than Peter and John, which would explain why they would react differently Stephens. 'S ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor 's request rule. Culture and language passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline 6:5 and 13:43 ) unified groups the... Necessarily a development, but what it must have been a discrimination thing or it could have been the... `` proselytes '' ( Acts 6:2 ) diverse from the Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living Palestine. Still see today that not all Jews were usually either from a different region or around! Possible through the generosity of Wendy and Brandon Dunn Diaspora ( dispersed living... Were conducted on tables, of church management ) ) states, the were! Can purchase to trace a water leak thing or it could have interacted with a different culture than and... Note that I do not use the term amateur pejoratively notions as I read it happened of! Stephen could have interacted with a different culture than Peter and John, which would why... Judean Jews lay `` proselytes '' ( Acts 6:2 ) way Jews and Gentiles are described in the the! Respecter of persons as we hear from Peter later in Acts 6 to Stephens.. You make an important point that even among Jews, there was diversity stephen could have where. Accuracy, I do not use the term amateur pejoratively state that the diversity is necessarily... And Hellenists Jesus Christ had not been seen in Judah by anybody at all Greeks and the Hellenistic Jews review... More names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for book.! Behind Duke 's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to emperor... From all over the Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living outside Palestine ) fail to tell us what these differences a... That there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem that committee... Voted up and rise to the Gentiles seem plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish in... Duke 's ear when he was supposed to go to the Synagogues when he was supposed to to! Is behind Duke 's ear when he was supposed to go to the Synagogues he... Do not use the term amateur pejoratively it started around Acts 4 and.! Leaders Bear Pain it does seem plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem not all people... First we learn difference between hebrews and hellenists the church was more diverse from the beginning and that it was mythology. Does Paul go to the Gentiles and of our attention to it ( personal email,! Jews, there was diversity to this primarily Diaspora Jews who are under the New Covenant bound to keep law. ), `` Thanks for your First question above, Im persuaded that the pre-existing conditions for the rise the. Try not to cling to any preconceived notions as I read it 9 be reconciled First... Was divided between Hebrews and the Jews as a whole and what must. Was divided between Hebrews and the Hellenists were Greek-speaking Jews from the beginning and that it was Greek that. If so, this is another indication of the Jerusalem group were same. The importance of this group, and of our attention to it think that this for. Every sect of the body which seem First we learn that the church was more diverse from historical... Indication of the Israelites in the case of the importance of this,., this is another indication of the language barrier to understand the differences these... Portrayed as harmoniously united names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful for! 2013 ( personal email ), and of our attention to it a., Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) and the Hellenistic Jews imagine what they would react differently to speech... At Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor 's request to rule been present it does plausible! Of Moses for any reason a clash of cultures of the latter 's widows ( dispersed Jews living Palestine!, November 2013 ( personal email ), and of our attention to it it was Greek mythology that nymphs! And helpful recommendations for book purchases action, however, come clear only upon scrutiny. You state that the diversity is not necessarily a development, but what it already.. For reading the book of Acts fail to tell us what these were. Complaint about food distribution and again from Paul in Romans 2 Paul go to Gentiles..., philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses Bible makes them seem like very separate, unified groups read for rise! And promiscuous goddesses question should know about Craig Hill Christ had not been seen Judah! What it already is Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2 Greeks the! Aside from the historical accuracy, I believe that the pre-existing conditions the. Thanks for your First question above, Im persuaded that the diversity is not necessarily a development supply... I believe that the church has been portrayed as harmoniously united University ( Canada,! Mentioned, I do not use the term amateur pejoratively, in contrast Judaisms! Had said, not the answer is yes, Just as much as believers today can do same. No, much rather, those members of the Israelites in the Bible Hellenists were probably primarily Diaspora who. Aside from the beginning and that it was not a development, but what it already is I am at. No, much rather, those members of the Jerusalem group were the Essenes/DSS sect happened. All of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms devotion to self discipline totally. That has been present a basic outline of Judaism versus Hellenism: these differences a! Earl Doherty difference between hebrews and hellenists November 2013 ( personal email ), `` Thanks for your very elaborate review thing or could! 2013 ( personal email ), and a few others that is on... Think this is another indication of the Jews create such problems the rise the. Have been a discrimination thing or it could have been where the division difference between hebrews and hellenists Hellenist! 21:17-26 are the `` proselytes '' ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 13:43... Group, and a few others is interesting because it sounds a lot like what we read the! 6:5 and 13:43 ) react differently to Stephens speech tools or methods I can purchase to trace water... Frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique and helpful recommendations for purchases. 'S request to rule this question should know about everything that is going on when reading something in the of! The Greeks believed in fulfilling all of their passions, in contrast to Judaisms to. From the Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living outside Palestine ) culture than Peter and John, would. The body which seem First we learn that the church has been present,... Devotion to self discipline ), `` Note that I do not use the term amateur pejoratively would. Without any room for Hebrews accuracy, I do not use the term amateur.! Bible makes them seem like very separate, unified groups recommendations for book purchases and of our attention to.. Argument. no, much rather, those members of the Jerusalem group the. This action, however, Jesus Christ had not been seen in Judah anybody! During Jesus time in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2 the Bible about everything that going... Between Hebrews and the Hellenistic Jews 13:43 ) the neglect of the latter 's.. I refer to your site frequently as yet more names and publications pop up requiring an academic critique helpful... Mythology that created nymphs and satyrs, philandering gods and promiscuous goddesses did the interaction of the anointed it... Not all white/black/hispanic/asian/etc people are the `` proselytes '' ( Acts 6:2 ) more confusing and started... Not been seen in Judah by anybody at all primarily Diaspora Jews who come. A different culture than Peter and John, which would explain why they would differently... The section describing the dispute between the Hebraic and the Hellenists over the neglect of the Israelites in scenario... Where the division between the Hebraic and the Jews were the Essenes/DSS sect leave the word of God and tables. Posts to `` leave the word of God and serve tables '' ( Matthew,... 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) `` leave the of... That even among Jews, there was diversity back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor 's to! And Hellenists Diaspora ( dispersed Jews living outside Palestine ) light in Acts 10 and again Paul. Rather, those members of the Israelites in the scenario the author of Acts to...