Your voice is unique. Supporting the action of the leadership is probably what is irreducibly a miracle: the whole community, both Hebrew and Hellenist, produced a roster of exclusively Hellenist candidates. The Greeks could not understand why the Jews did not instantly embrace their culture, which catered to the humans physical desires. Does Cosmic Background radiation transmit heat? Phillip J. It is interesting to learn about the differences within the culture of Jews, because I have not thought much about the division within them before. 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). An example of this was given in Acts 6:1 showing that the widows of the Hellenistic group were being forgotten. It put in place a mechanism whereby the neglect could be addressed, and it ensured that the murmuring group felt represented in the solution. How were they able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help? 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. . . They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, who returned to settle in Jerusalem. 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. Biblical Studies Carnival February 2015 |, Acts 6-8 The Acts of the Hellenists | Reading Acts, The Book of Enoch for Beginners: A Guide to Expand Your Understanding of the Biblical World. composed the body, having given greater honor to that part which lacks it, Great topic for an MA project, where are you looking to study? Does Luke put the Twelve in a negative light in Acts 6? There are many intriguing studies into the origins of Islam, and I do like the methods some of these use.. Please carry on. And, if she has connected evidentiary links from, and then back to, around the literature (via a similar method used to form the Documentary Hypothesis and the movie Back to the Future), Im most interested. 646.871.4444 646.871.0100 The Hellenists were probably pri-marily Diaspora Jews who had come to live in Jerusalem. When a teach said reach into the parable of the two sons and tell me the application, but me a younger believer did not have this memory of awana and sunday school teaching times. Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. say, Because I am not a hand, I am not of the body, is it therefore not of Audio & Video The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. With there being so many different types of Jewish groups they put them in to Hebraic and Hellenistic groups to categorize them easier but also the Hellenistic Jews were over looked upon food distribution which would also cause uproar inside that group. Im currently working on a project for entry into MA programs about how an understanding of the many traditions during the 2nd Temple Period influences how one reads something like Acts. I see the anointed savior concept as a denunciation of Yahweh as the Yahweh Sabaoth, its most stringent mosaic laws, and its intrinsic Jewish nationalism at the liberal, more Hellenized, end of the spectrum of these evolving sects among the Diaspora which contrasts with the more conservative view that, while relenting on the sacrificial mandates of the Deuteronomists, due to the destruction of the Temple, wish to one day rebuild Jerusalem, (more expansive, more popular, and more populous) and her Temple for the Jews, and Jews alone. I think that wherever there are people there will be dissection between them. 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. Having an understanding of the Hellenistic Jew helps us get a better comprehensive that the community of the earliest believers were far more diverse than Acts 2-5. This is an important aspect to consider when reading the book of Acts. Just as not all Jews were the same, we still see today that not all white/black/hispanic/asian/etc people are the same. Despite being Jewish, the Hellenists had adopted Greek cultural elements and It helps me understand Theophiluss definition of the Latin term as those who anoint themselves with oil, and that your above delineation is between inclusive enlightened Jews and more conservative yet enlightened Jews. (Im rolling with the historicity of what we read for the sake of argument.) 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 Required fields are marked *. Yet often it seems that one of the big discussions is how much one should be of the world, but not in the world. As P. Long mentioned, I believe that the diversity is not necessarily a development, but a something that has been present. 242-245. As referred to in this passage, "the Hellenists" are the Christian converts among the Jews who had returned to Judea after having God is no respecter of persons as we hear from Peter later in Acts 10 and again from Paul in Romans 2. Since November 2021, Reading Acts is edited by Sarah Westphal. I fully think that understanding the diversity that was around in Acts is something we need to understand for reading Acts. What was there about Hellenism that lured so many Jews to assimilate and at the same time, aroused in other Jews such staunch opposition? 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. Who were these Hellenistic Jews and Hebraic Jews? What was the difference between the two groups? 9,611 19 54 92 It recalls the murmuring of the Israelites in the desert (e.g., Exod. I think that the cult was predominantly Greek-speaking from the very beginning. In the end result the truth won out. Then there are the unrelenting Jews who hold out for the most conservative stance, as the most conservative of conservatives everywhere do, of the world as it was, which never comes again for anyone. What then could be the problem with setting a calendar? ", "For an excellent example of generally high-quality scholarship by someone who isnt a biblical studies professor, see Neil Godfreys work posted on the website vridar.org. Thanks for contributing an answer to Biblical Hermeneutics Stack Exchange! More From Britannica education: Ancient Hebrews This would have impeded understanding between the groups, and it may have been a factor in the actual neglect of the widows if they lived in an area less convenient for delivery of goods. . Having then If both sought Truth in the world, why were they hostile to one another? What was the problem reported in Acts 6? Terms and Conditions(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); , 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. I have requested it through interlibrary loan. If that isnt evidence that Judaism in the Second-Temple period was diverse, I dont know what is! Ovid did not come up with the idea of using the name Hellen to describe the Greek people; according to Thucydides: All of them: "For as the body is one and has many members, but all Given his subsequent account about Stephen we can believe that he does know more than he wishes to write. I think it helps understand that the community of earliest believers were far more diverse than Acts 2-5 would imply. In Acts, it talks about a division in Judaism that I had not heard of before: Acts 6:1 (NIV) where would be the hearing? The Sabbath Six days shall you work and do all your labor, but the seventh day is Shabbat for the Lord your G-d. On it, you shall do no [creative] work. The seventh day is the Jewish Sabbath on which a Jew does no work. This diversity is less a development in the earliest church, but a factor present from the beginning. WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. Why was Stephen performing great wonders and signs among the people when he was selected to handle the distribution of Food? 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. Theres always differences even among the different. 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. What Luke wrote had to of been strategical to set up 2 hebraic Jews, then following 2 hellenistic jews who werent considered apostles, or might not have been there until Pentecost. This is not necessarily a geographical division, although doubtless it often was. Most obviously, there was a gap in the existing system of care, and the widows among the Hellenists were not served as intended. Another way to put this is to be a Hellenistic Jew, there is to be an adaptive language other than the Jewish language. WebWho are the Hellenists and the Hebrews? In ancient times, when there was a Temple and a Sanhedrin (High Jewish Court), witnesses would come and declare that the new moon had been seen and the sages would then declare the month sanctified. I shall have to read it, too. You maybe forget that Peter and John were put in prison for their sermons! 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). 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. When thinking of the term Jew I myself like Tyler, think of one unified group with similar beliefs. 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. ", "Thanks much for this book review. But now God has set the members, each one of them, in the body And when you see Peter saying It is not about the money, but the disrepect for me and for the Holy Spirit, and then see that first Ananias, and then Sapphira, miraculously drop down dead (nothing to do with Joe Sicarius standing behind them, of course) the fear is not surprising. We are not told the difference between the two groups apart from their names. Disclaimers. ", Mary Booker, February 2020 (personal email), "Very good. What is behind Duke's ear when he looks back at Paul right before applying seal to accept emperor's request to rule? Not necessarily. This concept makes me think of how important it is to know history and backgrounds before studying the Bible. The response, then, took seriously both aspects of the problem. Or do they send them with the hope of growing stronger in their faith? Spirit. What might this passage mean? What we appear to be reading, what makes most historical sense, is that this is an account of how the seven leaders of the Hellenist church in Jerusalem came to their offices. Benedict While Judaism teaches humankind to strive to be like G-d, the Greeks created gods who acted with less dignity than many humans. Obviously these are all Jews, but there seems to be problem between the Jews who are in Jerusalem from outside and those Jews who remained on the inside. Chapters 6-8 concern the activities of two Hellenistic Jews and their ministry outside of the circle of the apostles in Jerusalem. 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. Schism WebIt appears in the section describing the dispute between the Hebrews and the Hellenists over the neglect of the latter's widows. Its a good reminder that the church is allowed to be diverse, but that we also have to make an effort to understand the backgrounds and ideas of those who are different from we are within the Christian community. 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. Pentecost is a great example of this. Donations This is one of the three feasts Jews are commanded to go to Jerusalem. Further, the Seven were apparently all Hellenists. 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. to be weaker are necessary. the members of that one body, being many, are one body, so also is Christ. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. They were Greek-speaking Jews of the Diaspora, who returned to settle in Jerusalem. To identify them, Luke uses the term Hellenistai. First off I never knew there were Hellenistic Jews or even what this stood for. WebWe have good grounds for the historicity of the Hellenists. Lukes story about the Greek-speaking widows in Jerusalem was part of that long explanation. Athanasius of Alexandria Even in the Old Testament history books and laws, we see mentions of foreigners among the Jews and how they should be treated among the Jewish society. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Understanding that diversity helps us understand the spread of the gospel and the challenges faced by the early Christians. In prison for their sermons pri-marily Diaspora Jews who had come to live in Jerusalem we... Strive to be an adaptive language other than the Jewish language Jews did not embrace. And receive notifications of new posts by email origins of Islam, I!, why were they able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help were far more than. That one body, so also is Christ were Hellenistic Jews or even what this for. 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