CST 130 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Talmud, One-Line Joke, Synoptic Gospels
10 Jun 2018
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Chapter 2
The Jewish Historian Josephus mentions Jesus briefly in a passage that is highly contested.
The Talmud is another Jewish work that briefly mentions Jesus as well.
Tacitus, the main Roman source which mentions Jesus is the Roman historian.
The earliest Christian sources for the life of Jesus are the writings of Paul even though he was
not an eye-witness and mentions little about Jesus' life.
The most comprehensive sources for the life of Jesus are the four gospels.
Other apocryphal gospels were written in the names of famous disciples that included
teachings and episodes quite different from the 4 canonical Gospels. Not part of the NT.
Some scholars try to differentiate between the Jesus of history and the "Christ of faith".
The most well-known event of Jesus' life is his death by Roman crucifixion as "King of the
Jews"
Regarding genre, the gospels are biographies but neither complete ones more modern ones
since they are selective about material and focus mainly on the end of Jesus' life.
The Gospels also function as apologies because they defend who Jesus was and why he died.
The term gospel initially referred to the message that Jesus preached.
Initially, information about Jesus circulated only orally by word of mouth but eventually
written gospels were compiled.
Each of the 4 Gospels is technically anonymous since the authors name is never indicated in
the text.
Each gospel was probably written to a specific target audience and each gospel writer paints a
portrait of Jesus that would be important toward issues facing that particular community.
Each gospel was intended to be read aloud and entirely.
Parables are comparisons (sometimes in the form of a story, an allegory, or a one-liner)
intended to make a point and are prominent in Jesus' teachings in Matthew, Mark, and Luke.
Matthew, Mark, and Luke are remarkably parallel and similar in content, wording, and
arrangement. These three gospels are call the synoptic gospels , this does not include John.
The synoptic problem is the attempt to explain why Matthew, Mar, and Luke are so similar
and John is so distinct.
Nearly all scholars think the Gospel of Mark was written first, and Matthew and Luke were
based on it.
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