THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE GOSPELS

Teaching Outline: The Historical Context of the Gospels

I. Introduction: The Two Historical Contexts

The Goal of Exegesis: The primary goal when studying the Gospels is to understand what the text meant to the original audience—both the people of Jesus’s time and the readers of the written Gospels.

Two Contextual Levels: To achieve this, we must consider two distinct historical settings:

The Context of Jesus: The political, social, and religious world in which Jesus lived and taught (c. 4 BC – AD 30).

The Context of the Evangelist (Author): The specific situation and community that prompted each author (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John) to write their Gospel (c. AD 60–90).

II. The Historical Context of Jesus (The "Then and There")

Understanding the setting of first-century Judaism is vital for interpreting Jesus's words and actions.

Political Setting: Roman Occupation

Roman Control: Judea was under the heavy hand of the Roman Empire, ruled by Roman governors (like Pontius Pilate) or client kings (like Herod the Great and his family).

Messianic Hope: This occupation fueled an intense and widespread Jewish hope for a political Messiah who would liberate Israel from Rome, restoring the Davidic kingdom. This context explains why Jesus's teachings often re-defined the nature of the Kingdom of God.

Religious & Social Setting: First-Century Judaism

Diverse Groups: The religious landscape was fragmented, with key groups often clashing:

Pharisees: Focused on meticulous observance of the Law (Torah) and oral tradition. They appear most frequently as Jesus's opponents.

Sadducees: The priestly aristocracy, politically aligned with Rome, who only accepted the written Torah and denied concepts like the resurrection.

Essenes: Ascetic groups (possibly including the community at Qumran/Dead Sea Scrolls) who withdrew from mainstream society.

Zealots: Revolutionary groups committed to armed resistance against Rome.

The centrality of the Temple and the Synagogue

Temple: The center of Jewish religious life, sacrifice, and pilgrimage (especially for festivals like Passover). Its corruption was a focal point of Jesus's ministry (e.g., clearing the temple courts).

Synagogue: The local center for weekly worship, reading of the Law, teaching, and community life. This was the primary location for Jesus's teaching ministry.

The Form of Jesus's Teaching

Jesus employed diverse and familiar teaching methods of his time: parables, hyperbole, proverbs, similes, and metaphors. Interpreting these forms correctly requires knowing their common usage.

III. The Historical Context of the Evangelists (The Author's Situation)

The Gospels were not simply biographies; they were written as theological narratives for specific Christian communities facing particular issues. The Evangelists selected, shaped, and arranged the traditional materials (stories and sayings of Jesus) to meet the needs of their readers.

The Origin of Gospel Material (Pericopes)

The stories and sayings of Jesus were initially transmitted as individual units (known as pericopes).

The Evangelists, guided by the Holy Spirit, placed these units into their present literary contexts (thinking vertically)—often grouping similar teachings thematically (topically) rather than strictly chronologically.

Thinking Vertically vs. Horizontally

Vertical Reading (Context of the Evangelist): Read each Gospel as a whole to determine that author’s distinct purpose and message. This involves recognizing the author’s unique selection, arrangement, and emphases.

Horizontal Reading (Parallel Accounts): Compare the parallel accounts in Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the Synoptic Gospels) to appreciate the distinctives of each Gospel writer. Caution: Avoid harmonization—blurring the differences between the accounts—as this overlooks the unique theological message of each Evangelist.

The Distinctive Historical Context and Purpose of Each Gospel (A Brief Overview):

Mark: Likely written first, stressing Jesus's suffering and the need for disciples to suffer as well. It presents Jesus as the powerful, yet misunderstood, Son of God.

Matthew: Written for a community with strong Jewish roots, emphasizing Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills the Old Testament prophecies (the new Moses).

Luke: Written for a Gentile audience, emphasizing the universality of Jesus's message and his care for the poor, the outcast, and women.

John: Written much later, focusing on Jesus's identity as the divine Son of God (the Logos or "Word") and encouraging belief in Him for eternal life.

IV. Conclusion: Applying the Two Contexts

Exegesis as a Two-Step Process: To correctly interpret a Gospel passage, you must consider the saying or story in two contexts:

Its original context in the life of Jesus (who was His audience? what was the situation?).

Its present context in the structure of the Evangelist's Gospel (why did this author place it here?).