Jerusalem Council
the assembly of Jewish Christians in Jerusalem that met to debate the question of how Gentiles come to receive salvation. Accounts of the event are found in Acts 2 and Galatians 2:1-10. Probably took place around 46-49 CE.
amanuensis (bonus reading section)
a secretary who aided in the production of texts in the Greco-Roman world. An amanuensis did not merely take dictation but sometimes drafted, edited, or composed texts.
apocalypse
type of literature influenced by the prophetic tradition, characterized by elaborate visions/dreams, symbols, numerology, angels, cosmic upheavals, emphasis on the end time—including final judgment, resurrection, and eternal salvation. Term comes from Greek, apokalypsis, meaning “revelation.” Purports to reveal the future or the heavenly realm to interpret the readers’ circumstances. Examples: Daniel and Revelation, Matt 24-25, parallels in Mk 13/Luke 21.
Asia Minor
the region in the ancient world that encompassed the Roman provinces of Asia, Bithynia, Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Cilicia, and where many early churches developed in the first centuries of the Christian movement. Most of this region lies in modern day Turkiye.
babylon
capital city of the ancient empire that conquered Israel and took it into exile. Becomes used as an image in Revelation to represent worldly evil and immoral commerce
Benediction
a brief word of blessing and thanksgiving to God
Catholic Epistles
a canonical collection that came together in the late third and included James, 1-2 Peter, 1-3 John, and Jude. The modern category “general letters” is based on the Catholic epistles, though the general letters also includes the book of Hebrews
Christology
theological reflection that explores the significance and identity of Jesus of Nazareth
Circumcision
the procedure of removing the foreskin from male genitals. Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant with Abraham (Gen 17), became a major Jewish identity marker, and was a subject of early debate when it came to Gentile conversion to Christianity (esp. Galatians, Romans)
composite document
a document constructed by bringing together multiple smaller texts or fragments of texts and editing them into a unified whole. 2 Corinthians is largely believed to be a composite text
Diaspora
a Greek term meaning “dispersion, scattering,” commonly applied to Jewish people living outside of Palestine. Reference to the term occurs in the addresses of James and 1 Peter, as they address Jewish Christian audiences in multiple locations
diatribe
an ancient literary technique that involved voicing a theoretical opponent’s position before stating one’s own opinion
Gentiles
the term for non-Jewish peoples. Gentiles were sometimes referred to as “the nations”
Gnosticism (bonus reading section)
a movement in antiquity that took root among a variety of religious adherents, including some early Christians. Gnosticism focused on a saving knowledge (Greek, gnosis) that was given only to an elite few. This special knowledge espoused a dualism that considered the physical or material realm to be evil, whereas good could only be found in the spiritual realm
Hellenism/Hellenistic
Greek culture and ideas; a descriptor for things that were influenced by them
Homily
A term for a sermon
Household codes (bonus reading section)
Instructions addressing relationships within a Greco-Roman household, like between husbands and wives, slaves and masters, parents and children. Biblical examples appear in Ephesians, Colossians, 1 Peter, and are reflected in 1 Timothy and Titus.
Apostle
one closely associated with Jesus, particularly as a witness to his resurrection, who has been sent (Greek, apostello, “to send”) to continue Jesus’s work
Justification
also brought into English as “rectification,” this is a term Paul uses to speak about how a person is brought into a covenant relationship with God where none exists otherwise. It can be understood to talk about being made just, being made righteous, or possibly being granted righteousness. While Paul spoke about justification by faith, James seems to correct a misunderstanding of this idea and affirm the role of just actions in a saving faith
Pharisee
a sect of Judean Jews that probably emerged in the second century BCE who strove to embody the virtuous life the Mosaic law prescribed so that they would be rewarded for their faithfulness with bodily resurrection in the afterlife. They were skilled interpreters of Scripture and revered the oral traditions. Paul was a Pharisee before becoming a Christian apostle
Eschatology, eschatological
having to do with “last things,” and “the end time,” this term is often used to describe the reasons for specific ethical advice from Paul and others in the New Testament, based on their expectation that they were living in the last generation before Christ’s return. See also parousia
messiah
a Hebrew term meaning “anointed one,” which is most often used in the Old Testament for kings. It comes associated with an ideal, future Davidic king. The term translates into Greek as christos and becomes the dominant title used for Jesus
occasional
the term used to describe how Paul’s epistles and the Catholic epistles can be understood to respond to specific situations, including problems in local congregations or among dispersed early Christian believers
palestine
the name for the land between the Mediterranean Sea and the area east of the Jordan river. The name is still used today for part of the region
