HOLY CROSS COLLEGE

Sta. Ana, Pampanga

COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES

INTRODUCTION
 There have been many figures throughout human history who have exerted a profound
influence on the world. No single figure has exerted more influence than the first century prophet
from Nazareth called Jesus the Messiah, the Annointed One, the Christ. Even our calendar dating
system (e.g. 2000 "Common Era") is based on Jesus' supposed birthdate at Bethlehem in Judea.
Our task is to seek to unravel something of the myst\
ery of this person in his own time and context and then to investigate the various ways in
which Jesus has been understood from New Testament times until our own day.
To speak of the mystery of Jesus Christ is to acknowledge, first of all, that human life
itself is mystery. Human beings are not just minds and bodies; they are also spirit. God is the
supreme Mystery and, as St. Paul remarks, it is only 'in God that we move and live and have our
being'. Mystery, then, invades every dimension of our lives including our knowledge of
ourselves and our world. Mystery is at the heart of our relationships with others. If we ever get to
the point where we say of someone that 'there is no mystery there', we can be sure that we are
failing to appreciate the depth, the beauty, the pain, the reality of who that person is. We are
effectively saying that 'God is not there'. This is why the more we come to know and appreciate
another person, the more we become aware of the depth of mystery and the reality of God in that
person.
The mystery of the person of Jesus is even more profound on account of the kinds of
human faith-responses that he inspired in the disciples of his own day and in Christian believers
throughout the centuries. Of course, people touched by the Jesus-story--then as now--respond in
different ways and at different levels. However, it remains true that the story of Jesus continues
to capture the imagination of people, to inspire new vision and hope. These people feel that Jesus
somehow enables them to be more authentically human and to live their lives with greater
openness to the divine mystery.
How is it, then, that this first century Jew from Palestine came to exert such influence on
human beings and world history? Evidently, there is no simple answer to this question. In fact,
the best answers are not expressed in words, but in the lives and deeds, the witness and
testimony, of Jesus' followers. In other words, it is only by risking our own lives and entering
into the mystery of the Jesus-story that we can begin to understand something of the profound
meaning of his life, death and resurrection for us and our world.

TABLE OF CONTENTS
 PRELIMINARY

LESSON 1: INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTOLOGY 4

LESSON 2: THE GOSPELS 10

LESSON 3: THE WORLD OF JESUS CHRIST 15

LESSON 1
INTRODUCTION TO CHRISTOLOGY

OBJECTIVES
 To understand the meaning of Christology and its scope
 To deepen students’ understanding of the person and mission of Jesus Christ.
 To know the different approaches in studying Christology as well as the different
Christological heresies
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God and the Word was God. He was
in the beginning with God. All things came into being through Him, and without Him, not one
thing came into being. What has come into being in him was life, and the life was the light of
all pp g eo le. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not overcome it. And the
Word became flesh and lived among us, and we have seen his glory the glory of a father’s
only son, full of grace and truth.” John 1:1-5, 14
Who is Jesus Christ? This question marks the starting point of Christology, a major branch of
theology that studies the nature and being of Jesus.

 ETYMOLOGY
The word “Christology” comes from two Greek roots. The first, “Christ,” is derived
from the Hebrew word “Messiah,” meaning “anointed one,” the promised deliverer of Israel.
The second, “-ology,” comes from the Greek “logia” and is now used in English to mean “the
study of.” Thus, Christology is the study of the anointed deliver, the Christ, or the study of
Jesus, the Son of God.

Christology is primarily concerned with the identity of Jesus. Christianity asserts and
agrees that Jesus is the incarnate God with two complete natures, both human and divine, the
discipline asks how both of these can exist in one person. This foundational statement in
Christology, rooted in Scripture, holds unparalleled practical and theological significance.
Likewise, Christology also investigates how this relates to the life and works of Jesus. How and
why did the incarnation and resurrection occur? Why is salvation offered through Christ? These
questions and topics lead to a greater understanding of who Jesus is, what he did and what all of
this means.

 SIGNIFICANCE
On the other hand, Christology is linked to several theological disciplines such as:
Soteriology, or the study of the doctrine of salvation, requires an understanding of Jesus’ nature.
The same thing with Ecclesiology, or the study of the Christian Church, and Trinitarian
theology, or the study of God in the Trinity (the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit).
Christology relates to different ranges of theology, but it occupies a lot of place in the life
of the believer. Recognizing who Jesus is, what he did and why — these are essential to knowing
him. Only then may someone believe in Jesus and have eternal life (John 3:11-21).

 SOURCES AND CONCEPTS

In order to understand Christology, one must go back to its historical background. The
historical development of Christology can be trace back (1) on the New Testament of the Bible
specifically in the four gospels. The four Gospels portray Jesus as having had a sense of mission
much like the prophets in the Hebrew Bible, and they declare that Jesus saw himself as the
decisive revelation of God to his people. That revelation consisted of his teachings, both about
himself and about his role. Throughout the more than 2,000 years of Christian history, there has
been what might be called a dual emphasis with regard to Jesus: he has been seen both as teacher
and as savior, and accordingly either his teaching or his person has stood in the foreground of
theological reflection. When one begins to study Christology, one must also turn to the (2)
tradition of the Church, especially as found in the early Councils and (3) one’s own
contemporary experience and also the teaching of the church.

 APPROACHES TO CHRISTOLOGY
ONTOLOGICAL CHRISTOLOGY
– It deals with the identity of Christ as His relationship to the Father. It is in this field
where questions are addressed such as, “who is He?” and “What is His relationship to God?”
God’s Word tells us that He is God’s only begotten Son who came to save the world from their
sins (John 3:16). Jesus also states Himself that He is equal with God the Father (John 10:30 and
8:58). God the Father confirms these things when Jesus was baptized (Matthew 3:17; Rev. 1 & 2;
John 1:1-3). These are just a few of the topics that are addressed in ontological Christology.

FUNCTIONAL CHRISTOLOGY
- addresses the role and job of Jesus Christ, specifically His role as Savior and Messiah.
Christ’s purpose of being here on earth was to come “fulfill the Law”. There had to be a living
sacrifice sufficient enough to be shed for all mankind. Jesus was the only answer to that problem.
Another function would be His example of life here on earth set through His physical ministry.
As we know from Scripture, Jesus lived a perfect and blameless life of ministry to others,
fulfilling His destiny in several different ways. By living and serving without sin, he was
simultaneously also fulfilling His role as Savior.

HISTORICAL CHRISTOLOGY
-investigates facts and evidences of historical human Jesus. It also includes the words or
the teachings and works or miracles of Jesus.

 HERESIES IN THE DIVINITY OF JESUS

A heresy is a belief that deviates from some standard, official belief. When religious
authorities decide that a belief is heretical, they usually take active efforts to eradicate the belief,
usually including the removal of the offending believers (by excommunication or worse). Most
Christian heresies centered around the twin issues of the nature of the trinity and, more
specifically, the nature of Jesus Christ. The official stand on these issues is as follows: God is a
trinity, three persons but one essence; Jesus Christ was one person, simultaneously human and
divine. That these two statements are not particularly rational was considered irrelevant. The
trinity was seen as mysterious and a matter of faith, not reason.
Throughout Christian history there have been a number of theories about how Jesus could
be human and divine. In the first three centuries the church councils came to the prayerful
conclusion that Jesus was “truly God” and “truly man”. He had a divine nature and a human
nature. The two natures existed in the one person, “without confusion, unchangeably, indivisibly
and inseparably”. The Chalcedonian definition makes clear that “the distinction of natures being
by no means taken away by the union, but rather the property of each nature being preserved,
and concurring in one Person and one Subsistence, not parted or divided into two persons, but
one and the same Son”. Many people challenged this view over the years and so we have a good
list of all the ways in which we can have a sub-par understanding of the two natures of Christ.
These views have been defined by the church since those times as “heresies”.

ADOPTIONISM
- Adoptionism says that Jesus was a human being who was "adopted" by God at his
conception, at which point he developed a divine nature. Later versions sometimes suggest that
he was adopted later, such as when he was baptized by John the Baptist. The belief that Jesus
was born only as human (not divine) and that he was a very virtuous man, and was later adopted
as “Son of God” when the Spirit descended on him at His baptism.
Problem: Denies Christ’s Divinity

APOLLINARISM/APOLLINARIANISM
- Named for Apollinaris of Laodicea (fl. 350), this heresy says that Jesus Christ was not a
real man, but not totally divine either. The belief that Jesus had a human body and soul, but not a
divine mind.
Problem: Diminishes the two natures of Christ. (denies the complete humanity of Christ)

ARIANISM
– Arianism is named after Arius (c. 250 - c. 336), a priest in Alexandria. This is
considered the most serious heresy. Jesus Christ was thought of as a special creation by God for
man's salvation. Arianism was the form of Christianity that the Goths adhered to, and it was
popular in all the areas they conquered, including Italy, Spain, and Africa. The belief that Jesus
was not divine, but a created being. And that he had a beginning in time and was given the title
“Son of God” as a courtesy.
Problem: Denies Christ’s Divinity

DOCETISM
- The name comes from the Greek word dokesis, meaning "to seem." Docetism says that
Christ was not a real human being and did not have a real human body.
Problem: Denies Christ’s Humanity
NESTORIANISM
- Supposedly, Nestorius, Patriarch of Antioch (fl. 410), believed that Jesus Christ had two
natures -- man and God -- which remained separate throughout his period on earth. This is not
really what Nestor said (although he did deny virgin birth) but the name stuck. Nestorianism is
the belief that Jesus Christ is not identical with the Son but united with the Son, who lives in
him, is one hypostasis and one nature: human. In addition to this, it states that Mary only gave
birth to Jesus' human nature.
Problem: Confuses the two natures; Denies Christ’s Divinity

MONOPHYSITISM
- Monophysite comes from the Greek words for "one body." This heresy says that Jesus
Christ was a joining of the eternal Logos with the human person Jesus, which occurred at
incarnation. He therefore is two separate natures joined in one body. The belief that Jesus’
divine nature dominated his human nature.
Problem: Diminishes Christ’s human nature

MONOTHELITISM
- The belief that Jesus had a human and a divine nature but only one will.
Problem: Denies Jesus’ 2 wills - human and divine

 CHRISTOLOGICAL COUNCILS VS HERESIES

1. THE COUNCIL OF NICAEA (325 AD)
It was ordered by Emperor Constantine. It speaks about the “FULL DIVINITY OF CHRIST”
– It asserted that the Son of God is as truly Divine as the Father, equal in Divinity. versus Arius
(Arianism)- a priest of Alexandria He taught that the LOGOS (Word) is neither truly God nor
truly human but rather the first and highest creature. Arius understood Jesus as a Created being.
Therefore, not the same with God and not God himself.
To refute the heresy of Arius, the Council of Nicaea declares the “Full Divinity of Christ.”
“God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made, one in being
(Homoousios) with the Father.” St. Athanasius says: “Only God can save us. If Jesus is not
divine, he cannot save us.” Jesus, fully divine, becomes human so that we may become
divinized. Homoousios means that the Son is “Consubstantial” and “one in being” with the
Father.
The Importance of Nicaea God communicates personally in the human existence of the man
Jesus. This self-communication of God in God’s incarnate Son unveils the self-communication
between persons that exists in the mystery of God’s inner life.

2. THE FIRST COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (381)

It speaks about the “INTEGRAL HUMANITY OF JESUS CHRIST” versus Apollinarius of
Laodicea He denied the human soul of Jesus. “We are made of a flesh and two souls: the nous
and the pneuma. In the incarnation, the Logos takes the place of the nous – the rational soul – in
Jesus. Jesus then has no human soul and thus not fully human.
Pope Damasus I together with the Council rejected the doctrine of Apollinarius, because it
was necessary that Christ, in order to redeem human beings, should have a complete human
nature. Christ’s humanity is made up of body and a soul with its lower and higher faculties. A
full humanity is united to the eternal Son of God.
 What is the significance? According to St. Gregory of Nazianzus: “What is not assumed is
not healed,” “If Jesus did not take on what is human, we would not be saved.” If the Logos took
only our bodies and not our souls, then our souls wouldn’t have been healed. Jesus had to take in
all that we are in order to turn it into all that he is.

3. THE COUNCIL OF EPHESUS (431)

It declares the “Personal union of the Two Natures in Christ” Versus Nestorius – patriarch of
Constantinople He believed that Mary should not be called “Theotokos” but rather
“Christotokos.” The Heresy of Nestorius concerned about the question of the Incarnation of the
Son of God. In what sense and in what manner has the Son of God become human in Jesus?

For Nestorius, the humanity of Jesus is no doubt real, but the man Jesus is not the Word of
God become man, one and the same, nor was the Word personally humanized. Rather, the Word
was present in the man Jesus as in a temple, and operative in Him. Council of Ephesus Cyril of
Alexandria affirms that the Word of God has united to Himself, the humanity of Jesus
“according to the hypostasis” (the unity of person). It also affirmed Mary as “Theotokos.” If
Jesus, who is truly God, has truly become man through Mary, then Mary can be called the
Mother of God.
The Significance That Jesus is the personal bridge, the personal Mediator between God and
Humanity. Jesus is a Divine Person. Jesus is God humanized, not man divinized. The authentic
humanization of God in Jesus Christ is at once the foundation of God’s self-communication to
humankind and the revelation to it the mystery of God.

4. THE COUNCIL OF CHALCEDON (451)

It affirms the “Indivise-inconfuse” - That Jesus is truly God, Jesus is truly human, Jesus is
one person in whom both divine and human exist without division, without confusion. VERSUS
- Eutyches, who teaches Monophysitism – “the union of the divine and human natures in Christ
results only in one incarnate nature.”
Eutyches, a monk of Constantinople, teaches that there is only one nature in Jesus Christ. The
Divinity absorbed the humanity of Jesus. Thus, there is only one nature in Christ. Council of
Chalcedon teaches that the incarnate Word of God is only one individual but has two “things”,
His Divine and Human natures. There are Human and Divine nature in one person, Jesus Christ.
They both exist in Jesus Christ. “Without division or separation”, it explains that the two natures
are not one beside the other. “Without confusion or change”, they stresses the fact that the
distinction of the two natures endures and that the properties of each are maintained.

5. SECOND COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (553)

Heresies: Monophysitism and Nestorianism The council speaks about the Canon 4 which
says that the human nature subsists in the “hypostasis” of the Word. The Word communicates its
own personal existence to the humanity of Jesus. Jesus Christ therefore, is a composite divine-
human person, as truly human as He is divine. The unity of person presides- and prevails over –
the distinction of natures.

6. THE THIRD COUNCIL OF CONSTANTINOPLE (681)

It was convoked by Emperor Constantine IV, with the consent of Pope Agatho, this Council
defined the Two Wills and Actions in Christ. VERSUS Monotheletism by Macarius and Sergius
It speaks about the only “One Will” in Jesus Christ.
Solution: According to St. Maximus, the Confessor, the Two Natural Wills, the divine and
the human, work in full concordance (work in communion, unity, harmony, agreement). If Christ
has two natures, He has also two wills and modes of actions, belonging respectively to each
nature, both of which are intimately united on one and the same Christ God. It was necessary that
the salvation of humankind proceed also from a true human will, freely acting.

LESSON 2
THE GOSPELS
OBJECTIVES:
 To know the importance of the four Gospels in knowing Jesus
 To understand Jesus through the writings of the four gospels
 To appreciate the contribution of the four gospels in understanding the life of Jesus
Christ
 MEANING
The word GOSPEL means good news, and is a term used to define the written accounts of
Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament. The four widely known gospels are the canonical
gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. However, the term can also refer to the apocryphal,
non-canonical, the Jewish, and the gnostic gospels. There are several accounts of Jesus that are
not recognized or accepted by orthodox Christians however the gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke,
and John are going to be my primary focus.
It is important that we understand these sources and what they are trying to accomplish. The
Gospels are neither biographies of the life of Christ nor are they a disinterested record of certain
events in His life. Each writer wants the reader to know the truth about Jesus and become a
disciple. To accomplish this purpose, each Gospel is aimed at a certain audience and each writer
is selective of the events he includes.
Despite the gospel of Matthew being the first book in the new testament the majority view
today, is that Mark was actually the first gospel followed by Matthew and then Luke. It is
believed that Matthew and Luke borrowed passages from Mark's gospel and one other source
lost to history. This view is known as the two-source hypothesis. The two-source hypothesis
came out around the 19th century.

Due to Matthew and Luke borrowing passages from Mark these three gospels are known as
the synoptic gospels. Synoptic means having the same view, and if you read the gospels of
Matthew, Mark, and Luke you will understand why they are considered the synoptic gospels.
John was the only author who actually knew Jesus and his gospel takes a different view than the
first three. John's gospel follows a very different time line and does not share much content with
the other gospels in general. The gospel of John uses different verbiage, and style of writing and
was actually rejected by the orthodox Christians for a long time. Today, it is widely accepted and
is the favorite gospel by most conservative Christians.
 THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
The gospel of John was the only gospel written by a follower of Jesus. The other three
writers were followers of Jesus's apostles, and likely never met Jesus for themselves. John's
message was a personal account of his following closely with Jesus. Therefore, John's message is
for all ethnic groups and his whole purpose for writing is to bring evidence to prove that Jesus is
Christ and truly the Son of God.

Throughout John's work one will find that John's focus is on emphasizing the divine status of
Jesus. This can be seen through Jesus' statements of "I am" that will be found in John's gospel.
From the very first verse to the end of the book John's message of divinity is clear. In John 1:1 he
lays the foundation for the entire gospel, and one will find that he continues to show how Jesus is
the word made flesh; " In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the
Word was God". In John 20:31 the message of his entire book is layed out in black in white;
"But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by
believing you may have life in his name".

 THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Matthew was writing to and for the Jews and focuses his work around the idea that Jesus is
the King of the Jews; "Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in
the east and have come to worship him." (Matthew 2:2). There were two main reasons Matthew
wrote his book. The gospel of Matthew was written as a message of encouragement and strength
for Jewish Christians. Despite Jesus being killed by Jews, Matthew's first message is to
strengthen Jewish Christian's faith in the knowledge that Jesus was the Messiah. To prove that
Jesus was the promised Messiah of the Old Testament, Matthew quotes the Old Testament more
than any other synoptic writer.
The second reason he writes his book is to show that Jesus was truly the Messiah. He shows
this by recording Jesus' geneology and quoting the old testament. "A record of the geneology of
Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham:" (Matthew 1:1). This verse fulfills the
prophecy from 2 Samuel 7:12-14 "When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will
raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish
his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne
of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son.".

 THE GOSPEL OF MARK

Mark focuses on the idea that Jesus was a servant. This can be seen by his lack of geneology
of Jesus throughout his gospel. Mark's work is meant to encourage Christians throughout Rome,
despite being persecuted for their faith. He goes on to say that persecution is the price that
Christian's must pay for following Jesus. In the book of Mark, Jesus says exactly that "Then he
called the crowd to him along with his disciples and said: 'If anyone would come after me, he
must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will
lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the gospel will save it.'" (Mark 8:34-35).

 THE GOSPEL OF LUKE

Luke was known to be an accurate historian, and as a result he carefully researched
everything. Luke approaches his work by making Jesus the Son of man. He shows how Jesus
was a real person and how He showed a genuine interest in people from all walks of life. Luke
spends ample time focusing on Jesus' birth and childhood as well as His human traits. The first
two chapters are dedicated to the history and geneology of Jesus.

Many of Luke's other versus portray a Jesus who was able to feel human emotions as well as
express other human traits. "Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led
by the Spirit in the desert, where for forty days he was tempted by the devil. He ate nothing
during those days, and at the end of them he was hungry" (Luke 4:1-2). Jesus is portrayed to
have feelings such as pain and sorrow. "He withdrew about a stone's throw beyond them, knelt
down and prayed, 'Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be
done.' An angel from heaven appeared to him and strengthened him. And being in anguish, he
prayed more earnestly, and his sweat was like drops of blood falling to the ground." (Luke
22:41-44).

Definitions to Remember:
• Covenant: Agreement between God and His people
• Testament: Bears witness to
• Canonical: Official 27 books of the New Testament
• Non-Canonical: Books deemed unnecessary for the
 New Testament; separate from the apocalypse
• Apocryphal: Anonymous Jewish or Christian texts
containing prophetic or symbolic visions that did not make it into the bible
• Theophilus: Lover of God

Despite each gospel being written in different time periods and in completely different
historical situations and locations, they have similar story lines and ideas of Jesus' life. Jesus'
character and history is portrayed different in these works, yet they do not contradict each other.
The different works compliments each other and provides harmonious detailed description of
Jesus' life.
  STAGES IN THE FORMATION OF THE GOSPELS
1. THE JESUS EVENT/ HISTORICAL JESUS
This referred to the words, teachings and works of Jesus. The central message of Jesus’
preaching is the coming of Kingdom of God here on earth. Jesus by the totality of His earthly
life shows us a new testament rooted in love and forgiveness, ratifying and renewing the Old
Covenant by His Paschal Mystery: Crucifixion, Death and Resurrection.
Timeline of Jesus’ Life
 Birth of Jesus
 Presentation to the Temple
 Baptism- Start of Ministry
 Suffering of Jesus
 Death of Christ
 Resurrection of Christ
 Ascension
 Descent of the Holy Spirit

2. THE APOSTOLIC PREACHING/ ORAL TRADITION

This refers to the contribution of the Palestinian and the Hellenistic communities in the
formation of the Holy Gospels. It is the Apostles’ turn to preach the good news of Jesus.
Their central message is that Jesus is the Christ- the Son of God who came to save us from
sin and will return to judge the living and the dead. This is more centered on the missionary
preaching of the Apostles with Paul and building small Christian communities that will
become centers of Christianity.
After the ascension of Jesus, the Holy Spirit descended upon His Apostles and they
handed on the deeds and words of Jesus through preaching and teaching. They now had a
better understanding of what He did and what He said. They could look back on the whole
story of Jesus’ life, from the beginning of his ministry to his ascension.

3. THE WRITING OF THE GOSPEL BY THE FOUR EVANGELISTS

This refers to the role of the evangelist to write down those valuable words of the Lord
Jesus Christ and that of the Apostles who were first class eyewitness of Jesus. At times the
evangelist would combine, summarize, or explain these traditions. The end result of this
work was a written Gospel. Each evangelist composed his Gospel with skill and creativity,
but always in such a way as to tell us the honest truth about Jesus. The writing of the gospel
by the Four Evangelists.

Lesson 3
The World of Jesus Christ
OBJECTIVES
 To understand the socio-economic background of Jesus
 To develop greater insight into the Savior’s life and teaching
  To grow in awareness of Jesus’ life during his time

A. SOCIO – ECONOMIC AND POLITICAL PROFILE

We know from the Gospel accounts of St. Luke that Jesus was born during the reign of
Roman Emperor Octavian (27 – 14 B.C.E.) who was given the title ‘Caesar Augustus’.
‘Caesar Augustus’ -He was the one who ordered the census during Jesus’ birth in order to
update the list of the people of the kingdom. It is also another way of looking at the taxing
scheme of each city. Most Jews during this time are farmers and herdsmen. Their products vary
from grapes, olives, fruits, figs, wheat and barley.
Fishing is also a major trade because of the Sea of Galilee (the term ‘sea’ connotes bodies of
water which are now distinguished as the lake). Others are skilled craftsmen such as carving and
carpentry. The basic foods during this time are barley bread and fish which the poor eat. Wheat
bread is only for the rich who can afford as well as meat and eggs which are considered luxuries.

BASIC SOCIAL DIVISIONS

1. Political Leaders- who are invaders and have the highest authority in a particular city or
territory.
2. Rich Families- they are referred to as those who have influence with the political leaders
at this time and some are business men: owing herds, vineyard and fishing industry.
3. Rabbi or teachers- well respected individuals in the society who can teach about Law
and the Scripture in the synagogue. Boys are priority. Women are second class citizens in
this time and they are confined in the homes. During the synagogue worship, they are
placed after the screen or the dividing line from the males or in the balcony. When
walking, they should bow their heads and always covering them. When the baby being
born is a male, there is a rejoicing in the family and the community because they believed
that many children are blessing from the Lord while being childless is a curse.
4. Poor- these are the workers or laborers where most of the large taxes are going to sustain
the political system of the place.
5. Outcasts- sick and disabled; prostitutes; tax collectors. To be sick during Jesus’ time is to
be a sinner and vice-versa.

B. MAJOR SECTS/ GROUPS IN THE TIME OF JESUS

PRIESTLY CLASS
– These are priests carefully selected after the return from the exile that will continue the
traditions of the Levitical calling. The threefold order of this class are:
a. Levites- the lowest rank and acts as guard, assistants, porters and musicians of the
Temple.
b. Priests- second to the rank.
c. High Priest- Being the titular head of the Jewish people, head of the Sanhedrin (the
Jewish highest court that handled cases of the violation of the Torah) and exercise
unusual authority over the daily lives of the people.
SADDUCEES
– Their name’s origin is not certain and most probable that they came from Zadok,
Solomon’s priest. They are considered to be friends of the rulers of the land to maintain their
influence and they reject innovations in the society. They are called ‘compromisers’ by the
people. They do not believe in life after death, spirits, Last judgment and the oral law of the
Pharisees. They consist most of the number of the Sanhedrin during Jesus’ time and
Caiaphas the chief priest belong to this group who ordered Jesus’ arrest. With the destruction
of the Temple in 70 B.C.E., they died as a group.

SCRIBES
- They are professional scholars trained in the preservation, knowledge and interpretation
of the Jewish Scriptures. In the New Testament, they are called Rabbi or Rabboni (Teachers
of the Law) and they love to wear long robes of distinction and sat in the places of honor. (cf.
Mark 12:38-39).
The Scribes performed secretarial services for the many who were unable to read and write.
Jewish Scribes were well versed in the laws of Moses, making them the spiritual and
temporal legal counselors of the period. Most Scribes were Pharisees, so Jesus frequently
referred to them in connection with the Pharisees. Some others were affiliated with the
Sadducees and other religious groups.
PUBLICANS
- Originally Publicans (publicani) were men who served in the public works or farmed
public lands for the Roman government. They later became known as professional tax
farmers, who made their profits from the excess taxes they collected. The right to collect
taxes was sold at public auctions to private corporations of Publicans who gave the highest
bid. Since the Publicans were native Jews of Palestine, they were detested, ostracized, and
often excommunicated by most Jewish groups. But some Publicans, such as Matthew,
received the gospel very readily, and Jesus associated frequently with them.

PHARISEES
- Their name came from the word ‘parush’ meaning “the separated”. They believed that
there are separated from others who ‘do not know the Law,’ and thus do not want to mingle
with sinners, outcasts, tax collectors and the rulers because they considered them as impure.
During the time of Jesus, their number was 6, 000 and they belong to the middle class. Being
an opponent of the Scribes, they bring the religion to the people by presenting the 613
prescriptions of Mosaic tradition (Decalogue) to the application of daily Jewish life. What is
worth noting to them is that they are secretly supporting revolt from the Romans for the sake
of liberation of Israel and Jerusalem.

HERODIANS
– They are more of a political party than being a religious one. They are vivid supporters
of Herod Antipas and were involved in the plot for killing Jesus because they believe he is a
troublemaker.
 ESSENES
- They were considered to be the first religious group who lived as a monastic community
practicing celibacy. They built their monastery in the desert part near Jerusalem. The
discovery of a shepherd in 1947 of the Khirbet Qumran caves gave us the ancient artifacts
and scroll containing valuable information of the way of life during this time and believes to
be works of the Essenes.

ZEALOTS
- They are people who organized themselves with the goal of liberating the people from
foreign powers and were popularly known to be fiercest nationalist and revolutionist in
Palestine who were much against the Romans. They are also legalistic and held persistent of
the strict observant of Jewish customs and laws. They always hid under their garment a short
dagger that is why the Romans called them ‘sicarii’ or ‘dagger-men’. Their view of the
coming Messiah is a fierce warrior who would overturn the Romans.
The Zealots were a group of Jewish nationalists who strongly opposed Roman rule. The
Zealot movement stemmed from the action of Judah (Judas) the Galilean, who believed
theocracy should be the law of the land and Jews should not pay tribute to Rome nor
acknowledge the emperor as their master. Judah was apparently killed in the suppression of
this revolt. (See Acts 5:37.) His followers took to the deserts, where they maintained a
guerrilla resistance against the Romans.

SAMARITANS
- The Samaritans originated from a mixture of people living in Samaria and others who
migrated into the area following the 721 B.C. conquest of Samaria by Assyria. (See 2 Kgs.
17.) The chronicles of the Samaritans stress they were direct descendants of the Joseph tribes
of Ephraim and Manasseh. Strong rivals of the Jews, they occupied territory in central
Palestine, where their own high priest supervised sacrifices offered on Mount Gerizim.
They were often persecuted along with the Jews during the Persian and Greek eras, but
gained more favorable status than the Jews as the Romans gained control of Palestine. The
Romans later helped the Samaritans rebuild their temple to reward them for fighting against
Jewish zealots. Another sign of Samaritan influence during Christ’s time is apparent in the
fact that Herod, the king of the Jews, ruled from a Samarian capital and had a Samaritan as
one of his wives.

C. RULERS DURING THE TIME OF JESUS

HEROD ANTIPAS
– He was the ruler of Galilee and Perea who built the new city of Tiberias on the western
shore of Galilee.
 HEROD PHILIP
– He was the ruler of Iturea and Trichonitis and rebuilt the city of Bethsaida and Panias
which was renamed as “Caesarea Philippi”.
ARCHELAUS
– He was the ruler of Samaria, Judea and Idumea and was well- known for his ruthless
oppression and slaughter of his opponents. He was deposed by Rome and was sent to Gaul
(modern day France). His territories where divided to the Roman procurator. It was Pontius
Pilate who was appointed to rule Jerusalem and those areas formerly run by Archelaus, but
have no jurisdiction over Herod Antipas territories.

D. MAJOR PLACES IN PALESTINE

GALILEE (North)
- a place of luxury and more prosperous than Judea and its capital is Tiberias. People who
settled have their own dialect and they are mostly non- Jews. It was in Cana in Galilee that
Jesus performed His first miracle and ministry before going to other regions of the locality.

JUDEA (South)
- Those who are living in this part are coming from the exile from the tribe of Judah.
They are called Jews and their land was called Judea. Jerusalem is its capital. Jerusalem is an
important city because it is here where the different religious organizations have their offices.
The other places in this region are Bethlehem and Jericho. Both Galilee and Judea are
Jewish.

SAMARIA (Between Galilee and Judea)

- The inhabitants of this place were Jews who inter- married with colonists from Assyria
in the 8th century. It became also a refuge for malcontent Jews. After the return from the
exile, they offered to help in rebuilding the Temple but the Jews did not allow them because
they were considered as idolatrous. They built their own temple in Mt. Gerizim, a mountain
near Sychar (John 4).