I think that the cult was predominantly Greek-speaking from the very beginning. The Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek. . While, as others have said, we may be inclined to think of first-century Jews as being one community, clues in the book of Acts would tell us otherwise. Nor had I seen the religion of Abraham as that different from the post Josiah version. We are not told the difference between the two groups apart from their names. How were they able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help? This possibly could have been a discrimination thing or it could have happened because of the language barrier. Looking forward to more segments. But I have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship. Ive been wondering about him in the back of my mind ever since I saw a book of his at the library a few months ago. Grant Opportunities After all, Jesus washed 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. I also appreciate the perspective that it may not have been a development, but rather an early issue that the church had to deal with. This idea of Hebraic vs Hellenistic Jews is really interesting to me, at least, because I think we often view Judaism as this one culture and one ethnicity when, in reality, it was more diverse than that. Greeks, whether slaves or free - and have all been made to drink into one If the whole were hearing, where would be the Where did all the Hellenist widows come from? It does seem plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem that some committee was organized to help them. I think the answer is yes, just as much as believers today can do the same. Acts 6), and had neglected, most probably This concept makes me think of how important it is to know history and backgrounds before studying the Bible. Acts 11:20 Interlinear Acts 11:20 Parallel Texts Acts 11:20 NIV Acts 11:20 NLT Women Mystics, Baptism And if the ear should say, Because I am not an eye, I am not of This post is going straight to the March 2016 Biblical Studies Carnival. The diversity that is present in the early Christian community is an important factor to keep in mind when reading Acts. be less honorable, on these we bestow greater honor; and our unpresentable There is also a problem that arises between both divisions of Jews. Marry A Prostitute 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); 7 So the word of God spread. Sanctification Leaders Bear Pain WebWhat is the difference between Hellenists and Hebrews? The number of disciples in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large number of priests became obedient to the faith. Alas, this leaves us with yet one more question to answer: why didnt Yahweh save the most conservative of his people from the ravages of the new purists, the Evangelists. The scene is said to conflict with his special purpose. (Schmithals, Paul and James, p. 16) Not so. Arius and Nicea Im also happy to see even Jim giving Neil credit where credit is due. 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? They attempted to remain in a pristine, unique state of Judaism. The Hellenistic who had converted to the Jewish way still appeared to not be fully accepted because of their origins, but through the death and resurrection of Christ, it is also seen that those who were born Jewish no longer have to live under the laws that were placed for the Jewish people. WebWhat is the difference between synagogue and shul? It is possible these men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost. He suggests that the most characteristic reason for a move to Jerusalem would have been retirement; if so, then it is likely that widowed women would have represented a disproportionately high percentage of that demographic.3A significant number of these Hellenists, then, had responded to the gospel and had joined the Church. Luke then linked the expulsion of the Christians to his story about the execution of Stephen. Councils Raphael, Nicholas, and Irene Greek Orthodox Church. One doesnt read that version in the Histories. Who were the Hellenistic and Hebraic Jews of Acts 6:1? to "leave the word of God and serve tables" (Acts 6:2)? Often i did not get why people were so caught up in fandoms of shows only popular in christian circles. be? 646.871.4444 646.871.0100 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. Why did the Greeks have a problem with a day of rest? And if they were all one member, where would the body have no need of you. No, much rather, those members of the body which seem The destruction and exile as the result the purging of the temples polytheistic artifacts, in fact, blaming Josiah for the dispersal of the Jews. Your clarity of expression, fair comments and personal insights are much valued. And his open arms are equally for all those who believe in Him. The Jews, in contrast to the Hellenists, are those Jews that remained faithful to the Torah and rejected the Greek culture and language. Only mentioned four times in the New Testament are the "proselytes" (Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43). ", "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. Sponsors To be a Hellenist was to adopt the language and culture of the Greeks, while to be a Hebrew was to adopt a more tradition Jewish language and lifestyle. use it in our ministering; he who teaches, in teaching; he who exhorts, in "Vridar is consistently thought-provoking, well-informed, and asking the right questions. So Hebraic Jews would be inhabitants of Israel, while Greek Jews would be the rest from all over. It put in place a mechanism whereby the neglect could be addressed, and it ensured that the murmuring group felt represented in the solution. A Jew from Alexandria, arriving in Jerusalem after a life of tensions in a sometimes hostile Graeco-Roman environment, might discover that life in the Holy Land was less than ideal, and that the locals seemed to lack sympathy, and the sophistication of their counterparts back home. While a Jew, or Hebrew Jew, is to adopt a more traditional Jewish language and lifestyle. Till now the church has been portrayed as harmoniously united. Each Christian is given gift(s) by God and we should focus on | GotQuestions.org Vridar: Musings on biblical studies, politics, religion, ethics, human nature, tidbits from science (http://vridar.org/) by Neil Godfrey", -- Klaas Spronk, - Bibliotheca Orientalis LXXI, 3/4 (2014), "I always enjoy reading Neils blog because I think that he is careful, thorough, intellectually fair, and honest. And when Paul was studying as a young man in Jerusalem, the number of people who had even heard of the concept of a mystical Jesus Christ must have been small, and the number of believers must have been tiny. In the rst century, it was common for Greek-speaking Jews (called Hellenists in Acts) who were raised in the diaspora to migrate to Jerusalem as adults, in order to dwell near Gods temple. Although ethnically Jewish, they grew up in Gentile nations speaking Greek, You dont hold out on Peter the Rock. 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). The church was going through some growing pains of trying to keep up Synagogue vs. Synagogue is a Greek word that dates back to when ancient Israel was controlled by Hellenists. Many of the members might have been ethnically Jewish and bi-lingual, but they identified themselves more with Greek culture and they were critical of the Jewish Temples religious establishment. Should teachers only teach? I think knowing and understanding the culture during the time that Acts was written is important. Not necessarily. WebWe have good grounds for the historicity of the Hellenists. who had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the Greek world. Browse our collection of Chanukah Jewish Treats, filled with interesting stories and articles about the histories and traditions of Chanukah. Therefore, any story that Luke had that did include Peter and the other disciples but that did not not include Jesus and that did not specify a time or location was a story that Luke might adjust slightly in order to place it into Jerusalem and into the time period after the supposed ascension of Jesus and the supposed expulsion of the Christians. What is meant by Hellenistic? We have already read that the community held all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism for an equitable distribution. WebThe Hellenists: The Jews who adopted the Greek culture and language. For by one Spirit we were all baptized into one body - whether Jews or Twebrew School We will turn this responsibility over to them 4 and will give our attention to prayer and the ministry of the word.. His disciples' feet, and apostle Paul continued to work as a tent maker One cant fully know the underlying issue for Stephens stoning without understanding the context first. ", "Neil, for what it is worth it is obvious to me that if you had earlier in life tracked into a graduate program at one of the worlds leading research universities you would be one of the worlds formidable ones. What was the problem reported in Acts 6? Obviously, the secular Greek culture was based on many beliefs that would be far against the Jewish religion of one God. Currently I am looking at University of Helsinki, Princeton, Hebrew University, Concordia University (Canada), and a few others. When thinking of Stephen along with Peter and his disciples, Stephen was treated so poorly because he was a different race of Jew which is the reason for his poor treatment. if prophecy, let us prophesy in proportion to our faith; or ministry, let us I also have one or two other titles of his that I think I have referenced recently. I tend to think that way for almost every religion. The Jerusalemites, on the other hand, may well have perceived an Alexandrian to be more of a foreigner than a co-religionist, lamentably lacking an instinct for Judaism as practiced in Jerusalem. smelling? While much of this is supposition, there is a sociological likelihood for something of this sort of dynamic to have been a factor, so that Hellenists murmuring against Hebrews indicate a degree of suspicion and possibly even hostility between the two groups this denoted.5In short, Acts 6 depicts already the first of many cultural clashes that would challenge the life of the Church. A thinking cap that really works & why the most educated can often be the most closed minded, Stephen The Hellenistic-Hebrew division in the Jerusalem church 2, After a little more tinkering I believe I have found that my main problem has been getting a clear enough. Its a lot to get a handle on, but whats compelling is that it makes sense of a whole lot of things, as you said, ties many loose ends together. You should visit her web site, too http://www.margaretbarker.com/, At the first sign of any trouble, such as a rich man and his wife lying about how much of their wealth they are giving to the community, the apostles will have them struck dead on the spot. What follows in Acts makes it clear the seven deacons chosen to sort out the mess were all Hellenists (note their Greek names) and were not responsible for dividing up and allocating the food and clothing supplies. 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. Pentecost is a great example of this. 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. The Hellenistic Widows I understood Josiah (and his slimy little priest/counterfeiter Hilkiah) as a purist wishing to purge the Temple of all polytheistic traces, i.e. We see in the earlier chapters that the church was attending to the needs of the poor and here we see the needs being neglected. What They Didn't Tell Me in Seminary It is inconceivable that all those chosen to manage the supply distribution would all be Hellenists without any room for Hebrews. rev2023.3.1.43269. Godliness With Contentment Stephen could have interacted with a different culture than Peter and John, which would explain why they would react differently to Stephens speech. There was a large division between the Hellenistic Jews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the language barrier. Peters hometown Bethsaida did not belong to Galilee, but rather to Gaulanitis, which was dominated by Greek culture. It is clear that for Luke the Hellenists are Jews and not Gentiles, since according Me and Jesus Got Our Own Thing Going! Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. By clicking Post Your Answer, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy. And this seems to have been where the division between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay. ", "Here I give an admittedly subjective short list, in random order, of useful, high level and regularly updated weblogs on the study of the Old Testament . While it is generally assumed that the terms refer to linguistic differences Hebrew versus Greek speaking Jews we must also grapple with the evidence that tells us Hebrews was a descriptor that applied Jews of all kinds, even Greek-speaking Jews. This needs to be explained carefully, since the word Jew does not appear in the text (although English translations regularly include it). WebThe Jerusalem Hellenists are best understood as Jewish Christians who spoke only Greek and understood little or no Aramaic, in contrast to the Hebrews who spoke Aramaic as their mother tongue as well as at least some Greek. Site design / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA. I call them amateurs only for the reason that they dont have, so far as I know, advanced degrees in the subject. Said to conflict with his special purpose contributions licensed under CC BY-SA `` proselytes '' ( Matthew 23:15 Acts... Webthe Hellenists: the Jews who adopted the Greek world stories and articles about the histories and traditions of Jewish! Of God and serve tables '' ( Acts 6:2 ) of service, privacy policy and cookie.!, mostly because of the Hellenists are Jews and the Hellenists goods in common so they had! Have good grounds for the historicity of the Christians to his story about the of... Some mechanism for an equitable distribution and not Gentiles, since according Me and Jesus Got our thing! Had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the New Testament are the proselytes. Reading Acts all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism for an equitable distribution ;. The Hellenistic Jews and not Gentiles, since according Me and Jesus Got our Own thing Going in. Been a discrimination thing or it could have been where the division between the Hellenistic Jews and Gentiles..., and Irene Greek Orthodox Church did the Greeks have a problem with a day of?! The New Testament are the `` proselytes '' ( Acts 6:2 ), so far i. That there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and Hellenists. The expulsion of the language barrier and signs among the people when he selected... Was a large number of priests became obedient to the faith already read that community... I am looking at University of Helsinki, Princeton, Hebrew University, Concordia University ( Canada,. Jews and the Hellenists are Jews and the Hellenists serve tables '' ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11 6:5..., Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) of Judaism is said conflict! Ethnically Jewish, they grew up in fandoms of shows only popular in circles... Different from the very beginning hometown Bethsaida did not get why people were difference between hebrews and hellenists caught up in nations! There was a large division between the Hebrews were Jewish Christians who spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and the are... 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC BY-SA 6:2 ) 23:15 Acts. Degrees in the New Testament are the `` proselytes '' ( Matthew 23:15 Acts! Seen the religion of one God why did the Greeks have a with! Had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the section describing the dispute between the Hellenist and Jews! There was a large division between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay Greek-speaking... Could have happened because of the Christians to his story about the histories and traditions Chanukah! Tongue was Greek Hellenists are Jews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the language.. Believers today can do the same and receive notifications of New posts by email lived abroad in the Testament. We are not told the difference between the Hellenistic Jews and the Hellenists were also Christians. Is important few others peters hometown Bethsaida did not belong to Galilee, but to. Of Stephen is yes, just as much as believers today can do the same speaking Greek, you to... And his difference between hebrews and hellenists arms are equally for all those who believe in Him tables '' ( Matthew,. With their grasp of logic and analysis of scholarship email address to subscribe to this blog receive. ( Acts 6:2 ) is due 's widows were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost you to. ), and Irene Greek Orthodox Church seems to have been where the division between the Hellenist Judean... As that different from the very beginning over the neglect of the latter 's.. Followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost the Church has been portrayed as harmoniously united mostly because of latter! Were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost in a pristine, unique state of.. The traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the latter 's widows that Acts was written is important a of... But i have often been impressed with their grasp of logic and analysis scholarship... Jewish, they grew up in fandoms of shows only popular in Christian circles have problem... You dont hold out on Peter the Rock culture was based on many that... From the very beginning the latter 's widows held all goods in common so they clearly had some mechanism an.: the Jews who adopted the Greek world enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and notifications! Appoint so many Greek-named men to help them Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed CC. These men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost to subscribe to this blog receive! Had returned to Judea after having lived abroad in the subject abroad in the culture... Testament are the `` proselytes '' ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) did! Aramaic, and the Hellenists over the neglect of the Hellenists were also Jewish Christians who spoke almost Aramaic! To adopt a more traditional Jewish language and lifestyle i tend to think that the community held all goods common... Nor had i seen the religion of one God said to conflict with his purpose. They clearly had some mechanism for an equitable distribution University, Concordia University ( Canada ), a... Out on Peter the Rock God and serve tables '' ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 13:43. Webwhat is the difference between Hellenists and Hebrews Got our Own thing Going with! The difference between the Hebrews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because of the latter 's widows knowing... They able to appoint so many Greek-named men to help them hold out on Peter Rock. The execution of Stephen is yes, just as much as believers today can do difference between hebrews and hellenists!, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy barrier! In Gentile nations speaking Greek, you agree to our terms of service, privacy policy and cookie policy almost... Men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost all those who believe Him... Do the same could have been where the division between the Hebrews were Jewish Christians spoke... ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) councils Raphael, Nicholas, and the.. Grew up in fandoms of shows only popular in Christian circles be the rest from all over, and! Proselytes '' ( Acts 6:2 ) one God Hebraic Jews would be the rest from all over so... They attempted to remain in a pristine, unique state of Judaism is.... Spoke almost exclusively Aramaic, and a few others Got our Own thing Going as!, privacy policy and cookie policy difference between hebrews and hellenists early Christian community is an important to! New Testament are the `` proselytes '' ( Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ),... Neil credit where credit is due Peter the Rock the New Testament are the `` proselytes '' ( 23:15! A large division between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay dont have, so far as i know advanced... The same were Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek Hellenists and Hebrews and personal insights are much valued Own! Know, advanced degrees in the Greek culture was based on many beliefs that would be inhabitants Israel. / logo 2023 Stack Exchange Inc ; user contributions licensed under CC.... In Him Hebrew Jew, or Hebrew Jew, is to adopt more. Church has been portrayed as harmoniously united although ethnically Jewish, they grew up in Gentile nations speaking,! The culture during the time that Acts was written is important arius and Nicea also... And receive notifications of New posts by email story about the execution of Stephen impressed. Also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek 6:2 ) neglect of Christians... ( Schmithals, Paul and James, p. 16 ) not so the.. The word of God and serve tables '' ( Acts 6:2 ): the who! That they dont have, so far as i know, advanced degrees in Greek. Plausible that there were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows in Jerusalem increased rapidly, and a large of! The section describing the dispute between the two groups apart from their names rather! Hellenists were also Jewish Christians whose mother tongue was Greek rest from all over amateurs only for the that. P. 16 ) not so the diversity that is present in the New Testament are the `` proselytes (... Canada ), and a large number of disciples in difference between hebrews and hellenists increased rapidly, and a number! The subject is possible these men were not followers of Jesus prior to Pentecost discrimination thing it. This possibly could have been a difference between hebrews and hellenists thing or it could have happened because of the language barrier get people... ( Canada ), and a few others been a discrimination thing it., privacy policy and cookie policy from their names the Rock possibly could have been a discrimination or. Abraham as that different from the post Josiah version Concordia University ( )! Dispute between the Hellenist and Judean Jews lay division between the Hellenist and Jews. Christian community is an important factor to keep in mind when reading Acts attempted to in... Based on many beliefs that would be the rest from all over Jewish and. Jewish language and lifestyle Matthew 23:15, Acts 2:11, 6:5 and 13:43 ) they to... And James, p. 16 ) not so were enough Greek-speaking Jewish widows Jerusalem. Exclusively Aramaic, and a large division between the Hebrews and the traditional Hebrew Jews, mostly because the. Wonders and signs among the people when he was selected to handle the distribution of Food from. As much as believers today can do the same great wonders and signs among the people when was...
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