Wellspring Wednesday, December 16

Review from Hebrew Bible session: your Bible translation & other features

New Testament overview:  content, order of materials, dates of creation, authorship

New Testament texts: Synoptic gospels formation, apocryphal gospels, Q source

Paul’s Epistles: recipients, dating, content, “Pauline theology” regarding Jesus

Discussion groups breakout —  topic:

“What are your experiences with / understanding of Jesus?                                                                           (childhood, home, church, school, society) and / or (time permitting):

“What are your experiences with / understanding of Paul?                                                                           (childhood, home, church, school, society)

Jesus in the Synoptic Gospels: Jewishness, eschatology (or not), ‘self-awareness’

The pre-Easter / historical Jesus: “what manner of man” was he?

The Jesus Seminar and the controversies: What did Jesus really say and do?

‘Reading’  the New Testament: God’s inerrant Word, or. . . ?

Jesus Seminar scholars’ voting method:

·       Red: Jesus undoubtedly said this or something very like it.

·       Pink: Jesus probably said something like this.

·       Gray: Jesus did not say this, but the ideas contained in it are close to his own.

·       Black: Jesus did not say this; it represents the perspective or content of a later or different tradition.

One member suggested this unofficial but helpful interpretation of the colors:

·       Red: That’s Jesus!

·       Pink: Sure sounds like Jesus.

·       Gray: Well, maybe.

·       Black: There’s been some mistake.

The Fellows did not insist on uniform standards for balloting. The ranking of items was determined by weighted vote. Since most Fellows are professors, they are accustomed to grade points & grade-point averages. So they used this:

·       Red = 3

·       Pink = 2

·       Gray = 1

·       Black = 0