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Education in Hellenism
The term Hellenism describes the military and political control by Greek leaders over five centuries beginning with Alexander the Great (336–323 B.C.). Hellenism also refers to the large cultural movement that expanded across the empire. This epoch produced a new view of humankind. Education was responsible for this advance. The beginning of the age of Hellenism is usually marked with…
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Summarizing the Law
Even before the time of Jesus, Jewish teachers had discussed the Law of Moses and whether there were one or more commands that summarized the whole law. This debate is easily seen in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The debate also seems to be behind Luke’s account, which immediately precedes the parable of the Good Samaritan. Before the time…
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Samaritans: Then and Now
A negative view of Samaritans is found in many sources. These include the Hebrew scriptures, the New Testament, first century historian Josephus, and rabbinic writings. Learn more about the history of the Samaritans. The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke 10.29–37 plays upon, and reverses, the typically negative assessment of Samaritans that is attested in a number of the…
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Paradigm Clash in The Good Samaritan
In “The Good Samaritan,” an interesting and subtle dynamic has gone mostly unnoticed. A recklessly eager lawyer schemes to draw Jesus into an argument. Instead of offering an answer that would be open to legal nitpicking, however, Jesus tells a story.In Luke’s telling of “The Good Samaritan,” an interesting and subtle dynamic has gone mostly unremarked. The narrative begins with…
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Parables in Luke
Although parables are related to other kinds of speech like riddles and proverbs, parables emphasize story. Jesus' parables are short stories that refer to God's realm of power, God's kingdom. In Luke’s Gospel the parable of the Good Samaritan is part of Jesus’ conversation with a lawyer about loving God and neighbors or compatriots. In order to better understand how…
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Oral and Written Law
Jews in Jesus' time believed that God revealed his will not only through the written Torah, but through unwritten traditions as well. The rabbis claimed that the oral law, transmitted by word of mouth, was also given to Moses at Mount Sinai.The term “law” in the English Bible derives from the Greek word nomos, and nomos itself is a translation…
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