STUDY GUIDE--MIDTERM II

POTENTIAL ID'S:

(PETER), (PHILIP), (STEPHEN), (SAUL OF TARSUS), (BARNABAS), (SILAS), (PRISCILLA), DAY OF PENTECOST, (AGRIPPA), (FELIX), (FESTUS), FAC I*, FAC II*, FAC III*, FAC IV*

I CORINTHIANS, ROMANS, (II PETER), (JUDE), CORINTH, APOLLOS, AGAPE, SARX, SOMA, ANASTASIS, (GNOSTICISM), (ENOCH), PISTIS, HAMARTIAS, NATURAL THEOLOGY, CHARIS

JAMES, EPHESUS, EPHESIANS, I PETER, JAMES THE JUST, AGAPE, SOPHIA (wisdom), GLOSSA (tongue), ERGA (deeds), PLOUSIOS (wealth) , MYSTERY RELIGION, EPHESUS, MYSTERIA, UPOTASSO (submission?)

APOCALYPSE, SEVEN CHURCHES, SEVEN SEALS, SEVENTH SEAL, SEVEN TRUMPETS, (MYSTERY BABYLON), LITTLE APOCALYPSE, (TWO WITNESSES), NEW JERUSALEM, MILLENNIUM

*FAC I, FAC II, FAC III, FAC IV are "Favorite Acts Characters I-IV."  For these potential  ID's, choose any figures who you find particularly interesting.  Any of the figures in parentheses above would make good choices.  You might also choose a somewhat more obscure character if you prefer.

GLOSSA is the Greek work for tongue.  In class, I mentioned this in connection with the book of James and his comments about controlling the tongue.  PLOUSIOS is the Greek word for wealth.  In class, I talked about what James has to say about wealth.  ERGA is the Greek word for deeds.  In class, I connect this to what James says about "works."  SOPHIA is the Greek word for wisdom.  In class, I noted how James contrasts two types of "wisdom," one that is wholesome, one that isn't.  HAMARTIAS is the Greek word usually translated as sin in the New Testament, but translated as "tragic flaw" in Aristotle's poetics.  CHARIS is the Greek word for gift.  It's often translated as grace in the New Testament.  It's the word we get "charismatic" from.  It's closely associated with THE great gift, the Holy Spirit.  That's why those who emphasize the idea that the gifts of the spirit are still active in the church today are called "charismatics." 

All of those terms occur often in the New Testament, as does AGAPE (love) which, you''ll notice, I've included twice!  With each of these terms, do your best tie tie them to them to the important "big" themes below in order to explain their significance.  How do these terms show how the church helped people feel better about themselves and establish better relationships with others?  How do they related to the unity of the church?

Note that there is quite a bit of overlap between the Seven Seals, the Seventh Seal, and the Seven Trumpets.  I probably will include only one of these as an ID choice.  With all the terms in this group, be prepared to show how they relate to the difficulty of Revelation, the beauty of Revelation, or both!

POTENTIAL ESSAYS:

A.  The Book of Acts is a key source in understanding the surprisingly rapid growth of the early church. Comment.

B.   All political, social, and religious organizations struggle with division. Had divisions in the early Church gotten out of hand immediately, Christianity would have struggled to survive.  The New Testament letters (particularly Romans and I Corinthians) show how Christian leaders handled potential divisions and succeeded in maintaining the unity critical to the success and growth of the church.  Comment.

C.   Many people in the Roman world were unhappy both with themselves and in their relationships with other people. The “mystery” religions helped somewhat in this area, but the New Testament letters (particularly James, Ephesians and I Peter) show that the church had even more to offer in helping people feel better about themselves and in helping them establish better relationships with other people. Comment.

D.  While Revelation is in many ways a difficult book, it is a beautiful book as well, and a book that goes a long way toward explaining the eventual triumph of Christianity.  Comment.