Let’s travel back in time to 2,000 years ago! Jesus ministered and taught in a radically different language, culture, economy, political scene, and geography than we are familiar with in 21st-century North America. Learning about life in 1st-century AD Palestine helps us better interpret and apply the New Testament as we better understand the people, language, and culture when it was written. In this new study, we will learn what family life was like back in Jesus’ day. How did they educate their children? How did family members relate to one another? What did a typical house look like? What were some very unusual cultural practices? How bad was the economy? What kinds of jobs were there? What did people do for entertainment? What was it like living in occupied territory? What was the typical religious life of a Jew, Samaritan, and Gentile? How did the various Jewish sects differ from one another and antagonize each other? In each of the following lessons, we will examine: (1) how they help us understand specific New Testament passages, (2) what theological truths we learn as a result, and (3) how to apply the lessons we learn to our lives today.
Sept. 13 – #1: Unwelcome Overlords (Roman Occupation)
Sept. 20 – #2: Show Me the Money! (Jobs & Economy)
Sept. 27 – #3: No Place Like Home (Houses & Family)
Oct. 4 – #4: Give Us Our Daily Bread (Meals & Diet)
Oct. 11 – #5: Live and Let Die (Life, Death, & Health)
Oct. 18 – #6: Culture Shock (Unusual Practices)
Oct. 25 – #7: False Faiths and Dead-End Religions (GrecoRoman Pantheons, Mystery Religions, & Samaritan
Deviations)
Nov. 1 – #8: Let Me Entertain You (Sports, Games, & Leisure
Activities