The History and Theology of the Ancient Vallenses (Waldenses & Albigenses)

Faber, George Stanley

Church History

The Teaching of the Twelve Apostles is perhaps the most important literary discovery of the past century. More books and articles have been written about it than any other document from the ante-Nicene era of the church, and it prompts similar interest today. The manuscript that contains the work was discovered in 1875 and published in 1883, causing a worldwide sensation and resulting in over a hundred publications the first year. The Teaching, or Didache, is a first century Christian catechism-a body of beliefs and practices maintained by the early church prior to baptism. It provides evidence of a simpler, less institutional body of believers. Its content preserves authentic apostolic instruction from a period when the New Testament was not compiled and the teachings of Jesus were still transmitted orally. The Didache is an essential tool for understanding the first-century church, and has been included in all histories of that era. Due to the nature of the work! , it covers a wide range of topics including: Prayer, Fasting, Baptism, Eucharist, Tithing, Home Life, Church Offices, and the Last Days. 
The discovery and contents of the Didache were discussed in the printed media for three months before America received her first complete English edition on March 27, 1884. It was the product of two renowned American scholars from Union Theological Seminary in New York: Francis Brown and R. D. Hitchcock. Their volume sold twelve hundred copies the first day and contained the first complete Greek text, a literal translation on the opposite page, and brief comments on the more difficult portions. Their intent was to make a copy available to the public as quickly as possible while they prepared a more complete study. Their second edition was issued the following year with 85 pages of text and commentary and 115 pages of introduction. Included in this work was a thirteen-page "Digest of the Didache Literature" prepared by the renowned church historian, Philip Schaff, who issued his own edition of the Didache the next year. The number of entries in the Digest demonstrates the interest generated in the academic community, an intrigue that continues to cross denominational boundries.

Teaching of the Twelve Apostles

Literature & Fiction

Brown, Francis

Hitchcock, Roswell D.

Literary

Paul, "apostle to the gentiles," was born a Roman citizen at Tarsus; he was a Jew, a Pharisee, the son of a Pharisee, and from the tribe of Benjamin. Paul was educated in Jerusalem under Gamaliel the Elder, a grandson of Hillel, and perhaps in Tarsus (although doubtful). He was a persecutor of the church originally, but became a convert after the death of Stephen, probably in the year 34 C.E. He wrote several epistles, thirteen of which are preserved in the New Testament. His method and style, and his use of types and allegory, are strictly rabbinical. His social status was ideal to preach to the gentiles, since his Roman citizenship and mastery of Greek allowed him safe travel. As a Pharisee, he gained access into the synagogues of the Diaspora. Paul was beaten and stoned several times, and his martyrdom at Rome took place during the first Jewish War (probably in 67 C.E.). Jewish Christians accused him of abandoning the law and teaching others to follow his example, but this is erroneous, as his writings indicate. 
A. S. Peake, in two excellent articles, describes Paul's personality, achievement, and relation with the Jewish church. His early life is reconstructed in order to outline what Peake believes to be reasons for his early departure from the apostolic church. His theological shift after conversion is then discussed in some detail. The author covers the apostle's own understanding of his calling and ministry, as well as its effectiveness in the churches he established. It was Paul's directness and training that permitted him to have a lasting affect on the church, one which Peake regards as the greatest ever known. The second article deals more specifically with Paul the Jew, especially as it relates to the Diaspora and to the gentile church. The intense, contentious relationship he had with the Jerusalem church is the chief focus of the article. The apostle's interpretation of the requirements imposed upon the gentiles, and his confrontations with those he called Judaizers, are essential for understanding the later development of his thought.

Paul the Apostle: His personality and Achievement

Peake, A.S.

The Mishnah is a codified collection of Oral Law maintained by the Pharisees and arranged, redacted, and revised in 210 C.E. by Judah ha-Nasi (often simply referred to as Rabbi). Since the collection contains laws that were transmitted orally, its various tractates represent different rabbinical traditions that date two centuries before Jesus until the time of ha-Nasi himself. It prominently features the sayings of Hillel and Shammai, as well as those of other rabbis of the Second Temple period. The Mishnah is divided into six parts in sixty-three treatises covering laws dealing with agricultural produce, feasts, women, property rights, holy objects in the temple, and the purity laws. By evaluating its contents, some of the religious environment at the time of Jesus may be recovered, and reasons for his conflict with the Pharisees become obvious. Since Paul the apostle was trained as a Pharisee in the school of Hillel, his approach to scripture, theology, and to Jewish customs are put into context by looking into the Mishnah. 
Bennett's study on the Mishnah draws illustrative parallels between the gospels and Jewish oral tradition. After introducing the Mishnah to his readers as "an authoritative application of Mosaic law," he delves into its authorship and the circumstances for composition. The origin of the oral law is discussed, as well as the organization and breadth of topics found in the work. Concluding that both the Mishnah and the gospels are based on oral traditions, Bennett demonstrates how they are intended to accomplish similar purposes. Because the Mishnah was a product of Pharisaic instruction, he points out a few attitudes and practices of the sect relating directly to the gospels. Topic-by-topic he compares views on the Sabbath, the status of women, ethics and doctrine, vows, the poor, and how the contents of scriptures are applied by the Mishnah and the gospels. This is a helpful book for showing the Jewish origin of Christianity and how the influence of the rabbinical schools was early felt in the apostolic church.

The Mishna as Illustrating the Gospels

Bennett, W.H.

Your Baptist Heritage 1620-1804

Isaac Backus

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