For these, be able to define, state the significance for early Christianity, give characteristics of,
distinguish from, etc.
Marcion - A second-century Christian scholar and evangelist, later labeled a heretic for his
docetic Christology and his belief in two Gods—the harsh legalistic God of the Jews and the
merciful loving God of Jesus—views that he claimed to have found in the writings of Paul.
Canon - From a Greek word meaning “ruler” or “straight edge.” The term came to designate
any recognized collection of texts; the canon of the New Testament is thus the collection of
books that Christians accept as authoritative.
Hellenization - The spread of Greek language and culture (Hellenism) throughout the
Mediterranean, starting with the conquests of Alexander the Great.
Antiochus IV Epiphanes - The Syrian monarch who attempted to force the Jews of Palestine to
adopt Greek culture, leading to the Maccabean revolt in 167 B.C.E.
Pharisees - A Jewish sect, which may have originated during the Maccabean period, that
emphasized strict adherence to the purity laws set forth in the Torah.
Sadducees - A Jewish party associated with the Temple cult and the Jewish priests who ran it,
comprising principally the Jewish aristocracy in Judea. The party leader, the High Priest, served
as the highest-ranking local official and chief liaison with the Roman governor.
Greco-Roman Biography - The historical literary evidence also demonstrates that ancient
Greco-Roman biographies were historical works in the category of non-fiction literature whose
authors intended to write historical portrayals of their subjects.
Messianic Secret - This is a technical term used for one of the intriguing literary features of the
Gospel of Mark, which is that even though Jesus is shown to be the Messiah, he tries to keep
his identity a secret (e.g., by silencing those who recognize him and by hushing up the reports
of his miracles).
4 Source Hypothesis - A solution to the “Synoptic Problem” which maintains that there are four
sources that lie behind the Gospels of Matthew, Mark, and Luke: (1) Mark was the source for
much of the narrative of Matthew and Luke; (2) Q was the source for the sayings found in
Matthew and Luke but not in Mark; (3) M provided the material found only in Matthew’s
Gospel; and (4) L provided the material found only in Luke.
Markan Priority - The view that Mark was the first of the Synoptic Gospels to be written and
was one of the sources used by Matthew and Luke.
Fulfillment citation - A literary device used by Matthew in which he states that something
experienced or done by Jesus “fulfilled” what was spoken of by a Hebrew prophet in Scripture.
