Exploring the New Testament Context: First Lesson Summary

In this activity, I'm going to recap the main points covered in the first week of Professor

Leidimar's "Introduction to the New Testament" course. During this week, we explored

the importance of understanding the historical and cultural context surrounding the New

Testament, from the intertestamental period to the influence of the Persian, Greek and

Roman empires.

The teacher emphasized the relevance of studying the New Testament to strengthen our

faith and spiritual life. He outlined the objectives of the course, stressing the importance

of gaining a synthetic understanding of the New Testament, contextualizing God's

eternal plan and applying His Word in our daily lives. In addition, he encouraged the

students to explore the intertestamental period, a period of "God's silence" between the

Old and New Testaments, in which various empires, such as Persian, Greek and Roman,

ruled Israel, paving the way for the rise of Christianity and the coming of the Messiah.

During the lesson, we discussed the importance of the Greek language in the production

of the New Testament, as it was the dominant language in the Roman Empire,

facilitating effective communication between different regions and dialects. We also

explored the historical context that preceded the New Testament, including the conquest

of the Persian Empire by the Greeks and the influence of the Roman Empire in the

region. The teacher emphasized the need to understand this historical context in order to

understand the cultural background of the New Testament and the religious practices of

the Jewish people at the time.

In addition, he stressed the importance of studying the intertestamental period and the

connection between the Book of Daniel and the New Testament. He explained how this

400-year period between the Old and New Testaments, although marked by "prophetic

silence", was crucial in setting the stage for the coming of the Messiah and the

emergence of Christianity.

In conclusion, the first week of the course provided a solid foundation for our New

Testament study journey. We understand the importance of knowing the historical and

cultural context surrounding the writing of the New Testament, from the

intertestamental period to the influence of the Persian, Greek and Roman empires. We

look forward to exploring these themes further in the coming weeks of the course, as we

continue our quest for a deeper understanding of God's Word and its meaning for our

lives.

Peace,

Paulo Henrique dos Santos