New Testament Vocabulary Pharisees, Essenes, and Sadducees were three major sects or practices of Judaism at the time of Christ. The Pharisees and Sadducees were the two more powerful and influential sects, the Essenes were much smaller in number and less influential. The Sadducees derived their name from Zadok, the High Priest of David and Solomon: their version of Judaism was centered strictly on the text of the Torah and the

Instead, Paul positions the way of faith over against "works of the law" (Rom 3:27-28), pitting God's sovereign grace over against human effort. In the interests of his Gentile mission, Paul aims to deflate an inflated sense of Jewish identity, particularly "boasting," which religious leaders routinely displayed while observing ritual religious practices. Paul stressed the time had come to recognize, in accordance with the promises to Abraham, the reality of

Christ is also mediator as well as High Priest. For example, Christ serves as a mediator between humanity and the divine; between man and God. The High Priest serves a similar function, but it is crucial that Christ replaces the Jewish priesthood. Likewise, Christ is King to replace and supplant all earthly kings, and is the intercessor by which human beings achieve salvation from sin. 4. Using specific examples, discuss

The New Testament both influenced Western political philosophy and it influenced the geo-political landscape of the Western World. Greek political philosophy, which is related to New Testament political philosophy, has dominated the way that Americans perceive their governmental systems. The ways the Western justice systems work were in part based on New Testament thought in the same way that Christian morality influences public opinion of leaders and citizens. Christianity

Paul demonstrates his own faith and humility, further establishing himself as a Christian leader. For example, in Philippians 3:12 Paul admits that he has not attained the level of spiritual development that he hopes for and is far from perfect. The New Testament book of James was supposedly penned by James the brother of Jesus, who had been established as an important Church leader. The book of James is concerned

What was the Council of Jerusalem about and how did it turn out? This is also known as the Apostolic Conference refers to the early Christian council that was held in Jerusalem. The purpose of the meeting according to Acts was to try and resolve the grudges and differences that were since the time in Antioch. During this meeting, the council agreed that the Gentiles who had converted to Christianity had no