The Last Week
Summer 2007 Bible Study
Chapter 6
The Last Week
Summer 2007 Bible Study
Chapter 6
| "St. Joan of Arc Bible Study is an open and growing group that meets for fellowship and to discuss the Bible and other faith-centered literature. Our informal study group draws from biblical scholarship, historical perspectives, current events and personal reflections. We welcome honor and respect the personal ideas and spiritual journeys of all who join us." |
Greetings
We had a huge turn out and a surprisingly profound and vigorous discussion
over a "nothing" chapter. This chapter was entitled "Saturday", and the
authors point out that this is the only day of the week for which the Gospel
of Mark has nothing to say. But to avoid doing violence to the title of the
book, "The Last Week", Borg (our consensus guess as to which of the two
wrote this chapter) took the phrase "descended into hell" to expound on
Jewish, early Christian, and later Christian concepts of the afterlife.
Thanks to David R for facilitating by an exposition of the chapter and by
raising provocative questions which elicited contributions from just about
all 23 members in attendance. As a sign of the grip these concepts held on
us, there was not a single digression at all into last week's notable public
affairs, despite the wide open opportunity for moralizing.
Here follows David's notes:
MARK says nothing regarding the events of Saturday.
Tradition and the Apostolic Creed refer to Saturday as the day Jesus
descended into Hell for the "Harrowing of Hell". A better word is Sheol
(Hebrew) or Hades (Greek:The Grave, the afterlife place of nonexistence).
Not so much the Christian term implying the place of the damned.
Two Jewish traditions regarding the vindication of the persecuted:
Apocalyptic Eschatology: is it the 'end times' or the end of the sinfulness
of the world/Gods' transformation of the world. God could but never would
destroy the world (remember GENESIS 1).
***additional material***
Many other traditions tell of a descent into Hades. Krishna (Hinu),
Quexacoatl (300 BCE Mexico), Osirus (Egypt), Zoroaster (Arabic), Hercules,
Ulysses, and Aeneas (according to Homer and Virgil), Adonis, Bacchus, Horus,
and more. Most tell of a 3-day death in hell and then they rise again.
The Harrowing of Hell is a very early Christian tradition (Gospel of
Nicodemus, Acts of Pilate), Aquinas in Summa Theologica, Tertullian, St.
Ambrose, and Dante had a field-day with the concept.
Protestants have had an active debate related to the problem in LUKE where
Jesus promises the thief: "Truly I tell you, today (emphasis added) you will
be with me in paradise".
From Wikipedia: The term "Harrowing of Hell" refers not merely to the idea
that Christ descended into Hell, as in the Creed, but to the rich tradition
that developed later, asserting that he triumphed over inferos, releasing
Hell's captives, particularly
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adam_and_Eve" Adam and Eve, and the righteous
men and women whose stories are recorded in the
"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Septuagint" Septuagint.
From the Catechism: "The gospel was preached even to the dead."
The descent into hell brings the Gospel message of salvation to complete
fulfillment. This is the last phase of Jesus' messianic mission, a phase
which is condensed in time but vast in its real significance: the spread of
Christ's redemptive work to all men of all times and all places, for all who
are saved have been made sharers in the redemption. Christ went down into
the depths of death so that "the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God,
and those who hear will live." Henceforth the risen Christ holds "the keys
of Death and Hades," so that "at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in
heaven and on earth and under the earth."
From Pope Benedict: "The Apostles' Creed speaks of Jesus' descent 'into
hell.' This descent not only took place in and after his death, but
accompanies him along his entire journey. He must recapitulate the whole of
history from its beginnings...go through, suffer through, the whole of it,
in order to transform it...'he had to be made like his brethren in every
respect...to make expiation for the since of the people' (Heb. 2:17)"
(26-27).
Word for the week: CROSSTIANITY
Next week: Chapter 8, "Easter Sunday" (the last chapter)
Peace,
Borg & Crossan
Saturday: Mom makes ham & pastries, Jews celebrate the Sabbath, and Jesus
goes to hell and back.
Jesus' vindication comes, decidedly, after death (and in accordance with the
Scriptures). This leads to a question of whether the after-death justice
refers to the immortality of the soul or bodily resurrection.
MATTHEW adds an earthquake and the bodily resurrection of saints. (see pg.
175) This bodily resurrection is designed to bring redemption to past
martyrs (and in the Christian tradition those
If we follow our usual pattern, we will have a potluck on
Tuesday September 18 to celebrate the finish of "The Last Week", take a week
off to permit advance notice of the next book and delivery time, and then
begin the new season on September 25. All of this is subject to
ratification by the group and the blessing of the Holy Spirit, of course.
Potential new members are welcome to join the group any time, but this would
be the traditional kick off of a new season and a good time to get involved
with a warm, active, thoughtful group of Christians; it's a good way to
become one of those people you see at the Sunday liturgies who is getting
hugs from lots of other people.
Bob Beutel
Rik Murray
(612) 872-8694