Why A Chronological Study? Chronology implies historical reality. It means that the things that we are reading really happened, and that they happened in a certain order. Hopefully knowing the order in which they happened will reveal a greater degree of understanding regarding God’s will for our lives. Why an Introduction? The Gospel is not a modern novel, it was a testimony set down for people that were already familiar with the figures, places, and events that took place within the narrative. This introduction presents some background information that may make this Gospel study easier for non-first-century readers. The Place Judea, a province of the great Roman Empire. The name Judea comes from a tribe of Hebrews called Judah, and these two words are where we get the term Jew today. In centuries past, Judea had been part of a larger independent kingdom called Israel and worshipped a single god. Piece by piece the kingdom of Israel had fallen to various conquerors. During the dismantling, prophets of the one true god foretold of a Messiah or Savior that would return and restore the fallen kingdom. This seemed to occur during the rule of Judah Maccabee, but the Maccabees were soon overthrown by corruption and competing empires. The Time The Roman Republic has recently fallen, and the Roman Empire has risen in its place. It is a time of change all across the world—and Judea is no exception. Dissatisfied with Roman rule, bandits and warlords multiply, rebellions brew, and revolutionaries whisper. Rome, after all, is an empire of cities and a vast wilderness exists between the feeble bastions of civilization. Judea is more primed for revolution than most, drawing upon an ancient history and unique religion to bolster their cause. The People Roman Citizens enjoy special privileges across the empire. These privileges range from free food to special legal hearings. Romans are a very secular and practical minded people suited for engineering and military operations. They are not highly regarded for their imagination. Roman Soldiers are professional fighting men that have sworn a portion of their life to the Roman Empire in exchange for payment, wealth, and the prospect of citizenship. In the Roman Republic each Roman was required to spend some time as a soldier, but as the Republic became wealthier, this custom was gradually discarded. In this period, most Roman soldiers are not Roman at all, but foreigners striving to make a living and to gain their Imperial Citizenship. The language of Roman Citizens and Soldiers is Latin. Greeks are a civilized people closely related to the Romans in terms of culture, but are still considered to be a conquered people. Greeks are given to abstract thought and philosophy, and are considered to the fanciful and decadent by the more serious-minded Romans. In Judea the most dominant language and culture is Greek as a result of Greek conquests under Alexander the Great in the preceding centuries. The Jews are members of the Hebrew tribe of Judah. By the time of the New Testament nearly all of the other Hebrew tribes had been severely compromised ethnically, culturally, and religiously by a succession of conquerors. There are three factions of Jews mentioned in the Gospel. The Sadducees are a group of culturally Greek Jews trying to preserve the “core” of Jewish religious practices. In their view only the written word of God (Torah) is acceptable and authoritative, and all other oral rabbinic traditions ought to be discarded in favor of Greek culture. The Sadducees do not believe in any form of resurrection or afterlife since no such thing is referred to in the scriptures. Their religious practices focus exclusively on Herod’s Temple in Jerusalem. They are favored by their Roman overlords and high priests tend to be selected by the Roman governor from among their number. The Pharisees are a group of Jews that strive to maintain their cultural purity. Because the Sadducees are compromised by embracing Greek culture but still retain control of the Temple, Pharisees create a system of belief known as “A Nation of Priests.” In essence, every Jewish home becomes a temple, and each father presides as priest. Priesthood is attained by academic achievement rather than blood inheritance, and strictures that traditionally were interpreted as applying only to priests and the temple are expanded to include all Jews everywhere at all times. In effect, Pharisees were attempting to purify the world by bringing the purity of the temple to everyday life. The traditions practiced by the Pharisees included the Talmud, an oral tradition passed from Rabbi to Rabbi intended to accompany the Torah supposedly beginning with Moses himself. The Zealots are the least influential of the three Jewish factions in the Gospel. Sometimes indistinguishable from common bandits and robbers, the Zealots are cultural extremists that reject Roman rule and Greek corruption. They seek a violent rebirth of the state of Israel and will stop at nothing to see this come about. The Zealots actively seek the prophesied Messiah. The Prophets As the confusion grows, men claiming to be prophets of God emerge in Judea. Some even claim to be the long awaited Messiah. Honi the Circledrawer is revered by many for seeming to be able to have requests for rain answered directly by God. He earns his name by refusing to leave a drawn circle until God delivers the rain he requires. Hanina ben Dosa is regarded by the Jews as having saintly behavior and miracle-working powers. He teaches regarding works that endure and the moral character of the Jewish people. Jochanan the Immerser is an apocalyptic ascetic that immerses Jews to restore their spirits and encourage them to hold fast for the coming of the Messiah. Walker Perkins