The church in Antioch in the first century CE : communion and conflict / Michelle Slee.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Slee, Michelle.

Series:

Journal for the study of the New Testament. Supplement series ; 244.

Journal for the study of the New Testament. Supplement series ; 244

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible.

Lord's Supper--History--Early church, ca. 30-600.

Lord's Supper.

History.

Antioch (Turkey)--Church history.

Antioch (Turkey).

Church history--Primitive and early church, ca. 30-600.

Church history.

Church history--Primitive and early church.

Gentiles in the New Testament.

Bible. Galatians II, 11-14--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Acts XV--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Matthew--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible. Matthew.

Didache.

Physical Description:

xiii, 214 pages ; 24 cm.

Place of Publication:

London ; New York : Sheffield Academic Press, [2003]

Summary:

This is a fresh exploration of the problems faced by the Christian community in Antioch in the mid-first century CE after the decision was taken to welcome Gentiles into the church. Slee argues that a particular problem was the celebration of the eucharist, since some Jewish Christians felt that the tablefellowship this involved inevitably brought the risk of contamination (because of Gentile contact with idolatry). She suggests that this was the subject debated at the Jerusalem conference described in Acts 15 and Galatians 2, and that it was the eventual decision of the Antioch church to hold separate eucharists which led to Paul's break with the church. The Didache and the Gospel of Matthew, Slee concludes, were both composed after the events described in Galatians 2, and each in its own way addresses the question of Jewish-Gentile tablefellowship. For the Didachist, Jews and Gentiles could attend the same eucharist if the Gentile had previously agreed to abstain from all idolatry. For Matthew, it was essential that all Gentiles converted first to Judaism. Thus even at the end of the first century CE the Antioch church was still divided on the issue.

Contents:

2. The Importance of the City of Antioch in the History of the Church 1

3. History of Research 3

Part I Gentiles in the Early Church and the Conflict in Antioch: The Evidence from Acts and Galatians

Chapter 1 The Conflict Between the Hellenists and the Hebrews in Jerusalem 12

2. The Source of the Conflict 12

3. Jewish and Gentile Tablefellowship 17

Chapter 2 An Examination of the Jewish-Gentile Church in Antioch 24

2. An Examination of the Possibility of Gentile Salvation according to First Century CE Judaism 25

Chapter 3 The Jerusalem Conference and the Incident in Antioch 36

2. The Decision of the Jerusalem Conference 36

3. The Incident in Antioch: Galatians 2.11-14 42

4. Excursus: Luke's Use of the Decree and Letter in Acts 15 50

Part II The Didache

Chapter 4 An Examination of the Place of Composition and Date of the Didache 54

2. Place of Composition 55

3. The Date of the Didache 57

Chapter 5 An Examination of Didache 1-10 in Light of the Situation in Antioch 77

2. An Examination of the Two Ways Tradition in Didache 1-6 77

3. The Purpose of the Two Ways Tradition 78

4. The Didachist's Redactions of the Two Ways Tradition: A Consideration of 1.3b-2.1 81

5. The Didachist's Redactions of the Two Ways Teaching: A Consideration of 6.3 83

6. An Examination of the Prohibition on Idol Food (Didache 6.3) 87

7. Didache 6.2-3: A Witness to the Pre-Lukan Source Used in Acts 15? 87

8. Didache 1-6 as Pre-Baptismal Catechetical Instruction 90

9. Chapter 8: The Polemic against the Hypocrites in Light of the Didachist's Concern with Gentiles in his Church 91

10. The Meal Prayers of Didache 9-10 94

11. The Didachist's Redaction of the Eucharist Prayers of his Church in Light of the Gentile Situation in Antioch 98

Chapter 6 An Examination of Didache 11-16 101

2. The Local Leaders of the Didachist's Church: An Examination of 15.1-2 101

3. An Examination of the Household Structure and Role of the Patron in the Early Church 102

4. The Leadership Crisis in the Didachist's Church 106

5. The Identity of the Opponents in Chapter 11 109

Part III The Gospel of Matthew

Chapter 7 The Place of Composition and the Date of the Gospel 118

2. The Location of the Gospel of Matthew 118

3. The Date of the Gospel of Matthew 122

Chapter 8 The Place of Gentiles in the Gospel of Matthew 126

2. Negative Statements concerning the Gentiles 126

3. The Place of the Law in Matthew 136

4. Gentiles and the Torah according to the Gospel of Matthew 140

Chapter 9 Authority Figures in the Matthean Community 146

2. Hierarchy in the Matthean Community 146

2. Developments in the Church through the Centuries 162.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [165]-201) and indexes.

ISBN:

0826466834

0567083829

OCLC:

51969300