Early Christian Connotations
Carmelle Beaugelin
Probe #3 ANALYZING ASPECTS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS OF THE LORD’S PRAYER
First Century Jewish and Christian Connotation of “God’s Kingdom”
In Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus teaches his followers how to pray. Jesus’ prayer includes themes found within Jewish prayer. Themes such as petitions for forgiveness and provision would have been familiar to an audience of God-fearers and Jews who attended synagogue. It is significant that the first petition in The Lord’s Prayer is for a divine monarchy. The idea of a “Kingdom” was different in the Jewish mind from what Jesus may have been intending in his model for prayer. Jesus’ ministry placed focus on spiritual and social renewal as opposed to gaining political power. Nevertheless, many Jews often wondered if Jesus would be the one to re-establish the Davidic Kingdom. For the Jews, “God’s Kingdom” drew connotations associated with the theocratic monarchy of Ancient Israel and Judah. The Pharisees spoke of the kingdom of God as a focus of obedience to the Torah. Their picture of royal power was connected to the conviction that God was to be known, and that the life of Israel was to be realized through the Torah and the establishment of Israel’s kingdom. For first century Jews under Roman rule, “thy Kingdom …show more content…
Ending The Lord’s Prayer with the line “deliver us from evil” may feel abrupt and incomplete. Nevertheless, countless scholars agree that the strophic conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer, “for thine is [the kingdom and] the power [and the glory] for ever [and ever]”, was not originally a part of the text of the First Gospel. The oldest and best manuscripts of Matthew do not contain the final doxology. In fact, the earliest literary evidence for a doxology in the Lord’s prayer is in the Didache which ends with “thine is the power and glory forever”, leaves out Amen, and adds “pray thus three times a
Probe #3 ANALYZING ASPECTS OF EARLY CHRISTIAN TRADITIONS OF THE LORD’S PRAYER
First Century Jewish and Christian Connotation of “God’s Kingdom”
In Matthew 6 and Luke 11, Jesus teaches his followers how to pray. Jesus’ prayer includes themes found within Jewish prayer. Themes such as petitions for forgiveness and provision would have been familiar to an audience of God-fearers and Jews who attended synagogue. It is significant that the first petition in The Lord’s Prayer is for a divine monarchy. The idea of a “Kingdom” was different in the Jewish mind from what Jesus may have been intending in his model for prayer. Jesus’ ministry placed focus on spiritual and social renewal as opposed to gaining political power. Nevertheless, many Jews often wondered if Jesus would be the one to re-establish the Davidic Kingdom. For the Jews, “God’s Kingdom” drew connotations associated with the theocratic monarchy of Ancient Israel and Judah. The Pharisees spoke of the kingdom of God as a focus of obedience to the Torah. Their picture of royal power was connected to the conviction that God was to be known, and that the life of Israel was to be realized through the Torah and the establishment of Israel’s kingdom. For first century Jews under Roman rule, “thy Kingdom …show more content…
Ending The Lord’s Prayer with the line “deliver us from evil” may feel abrupt and incomplete. Nevertheless, countless scholars agree that the strophic conclusion to the Lord’s Prayer, “for thine is [the kingdom and] the power [and the glory] for ever [and ever]”, was not originally a part of the text of the First Gospel. The oldest and best manuscripts of Matthew do not contain the final doxology. In fact, the earliest literary evidence for a doxology in the Lord’s prayer is in the Didache which ends with “thine is the power and glory forever”, leaves out Amen, and adds “pray thus three times a