JESUS – A LIFESTYLE COUNTER TO THE CULTURE (6 OF 14)
by Stan Coffey
Scripture: MARK 3:31-34
This content is part of a series.
Jesus – A Lifestyle Counter To The Culture (6 of 14)
Series: Cracking the DaVinci Code
Stan Coffey
Mark 3:31-34
September 25, 2005
I. THE CLAIM
A. Jesus Had To Be Married Because He Was Jewish
1. This claim can be found on page 245 of the book.
2. The novel claims that Jewish custom condemned celibacy
3. Further, the claim is made that it would be unthinkable for a Jewish man to remain
single.
4. Jewish men regarded marriage in general as an obligation since Genesis 1:28 gave
humans the command to be fruitful and multiply.
5. It is true that marriage was certainly the rule and expectation for the Jew of Jesus' time.
6. However, by the first century there were exceptions to this rule, according to Josephus
in Antiquities 18 where he described the unusual celibate practices of the Essenes.
B. Josephus (first century Jewish historian) and Celibacy and Singleness
1. Described two major wars in Jewish history. (Maccabean War of 167-164 B.C. and
the fall of Jerusalem to Rome in A.D. 70
2. In describing the make-up of the Jewish religious world during these periods, he wrote
concerning the Jewish sect known as the Essenes.
3. The term "sect" did not have a negative connotation in those days, but simply described
a religious subgroup within Judaism.
a. They rejected pleasures as an evil
b. They did not deny the fitness of marriage but practiced celibacy themselves so
they might devote themselves totally to God.
C. Philo (First century Jewish philosopher-historian)
1. He wrote about the Essenes in the book of Hypothetica 11:14-17.
2. His writings proves that not all Jews considered it shame for a man to be unmarried.
3. The Essenes, though limited in numbers, were actually respected by many Jews for the
depth of their religious conviction.
4. Many Jews admired their desire and ability to live in such a disciplined manner.
5. Thus, it was not shameful or un-Jewish to li ...
Series: Cracking the DaVinci Code
Stan Coffey
Mark 3:31-34
September 25, 2005
I. THE CLAIM
A. Jesus Had To Be Married Because He Was Jewish
1. This claim can be found on page 245 of the book.
2. The novel claims that Jewish custom condemned celibacy
3. Further, the claim is made that it would be unthinkable for a Jewish man to remain
single.
4. Jewish men regarded marriage in general as an obligation since Genesis 1:28 gave
humans the command to be fruitful and multiply.
5. It is true that marriage was certainly the rule and expectation for the Jew of Jesus' time.
6. However, by the first century there were exceptions to this rule, according to Josephus
in Antiquities 18 where he described the unusual celibate practices of the Essenes.
B. Josephus (first century Jewish historian) and Celibacy and Singleness
1. Described two major wars in Jewish history. (Maccabean War of 167-164 B.C. and
the fall of Jerusalem to Rome in A.D. 70
2. In describing the make-up of the Jewish religious world during these periods, he wrote
concerning the Jewish sect known as the Essenes.
3. The term "sect" did not have a negative connotation in those days, but simply described
a religious subgroup within Judaism.
a. They rejected pleasures as an evil
b. They did not deny the fitness of marriage but practiced celibacy themselves so
they might devote themselves totally to God.
C. Philo (First century Jewish philosopher-historian)
1. He wrote about the Essenes in the book of Hypothetica 11:14-17.
2. His writings proves that not all Jews considered it shame for a man to be unmarried.
3. The Essenes, though limited in numbers, were actually respected by many Jews for the
depth of their religious conviction.
4. Many Jews admired their desire and ability to live in such a disciplined manner.
5. Thus, it was not shameful or un-Jewish to li ...
There are 4782 characters in the full content. This excerpt only shows a 2000 character sample of the full content.
Price: $5.99 or 1 credit
