The Silent Years: The Intertestamental Period

After Malachi, the last book of the Old Testament, God didn’t speak through a prophet for 400 years. These 400 years between the Old Testament and the birth of Jesus are often called The Silent Years. During that time, four Jewish groups formed.

400 Years (Intertestamental Period)

· Essenes (Separatists)

· Zealots (Insurrectionists)

· Sadducees (First five books of OT)

· Pharisees (Legalists)

Pharisees: Two Schools of Theology

· Hillel: More Liberal

· Shammai: More Conservative

Three interesting things here.

· Synagogue: At this point Christians were still seen as part of the Jewish faith. Still meeting in the synagogues.

· Christians were a part of a sect called The Way, probably based on John 14:6—Believers were first called Christians in Acts 11 at Antioch.

· Paul was going to let this group sabotage the Jewish faith. He is going to take men and women back to Jerusalem and have them imprisoned and/or executed.

We learn from Paul that you can be zealous and committed to your system of theology and be deeply wrong about grace.

Four things happened to Paul.

1. Grace changed Paul’s salvation.

2. Grace changed Paul's self-understanding.

3. Grace changed Paul’s suffering.

4. Grace changed Paul’s Identity.

Can you say?

By the grace of God, I am what I am….

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