Jesus and the early Christians were a part of the larger Jewish context. At the same time, they also brought a number of innovations and new combinations. Compare Jesus’s life and message to that of the Pharisees, Essenes, followers of John the Baptist, Sadducees, priests, and/or the temple. How did Jesus and the early Christians fit with these other Jewish groups? How did they challenge them? Is it more convincing to you that Jesus and the early Christians were part of first century Judaism, or that they pushed to create a new religion?
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