Need to find history for scripture

For a particular scripture how do I find the associated historical information. For instance I have an assignment to read Mat 18:19-20 and write down the history, like the time period, what was happening at that time, who was in power, what was te setting. Any suggestions?

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Graham Owen

Check for resources that address context and history like:

deSilva, D. A. (2004). An introduction to the New Testament : Contexts, methods and ministry formation. Downers Grove, Ill.: InterVarsity Press.

Edersheim, A. (2003). Sketches of Jewish social life in the days of Christ. Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.

Rosie Perera

https://community.logos.com/discussion/comment/190253#Comment_190253

First you'd need to clarify what time period is being asked about in the assignment: Is it the time when Jesus said that (which would be during his lifetime, during the roughly three and a half years of his public ministry at the end of his life, and thus around 30-33AD -- though ironically some sources date his birth to 4BC since information was discovered later that seems to imply that the BC/AD system was based on the wrong year of his birth). Or if it is the time when the book of Matthew was written, you'd need to first figure out when that was (search for date NEAR authorship NEAR Matthew).

Some other resources that might help you on the historical background would be:

deToit, A.B. The New Testament Milieu. Halfway House: Orion, 1998.
The New Manners and Customs of the Bible
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament

The first two are all most base packages. The latter does not seem to be in any anymore (I got it through Series X Scholar's Library), but here's the relevant excerpt from it, which you might find helpful for your study:

18:19–20. The "two or three" must refer to the "two or three witnesses" of 18:16. These verses may refer to the prayer of execration given at a Jewish excommunication; or they could represent prayers for the repentance and consequent forgiveness of the excommunicated person (see 1 Jn 5:16). In either case, it is of interest to note that the witnesses in the Old Testament were to be the first to execute the judgment of the court (Deut 17:7); here they are the first to pray.

Ten Jewish males was the minimum quorum to constitute a synagogue assembly, but it was frequently said that God’s presence was with even two or three who met together to study his law. Jesus’ presence is thus presented here as identical with God’s (cf. also Mt 1:23; 28:20). (One of the most common names for God among the later rabbis was "the Place," i.e., the Omnipresent One.)

Also be sure to read plenty of the biblical context as well. At least a full chapter or two before the current one, and even further back if you've got time. That will give you a sense of where Jesus was when he spoke those words. You can track his movement towards Jerusalem with his disciples, and what was going on around them at the time, with the Pharisees and Sadducees challenging him, etc.

Mark Smith

the time period, what was happening at that time, who was in power, what was te setting.

You have a number of resources that can help you. First if you have any study Bible in Logos there will usually be introductory information that can help orient you to the time of the events in the book. Sometimes these same study Bibles will have notes on the chapter and verses you are studying with will help you with this.

Second, there are Bible Dictionaries with articles on Matthew's Gospel that can give you some of the information you are looking for.

Third, commentaries on Matthew will help. Again, this information may be in the introductory material, in a chapter introduction, or in a note on one of the verses.

It really isn't hard. Try these and if you have more questions, ask them here.

Dave Hooton

I just did a Library search

title:(times, historical, history)

and found some applicable books with those words in the title.