Here’s a link (courtesy CRN/Slice) to Rob Bell teaching at Willow Creek in 2002.

It is a basic outline of what Ray VanderLaan and other first century Jewish-Christian scholars believe about first century Judiasm.  He tends to over-simplify some issues, but does a good job packing a lot of information into a short amount of time.  It is obvious that his primary source is RVL and/or David Flusser, as he uses a number of turns of phrase and organization identical to RVL’s seminars on this subject matter (and RVL taught this seminar at Mars Hill somewhere just prior to this time frame, as well, and in one of his podcasts seemed to indicate that he had just taken Rob with him to Turkey, which Bell mentions in this sermon).

In fairness, Dr. Ben Witherington, who has favorably reviewed much of Bell’s work, disagrees with Bell’s view of Rabbis and first century Judiasm.  I believe he is correctly pointing out a simplification by Bell on one account and that he is mistaken on another.

One issue – that of rabbis – I believe is often addressed by RVL, though Bell does not address in any presentation I’ve seen/read.  Rabbis, as we understand them today – a ‘minister of the synagogue’ – did not exist until after the destruction of the temple.  Jesus was called ‘rabbi’ by a number of groups of people, but rabbi meant ‘respected teacher’ and not the same thing we know as a Rabbi today.  Most scholars I’ve read have differentiated between ‘rabbi’ and ‘Rabbi’ by referring to the former (’respected teacher’) as hasidim (as I often choose) or sages. However, I agree with RVL (and thus, Bell) in the assessment of how these hasidim/sages/rabbis lived and the ’system’ they followed (if it can be called that).

Dr. Witherington also takes issue with the existence of Bet Midrash and Bet Talmud (and thus, the memorization of scripture by Jewish children and some of the rabbinic systematic organization), based on the the same issue as above.  However, there is significant evidence of synagogue school in Gamla (destroyed and never rebuilt in 68 A.D.), and significant evidence that the oral passing of Torah and the Nevi’im (the prophets) and most of the Ketuvim (the writings – there are questions about whether Daniel and Esther were included) occurred in the body of the Jewish community.  I think Dr. Witherington is mistaken in his assessment that this did not exist prior to 70 A.D.

Who knows Slice/CRN’s reasons for posting this great sermon, and though I am sure I’d disagree with these reasons, I’m glad it was posted…