The Problem of the So-called Hellenist Theology in the Early Christianity

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This is a re-examination of the problem of the so-called Hellenists in the Acts of the Apostles. In view of the recent critical opinions against the Hellenist theology as a missing link between Jesus and Paul in the history of early Christian traditions, I have made a brief survey of the research trend and presented an analysis of the relevant passages in the Acts of the Apostles.I confirmed the following points.1)The use of the words <Hellenists> and <Hebrews> in the Book of Acts is determined by purely linguistic viewpoint, and the usage gives no basis for supposing the existence of two groups of its own distinct theology.2)The exegesis of Acts 6:1-6 gives no ground for supposing the dispute and opposition between the two theologically distinctive groups in the early Jerusalem Church.3)There is no evidence for supposing a selective persecution, which afflicted only the Hellenist Christians.4)The analysis of the story of the Stephen's martyrdom does not justify the interpretation that … More he criticized the Jewish Law and the Temple.5)It is probable that the Evangelist Luke made use of a source in describing the speech of Stephen in Acts 7. However, the source, which may be traced back to the Hellenists, does not prove that the theology of the Hellenist was critical to the Law. It proves that they had, on the contrary, a high respect for the Law. We can infer from the speech that the Hellenists' theology was rather critical to the Temple, and that it shared presumably the critical attitude against the Temple with the contemporary Diaspora Judaism.6)There is no sound ground for the hypothesis that the Hellenists' theology originated before the Apostle Paul in the Antiochian Church.7)The first century churches built a tight communication network and were related with each other very closely so that it seems very doubtful that one church or group developed its own distinctive theology in isolation from other churches or groups in early stages of Christianity. It makes very problematic to suppose that two groups within one and the same Jerusalem Church have developed each its own theology. Less