This Week in Church History
A weekly review of major moments in the 2000 plus history of the Christian Church, hosted by Bishop Andy C. Lewter, D. Min., who holds an undergraduate degree from Oberlin College, a graduate degree (Masters of Divinity) from Harvard Divinity School and a terminal degree (Doctor of Ministry) from United Theological Seminary. Bishop Lewter is the Church Historian for the Full Gospel Baptist Church Fellowship and is an adjunct professor at Beulah Heights Bible University in Atlanta, GA. He also serves as the Senior Pastor of the Hollywood Full Gospel Baptist Cathedral of Amityville, NY and the Queens Ministry of New York City.
This Week in Church History
The Hidden Four Hundred Years, Unveiling History's Secrets
Episode Description:
What happened between the Old and New Testaments? Discover the dramatic 400-year period that transformed the biblical world from Persian rule to Roman occupation, from a modest temple to Herod's architectural wonder, and from religious unity to competing Jewish sects.
Join Professor Rachel Chen and Harvard-trained church historian Bishop Andy Lewter as they trace the epic story from Alexander the Great's Hellenistic revolution through the Maccabean Revolt, the rise and corruption of the Hasmonean Dynasty, and Herod the Great's ruthless climb to power. Learn how Antiochus IV's persecution sparked a guerrilla war led by the priest Mattathias and his sons, establishing Jewish independence celebrated today as Hanukkah.
Explore why synagogues, rabbis, the Sanhedrin, and major Jewish sects like the Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes, and Zealots—all absent from the Old Testament—dominate the New Testament landscape. Understand how Roman roads, Greek language, and diaspora communities became divine instruments for spreading the gospel.
This episode reveals why those "silent" centuries weren't silent at all, but rather God's orchestration of world history to prepare for the perfect moment when "the fullness of time had come."
Perfect for: Bible students, history enthusiasts, church leaders, seminary students, and anyone seeking deeper understanding of the New Testament's historical context.
Key Topics: Inter-Testamental Period, Alexander the Great, Hellenism, Maccabean Revolt, Hanukkah, Hasmonean Dynasty, Herod the Great, Jewish sects, Roman occupation