Changes

The cultural religious teaching expressed in the book is the traditional belief of Israel, without the newer developments found in 2 Maccabees and Daniel. There is no doctrine of individual immortality as found in the Second Book of Maccabees, except for the survival of one's name and fame, and the book does not express any messianic expectation, although messianic images are applied historically to "the days of Simon" (1 Maccabees 14:4–17). The author insists, in accordance with true Deuteronomic tradition, on fidelity to the law as the expression of Israel's love for God. The struggle he describes is a contest, not only between Jew and Gentile, but between those who would uphold the law and those, Jews or Gentiles, who would destroy it. While he rightly condemns the Seleucid politicians for their policy of intolerant ethnic extermination of true religion, his severest condemnation goes to the lawless [[Apostasy|apostates]] among the people of Israel, who have been uniquely chosen by the one true God as a covenant-people, for they alone have been privileged to know and worship God, their eternal benefactor and unfailing source of help, who had warned them in the law what would happen to the community of the people if they ever turned aside from him and broke the covenant-bond he had established between him and them. The people for their part must worship the Lord alone and observe exactly the precepts of the holy law He has given to them.

The cultural religious teaching expressed in the book is the traditional belief of Israel, without the newer developments found in 2 Maccabees and Daniel. There is no doctrine of individual immortality as found in the Second Book of Maccabees, except for the survival of one's name and fame, and the book does not express any messianic expectation, although messianic images are applied historically to "the days of Simon" (1 Maccabees 14:4–17). The author insists, in accordance with true Deuteronomic tradition, on fidelity to the law as the expression of Israel's love for God. The struggle he describes is a contest, not only between Jew and Gentile, but between those who would uphold the law and those, Jews or Gentiles, who would destroy it. While he rightly condemns the Seleucid politicians for their policy of intolerant ethnic extermination of true religion, his severest condemnation goes to the lawless [[Apostasy|apostates]] among the people of Israel, who have been uniquely chosen by the one true God as a covenant-people, for they alone have been privileged to know and worship God, their eternal benefactor and unfailing source of help, who had warned them in the law what would happen to the community of the people if they ever turned aside from him and broke the covenant-bond he had established between him and them. The people for their part must worship the Lord alone and observe exactly the precepts of the holy law He has given to them.

There is some slight evidence in the book of an awareness of a tradition of interpreting the Written Torah according to the [[Tradition|Oral Torah]] (1 Maccabees 2:40-41, 49-68; 3:20-21, 48; 4:42-47, 60; 7:12-18; 15:41-43) which centuries later was given a more developed written expression first in the ''Mishnah'' and then the [[Talmud]]. Christianity continued this tradition of interpretation of the scriptures according to the oral tradition of the ancient Christian church. See [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2018:15-22&version=KJV Deuteronomy 18:15-22], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2031:31-34&version=KJV Jeremiah 31:31-34], [http://biblehub.com/multi/luke/10-16.htm Luke 10:16], [http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2 Thessalonians 2:15], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%203:13-16&version=NABRE 2 Corinthians 3:13-16], [http://biblehub.com/multi/hebrews/13-17.htm Hebrews 13:17] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%203:14-18&version=RSVCE 2 Peter 3:14-18].

There is some slight evidence in the book of an awareness of a tradition of interpreting the Written Torah according to the [[Tradition|Oral Torah]] (1 Maccabees 2:40-41, 49-68; 3:20-21, 48; 4:42-47, 60; 7:12-18; 15:41-43) which centuries later was given a more developed written expression first in the ''[[Mishnah]]'' and then the [[Talmud]]. Christianity continued this tradition of interpretation of the scriptures according to the oral tradition of the ancient Christian church. See [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=deuteronomy%2018:15-22&version=KJV Deuteronomy 18:15-22], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=jeremiah%2031:31-34&version=KJV Jeremiah 31:31-34], [http://biblehub.com/multi/luke/10-16.htm Luke 10:16], [http://biblehub.com/multi/2_thessalonians/2-15.htm 2 Thessalonians 2:15], [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2corinthians%203:13-16&version=NABRE 2 Corinthians 3:13-16], [http://biblehub.com/multi/hebrews/13-17.htm Hebrews 13:17] and [http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2peter%203:14-18&version=RSVCE 2 Peter 3:14-18].

==References==

==References==