
When I was being trained to be a missionary, I was told over and over that it is important to know who the key actors are in the country I was going to be serving in. Knowing who they are would help me to better understand how I was to minister.
This is also true when one is reading the New Testament. To better understand why Jesus preached and ministered the way He did, it helps to know something about the people he came in contact with. There were eight key categories of actors that Jesus came in contact with when He walked this earth.
As you read Chapter 8, Jewish Groups at the Time of Christ, in Jesus is Lord, you will be introduced to these key actors.