6 - Gospels -Rayan Lobo,SJ

6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 1

THESIS 6 - NT THEOLOGY

1. The Gospels are not eye-witness reports of what Jesus did and said, but are collections of

traditions about him, written from the perspective of the Resurrection in response to the

respective needs of the community (ND 241-244).

2. The true significance of the text, in fact, emerges from an open dialogue between the text

and its context on the one hand, and the reader and his/her context on the other (ND 272-

274).

3. Though the Synoptic Gospels have much in common they differ from one another in their

presentation of Jesus Christ. However, the Johannine perspective is significantly different

from them.

4. In their various kerygmata, the Gospels provide us with a basis for diversity in unity.

5. This could serve as a model for Christians living in a multi-religious context like India.

Thesis can be divided into four parts.

a. Gospels are not eye-witness reports.

b. True significance of the text emerges from the text from its open dialogue through

historical critical method.

c. Synoptic and Johanine presentation of Christ.

d. Kerygma of the gospels as basis for diversity in unity.

ND 241-244 – are from the Biblical Commission( Santa Mater Ecleisia(1964)

ND 241: The interpreter must take careful note of the three stages of tradition by which the

teaching and the life of Jesus came down to us.

ND 242 :

Christ attached to himself certain chosen disciples who had followed him from the

beginning, had seen his works and heard his words and thus were qualified to become

witnesses to his life and teaching.


Jesus during his teaching of word of mouth used ways of reasoning and expression which

were common use at that time.

ND 243 :

Apostle bearing witness to Jesus first and foremost- the death and resurrection of Jesus.

They faithfully recounted the life and words, as regard the manner of their preaching –

took into account the circumstances of the hearers.

Apotl s recounted Jesus’ life –acts –words in the light of the fuller understanding they

enjoyed as a result of being instructed by glorious events accomplished by Christ and

illuminated by the spirit of truth.

ND 244:

The sacred writers took the earliest body of instructions which were handed down orally

first and then in writing.

The truth of the narrative is not affected in the least by the facts that the evangelists report

the sayings or doings of our Lord in a different order or that they use different words to

express what he said, not keeping to the letters but nevertheless preserving the sense.

1. The Gospels are not eye-witness reports of what Jesus did and said, but are collections of

traditions about him, written from the perspective of the Resurrection in response to the

respective needs of the community (ND 241-244).

They are not an eye witness and they are not reports. They are by second generation Christians.

Report tells about somebody. They are proclamations, in the form of narrative Christology. That is

they tell about Jesus in a story form.

Gospels are collected and edited traditions, written from the perspective of resurrection according to

the needs of the community. This tells us about the formation about the gospels.

There is approximately 40 years of difference between the 1st to 2nd stage.

eg: Jesus died around 30 CE and the first gospel – Mark comes only around 65-70 CE.

During these 40 years original life of Jesus Christ s transfigured. What we have in the gospels is a

transfigured memory.


These were coloured by 3 events.

Resurrection

Community needs

Biblical language. – Allusions –proverbs – vocabulary of NT is bilt on the vocabulary of

the OT.

Formation of the gospels takes place in 3 stages.

Words and deed of Jesus which were heard and seen by apostles

Oral tradition

Written gospels.

According to the old understanding Gopels

Biographies of Jesus

Historically trustworthy

Gospels considered – words and deeds of Jesus transmitted by apostles like Matthew and John

and disciples of Apostles – MK and LK(as literal authors).

With the application old the Historical critical Method the church affirms that gospels are not eye

witness reports(Santa Mater Ecclesia, 1964, Paul VI)

ND 240-245 mention about the 3 stages involved in the formation of the gospels.

1. Jesus Event: Words and deeds of Jesus as understood and interpreted by the apostles in the

light of their faith in the resurrection – a transfigured memory.

2. Oral Tradition: Resurrection – Needs of the Community – Biblical Language.

Words of Jesus were circulated as Oral Tradition in the early church and were used for

various needs.

Catechesis

Liturgy

Worship

Teaching


Preaching

Apologetic

3. Gospels:

Oral traditions were

Collected

Adapted

Changed

Modified

Process of writing to suit the challenges, needs and problems of the reader and their theology.

Evangelists were understood as composers and not as literal authors.

When we use the bible we must keep in mind

What is in the text

What is behind the text

What is in front of the text

2. The true significance of the text, in fact, emerges from an open dialogue between the text

and its context on the one hand, and the reader and his/her context on the other (ND

272-274).

The text and its context – World behind the text.

On the one hand, and the reader and his/her context – world before the text.

This can be arrived at by applying various scientific methods such as

The author meaning is not immediately accessible to us because of the historical distance

and the cultural gap between the author and the reader.

Therefore we need to go back to the Sitz –im –Laben of the historical critical method.

There is a historical distance between the text and what happened before (context of the

text).

We need to understand the text in its context. For that we have historical critical

method. This helps in reading the intention of the author. But it does not tell us what

should we do now.


Text riticism:

Key to restore the original text.

Literary Criticism:

determines the authenticity of the biblical book

Source of the text

Form Criticism:

This deals with how the text developed.

This deals with literary forms(genre)0f a peri-cope. eg: a miracle story, parable,

Psalm etc.

Redaction Criticism:

Affirms that evangelists primarily are not computers of traditions but the

authors of their own right.

gives the theology of the author.

It establishes the theology of the evangelists.

Historical Criticism:

It attempts to establish the historicity of the deeds and words of Jesus in a scientific

manner.

Historical critical method speaks of the text as – Single Meaning or Author meaning

HC method studies the text(gospel) objectively a an academic enterprise. Gospels on the

other hand are meant for personal transformation of the reader.

HC method/exegesis has too often tended to limit the meaning of the texts by taking them

too rigidly, to precise historical circumstances.

It should seek/ rather determine the direction of the thought expressed by the text and so

there emerges a new method known as Hermeneutical Method.

There are three kinds of meanings.

Author meaning: Meaning of the evangelist. But we can’t determine it.


Text meaning: What is meant by the text.

Reader meaning: depends on the reader

To make it relevant to todays context we need to bring reader and is context the text. To

make the meaning for today, we need to dialogue between the reader and the context

with text’s original meaning.

True meaning emerges from a creative and dialogical encounter between the reader and the

text.

H-C method cannot satisfy us fully because it’s a religious text. Religious text has

openness to the past and to the future. we can go back in history to find what did the

community mean at that time. It also has openness to the future. The goal of the

religious text is – transformation. Therefore it can have an effect on the reader even

today.

Modern hermeneutical methods say that the text has a surplus of meaning. Intention of

the author is not the closure of the text. There is a semantic autonomy in the text.

However we cannot do away with the historical critical method for it can play a supportive

role in our interpretation.

In the Christian interpretation of the sacred scripture the text meaning should be in continuity

with the author meaning.

Therefore we can bring these two worlds to dialogue and make them relevant to

today’s context.

3. Though the Synoptic Gospels have much in common they differ from one another in

their presentation of Jesus Christ. However, the Johannine perspective is significantly

different from them.

Synoptic Problem: Similarities and the dissimilarities (synoptic solution)

Similarities: The first 3 gospels have much in common with regard to

Content


Order/sequence

Wordings

1. Content:

Most narratives and sayings are common to all three gospels.

Baptism

Temptation

Galilean Ministry

Passion, Death and Resurrection

Content: for example we have triple tradition – double tradition and single tradition.

Ex:

Tripple tradition : Sower, Story of blind man

Double tradition (Only in Matthew and Luke) :

Single tradition: Prodigal Son

2. Order/ Sequence

1. -Prelude to Galilean ministry

2. – Galilean Ministry

3. – Journey to Jerrusalem

4. – Minitry in Jerusalem

5. – Passion/Death and Reurrection.

Wordings:

Mk 8:37 – 9:1 || MT& Lk Jesus fortells his death.

Mk 11: 27 -33 || Mt: 21. 23-27 and Lk 20: 1-8– Jesus’ authority quesstionned in Jerusalem

Similarity is due to the common source – Q (Quelle)

Synopsis –meaning together.

There are also differences.


When authors edited, they edited according to their own perspectives, to the needs of the

community. They differ in their presentation of Jesus Christ.

Mk-Suffering (Servant Messiah)

Mt – Teacher

Luke – Universal saviour.

They present it this way because of the context.

During the time of Mark – Nero was emperor. Christians were persecuted. People had

only 2 choices. Either deny Jesus Christ or enter into Collosium to b eaten by lions. Then

they aked the question – Why must I die? and mark aks the question – Why should Jesus

die?

In Matthew it is a settled Jewish community. The settled community wanted their life to

be guided by the words of Jesus. They wanted to know what are the words and deeds of

Jesus. Therefore Matthew arranges for them in 5 Discourses. Therefore

Mt 5-7, Sermon on the Mount

Mt 10 – Mission

Mt 13 – Parables

Mt 18 – Community Discourse

Mt 24-27 - Eschatological Discourse.

Luke writes to gentile Christians. Therefore he presents Jesus as the universal saviour.

However, the Johannine perspective is significantly different from them.

3 times he goes to Jerusalem.

Even in order there is a difference. Here Jesus goes back and forth to Jerusalem. therefore

Mission in Galilee as well as in Jerusalem.

Here instead of short stories – we have dialogues/ monologues.

Here the themes are not – KOG but symbolic themes like – light and darkness – death and

life etc.


Here the question would be when Jesus became divine.

In Mark Jesus considered divine from his baptism. In Matthew and Luke he is considered

divine from his conception and in John Jesus is considered divine even before creation

Differences

Mark:

Writes to the gentile Christians in Rome undergoing persecution under Nero.

Suffering Messiah

Son of God = divine origin

Son of Man =Passion and suffering of Jesus.

As Mark’s audiences are suffering, so is Jesus suffering.

Matthew:

Write to Greek speaking Jewish Christians.

Jesus came to fulfill the OT prophesies

Expected Messiah

Davidic Origin

Genealogy from Abraham

Jesus as the new Moses

Church – New Israel.

Luke:

Write to Gentile Christians

God’s universal salvific plan

Lk 4: 16-20 : Jesus’ manifest and the mission of the 70

Jesus genealogy from Adam

Jesus a Prophetic Messiah

Jesus is - liberator – savior –deeply human.

In Synoptic – Kingdom of God is the key word.


John

Mixed community – Universal salvation ( Jews – Samaritans – Greeks)

Jesus reveals the Father – that is the relationship between the Father and the son.

Jesus as the glorified Messiah

Purpose of John: is to stimulate faith in the unbeliever and strengthen it in the believer.

John speaks of realized(also future) eschatology.

I am sayings

John places more stress on Jesus as the one coming from the Father.

Oral Traditions

I am sayings

Pre-exitence

Cana

Anti thesis like – like and darkness, Spirit and Flesh, Life and death.

4. In their various kerygmata, the Gospels provide us with a basis for diversity in unity.

Kerygma is proclamation. They show unity in proclamation.

Unity in diversity is the question here....?

Unity in the proclamation about the Risen Lord but diversity in its form of presentation.

Kerygma is an act of proclamation or the content of proclamation.

Kerygma of Synopis : Kingdom of God( Mt 4 : 23)

Different evangelist portray the main thrust of the kingdom of God differently in the

synoptic gospels.( Lk 4, 43; 8,1;16.1)

John has entirely new perspective of Jesus and his ministry

Mark – concerned about Jesus’ identity – suffering Messiah.

Matthew – Jesus as the new Moses abd church as the New Israel.

-Law of love

Luke – Jesus to Adam – Universal salvation history.

John – talks about the relationship between Jesus and the Father.


Johanine Jesus asks his disciples to enter into relationship with him, ultimately with

the Father.

In John, historical Jesus is seen as exalted Christ.

Thus we can say that there is unity in diversity in the presentation of Jesus by the

evangelists.

Diversity in Unity

There is one Jesus Christ but many theologies un the NT, which shows the diversity.

Unity is maintained in the

Message

Preaching

Proclamation about Jesus Christ (Risen or exalted Christ)

Called for faith, acceptance of proclamation, commitment to Jesus.

The promise held out to the faith.

Christ event is central to all four gospels.

Proclamation in the name of Christ.

5. This could serve as a model for Christians living in a multi-religious context like India.

Connect gospel and culture – inculturation through – language and Theology.

Language: Gospels were attempting inculturation in 2 ways. Gospels are written in Greek.

Although Jesus and disciples were Aramaic speaking, they adapted Greek language,

especially Koene Greek, which was the day today language of the common people.the didn’t

want to make any difference between gospel and common people.

Theology: Making it relevant to Jewish Christians, Palestinian Jewish Christians, Helennistic

Jewish Christians(those in diaspora).

For us Indians diversity is an everyday experience because we have different

languages, cultures, religions etc.

Ultimate is expressed through - different names.

-Worshipped in different ways.

-conditioned by historical situation and culture.


Hence diversity in unity can serve a model.

I can look at it from three angles.

a. Intra-church: Equality within three rites in India.

b. Inter-church: Relationship with other churches/denominations – ecumenism.

c. Inter –religion: respecting and accepting other religions – symbols/traditions ---IRD.

Our study of NT provides us with a basis for diversity in unity.

Unity is that we all proclaim God’s saving/liberative act.

Diversity is that which is done in and through different religions/ beliefs and traditions.

ND 272:

Contribution of the modern philosophical hermeneutics, recent developments of literary theory

allows exegesis, deepen its understanding of the task before it.

Ancient Exegesis: Attributed to every text of scripture – several levels of meaning.

Most prevalent distinction was between - literal sense and spiritual sense.

Medieval Sense: Distinguished within the spiritual sense three different sense :

to the truth revealed

to the way life commended

Final goal to be achieved.

Historical Critical exegesis method: One single meaning.

Run aground on the conclusions of theories of l;anguage + philosophical hermeneutics

which affirm that written texts are open to a plurality of meaning.

ND 273:

Speaks of the importance of seeking the important meaning of the text as proclaimed by the

authors – the literal meaning.


St Thomas Aquainas speaks of the importance of this.

Since this is the fruit of the inspiration, this sense is also intended by God, as Principal author.

This is done by careful analysis of the text within its literary and historical context.

ND 274

Modern Hermeneutics: Adding new meaning to the original sense.

Koran: is a word of Allah, decreed to Prophet Mohammad by an angel – not from a human – so not

possible to have many senses.

John 1:1 We declare to you what was from the beginning, what we have heard, what we have seen

with our eyes and what we have looked at and touched with our hands concerning the word of life

Vedas are heard and remembered.

Kerygmata was heard and remembered by the early Christian community.

LG 16:

All religions are inspired; other religions also have a ray of truth;

Church rejects nothing that is true and holy in other religions( NA)

They can be read side by side common platforms like – IRD.

However this is not to equate the gospels with other scriptures of other religions. The

gospels are the word of God for us.

Selva’s version

Connect gospel and culture – inculturation through – language and Theology.

Language: Gospels were attempting inculturation in 2 ways. Gospels are written in Greek.

Although jesus and disciples were Aramaic speaking, they adapted Greek language, especially

Koene Greek, which was the day today language of the common people.the didn’t want to make

any difference between gospel and common people.

Theology: Making it relevant to Jewish Christians, Palestinian Jewish Christians, Helennistic

Jewish Christians (those in diaspora).


What is our context: Poverty, religious pluralism and caste system.

There are very many religions – diversity. Gospels had unity in proclamation and diversity in the

presentation of the proclamation, we also like the early Christian community, need to have unity

in the Jesus experience.

Jesus said –love one another as I have loved you. Early Christians had no temple. They were

worshipping God everywhere. They all accepted Sunday as the Sabbath day, not Saturday. They

all came together to celebrate the sacraments.

Today too Christians can have certain unity in proclaiming the Jesus. Gospel has a message of

proclamation, that message should enter into each diverse cultures and religions of our times.

eg: Brahmo Bandu Upadyaay.

Also bring in –

Ecclesi o Centic view – extra ecclesia nulla salus- outide the church there is no salvation.

Therefore you need to be a member of the church in order to have salvation.

Christo Centric View – Anonymous Christians - fundamental commitment to love.

Theo-centric view – John Right- he said normally Christ was the centre but now God is the centre

of all religions. Therefore has in its own authority salvation, which church documents also support.

NA2 – What is true and holy in other religion. Rays of truth should enlighten us. Therefore ways

os salvation is in other religion also.

Theocentric – there are two views.

1. Normative = In Jesus definitive revelation of Jesus has taken place. When we deal with

other religions we should take Jesus as the example.

2. Non –normative : Jesus need not be the decisive pattern. Other religion can have their

own.

Please Note: This thesis need to further modification. I had left out this thesis. Therefore I did

not pay much attention to the thesis.

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6 - Gospels -Rayan Lobo,SJ