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.
This is a thesis on the Gospels and will be a great help to understand the Gospels.
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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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 2
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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 3
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
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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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 5
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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 6
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
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 7
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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 8
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.
6. Gospel – Rayan Lobo, SJ Page 9
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