25
Many Protestant Churches rely almost entirely on
the Christian Scriptures alone as the basis for their
teachings and practices
Pg.29
The Roman Catholic Church is often distinguished from other
Christian Churches by its commitment to BOTH Scripture and
Tradition (with a capital “T” as major sources for
understanding Jesus and His message.
A.
Scripture
B. Tradition
Written, inspired
Word of God
Teachings of the
apostles, and
experiences of the
earliest Christians
Holy Spirit speaks through
the sacred writers
Holy Spirit at work in the
community
Pg.14
Old Testament & New Testament
are called “faith sources”
Not to be read in the same way
as we read history textbooks or
newspaper stories.
explanation
Vs.
meaning
meaning
30
Part Two
The Development of
the Gospels
Three major steps in the
Development of the Gospels
30
Stage One: Jesus’ life and works
Stage Two: Early Church remembers,
retells the stories, preaches
Stage Three: Gospels written down
Three major steps in the
Development of the Gospels
30
Stage One: Jesus’ life and works
Stage Two: Early Church remembers,
retells the stories, preaches
Stage Three: Gospels written down
39
10 bce 0
10 c.e. 20
Jesus’
early
years in
Nazareth
30
P
u
b
l
i
c
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Stage One: Jesus’ life and works
A. The basic facts:
30
1. Jesus born a Jew around 5 B.C.E.
Grew up in Nazareth (in Galilee)
2. Began public life about age 30
Preaching, wonder-working, teaching,
proclaiming the kingdom
3. Varied reactions to his preaching:
Acceptance, skepticism, hostility;
Crucified by Romans about 30 C.E.
32
B. The Resurrection
1. The belief that Jesus rose from
the dead.
2. Three days after his execution his
followers started to experience
him alive and present among
them.
B. The Resurrection
32
3. The event that led early
Christians to believe that Jesus
was more than an ordinary man.
B. The Resurrection:
32
4. The Pivotal Event
a. The apostles were afraid and in hiding
after Jesus’ execution.
b. Once they experienced the risen Jesus,
though, they were changed!
32
c. They began to fearlessly proclaim
their belief that
Jesus is the Divine Messiah,
“JESUS CHRIST IS LORD!”
33
d. Calling Jesus “Lord”
was the first Christians’ way
of expressing their belief in
the
divinity of Jesus
“JESUS CHRIST
IS LORD!”
=
“JESUS IS DIVINE”
32
e. The Resurrection
is the central event for Christians:
Belief in the resurrection is
essential to Christian faith.
B. the Resurrection
C. The name “Jesus Christ”
1. “Jesus”
is a common
Hebrew first name,
“Yeshua”
which means “Yahweh (God) saves”
33
2. “Christ” is not Jesus’ last name
“Christ” is a title from Greek:
christos = “anointed one”
Translating the Hebrew word
meshach = “anointed one”
= “messiah”
33
Three major steps in the
Development of the Gospels
30
Stage One: Jesus’ life and works
Stage Two: Early Church remembers,
retells the stories, preaches
Stage Three: Gospels written down
39
10 bce 0
10 c.e. 20
Jesus’
early
years in
Nazareth
30
40
50
60
70
P
u Early Church
b preserves &
l retells stories &
i sayings of Jesus
period
c
of oral
tradition
80
90
100
Question:
“What two major factors moved
the early church to start writing
down the oral traditions?”
Two answers:
P. 38
1. As the church realized that Christ was not
coming back immediately, they needed to
preserve the teachings for future
generations.
2. The continuing need to instruct and inspire
the already existing communities of faith
around the Roman Empire.
Three major steps in the
Development of the Gospels
30
Stage One: Jesus’ life and works
Stage Two: Early Church remembers,
retells the stories, preaches
Stage Three: Gospels written down
III Gospels
39
Written
Down
10 bce 0
10 c.e. 20
Jesus’
early
years in
Nazareth
30
P
u
b
l
i
c
40
50
60
70
80
90
Early Church M
Missionary
a Luke
and
activity
r
Stories about
k Matt
Jesus
Stage
Three
100
J
o
h
n
The Four Gospels
70
C.E.
Mark
80
C.E.
Luke
39
100
C.E.
90
C.E.
John
(80’s C.E.)
(95ish C.E.)
(65-70 C.E)
Matt.
(90ish C.E.)
“Three Synoptic Gospels”
39
Part Three:
The Gospels:
Four
Portraits
of Jesus
Cool Al’s notes
Introduction:
Authorship of the gospels
It is very difficult
to establish exact
authorship of the
gospels.
Cool Al’s notes
Authorship of the gospels
[Notes from the Harper Collins Study Bible (1993) ]
MATTHEW: “Cumulative evidence
suggests an unknown Greek-speaking
Jewish Christian, probably a scribe…
In the second century it was
attributed to Matthew primarily to lend
it authority.”
Cool Al’s notes
Authorship of the gospels
[Notes from the Harper Collins Study Bible (1993) ]
MARK: “Nowhere in the
second gospel is the author
identified… The authorship
of Mark remains an enigma
[puzzle].”
Cool Al’s notes
Authorship of the gospels
[Notes from the Harper Collins Study Bible (1993) ]
LUKE: “It may be finally
impossible to prove or
disprove the traditional
identification of the author,
but the name of Luke may be
used without making too
much of it.”
Cool Al’s notes
Authorship of the gospels
[Notes from the Harper Collins Study Bible (1993) ]
JOHN: “The gospel itself neither
mentions John nor names its author. …
Its author can no longer be identified.”
Gospel of
P. 40
Mark
Some Facts:
1. The earliest & shortest gospel
2. Used by Lk and Matt
P. 41
Some Themes:
S
1. Stresses Suffering of Jesus
H 2. Jesus is truly a human being
– e.g. strong emotions
I 3. The most intimate portrait
of Jesus
Gospel of Luke
Luke
Some Facts:
1. First of two volumes
with Acts of the Apostles
2. Written by gentile Christian
for gentile Christians
3. Probably written in Rome
P. 42-43
P. 42-43
Some Themes:
C
1. Jesus as compassionate, loving
and healing
S
2. Outcasts and Sinners have
main roles
H 3. Holy Spirit has central role
P. 43-44
Gospel of Matthew
Some Facts:
1. Written by Jewish Christians
for Jewish Christians
2. The longest gospel
P. 43-44
Some Themes:
M 1. Jesus is the Messiah
P 2. Jesus fulfills prophecies
of Old Testament
C 3. Interest in the Church
itself: organization,
communal life
P. 45-46
Gospel of John
Some Facts:
1. The last gospel to be written
philosophical,
theological
3. Represents a different gospel tradition
from the synoptics
2. Very ”Greek,”
P. 45-46
Some
Themes:
D 1. Jesus as divine Son of God
S 2. Use of Symbolism:
WBLS
water, bread, light, shepherd
L
3. Deep reflection on “meaning:”
Love
End of Chapter Two