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.
Ø
Catechesis
Ø
Liturgy
Ø
Worship
Ø
Teaching
Ø
Preaching
Ø
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
ü
What is in the text
ü
What is behind the text
ü
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:
ü
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.
ü
Author meaning: Meaning of the evangelist.
But we can’t determine it.
ü
Text meaning: What is meant by the text.
ü
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
ü
Message
ü
Preaching
ü
Proclamation about Jesus
Christ (Risen or exalted Christ)
ü Called for faith, acceptance of
proclamation, commitment to Jesus.
ü 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.
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