*Welcome to the world of Catholic Theology for a intense God-Talk.*** The blog contains 22 presentations, that explain the Catholic Theology on various topics.*** These thesis are basically a help for the students who are preparing for their comprehensive exams at JDV, Pune.Well! to prepare these thesis I have taken help from several texts prepared by my senior students like Rudy Menezes, Seraphim SJ, Learoy Rodrigues, James Selvaraj Sj are some of them*** In case of any doubt- clarifications please contact - rayanjoelsj@gmail.com or +39 3920265902.*** Thank You.***

Thesis 6 - Gospels

     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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