A Biblical Vision, Part II: Mastering the New Testament Witness to Christ

Ses s i on 2: The Gospe l s : The Man i fes tat i on of Chr i s t , Par t I 33

B. The nature of the Gospels

In truth, there is only one Gospel. In the middle of the second century, our four Gospels were given the title of “ evangelia .” In fact, each of the individual Gospels represents an accurate and compelling retelling of the one true, Gospel of God embodied in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

1. The oral stage of the Gospels

a. Jesus’ words. Our Lord did not write his sermons out, but they were carried faithfully along in the memory of the disciples. (Note: Jesus’ teachings were not only memorized but pondered over carefully, and both his public and private messages impacted their thinking long after his death, e.g., John 2.22.) b. The apostolic tradition ( paradosis ). The apostles passed on to the Messianic community all the teaching and knowledge of our Lord that they had received (cf. Acts 1.2, 21; e.g., 1 Cor. 15.1-14). This is seen in their:

(1) Missionary preaching and teaching ( kerygma )

(2) Instructions of new disciples to the Lord ( catechism )

(3) Worship settings ( leitourgia )

(4) Delivery of the Gospel’s content: God was in Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah, who is our Lord and Savior

c. Jesus’ words in the early Church. The apostolic tradition regarding the life and ministry of Jesus spread through the believing community in various contexts, 1 Cor. 7.10; 9.14.