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 35

[31] but these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.

(2) To explain the delay of Christ’s immediate return

(3) To sustain the tradition in the wake of the death of the original witnesses to the “Christ event”

(4) To undergird the missionary impetus undertaken by the Church

(5) In response to the Spirit’s influence on the Church to preserve the apostolic tradition through the ages

3. The dynamics of the Gospels themselves

a. The Lukan contribution: the Gospels both human and divine, Luke 1.1-4 – Inasmuch as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished among us, [2] just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and min isters of the word have delivered them to us, [3] it seemed good to me also, having followed all things closely for some time past, to write an orderly account for you, most excellent Theophilus, [4] that you may have certainty concerning the things you have been taught.

(1) Many were involved in compiling a narrative of the life and ministry of Jesus.

(2) These compilings were based on the eyewitness testimony of those who ministered the word among the early believing community. (3) The accounts are authored accounts, not fictions; an orderly arrangement was written to provide ironclad evidence of the things which disciples were believing.