A lecture by Fr ogundipe Sdv

The kerygma
OUTLINE
Introduction
What is Kerygma
The composition of the writing gospels
The relationship between the oral tradition and the composition of the written gospel
The circumstances that led to the composition and circulation of the synoptic
Conclusion

INTRODUCTION
The Gospels first existed in the oral tradition. The person of Jesus Christ, His life- words and deeds constitute the Gospel. After the ascension of Jesus the people started talking about him and of the events relating to his death and resurrection. These became the first “good news” to be announced. During this time, the Kerygma was on the fact that Jesus Came, lived, suffered, died, resurrected for our sake and that he will come again. What then led to the composition of the writing gospel is there any relationship between the writing gospel and the oral teaching? Why some are referred to as synoptic what led to this?

KERYGMA
The word Kerygma is from a Greek word, “Khrigma” meaning proclamation (khrigma from verb khrusw). Khrigma means the proclamation or preaching done by someone sent by God.
In the New Testament it refers to the apostolic preaching and its development and its development in the early church. It also refers to the earliest form of the missionary preaching of the good News. A kerygma generally has an outline which can be detected in the New Testament. Acts 2: 14-38, 3:12-26, 4:3-12, 10: 36-43. In these passages there are six main parts that form the outline of the kerygma they could be called the six basic truths. 1. Announcement that a new age is dawned, a prophecy fulfilled. 2. This new age that has dawned is made possible in the suffering and death of Jesus. 3. By the virtures of the resurrection of Jesus, God exalted him to his right hand as head and savior (the word kurios explains this) 4. Christ has given the Holy Spirit as sign of power and victory in the church. 5. Messainic age reaches its consummation in the return of Christ. 6. Closes with an appeal for repentance, invitation to baptism and forgiveness of sins.

THE COMPOSITION OF THE WRITING GOSPELS
Formation of the New Testament did not cover a long period of history as did the formation of the Old Testament. The gospel accounts existed first in the oral form as we have said before. The teachings and miracles of Jesus were transmitted in oral form by those who had witnessed it, especially the apostles, who made it a focal point of their preaching. Due to the fact that the prevalent thought at the time was of the imminence of Christ’s return, no one was keen about writing down. Of course they had not been instructed to do so by the master who also did not write anything about himself or his mission. But when death through persecution began to threaten the oral form of transmitting the teaching of the master they began to write. By AD 65-70 Mark’s gospel had been written as the first gospel narration. Matthew and Luke must have writing their gospel account between the years AD 80-90 John around Ad 90-100.

THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ORAL TRADITION AND THE COMPOSITION OF THE WRITTEN GOSPEL
When we call the gospel a kerygma we mean that the gospel is a gathering of the various proclamations done by the apostles. C.H. Dodd, looking at the Gosple according to Mark opines that we have a solid impression that it is an extended form of historical Kerygma. This could be said of all the gospels.
The relationship between the oral tradition and the Gospel could be best expressed from the document of the church on divine revelation no 9 thus:
There exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end. For sacred Scripture is the Word of God inasmuch as it is consigned to writing under the inspiration of the divine Spirit, while sacred tradition takes the Word of God entrusted by Christ the Lord and the Holy Spirit to the Apostles, and hands it on to their successors in its full purity, so that led by the light of the Spirit of truth, they may in proclaiming it preserve this Word of God faithfully, explain it, and make it more widely known. Consequently it is not from sacred Scripture alone that the Church draws her certainty about everything which has been revealed. Therefore both sacred tradition and sacred Scripture are to be accepted and venerated with the same sense of loyalty and reverence.

THE CIRCUMSTANCES THAT LED TO THE COMPOSITION AND CIRCULATION OF THE SYNOPTIC
Out of the four canonical gospels, three are called synoptic gospels and they include Matthew, Mark and Luke. They are called synoptic because they can be placed side by side and viewed as it were at a glance. They are closely related to one another that one can notice that they all have something in common among themselves. However, they had different reasons for writing but generally; they wanted to preserve the word of God in a distinct way. The following circumstances led the composition and circulation of the synoptic:
The eye witnesses were dying one after the other and the source of the oral history may become depleted.
The rapid growth of Christianity as it expanded through the efforts of the apostles and their disciples.
To encourage Christians to become better people as they followed Christ.
There was the need to become independent of Judaism. The gospels help to establish Christian practices.
To encourage the persecuted church to endure suffering like their master.
To keep alive the teaching of Christ as received from the apostles.
To keep the authentic message of Christ from counterfeit and fake versions of the same message which were being taught and propagated by heretics.

CONCLUSION
Sacred tradition and sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the Word of God, committed to the Church. Holding fast to this deposit the entire holy people united with their shepherds remain always steadfast in the teaching of the Apostles.

Fr Ogundipe O Lawrence sdv