Unit Five The Gospels the four Gospels are the cornerstones of the Scripture for Catholics. This unique literary Genre mixes teachings, prophecies, and miracle stories in a narrative of the life of Jesus. 5.1 Gospels Key Concept A Gospel is a written proclamation of the life of Jesus in light of the resurrection and in the context of the apostolic church. The gospel proclaims that humanity s happiness is realized in accepting Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Key Terms Gospel Euaggelion Canonical Canonical Gospel Non-Canonical Gospels Irregular Gospel Kerygma Jesus Kerygma Apostolic Church Kerygma Pericope Redact Q Source Triple Source Synoptic Gospels Double Source Eschatology Two Source Hypotheses Parousia Eschaton Outline Gospel A. The word gospel translates the Greek word Euaggelion meaning an announcement of good news. 1. Victory in battle or the birth of a future king is an example. 2. The Hebrew word bs r has a similar set of meanings. B. The term has multiple meanings. 1. Material about the life and ministry of Jesus. In this sense there is only one Gospel. 2. Canonical means that the document was inspired by the Holy Spirit and contains public revelation and is in the Bible 3. Canonical Gospels meaning the Gospels contained in the Bible. Mark, Matthew, Luke, and John. 4. Non-Canonical Gospels meaning not part of the Bible, which may contain both
authentic and inauthentic Jesus material The authentic literary genre as illustrated by the canonical Gospels. Irregular Gospel is a non-canonical gospel missing one or more of these properties. a. Sayings and deeds of Jesus b. Apostolic teachings about Jesus c. Passion narrative d. Resurrection narrative C. The Gospels are a unique literary document. 1. They contain history, but there purpose is not to simply memorialize events. 2. They tell us things about Jesus and others, but there purpose is not offer a biography. 3. They are first and foremost proclamations of Humanities salvation through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Gospel Development A. Kerygma is term for what is proclaimed. 1. Jesus Kerygma: Repent, the Kingdom of God is at hand. 2. Apostolic Church Kerygma: Jesus crucified and raised is humanity s key to inheriting Risen Life. B. Stages of Development 1. Oral proclamation of the words and deeds of Jesus as interpreted by the Apostolic Church. 2. Story units become established through consent repetition, some may be written down (Passion Narrative). a. These story units are called Pericopes. A Pericope refers to an individual complete story unit. b. These units are shared with Christians and cared for by Ministers of the Word. 3. The Evangelists (MK, MT, LK, and JN) Redacted their sources meaning they adapted and edited them. a. They select some of these story units while excluding others. b. They expand, reduce, combine and separate events in order to bring some understanding to the Mystery of Christ Risen. 4. These Gospel Texts are circulated among the Churches of the Apostolic Church and after minor editing are set in their final form. C. Development of the Gospels 1. JN was the last completed, but it has some of the earliest source.
2. MK used pericopes focusing on a specific part of Jesus life. MK and JN used some same sources. 3. The Q source is a hypothetical document containing the sayings and deeds of Jesus in an eschatological context. 4. MT used MK and Q plus material unique to his GS. 5. LK used MK and Q plus material unique to his GS. 6. LK and JN may have had some common sources apart from the other GS or one Evangelist may have used the other GS. Synoptic Question A. The Synoptic Gospels refer to Mark, Matthew, and Luke because of their striking similarity in format and content. 1. The Triple Source refers to material appearing in all three Synoptic Gospels. There are about 475 verses that appear in all three Synoptic Gospels. 2. The Double Source refers to material shared by Matthew and Luke, but not found in Mark. There are about 270 verses in this category. 3. Each of the Synoptic Gospels has unique material and common material expressed in a unique way. Anointing at Bethany Penitent Woman B. The Gospel of John, which is not a Synoptic Gospels, shares only about ten percent of its content with any of the other Gospels. C. There are numerous hypotheses that explain the relationship among Mark, Matthew, and Luke. 1. No hypothesis completely answers the question, but the best answer to date is the Two Source Hypothesis. 2. Two Source Hypothesis holds that Matthew and Luke drew on Mark and another source called the Q Source. D. The Q Source refers to a hypothetical document made up of sayings of Jesus used by both Matthew and Luke. Eschatology A. The Church s developing understanding of Eschatology plays a key role in the formation of the Gospels. B. Eschatology is the study of the end time or the last days of the human race. C. Eschaton is the name for the end time.
1. This will be the time of the Day of the Lord. 2. This is when the Messianic Promise will be fulfilled. D. Parousia is the term for the actual second coming of Christ Eschatologies A. Immanent Eschatology asserts that the Parousia will be in the very near future. 1. This is the view dominant in the Gospel according to Mark. 2. This may explain why the Gospel is economic in its presentation as there would be no long term need for the details of Jesus life. 3. The suffering that Christians were experiencing may have strengthened the legitimacy of immanent eschatology. B. Delayed Eschatology asserts that the Parousia will occur in the future after some 1. This is the view dominant in Matthew and Luke. a. Matthew says the delay will be short. b. Luke says the delay will be long. 2. These Gospels have a broader scope and are more detailed narrative to accommodate Christians who never knew an Apostle. C. Realized Eschatology 1. This is the view dominant in John. 2. This signals a shift in Christian theology that places the emphasis of Jesus first coming rather than his second coming. 3. Jesus functions in his eschatological role throughout the John. D. How can these three views of the Eschaton be reconciled with each other? 1. The Eschaton is immediate in the sense that when we step out of time at death, we have arrived at the Parousia. 2. The Eschaton is delayed in the sense that time continues after our death. 3. The Eschaton is realized in the sense that we are determining our eternal fate by responding to Christ or not. Exercise Select a pericope from one of the Synoptic Gospels and compare it to its parallel in another Synoptic Gospel. Applications Find an article, photo, video clip, or music bite that illustrates a pericope of Jesus. Discussion
Adolph the Atheist said, Maynard, how can there be three correct explanations for the Eschaton? Help Maynard explain. Faith Formation Students write a brief reflection on the uniqueness of the Gospel as a form of communication. Discuss how the study of the Gospels can change one s view of right and wrong. How might we explain what the presence of four Gospels as opposed to just one? Review 1. What are the various meanings of Gospel? 2. Explain why the Gospels are unique literary documents. 3. What is the Synoptic question and what appears to be the best answer?