RE MIDTERM TOPICS

112
Christology and the Christian Faith
2 Semester-S.Y. 2022-23
nd

Mrs. Cerlita Dela Cruz-Vega, LPT, MAT

College of Education | Religious Education Department | Notre Dame of Marbel University, City of Koronadal

TOPIC 1: Review of the Hebrew Scripture: The Five Great Events

THE FIVE GREAT EVENTS IN THE HISTORY OF ISRAEL
As we have discovered in the text about the first great event, the authors of Genesis
tells us the story about Abraham who left Ur in Mesopotamia, went to Haran and from there
continued the journey to Canaan.

1. MIGRATION TO CANAAN (Gen. 12:1-5; Gen. 15:1-7.) The reason for this migration, though
are still vague. We do not have enough document to provide a definite answer. We can only
surmise that it may have been due to:
1. A war between the two superpowers of that time in that region: Assyria and Babylon
2. Trade
3. Famine or any other calamity
The group of Abraham however, travelled quite a distance. It is important to take note at
this point that he and his group willfully separated themselves from their own people and
evolved their own religious beliefs and cultural concepts.
The author of the Genesis story interprets this happening as: (1) Abraham was called by
Yahweh, and (2) Abraham, although a pagan, followed the voice of Yahweh and separated
from his own people to become the father of the Israelites. (The author wanted to go back as
far as possible into the history of Israel.)
Abraham had a son, ISAAC who took over the leadership of the clan - the tribe of a
wandering HEBREWS – after the death of Abraham.
Isaac had two sons EZAU and JACOB. Although Ezau, being the elder brother, was entitled
to receive the birthright of his father, it was actually Jacob who, through the intrigues of his
mother, received the blessings of his father and therefore became the leader of the tribe – the
wandering Aramaeans or the Hebrews.
Jacob had 12 sons who were shepherds. They went with their flock from one place to
another in order to find food and green pastures. The twelve sons were the following: Ruben,
Simeon, Levi, Juda, Issachar, Zebulon, Dan, Nepthali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin. As the
story goes, Joseph was sold by his own brothers as a slave to a group of Egyptian merchants.
Yet, because of his attitude and faithfulness, he became a famous man in Egypt and was
appointed assistant to the Pharaoh, the ruler of Egypt, and was put in charge of the agrarian
sector of his government.

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 During that time a great famine occurred in the Middle East. Due to the abundant food
supply in Egypt, many people went to Egypt to buy food, including the sons of Jacob. To their
surprise they met and recognized their brother Joseph. Joseph favored his brothers and invited
them and his old father to live in Egypt in the area of Goshen.
2. THE SOJOURN IN EGYPT (Gen. 47:5-12;Ex. 1:1-7.)
Their stay was temporary. It was in that way that the author of Exodus saw it. It was in
their interpretation, again, Yahweh who brought his people to Egypt, liberated them from
famine and gave them fertile land to use.
The Hebrew people multiplied fast and became a real power in EGYPT. So much that the
Egyptians became afraid that the tribe might become too powerful. Thus, they persecuted the
Hebrews: their lands were confiscated, the privileges recalled, baby boys were killed upon
birth, a cruel family planning was enforced, etc. the long period of great oppression had begun.
(We situate this period between 1800 and 1270 B.C.)
About 1200 B.C., Moses entered the history of Israel; first, as a guerilla-fighter the
oppressive Egyptians. Forced to go into hiding because of the killing of an Egyptian supervisor,
he went to Median where he married the daughter of Jetro, Zipporah. But Moses must have
felt uneasy. His mind and heart were constantly with his oppressed people in Egypt. He felt he
should leave Median and join his people in Egypt. He felt he should organize them and bring
them out of Egypt. This internal struggle within Moses is beautifully told in the story of the
Burning Bush.
Thus, Moses returned to Egypt – as a conscienticizer. He mingled with his people. He
identified himself with the oppressed and deprived Hebrew slaves. He experienced the
unbearable oppression and become the leader of the Hebrews who were gradually growing in
awareness. And, after prolonged suffering and a deepening realization of their oppressive
situation, they organized themselves under the leadership of Moses and were able to escape
from slavery in Egypt. (Around 1200 B.C.)
3.THE ESCAPE FROM SLAVERY IN EGYPT (Ex.1:8-14; Ex.3:1-10; Ex. 12:37-42.)
They escaped in small groups and hid themselves in the mountainous region of the Sinai
desert. Yet, Moses’ task was still not complete. He went around and was able to gather the
people. He brought the different tribes together in a people’s confederation near the Sinai,
based of two pillars: 1. The belief in one God; 2. The subscription to ONE RELIGION.

4.PEOPLE’S CONFEDERATION OR RELIGIOUS CONFEDERATION near Sinai (Ex. 19:1-8.)

. The story of the ten commandments is a part of that process of confederation.
The desire, however, for greener pastures and the strong conviction of the people and their
leader to look for the promised land made the people moved from one place to another. Till
finally, after many adventures, sufferings, and after many years, they arrived at the boarders of
Canaan, the promised land, known in their stories as the land of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob.

5.The occupation of the promised land (Joshua 11:15-23.)

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 Under the leadership of kings David and Solomon, Israel became one of the best
organized and wealthiest countries. It was at that time that Israel became a nation. Solomon
however, was not able to manage his power and wealth. He imposed higher taxes especially in
the north. The oppression was greatly felt by the people. After his death, the nation became
divided: the Northern Kingdom – Israel, and the Southern Kingdom – Judea. At that point, the
glory of the once united nation vanished.
Weakened because of the separation, the Northern Kingdom was captured by the
superpower in those days – Assyria – in about 700 B.C. The entire population was deported to
Assyria and never returned. The same happened to the Southern Kingdom. At about 550 B.C.,
the other superpower Babylon occupied Judea and also deported most of the people. Still,
some settled down in Babylon.
When under King Sirus, the Israelites were allowed to return to their country, only a few
went back. What they found was an empty, devastated and alien land. Yet, their deep faith in
Yahweh and their adherence to some religion was given renewed life. Apparently, this gave
them the courage they needed to rebuild their country. Today, they are often times referred to
as the ‘REST’ of Israel.
However, the country was captured again by the fast growing superpower from the west –
Greece and the Israelites experienced one of the cruelest occupation by a foreign nation. The
Greeks tried to replace the people’s strong belief in ONE GOD with their own museum of gods
and goddesses. . . They were strongly opposed by the people.
The Greek occupation started at about 120 B.C. Later, in 65 B.C., a new superpower from
the west was emerging – Rome. They (the Romans) succeeded in toppling the Greeks and took
over the Greek occupied territories. They occupied Israel and include it in the ROMAN EMPIRE.
Many Israelite leaders were happy to be rid of the cruel Greeks. They invited the Romans
to come and tried to get as many privileges as possible by collaborating with the occupying
power. The Jewish people suffered much because of the high taxes imposed by the Romans
and their corrupt leaders.
It was during this time that CHRIST WAS BORN.

ISRAELITIC CREED

“My father was a wandering Aramean, and he went down into Egypt with a few people and
lived there and became a great nation, powerful and numerous.  But the Egyptians mistreated
us and made us suffer, subjecting us to harsh labor. Then we cried out to the LORD, the God of
our ancestors, and the LORD heard our voice and saw our misery, toil and oppression.  So
the LORD brought us out of Egypt with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, with great terror
and with signs and wonders.  He brought us to this place and gave us this land, a land flowing
with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 26:5b-9 5  .

CFC, 277. The Old Testament presents the inspired story of God forming His own people by
establishing a special relationship with them. This covenant was a call to fuller life and
salvation. First God called Abraham out of his homeland and promised him: “I will make of you
a great nation, and I will bless you” (Gn 12:1-2). Through Abraham, God promised: “all the

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nations of the earth shall find blessing __ all this because you obeyed my command” (Gn
22:18). Thus God showed Himself to be a personal God, eager to endow his people with land,
material possessions and countless descendants. 278. The call of Moses gives an even sharper
picture of God as liberating His people. Out of the burning bush the Lord said: “I have witnessed
the affliction of my people in Egypt and have heard their cry of complaint against their slave
drivers. . . . Come now, I will send you to Pharaoh to lead my people out of Egypt” (Ex 3:7,10).
God showed Himself “Father” to the Israelites by choosing them “to be a people peculiarly His
own.” This was not because they were the largest of all nations, but solely because He “set His
heart” on them and loved them (cf. Dt 7:6-8). For their part, the Israelites were to observe
God’s commandments, the “Ten Words,” to guide them toward fuller freedom as His children
(cf. Ex 20:1-17). 279. The subsequent history of the Israelites showed the same infidelities
which we ourselves experience today in our relationship with God. Yet, despite their stubborn
unfaithfulness, God remained faithful. He established a covenant with David and promised him:
“I will raise up your heir after you. . . I will be a father to him and he shall be a son to me” (2 Sm
7:12,14). After the Exile, God promised through the prophets a New and Eternal Covenant: “I
will be their God, and they shall be my people” (cf. Jer 31:31- 34). This is the image of God given
us in the Old Testament and described in the Fourth Eucharistic Prayer: Father, we
acknowledge your greatness. All your actions show your wisdom and love . . . Even when we
disobeyed you and lost your friendship You did not abandon us to the power of death, but
helped us all to seek and find you. Again and again you offered a covenant to us, And through
the prophets taught us to hope for salvation. This is the image of God that Jesus came to bring
to fulfillment.

TOPIC 2: HISTORICAL EVIDENCES FOR JESUS’ EXISTENCE: NON-CHRISTIAN AND

CHRISTIAN SOURCES

The Christian Scriptures are our principal sources in proving the existence of the
historical Jesus.
The New Testament tells us of a certain Jesus of Nazareth who preached, performed miracles,
was crucified and rose again from the dead.
The Early Christian chose to give up their lives than to renounce Jesus. Why would
these men opt to die if Christ had not been raised from the dead, or much more if he had not
existed at all?

Even outside Christianity, there are writings that point to the existence of Jesus Christ.

A. Non-Christian Sources

A.1.Pagan Roman Sources. Is there any evidence for the existence of the historical Jesus
outside the New Testament? If we realize that Palestine was considered a bothersome, though
minor, province in the large Roman Empire, we should not be too surprised to find little written
evidence by the pagan* Roman historians concerning the wandering Jewish preacher and
teacher, Jesus of Nazareth. But it was inevitable that some Romans would have to take notice
because of the existence of the ever-increasing group of believers in Jesus, the Christians.
They claimed they came into being because this Jesus who was put to death now lived. Their
message under the guidance of the Holy Spirit spread by men like St. Paul reached every
corner of the Roman Empire. As a result, eventually some Roman historians had to take notice

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of the group and ultimately of their founder. From those early years, we have mention of Jesus
and his followers in three separate Roman writers: namely, Suetonius, Tacitus and Pliny the
Younger.

Suetonius. The Roman author Suetonius compiled biographies of the first 12 Roman emperors,
from Julius Caesar onward. Writing about 120 A.D. in his Life of Claudius he says of the
emperor:
He expelled the Jews from Rome, on account of the riots in which they were constantly
indulging, at the instigation of Chrestus. **
Suetonius made a mistake in his retelling of the Jewish expulsion from Rome in 49 A.D. in
assuming that Christ was there. What probably happened was that when the early Christian
missionaries went to the synagogues in Rome to tell the Jews that their long-awaited Messiah
had come, the Christians met with such resistance that street riots resulted. Claudius thought
Christians and Jews were really members of the same religious sect and consequently
banished them from Rome because of the civil disturbances. Luke writes in Acts 18:2 that when
Paul arrived in Corinth about 50 A.D., he found there “a Jew named Aquila, a native of
Pontus, recently arrived from Italy with his wife, Priscilla. An edict of Claudius had ordered all
Jews to leave Rome.
Suetonius (life of Emperor Claudius 25:4) mentioned the expulsion of Jews from Rome
in A.D. 49 because of their riots at the instigation of Chrestus. Suetonius wrote around A.D. 120
and, like many Romans, considered Christians and Jews as members of the same religious
sect. What is most significant in this piece of evidence is the point that by the middle of the first
century, a strong testimony of Christ was made in the capital of the Roman Empire (Rome).

Tacitus. Tacitus, a Roman historian, writes in his Annals (15. 44.) of the great fire which swept
through the city of Rome in 64 A.D. Since the Emperor Nero (stepson and successor to
Claudius) was generally believed to have started the fire, Nero wanted to fix the blame on
someone else. He falsified a charge of fire-raising against the Christians in Rome. Many
Christians perished by being burned at the stakes or being exposed to wild beasts.
Tacitus in 115-117 A.D. recounts the story of the fire and Nero’s successful attempt to fix
the blame on the Christians. He writes:
They got their name from Christ, who was executed by sentence of the procurator
Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius. That checked the pernicious superstition for a short time,
but it broke out afresh ---not only in Judaea, where the plague first arose, but in Rome it-self,
where all the horrible and shameful things in the world collect and find a home.
It is interesting to note that the historian Tacitus has gone out of his way to seek
information about the origins of Christianity. Perhaps he checked official Roman records----
including Pontius Pilate’s reports---which told of Jesus’ death sentence. Significantly, this is the
only place in all ancient Roman histories where Pilate is mentioned, though the Jewish writers
Philo and Josephus record his cruel rule in Judea.
Finally, the Roman historian Tacitus, in his Annals 15:44, which was written around A.D.
110, stated: “They got their name from Christ, who was executed by sentence of the
procurator Pontius Pilate in the reign of Tiberius. That checked the pernicious superstition for a
short time, but it broke out afresh not in Judea, where the plague first rose, but in Rome itself
where all horrible and shameful things in the world collect and find a home.
This passage reveals Tacitus’ account of the great fire swept through the city of Rome in
A.D. 64 during the reign of Emperor Nero. Nero blamed the Christians for the fire and so put to
death many Christians. The value of Tacitus’ writing is that he did not secure his information
about Jesus’ death from the Christian source. Tacitus did not use Jesus’ proper name; he used

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the word Christ, the religious title which was used by Christians outside of Palestine as a proper
title for Jesus.

Pliny the Younger. Pliny the Younger is known to history as a master letter writer. In 111 A.D.
he was appointed imperial legate of the Roman province of Bithynia in northwest Asia Minor.
There he carried on a constant correspondence with the Roman emperor, Trajan. In one of
these letters he advised the emperor about how he ought to treat the rapidly spreading religious
group known as the Christians. Pliny the Younger (Epistle 10:96ff), who was governor of Asia
Minor, wrote a letter to Emperor Trajan (c. A.D. 111). He asked for advice in the matter of
dealing with Christians who come together at fixed seasons and sing hymns to Christ as god.
This letter and Trajan’s reply are too lengthy to quote here but several interesting facts
are worth nothing. Pliny mentioned that the “superstition” of Christianity had spread so rapidly
that the pagan temples had fallen into disuse. As a result, the salesmen of the fodder for the
sacrificial animals were in serious economic trouble. Secondly, Pliny advised Trajan to set free
any accused Christian if he/she rejected Christ and worshiped the pagan gods of the emperor,
but that he march off to death any Christian who persisted in his/her belief in Jesus. And, finally,
Pliny recounted the Christian custom of celebrating what we know as the sacrament of the
Eucharist on “a fixed day of the week”. Trajan’s reply to Pliny advised him that he had acted well
in relation to the Bithynian Christian. He told Pliny that he must punish any non-recanting
Christians that came to his attention, but that he must not ferret them out. Obviously, Trajan saw
the Christians as dangerous, but not terribly dangerous.

A.2. Jewish Source

Josephus. Born around 37 A.D., he fought against the Romans in the great revolt of 66-70 A.D.
and was appointed commander of the Jewish forces in Galilee. Josephus was captured by the
Romans, but, because he predicted that he commander-in-chief of the Roman army in
Palestine, Vespasian, would one day be emperor, his life was spared to see if his prediction
would come true. Two years later (69 A.D.), it did, and Josephus became a friend of the Roman
emperor. Writing later, Josephus tried to demonstrate that the real Messiah was not to be a
Jew, but none other than Vespasian himself. The Jewish historian, Josephus, wrote the history
of his people and Jewish-Roman war (A.D.66-70). In his work, Antiquities 20,200, he wrote:
“James the brother of Jesus who was called the Christ…” This passage was in reference to the
stoning death of James who was an apostle of Jesus.

Josephus later composed a 20-volume history of the Jews entitled the Jewish
Antiquities. In this history Josephus attempted to demonstrate to the Roman world, and
especially to the new emperor, the Jew-hating Domitian (81-96 A.D.), that the Jews were a
noble people. In the 18th book of the history, he gave a favorable report of John the Baptist and
called him a good man. Josephus noted in the 20 th book that Annas the younger (the son of the
high priest mentioned in the Gospels) put to death in 62 A.D. James the Just whom we identify
as the apostle and one of the leaders of the Christian community in Jerusalem.
Now we come to one of the most interesting passages in all of ancient literature. In the
18th book of his Jewish Antiquities, Josephus gives an account of various troubles the people of
Judea suffered under the governorship of Pontius Pilate (26-36 A.D.). Please carefully study the
text of this section as it has been handed down to us:
Now, there was about this time Jesus, a wise man, if it be lawful to call him a man, for he was a
doer of wonderful works, a teacher of such men as receive the truth with pleasure. He drew over
to him both many of the Jews, and many of the Gentiles. He was the Christ. And when Pilate, at
the suggestion of the principal men amongst us, had condemned him to the cross, those that
loved him at first did not forsake him; as the divine prophets had foretold these and ten

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thousand other wonderful things concerning him. And the tribe of Christians, so named from
him, are not extinct at this day.*
Many scholars find problems with this version of the text. It sounds as if Josephus were a
Christian. They theorize that certain passages which support Christian belief were later added
by a Christian copyist----like the phase, “if it be lawful to call him a man,” and references to him
as the Christ (Messiah) and his resurrection. The Church father Origen maintained that
Josephus was a nonbeliever. Regardless of what Josephus either wrote to believed, it is most
significant that he did not question the actual historical existence of Jesus.

A.3. Other Sources

LUCIANO DI SAMOSATA (c.A.D. 120-180)
Luciano was a traveling lecturer and Sophist rhetor who wrote about Jesus Christ as a man
crucified in Palestine for introducing a new cult. In his writings, he said, this Jesus persuaded his
followers that they were all brothers to one another. The Christians, according to Luciano,
“worshiped the crucified sophist and lived under his laws.”

BABYLONIAN TALMUD
A baraita (outside addition) to the Babylonian Talmud spoke of a certain Yeshu who practiced
magic and led his followerd into apostacy. This Yeshu was “hanged on the eve of the
Passover.”

The non-Christian sources give us scanty information about Jesus. However, they do establish
that Jesus existed, died and had followers.

B. Christian Sources

Grounding: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah the Son of God”
(Mark 1:1a)

Our primary source of knowledge for Jesus and his message and mission is the form of
literature known as the Gospel. The four New Testament Gospels established the facts of the
existence of a man whom the early Christians claimed to be both the most remarkable of all
human beings and the Son of God. The Gospels present clear, strong, carefully reasoned and
repeated evidence that the faith of the early Christians was in fact based on a real historical
person.
Gospels, are neither autobiography nor biography. Jesus did not write them. The
Gospels’ primary purpose is not to give a detailed account of Jesus’ historical (earthly) life. If
the Gospels were attempts at biography, they were very poor attempts indeed. For example,
we know absolutely nothing about the so-called hidden years – the years Jesus spent in
Nazareth or His childhood years before his bar mitzvah in Jerusalem at the age of 12.
The Gospels are faith summaries. They describe what the early Christians held to be
most significant about Jesus, namely, that He is the Gospel, He is the Good News. In Jesus,
God had manifested himself in a total, unconditional way. In him, humankind is saved by being
reconciled to God. Note how the selection from Mark ties together the healing of the blind man
with the concept of faith in Jesus (Mk. 10:46-52). We get some historical information, to be sure
– locale (Jericho), the name of the beggar (Bartimaeus), the scenario (the scolding of the
people. But most important is the faith of the man and Jesus incredibly kind response to
it( From Jesus and You, p. 21).
From the book of Fr. Hendrickx, From One Jesus To Four Gospels: The literary form
“gospel” is a unique product of early Christianity and as such must held to be characteristic of a
distinctive element in early Christian faith. A “gospel” in this sense consists in the following:

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1. A recital of the historical narrative of the death and resurrection of Jesus which make
up the core of the preaching of the early Church.
2. This narrative was prefaced by some account of Jesus’ public ministry: a selection of
words and deeds of Jesus as they were understood after in the light of the
resurrection.
3. In Matthew and Luke, this is again prefaced by an “Infancy Narrative,” which looks
like but is not a report on the circumstances of Jesus’ birth (how Jesus was born), but
rather a theological reflection on the meaning of the person and birth of Jesus. In the
Fourth Gospel (John) the selection of words and deeds of Jesus is prefaced by a
“Prologue.”
Modern scholars insist that the gospels do not give us an accurate portrayal of Jesus’
ministry, but rather a testimony to the early Christian experience expressed by means of an
arrangement of a traditional materials concerning Jesus and His disciples. In other words, the
history of the early Christian experience as lived in various communities is cast in the form of a
chronicle of the ministry of Jesus, which is partly based on actual reminiscences of that ministry.
But the theological viewpoint of the evangelist, often reflecting the situation and concerns of his
community, has played an important part in the formation of the gospel material.

1. The Testimony of the Synoptic Gospels (A.D.60-90)

The Synoptic Gospels (“synoptic” came from the Greek word synoptikos, “common
view”.
The Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) basically speak of faith in Jesus Christ as the
messiah who offers salvation to all peoples. These Gospels reveal the sayings, parables,
sermons, miracles and stories about Jesus. These accounts were written approximately
between A.D.60 and 90.

The word “gospel” (from old English “god-spel,” i.e., “good story” is a translation of the
Greek word “vangelion meaning “good news.”

The good news referred to is the coming of Jesus. Jesus is the name which comes from
Hebrew name Joshua or Yehoshua, a name which could be translated as God saves. The good
news, therefore, is that God has come to save His people. Christ from Greek word Cristos
meaning “Anointed One,” i.e., Messiah

JESUS...
HE WALKED WHERE WE NOW WALK.
HE SAW WHAT WE NOW SEE.
HE BREATHED THE SAME AIR WE BREATHE.
HE LAUGHED AT THE THINGS
THAT MAKE US LAUGH
HE CRIED OVER THINGS
THAT MAKE US CRY
HE IS ONE WITH US,
HE IS ONE OF US
HE IS “GOD WITH US”
EMMANUEL. (Mt. 1:23).

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TOPIC 3: Jesus in the Gospels
“MASTER, TO WHOM SHALL WE GO? YOU HAVE THE WORDS OF ETERNAL LIFE. WE HAVE COME TO
BELIEVE AND ARE CONVINCED THAT YOU ARE THE HOLY ONE OF GOD.” John 6:68-69

I. JESUS: THE GOOD NEWS

“Reform your lives and believe in the GOSPEL!” (Mark 1:15)
The word “Gospel” usually refers to the written record of Christ’s words and deeds.

Etymology:
Anglo-Saxon: “god” (good) “spell” (to tell)
Greek : “Evangelion” (glad tidings)

The GOSPEL is the Good News of Salvation proclaimed by Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ himself is the GOOD NEWS.
Jesus is THE GOSPEL.

GOSPEL AND GOSPELS

GOSPEL GOSPELS
THERE IS ONLY ONE GOSPEL: THE GOSPELS ARE THE WRITTEN FAITH
JESUS CHRIST (Mk. 1:1) ACCOUNTS OF THE EARLY CHURCH.
• Direct experiences by the followers of the
HE IS GOD’S TOTAL MANIFESTATION OF HIMSELF. historical Jesus
HE IS THE SAVIOR OF THE WORLD. • Eyewitness testimonies that were heard
and recorded
• Collections of oral preaching
• First Christians’ experiences of the Risen
Lord.

THE GOSPELS ARE NOT BIOGRAPHIES OF CHRIST. THE GOSPELS ARE FAITH SUMMARIES DESCRIBING
WHAT THE EARLY CHRISTIANS BELIEVED ABOUT JESUS.

II. Formation of the Gospels

The Gospels as we have them today come to us in three stages:

Scripture scholars generally recognize that the Gospels were developed in three distinct stages. They
are the result of a somewhat gradual process of formation and composition. The three can be visualized
as follows:

Stage 1: Stage 2: Stage 3:

The Historical Jesus Oral Preaching of the Early Church The Written Gospels

STAGE 1: The Historical Jesus (Jesus’ Life In Palestine – His Words And Deeds)

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 The Gospels basically have their roots in the words and works of Jesus of Nazareth and in His
interactions with His disciples and other groups with which He came in contact. We can for example,
date the historical Jesus from 6-4 B.C. – 30 A.D. The reason scholars date Jesus’ birth before 4 B.C. is
because Denis the Little recorded Herod the Great’s death as occurring in that year. If the story of the
slaughter of the Holy Innocents is to be accepted at face value, Jesus had to be born shortly before
Herod’s death (see Mt 3: 16-23). The death of his death near Passover in the month of Nisan (the Jewish
lunar month roughly equivalent to our last week in March and first three weeks in April) is generally held
to be the year 30 A.D. John’s Gospel especially hints at that date (see Jn 18:28; 19:31). Certainly it had to
be within the 10-year span of Pontius Pilate’s rule from 26-36 A.D. Thus Jesus died in the reign of Pilate
at three o’clock in the afternoon on a Friday (Mt 28:46), probably in 30 A.D.

Jesus came to live among us. His whole life was a revelation of God. Through Jesus, God lived
among us and made Himself known to us. Jesus’ actions are God’s actions. Jesus’ words, instructions and
parables are God’s words to us.

Before Jesus went back to His heavenly Father He gave the following instructions to His
disciples: Go into the world and proclaim the good news to all creation. (Mk.16:15).

Also Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11, Jesus was
born in the reign of Herod, in all probability six years before the beginning of what we call the Christian
era. He lived, in Nazareth, as a pious Jew, practicing the Law in accordance with the spirit of the
Pharisees, who were the most religious of the Jews.

About 27 or 28, his baptism by John the Baptist inaugurated the two or three years of his public
life. He chose disciples and, with them, proclaimed the coming of the Kingdom of God: by his words,
and even more by his actions and his life. He never wrote anything. (That’s not quite right. He did write
something once, on the sand…)

He was condemned by the religious authorities and crucified by the Romans, almost certainly on
7 April 30.

STAGE 2: Oral Preaching of the Early Church (The Early Christian Communities)

Written Gospels were not at the top of the list of activities of the early Church. After the Easter
experience and the giving of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost, the apostles and disciples were burning with
zeal to spread the good news of Jesus’ victory over sin and death. Led by Peter, and later by Paul, there
was a burst of missionary enthusiasm which preached the message of Jesus throughout the Roman
(Mediterranean) world. Part of the early preaching, incidentally, was that Jesus was to return in glory
very shortly, during the very lifetimes of the apostles. Thus, it did not make much sense to write down
eyewitness testimony in these early years if the world was to end soon. What would be the point of it?
(St. Paul, for example, writes in 1Thes. 3:6-15 of the unwillingness of some Christians to work because of
their belief that Jesus would soon return in His full glory. Paul’s rather strong reply is that those who
remain idle should not be supported by the rest of the Christian community).

The community’s memory of Jesus was kept alive by making collections of his sermons,
parables, his great works (miracles) and key sayings. These collections─later to be used by the
Evangelists─were used in the early liturgies, in the preaching and instructions for the new converts. With

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eyewitnesses and close disciples still alive and testifying to what they had seen and experienced, no one
really thought to write a biography of Jesus.

St. Paul gives us a clue why the first generation of Christians eventually had to write down in an
organized way the “good news of Jesus” Writing to the Galatians in the years between 52-57 A.D.,
makes reference to the distortion taking place in the preaching:

Some who wish to alter the gospel of Christ must have confused you. For even if we, or an angel
from heaven, should preach to you a gospel not in accord with the one we delivered to you, let a curse
be upon him! I repeat what I have just said: if anyone preaches a gospel to you than the one received,
let a curse be upon him! (Gal. 1:7-9)

The Gospels had to be written so that the Christian community could measure the preaching of
certain teachers against the authentic tradition and remembrance of Jesus.

A second practical reason why written Gospels had to result was that the eyewitnesses were
beginning to die or be martyred. The early Christians were in fact wrong about their belief in the early
return of Jesus. Again, to preserve the authentic testimony, the Good News of Jesus was committed to
writing. Thus, we are brought to the third stage – the stage of the written Gospels themselves.

The disciples faithfully carried out this mission. After they had received the Holy Spirit they
started to preach about Jesus and all he had done and said.

According to Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11

the resurrection of Jesus and the coming of the Spirit at Pentecost enabled the disciples to begin to
discover the mystery of Jesus. These disciples remained Jews, but they formed an amazing group within
Judaism: they were the witnesses to the Risen Jesus.

The disciples sought to be faithful in two directions: to Jesus, and to the life which raised a great
many questions.

It was an attempt to answer these questions that they began to recollect what they
remembered of Jesus. However, they did this in the light of the resurrection. These memories were
focused on three points:

1) The disciples preached, to proclaim the Risen Jesus: first to the Jews and then to the

Gentiles. Here we have the announcement of the faith of the first Christians;

2) The disciples celebrated their Risen Lord, in the Liturgy and above all in the

Eucharist. The Eucharist determined the form of many memories of Jesus;

3) The disciples taught the newly baptized, and in order to do so recalled the actions and the words of
Jesus.

Others soon joined the first disciples: Barnabas, the Seven (including Stephen and Philip), and
above all, Paul. Paul was converted round about AD 36, and went on to bring the Good News to Asia
Minor, to Greece, and finally, to Rome. From that time Gentiles were able to enter the Church without
first becoming Jews: that was decided at the ‘Council of Jerusalem in AD 50.

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 Between 51 and 53 Paul wrote letters to various communities. Throughout this period, official
Judaism gradually began to reject the Christians.

In AD 70, the Romans destroyed Jerusalem. Pharisees who met at Jamnia (or Jabneh, the
Hebrew spelling – the place is South of Modern Tel Aviv) gave Judaism a new life, which has continues
down to our own time.

STAGE 3: The Written Gospels (The Evangelists)

There is only one real gospel (“good news”), and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ – he is the
good news. But the Church recognizes four authentic, inspired written communal faith expressions of
this good news. These faith expressions we call the Gospels. Three of these Gospels: Mark, Matthew
and Luke are called synoptic Gospels. Scholars noted that when Matthew and Luke composed their
Gospels, they relied on a version of Mark’s Gospel. If you line up Mark─Matthew─Luke in parallel
columns, you would note that there are many similarities, indeed that they can be “read together”
(syn─together; optic─look at). Hence, the term “synoptic Gospel.”

The following chart gives a bird’s-eye view of the composition of the four Gospels. The version
of the Gospels will differ slightly because they were composed by different men writing at different
times and in different places. But they also present varying points of view because of the particular
audiences being addressed. Each Gospel is tailored to the particular concerns of a particular kind of
community. They all present the good news of Jesus, but adapt their presentation to the religious needs
of the intended audience. With these points in mind, please study the following diagram. It is worth
noting that the authorship of each Gospel is still disputed. What is given below is the generally accepted
(or most commonly held) theory of authorship.

According to Charpentier, Etienne on How to Read the New Testament,1981-1982, pp 10-11,

four Theologians bore witnesses to Jesus, bringing together Traditions which had already been edited in
various ways. Round about AD 70 the Gospel according to St. Mark put down in writing what was
almost certainly the preaching of Peter in Rome. It seeks to show that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of
God, especially through his actions and above all his miracles.

The Gospel according to St Luke was written about AD 80 or 90, for communities principally
made up of former Gentiles. It shows how in Jesus God has visited his people and manifested his loving-
kindness towards them.

Luke wrote a second volume, the Acts of the Apostles, in which he shows how the Good News,
carried by the Apostles under the guidance of the Spirit, began to spread all over the world.

The Gospel according to St. Matthew was probably produced about AD 80 or 90 also, in a
community of former Jews who had become Christians. Matthew attacks the Pharisees of Jamnia and
shows how Jesus fulfills the Scriptures.

In their enquiry into the mystery of Jesus, Matthew and Luke go back to his childhood, which
they present in the light of his life and resurrection.

The Gospel according to St. John is a very profound meditation on Jesus as the Word of God.
Written perhaps between AD 95 and 100, it shows how the crucified Jesus is still alive today and gives us
his Spirit. Through the signs performed by Jesus, we must believe if we are to see.

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 In Revelation, John – whether the same John, or another one – presents Jesus as the goal of
history.

In the meantime, John, Peter, James, Jude and other disciples wrote letters to various
communities.

In AD 135, after a second rebellion, the Romans decimated the Jews. For centuries the Jews
were not allowed to enter Jerusalem. Christians had already left Jerusalem and were settled all round
the Mediterranean basin.

In order to preserve the message of Jesus as preached in the first Christian communities, some
zealous disciples wrote it down. The authors were inspired and guide by the Holy Spirit to do this work.

The Gospels, in fact, the whole Bible, have been entrusted to the Church. Guided by the Holy
Spirit, The Church must explain and interpret it so that all people may discover and understand God’s
word and truth.

Matthew (A.D. 65)

Matthew was a tax collector. When Jesus called him, Matthew get up and follow me, Matthew
followed Jesus and became a disciple.

Matthew was very familiar with Palestine. He has a very thorough knowledge of the Old
Testament and of the practices and customs of the Jewish people. This made him a good teacher.

Purpose: Mt. wrote his Gospel for the Jews. The Jews were familiar with the promises made by God in
the Old Testament. In His Gospel, Mt. wanted the Jews to understand that God’s promises had been
fulfilled in Jesus Christ. He presented Jesus as the new Moses, pointing out that Jesus belonged to the
house of David.

Characteristics: Mt. did not follow the sequence of events of Jesus’ life. He gave more attention to Jesus’
words and instructions together in the five central sermons. The rest of he material in his Gospel was
arranged around these five sermons.

Matthew referred frequently to the Old Testament, because he wanted the Jews to believe that
God’s promises in the Old Testament were fulfilled in Jesus.

- Link between Old and New Testaments

- Jesus is the true Messiah, the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies

- A Jew writing to fellow Jews

- Systematic use of Jesus’ sermons

- Key chapters: 5-7 – Sermon on the Mount

Mark (65 A.D.)

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 Mark had not been a disciple of Jesus, nor had he met Jesus in person. He was a convert to the
Christian faith.

He belonged to a Jewish family. Mk was born in Cyprus but later transferred to Jerusalem where
he was converted. Soon afterwards he joined the disciples on their mission tours, first with St. Paul and
later with St. Peter.

Purpose: Mk wrote his Gospel for the persecuted Christians of Rome. He presented Jesus to them as the
suffering servant of God. This served to console hem and gave them strength in their sufferings and
trials.

Characteristics: Mk’s Gospel is the shortest of the four. It focuses its attention on the deeds of Jesus. He
arranged the materials according to the regions in which Jesus worked. He introduced Jesus in two
stages. In the first part of his Gospel, he described Jesus’ marvelous deeds. In the second part, he makes
us understand the true mission of Jesus.

- The gospel of action (emphasizes works more than words)

- Writing to Romans

- Starts with John the Baptist

- Short and rugged gospel

Luke (A.D. 75)

Luke belonged to Greek family in Antioch. He was physician by profession and was a well-
educated man. He was converted to Christianity at the time when his hometown became the center of
missionary activity. He joined St. Paul in his missionary journeys. He stayed with Paul when Paul was
prisoner in Rome.

Purpose: Lk. Wrote his Gospel for Greek converts. He presumed that they had already catechetical
instruction and intended to confirm and further explain it.

Characteristics: Lk’s Gospel follows Jesus on his journey from Galilee to Jerusalem. It stresses that
salvation is universal, intended for all mankind. Lk’s Gospel speaks of Jesus’ kindness towards all people.
It also brings the joy and happiness which the Good News brigs

- Written for Theophilus, a Roman official

- Christ is savior of every person, not Jews only

- Reflects doctor's heart

- Great joy

- Gospel of prayer

John (A.D.90-100)

John’s Gospel came much later than the synoptics and was only written in the year 95.

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John was the disciple whom Jesus loved most. He was the son of a well-to-do fisherman. Before he
became one of the twelve apostles of Jesus, he had already been a disciple of john the Baptist.

John witnessed some special events in the life of Jesus, such as the transfiguration.

Purpose: John wrote his gospel for Christians who were already familiar wit the synoptics. He wanted to
give to mature Christians a more profound insight into the personality of Jesus.

Characteristics: John did not repeat what could already be found in the other gospels. In the conviction
that God is love, he stressed in a very special way Jesus’ teachings on charity. This fourth gospel
furthermore contains many reflections on the mysterious personality of Jesus, on His unity with the
Father and the Spirit and on Jesus’ divine origin.

- Written to everyone

- Established deity of Christ

- Not so much on what Jesus did as what kind of person He was

- Great themes: light, life, love, truth, the Father-Son relationship

- John 17 -- High Priestly prayer

Gospel Comparison

* Matthew is longest; Mark is shortest

*Only Matthew and Luke tell of Jesus' birth and childhood

• Geography of ministry:

– Matthew and Mark: Galilean ministry

– Luke: ministry in Perea

– John: ministry in Judea

2. The Testimony of the Acts of the Apostles (A.D.80-85)

Acts

This book gives a great source of information about the two key leaders of the Christian
movement, Peter and Paul. Both men were dedicated for spreading the messages of Jesus.

The central message of acts is stated in chapter 1:8 “You shall receive power when the Holy
Spirit has come upon you, and you shall be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and in Samaria,
and to the end of the earth.”

This writing reveals the existence of Jesus and the spread of his message, especially by Peter and
Paul.

- Church history (acts of some of the Apostle – primarily Peter and Paul)

- Paul’s 3 missionary journeys

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- Key chapters

– Acts 2 – Day of Pentecost

– Acts 15 -- pivotal decision

3. The Testimony of St. Paul’s Letters

1. The Letter to the Romans (A.D. 57-58) – stresses the relationship between Judaism and Christianity.

- Righteousness of God and salvation through faith

- Established Paul's credentials with church he had never visited

– missionary fund-raising letter

- Luther / Wesley

2. The 1st Letter to the Corinthians (A.D. 57) – gives advice to the Corinthians on chastity and marriage.

- Serious problems and disorder in a divided church

- Immorality

- Order in services 13:1; 14:33

- Key chapter: 1 Corinthians 13 -- love chapter

3. The 2nd Letter to the Corinthians (A.D. 57) – urges financial support for the suffering Jewish Christians
in Jerusalem.

- Paul defends his ministry as an Apostle and as founder of Corinthian church, profound concern for
young Christians 4:5

- 5:20-21

4. The Letter to the Galatians (A.D. 54-55) – speaks of his concern about Galatian Christians backsliding
to strict Jewish laws.

- Settle the debate: Must one submit to Jewish law, including circumcision, to become a Christian? (5:1)

5. The Letter to the Ephesians (A.D. 62) – discusses the mystery of salvation and the mystery of the
Church.

- A prison epistle

- The grandeur of the Church

– Body of Christ 1:23, 4:16

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 – Temple of God 2:20-22

– Bride of Christ 5:23-32

6. The Letter to the Philippians (A.D. 62) – warns against false teaching.

- A prison epistle.

- Beware of legalism

- Live joyfully in Christ in the midst of adverse circumstances

7. The Letter to the Colossians (A.D. 62) – emphasizes that Christ is the main path to salvation.

- Prison epistle

- Against Gnosticism (superior knowledge)

– Believed in a ladder of deities

– Asceticism (isolation from the world and all luxury)

- The deity and all-sufficiency of Christ

8. The 1st Letter to the Thessalonians (A.D. 51) – tells of Christ’s second coming.

9. The 2nd Letter to the Thessalonians (A.D. 52) – warns against imminent second coming of Christ.

10. The 1st Letter to Timothy (A.D. 63) – gives advise to Timothy about handling wrong ideas of some
Ephesians.

- Care of the church at Ephesus

- Emphasizes godliness in a minister of Gospel

- Beliefs and feelings about Church administration 4:12

11. The 2nd Letter to Timothy (A.D. 63) – asks Timothy to protect his community against false teachings.

- Paul's final letter

- His dying shout of triumph

- Tells Timothy to stand by his faith and to live by high convictions

- “Last words from death row”

12. The Letter to Titus (A.D. 62) – offers advice to Titus to help Christianize the area.

- Warns against counterfeit Christians

- Qualifications for church leaders

- Concerning churches at Crete

13. The Letter to Philemon (A.D. 62) – asks him to be merciful to his runaway slave Onesimus.

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- Letter from prison

- On behalf of a runaway slave, Onesimus

4. The Testimony of the General Letters

a. The Letter of James (A.D. 60’s) – states that faith must be accompanied by good works.

- 1:27 Good works and pure religion

- The necessity of a living faith

- Exposes subtle sins

– pride, gossip, aloofness, materialism and practical atheism

- Proving your faith by your works

b. The 1st Letter of Peter (A.D. 60’s) – It teaches the value of suffering, and it is a sermon on the
importance of the sacrament of baptism.

- The Christian attitude or frame of mind in the midst of suffering

- Emphasis on holiness

c. The 2nd Letter of Peter (A.D.100-110) – warns against the false teacher. in particular, Petere reminds
his people that the parousia will come.

- Affirms Second Coming

- Cries out against evils of heresy and teachers of error

- A prediction of apostasy

d. The Letter of Jude (A.D. 90’s) – is an exhortation against a group of heretics within the Chruch who
are creating problems. The most interesting features of this Letter are the characteristics of an
institutional church.

- The faith once for all delivered to the saints

- A great doxology

- Immoral character of heretics

e. The 1st Letter of John (A.D. 100-110) – It speaks about the Gnostic heresy which believed that the
physical world was inherently evil. It condemns the Docetist heresy which denied the reality of Jesus’
body.

- A letter written from Ephesus

- If we are His, we will love one another and live righteously

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f. The 2nd Letter of John (A.D.100-110) – It warns the Church against Docetism. it also indicate that the
Christian church is a definite and separate group in the world.

- Denounces false and heretical teachers

- Walking in truth and love

g. The 3rd Letter of John (A.D. 100-110) – It condemns the man Diotrephes who is challenging the
authority of the lawful authority of the Church (probably0 John the elder.

- Vast difference between good and bad behavior

- Emphases:

– Prayer

– Faithful work in the Church

– Christian integrity

- Hospitality toward itinerant ministers, v 11

h. The Letter to the Hebrews (A.D. late 60’s) – speaks of the superiority of Jesus to persecuted Jewish
Christians.

- Written to persecuted Christian Jews tempted to deny their faith

- Better: The superiority of Christ and faith in Him

- Key chapter: Hebrews 11 -- Faith chapter

The Book of Revelation

- The grand finale

- Visions about the future

- Ultimate triumph of Christ and the New Heaven and New Earth

III. Portraits of Jesus

`1. Mark: Jesus is the SUFFERING MESSIAH
In the Gospel according to Mark, the evangelist wanted to make clear to the persecuted
Roman Christians that, like them, Jesus Himself also suffered. Mark meant to console the
suffering Christians, but he was also intent on teaching what it meant to be a disciple of Jesus,
that is to follow Him unto the Cross.
In this interesting, though, that throughout Mark’s Gospel we see Jesus trying many
times to keep His true identity a secret. Jesus instructed His disciples, the persons He healed,
and even the demons not to reveal who He was. Jesus’ consistent effort to conceal His identity

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as Messiah is called the messianic secret. “He ordered them not to tell anyone. But the more He
ordered them not to, the more they proclaimed it” (Mk 7: 36)
EVANGELIST: JOHN MARK- believed to be the chronicler of Peter
DATE OF COMPOSITION: After Peter’s death, probably around 65 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Persecuted Christians
THEMES: Jesus is the Christ
Jesus is the Suffering Servant
The Messiah and the Suffering Servant are one and the same.

2. Matthew: Jesus is the MESSIAH AND KING

The portrait of Jesus as the Messiah and King prophesied in the Old Testament is the
focus of the gospel of Matthew. Whereas Mark showed Jesus avoiding being proclaimed the
Son of God, Matthew portrayed Him being recognized and proclaimed as the Messiah by his
apostles.
Matthew also highlighted Jesus’ Jewish heritage by opening his Gospel with genealogy,
which reached back to Abraham (Mt. 1:1-17). Matthew did this to confirm to his Jewish-
Christian audience that Jesus indeed was the Messiah -King that had been promised them.
Through Jesus, the salvation the Jews longed for was finally realized.
Matthew explained that “to follow Jesus” is to learn Jesus’ way of life as He is the
Teacher greater than Moses. Matthew also stressed the importance of being formed into a
Church or ecclesia (Mt. 16:18; 18:17), a name for the Christian community not found in any
other Gospel.
EVANGELIST: Author is unknown. Probably Matthew was used as a source. The original text was
a collection of sayings compiled in Aramaic by the Apostle Matthew.

DATE OF COMPOSITION: The original Matthew was written around 50AD but was lost. The
existing text is the Greek translation written sometime 85 A.D. after the fall of
Jerusalem.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Jewish converts to Christianity
THEMES: Jesus is the New Law-Giver
Jesus is the Messianic king promised to the Jews.

3. Luke: Jesus is the SAVIOR OF THE WORLD

Luke wanted to bring to the Gentile community the good news that Jesus was the Savior
not just of a chose few but of all people, especially those considered outcasts of Jewish
society. Hence, Luke portrayed Jesus as being full of mercy and compassion, often crossing
social, religious and political barriers to reach out to the poor, the outcasts, the sinners and
the women.

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 Luke’s Gospel is different from the others because it shows the significant role of
women in Jesus’ ministry and it gives attention to Mary, the mother of Jesus , in the infancy
narratives. Aside from this, Luke’s Gospel notes Jesus’ prayer life and His being “filled with
the spirit”.
EVANGELIST: Luke, the “beloved physician”; the secretary of Paul
DATE OF COMPOSITION: c.75 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: Gentile converts to Christianity
THEMES: Jesus is for Jews and Gentiles alike.
Jesus is the compassionate savior who identifies himself with the poor and the outcast.

4. John: Jesus is the SON OF GOD and THE WORD OF GOD MADE MAN.
John’s Gospel emphasizes the divinity of Jesus, who is described in symbolic images and
titles such as “the word of God enfleshed” and “the Light of the World”.
John begins his gospel with a prologue: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word
was with God, and the Word was God… And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling
among us, and he saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son” {Jn 1:1,14). The Divine
portrayal of Jesus in John is so strong that even in the account of His Passion, Jesus is
depicted not as a beaten, tormented victim but as a glorified King, calm and fully in charge
of His identity.
Commentators call John’s chapters on Jesus’ Last Supper, Passion, Death, and
Resurrection the “Book of Glory” and the first twelve chapters narrating Jesus’ public life
the “Book of Signs”. John concludes with this passage: “There are also many other things
that Jesus did, nut if there were to be described individually, I do not think the whole world
would contain the books that would be written”.
Jesus revealed God in His words and deeds. The portrayal of Jesus as the uniquely divine
human person- the Son-of-God-made-man- presumed the basics of the Christian faith and
reflected the truth of Jesus’ nature and person more deeply.
EVANGELIST: Most probably the JOHANNINE COMMUNITY
DATE OF COMPOSITION: c.90-100 A.D.
INTENDED AUDIENCE: The Christian Churches in the Roman Empire; Christians who were
already familiar with the Synoptics

THEMES: Jesus is Divine

Jesus is the center of all religious beliefs and practices
Jesus is superior to all the prophets

Summary Composition of the Four Gospels

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 o Synoptic Gospels - Syn – together ; Optic – look at (Mark, Matthew, Luke)

o (The Gospel of Mark) Jesus began His Public Ministry in the towns and villages of Galilee. He
spoke in synagogues, in private homes, and on the lake shore. He characterized Himself as
the Servant of God

o (The Gospel of Matthew) Jesus spoke many times as a teacher. Jesus’ emphasizes the idea
about the Kingdom of Heaven and His Messiahship

o (Gospel of Luke) Jesus humanity is emphasized. Jesus is mentioned as a friend of sinners,

outcasts and the generally rejected members of society. It speaks about Jesus’ parent, his
birth, his boyhood and manhood. More than half of the stories about Jesus tell how he
healed the sick of diseases

o (Gospel of John) Different in content, plan and structure from the synoptic Gospels. It was
written to complete the Synoptic accounts which were already in existence by the time John
wrote his work. It presents Jesus as the “Son of God”

Important Keypoints

 The principal non-Christian sources for the proof of Jesus’ existence are:
 (Roman Writers) Suetonius, Pliny the Younger and Tacitus.
 (Jewish Writer) Josephus
 The Principal Christian sources of Jesus’ existence are:
 Four Gospels
 Acts of the Apostles
 Paul’s Letters
 Early writings of the Church
 The Synoptic Gospels are:
 (Matthew, Mark and Luke) written between 60-90 AD. They reveal the sayings, parables,
sermons, miracles and stories of Jesus.

 Mark’s Gospel characterizes Jesus as the Servant of God. Matthew’s Gospel emphasizes Jesus’
Messianism. Luke’s Gospel primarily Jesus’ Humanity.

 John’s Gospel (90-100 AD) speaks of Jesus’ Divinity and His central message of Love.
 The Acts of the Apostles speaks of early Christianity’s major leaders, Peter and Paul, and their
spreading of Jesus’ message throughout Palestine and Asia Minor (Greece and Turkey).

 The key theme of Paul’s letters are: Jesus is Lord; Jesus is Savior of Jew and Non-Jew; Jesus
fulfilled the Old Law; Jesus is the head of all followers who are Christians.

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REFERENCES

A Biblico-Historical Seminar-Workshop, Old and New Testament (July, 1983). Published by the
Basic Christian Community – Community Organizing (BCC-CO), Inter-Regional Secretariat and by
the Socio-Pastoral Institute. Quezon City, Philippines. Pages 4-7.

Holy Bible

https://www.pdfdrive.com/catechism-for-filipino-catholics-cfc-e169077644.html

https://www.prayerinstitute.com/prayer/march-3-a-prayer-of-thanksgiving-for-salvation/
retrieved on January 16, 2021

Catechism for Filipino Catholics: Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines. (1997). Manila,
Philippines: ECCCE World and Life Publications.

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