GOD'S GIFT OF THE WORD
How was the Bible that we have today formed? ~ Rev. Gerard Theraviam
It is important that we see the Bible as not simply as a single book but rather a collection of books, written by different authors in different times and places as well as using different styles of writing. Even the original languages used differed — the Old Testament was mainly written in Hebrew while the New Testament was written in Greek. Even a single book might have several authors or editors, having come into being in the final form we have today after a long process.
Having said that, we might like to look at process involved in the writing of the various books. For instance, in the case of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), obviously the first stage would have been the actual event itself - The Jesus Event, which involves the actual Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus in terms of what he might have said and done as seen through the eyes of persons who lived with him in the three years of his public ministry.
We move now from Event to Word:
This next stage happens after Jesus' Ascension and the Pentecost event when the apostles and other eyewitnesses began preaching the story of Jesus from their faith perspective of the Jesus Event. This is also known as the kerygma or proclamation. This would have developed somewhat as they put together their experiences and insights into what had happened and as they continued to preach to different audiences. Soon from the proclamation, there developed what we might call the Oral Tradition, as it was passed on from mouth to mouth. However, as time went by, in order to preserve the tradition as people got older and were slowly dying, the Oral Tradition began to expand into Written Tradition. Individual writers began to put into writing the sayings and deeds of Jesus in order to have a permanent record of their memories and also since the faith had moved out to various communities in new lands.
Thus when for instance, the gospel writers began their work, they had access to already existing pre-gospel traditions, both oral and written as the basis of their work. Also later writers might have also had access to what an earlier writer might have written. For example, the writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke are said to have had access to Mark's gospel in addition to other material that Mark might not have had access to or not thought to include in his gospel account — for instance, the story of Jesus' birth. Also, with the various books of the bible, we must also be aware that a single book may in itself have gone through a process of editing with additions and changes being made before it existed in the final version that we have today. With regards to the Old Testament, the process of moving from Oral to Written Tradition may have taken a long time. Some books may have been written long after the original events themselves, after a great deal of reflection on the event and what it might mean to the community, both at the time of the event as well as later. Also, we must be aware that many books came about as a result of different persons putting together different pieces and types of writings together and also later editors re-working earlier materials. Also, the literature of the Bible is very varied and includes many different types — stories and historical narratives, poetry, proverbs, prophecies etc. Indeed, the Bible is a library or collection of books rather than a single book in itself and what we have today is a result of a long process.
It is important that we see the Bible as not simply as a single book but rather a collection of books, written by different authors in different times and places as well as using different styles of writing. Even the original languages used differed — the Old Testament was mainly written in Hebrew while the New Testament was written in Greek. Even a single book might have several authors or editors, having come into being in the final form we have today after a long process.
Having said that, we might like to look at process involved in the writing of the various books. For instance, in the case of the synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke), obviously the first stage would have been the actual event itself - The Jesus Event, which involves the actual Life, Death and Resurrection of Jesus in terms of what he might have said and done as seen through the eyes of persons who lived with him in the three years of his public ministry.
We move now from Event to Word:
This next stage happens after Jesus' Ascension and the Pentecost event when the apostles and other eyewitnesses began preaching the story of Jesus from their faith perspective of the Jesus Event. This is also known as the kerygma or proclamation. This would have developed somewhat as they put together their experiences and insights into what had happened and as they continued to preach to different audiences. Soon from the proclamation, there developed what we might call the Oral Tradition, as it was passed on from mouth to mouth. However, as time went by, in order to preserve the tradition as people got older and were slowly dying, the Oral Tradition began to expand into Written Tradition. Individual writers began to put into writing the sayings and deeds of Jesus in order to have a permanent record of their memories and also since the faith had moved out to various communities in new lands.
Thus when for instance, the gospel writers began their work, they had access to already existing pre-gospel traditions, both oral and written as the basis of their work. Also later writers might have also had access to what an earlier writer might have written. For example, the writers of the gospels of Matthew and Luke are said to have had access to Mark's gospel in addition to other material that Mark might not have had access to or not thought to include in his gospel account — for instance, the story of Jesus' birth. Also, with the various books of the bible, we must also be aware that a single book may in itself have gone through a process of editing with additions and changes being made before it existed in the final version that we have today. With regards to the Old Testament, the process of moving from Oral to Written Tradition may have taken a long time. Some books may have been written long after the original events themselves, after a great deal of reflection on the event and what it might mean to the community, both at the time of the event as well as later. Also, we must be aware that many books came about as a result of different persons putting together different pieces and types of writings together and also later editors re-working earlier materials. Also, the literature of the Bible is very varied and includes many different types — stories and historical narratives, poetry, proverbs, prophecies etc. Indeed, the Bible is a library or collection of books rather than a single book in itself and what we have today is a result of a long process.
posted by Pete Wang at 11:29 PM
