THE GOSPEL TRADITION

GOD’S COMMUNICATION TO MAN

What is Human Language?
What is the feeling when someone
special to you talk to you?
The Bible is God’s language of love
and friendship. (Jn 15:15)
Not a book of thou shall nots
But a book of LOVE
The Bible is the Word of God in Human Form
 FUNCTION OF A HUMAN LANGUAGE
• Informative: knowledge of one’s destiny by listening
• Expressive: God revealing himself to us, even his
feelings (angry, sad, abandoned), by sharing His
very presence with us
• Appellative: He calls us to response, the Word of
God is to be done, like all kinds of love, it must put
into actions
The Word of God is dialogical
and interpersonal
When we love a person, we will
do anything that will make that
person happy. -> Change
 I. STAGES OF GOSPEL TRADITION

Covenant Contract

Person to Person (Relationship) Material thing

Sealed Signed
(Cannot be abolished by Man)
 TRADITION
• Tradere (Lat.) : to hand over, to pass on
(customs, memories, stories)
• Israel’s Tradition : They are the chosen people
of God (Covenant)
• Jesus as against Traditions? (Mk. 7:8-9) -> NO!
(Mt. 5:17-19)
 THE JESUS EVENT
• Jesus existed in the beginning (Jn. 1:1)
• Jesus was born of the Virgin Mary (Lk. 1:31)
• Jesus preached, healed. And exorcised evil spirits
• Jesus was Crucified, Died and was Buried
• Jesus Resurrected and will come again
 ORAL TRADITION
• It is the Preaching of the Apostles, on how
they remember Jesus.
• The disciples/apostles own story, recollection,
perceptions, and experience of Jesus. (2 Thess.
2:15; 1 Jn. 2:24; 1 Cor. 11:23)
• Why the apostles? -> Because they are the
first hand witnesses of Jesus’ life.
Written form of Tradition -> The Scriptures
 CANONICITY OF THE SCRIPTURES
• Kanon (Gk.) = rod [for measuring], norm, rule
• List of inspired books that contained the
normative of faith of the people (Church)
• Source of the norms of faith and Christian Life
• Criteria?
• 1. Inspiration of the Holy Spirit
Error in the Bible? -> Possible
Example: Mk. 2: 26 (The high priest was
Ahimelech, the father of Abiatar)
Answer: Possible error in translation -> Human
error
Lack of evidence
Faith -> you do not love the Word but the
very person of Jesus
 Bilang tao nagkakamali tayo,
nadadapa, minsan subsob pa. Pero,
ang Diyos binibigyan tayo ng
dahilan para hindi sumuko sa
pagbangon.
I give God many reasons not to
love me, but God will give me
infinite reasons to love me.
 AD
MAJOREM
DEI
GLORIAM