Greek word used in the New Testament for "proclamation"
Kerygma (from
Ancient Greek: κήρυγμα, kḗrugma) is a Greek word used in the
New Testament for "proclamation" (see
Luke 4:18-19,
Romans 10:14,
Gospel of Matthew 3:1). It is related to the Greek verb κηρύσσω (kērússō), literally meaning "to cry or proclaim as a herald" and being used in the sense of "to proclaim, announce, preach". Amongst biblical scholars, the term has come to mean the core of the early church's teaching about Jesus.
Origins
"Kerygmatic" is sometimes used to express the message of Jesus' whole ministry, as[1] "a proclamation addressed not to the theoretical reason, but to the hearer as a self"; as opposed to the
didactic use of Scripture that seeks understanding in the light of what is taught.[2] The meaning of the crucifixion is central to this concept.
During the mid-20th century, when the literary genre of the New Testament
gospels was under debate, scholars like
C. H. Dodd and
Rudolf Bultmann suggested that the gospels were of a genre unique in the ancient world. They called the genre kerygma and described it as a later development of preaching that had taken a literary form. Scholarship since then has found problems with Bultmann's theory, but in Biblical and theological discussions, the term kerygma has come to denote the irreducible essence of Christian apostolic.
The ancient Christian kerygma as summarized by Dodd from Peter's speeches in the New Testament
Book of Acts was:[3][4]
The Age of Fulfillment has dawned, the "
latter days" foretold by the prophets.
Jesus was anointed by God at his
baptism as Messiah (Acts 10:38).
Jesus began his ministry in
Galilee after his baptism (Acts 10:37), doing mighty works by the power of God (Mk 10:45; Acts 2:22; 10:38).
The Messiah was
crucified according to the purpose of God (Mk 10:45; Jn 3:16; Acts 2:23; 3:13-15, 18; 4:11; 10:39; 26:23; Ro 8:34;
1 Corinthians 1:17-18; 15:3;
Galatians 1:4; Heb 1:3; 1Peter 1:2, 19; 3:18;
1 Jn 4:10).
He was
raised from the dead and appeared to his disciples (Acts 2:24, 31–32; 3:15, 26; 10:40-41; 17:31; 26:23; Ro 8:34; 10:9; 1Co 15:4-7, 12ff.;
1 Thessalonians 1:10; 1Tim 3:16; 1Peter 1:2, 21; 3:18, 21).
Jesus was exalted by God (Acts 2:25-29, 33–36; 3:13; Rom 8:34; 10:9; 1Tim 3:16; Heb 1:3; 1Peter 3:22) to be the Lord (Acts 10:36; Rom 10:9).
He will bring the
Holy Spirit to form the new community of God (Ac 1:8; 2:14-18, 33, 38–39; 10:44-47; 1Peter 1:12).
He will
come again for
judgment and the restoration of all things (Ac 3:20-21; 10:42; 17:31; 1Co 15:20-28; 1Th 1:10).
All who hear the message should repent and be baptized (Ac 2:21, 38; 3:19; 10:43, 47–48; 17:30; 26:20; Ro 1:17; 10:9; 1Pe 3:21).