The first kerygma

Today, we read of part of the first Christian kerygma to the whole world after official establishment of the Church on Pentecost. About 120 believers, whom the risen Lord managed to gather before his Ascension, were praying when the Holy Spirit came down on them, empowering them with the gift of speech so that they were able to speak in different languages to the pilgrims in Jerusalem (Acts 2:1-6). It was a spectacular scene. Many were amazed but some were skeptical. They thought that these Galileans were drunk. Peter, the official spokesman of the new born Church stood up to their defence, quoting the prophetJoel 2. Then he continued to quote the Psalm 16 to prove the resurrection of Jesus.

Luke was the author of the Gospel which bears his name and the Acts. Obviously, he was not there in Jerusalem when Peter made the first preaching on Pentecost. Therefore, this kerygma speech was a reconstruction from the interviews he conducted with the witnesses (Luke 1:1-4). This very first speech is a proclamation of the basic Christian beliefs to the Jewish world. Here, we read a lot of quotations from the Septuagint to demonstrate that the Jesus event was a fulfillment of God's promises in the Old Testament. The quotations were nearly word for word, with very minor variants. It shows that early Christians relied heavily on the Septuagint rather than the Hebrew Scripture. Moreover, the use of Greek allowed the message of God to reach to a greater audience.

The tactic of quoting the Hebrew Scripture to appeal to the Jews did not work very well, though it was a natural tactic. In fact, Christians were offering a new interpretation of those texts which the Jewish rabbis had already established their standard interpretation. Therefore, the Christian interpretation could only attract those who were not satisfied with the orthodox Jewish interpretation. History repeated itself when the Protestants and Catholics argued over the reality of Jesus' body in the Holy Eucharist. Is it Jesus' body or just a remembrance?
This is my body which is given for you. Do this in remembrance of me (Luke 22:19b).
Both groups appealed to the gospel but drew different conclusions from it.

Nowadays, many people have already accepted the resurrection of Jesus. Some remain skeptical because they demand scientific proofs. Unfortunately, no scientific proofs are available and an appeal to the authority of the Bible will not convince those who do not believe. Therefore, it is the responsibility of Christians to live up the belief in the resurrection of Jesus and to make it relevant to the contemporary world. May the Holy Spirit be with them to empower them with His gifts to bear witness. Amen.

Dear Lord, Your resurrection has transformed our lives. Be with us so that we may continue to bear witness to this redemption of the world. Amen.

Appendix:
I saw the Lord always before me, for he is at my right hand that I may not be shaken;
therefore my heart was glad, and my tongue rejoiced; moreover my flesh will dwell in hope.
For thou wilt not abandon my soul to Hades, nor let thy Holy One see corruption.
Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou wilt make me full of gladness with thy presence.
προορώμην τὸν κύριον ἐνώπιόν μου διὰ παντός, ὅτι ἐκ δεξιῶν μού ἐστιν ἵνα μὴ σαλευθῶ.
διὰ τοῦτο ηὐφράνθη ἡ καρδία μου καὶ ἠγαλλιάσατο ἡ γλῶσσά μου, ἔτι δὲ καὶ ἡ σάρξ μου κατασκηνώσει ἐπ' ἐλπίδι,
ὅτι οὐκ ἐγκαταλείψεις τὴν ψυχήν μου εἰς ᾅδην οὐδὲ δώσεις τὸν ὅσιόν σου ἰδεῖν διαφθοράν.
ἐγνώρισάς μοι ὁδοὺς ζωῆς,πληρώσεις με εὐφροσύνης μετὰ τοῦ προσώπου σου. (Acts 2:25-28, Psalm 15:8-11 LXX, 16:8-11 MT)

that I will pour out my Spirit upon all flesh, and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams;
yea, and on my menservants and my maidservants in those days I will pour out my Spirit; and they shall prophesy.
And I will show wonders in the heaven above and signs on the earth beneath, blood, and fire, and vapor of smoke;
the sun shall be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the day of the Lord comes, the great and manifest day.
And it shall be that whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.
ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶνκαὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνυπνίοις ἐνυπνιασθήσονται·
καί γε ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους μου καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς δούλας μου ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου,καὶ προφητεύσουσιν.
καὶ δώσω τέρατα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ ἄνω καὶ σημεῖα ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς κάτω, αἷμα καὶ πῦρ καὶ ἀτμίδα καπνοῦ.
ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα, πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἡμέραν κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἐπιφανῆ.
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου σωθήσεται. (Acts 2:17b-21)
ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου ἐπὶ πᾶσαν σάρκα, καὶ προφητεύσουσιν οἱ υἱοὶ ὑμῶν καὶ αἱ θυγατέρες ὑμῶν, καὶ οἱ πρεσβύτεροι ὑμῶν ἐνύπνια ἐνυπνιασθήσονται, καὶ οἱ νεανίσκοι ὑμῶν ὁράσεις ὄψονται,
καὶ ἐπὶ τοὺς δούλους καὶ ἐπὶ τὰς δούλας ἐν ταῖς ἡμέραις ἐκείναις ἐκχεῶ ἀπὸ τοῦ πνεύματός μου. 
καὶ δώσω τέρατα ἐν τῷ οὐρανῷ καὶ ἐπὶ τῆς γῆς, αἷμα καὶ πῦρ καὶ ἀτμίδα καπνοῦ,
ὁ ἥλιος μεταστραφήσεται εἰς σκότος καὶ ἡ σελήνη εἰς αἷμα πρὶν ἐλθεῖν ἡμέραν κυρίου τὴν μεγάλην καὶ ἐπιφανῆ.
καὶ ἔσται πᾶς, ὃς ἂν ἐπικαλέσηται τὸ ὄνομα κυρίου, σωθήσεται (Joel :1-5a LXX, 2:28-32a MT).

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