The Early Church

• C.H. Dodd said that the book of Acts contains a unique form of communication called ‘kerygma’ from the word ‘keryx’ (herald); this form is that of being confronted by a bold proclamation leading to a decision.
• The six elements of the Kerygma can be seen in the speeches of Acts:

  (i) the age of fulfilment has come

  (ii) through the life, death and resurrection of Jesus

  (iii) the ascension confirms Jesus’ messiahship

  (iv) the Spirit of God has been given to the Church

  (v) Christ will return soon and

  (vi) everyone should repent and join the Church movement.
• Rudolph Bultmann believed that modern people could no longer accept Biblical myths.
• Two main myths-

  1. apocalypticism
  2. gnosticism

  What is really important for Bultmann is both to hold beliefs that are compatible with our understanding of scientific cause & effect and to have an existential experience of faith, hope and love.
• Acts 2:37: ‘now when they heard this, they were cut to the heart.’
• Criticisms-

  • Some say that Bultmann has merely created a new, individualistic mythology which ignores the public nature of the events described in Acts
  • Some attack the historical credibility of the events in the book of Acts: Luke was a gentile Christian, not present at the events recorded
  • Some defend the speeches in Acts as historically reliable: they are not doubted by any early Christian source, Luke would have had access to eyewitnesses