The New Testament
A Historical and Theological Introduction
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Chapter
7. The Origin and Reliability of the Gospel Tradition
Questions for Research and Discussion
- Imagine you have a friend who is skeptical regarding the oral tradition behind the NT. How would you present a case defending it to her?
- Trace a hypothetical saying of Jesus from the lips of Jesus to the original copy of the Gospel according to Matthew.
- How has Gerhardsson’s work regarding oral tradition been criticized, as presented in the chapter? What do you make of these criticisms?
- What impact on the reliability of the Gospels can be gleaned from the fact that the oral traditions about Jesus remained popular even after the written Gospels were widely circulated?
- Paul appears several times throughout this chapter. Trace his influence on our understanding of the oral tradition behind the NT.