Source: “On the Resurrection: volume 1”: Evidences, 2024 by Gary Habermas Published by B&H Academic Brentwood, Tennessee.
The_Message_Before_the_Books.mp4
The Bedrock of Apostolic Tradition.pdf
11a. Excursus 2- The Early Creedal Traditions.mp3
This podcast discusses the significance of early creedal traditions found within the New Testament, particularly in the Epistles. These brief, often rhythmic statements originated from oral teachings shortly after Jesus's death due to the prevalence of oral culture and illiteracy, serving to communicate core beliefs about Jesus's deity, death, and resurrection. Scholars identify these traditions through linguistic clues and contextual awkwardness, with the famous statement in 1 Corinthians 15:3-7 being a key example, showcasing how early Christians included Jesus within the unique identity of God and passed on authoritative accounts, some potentially originating from Aramaic-speaking communities and eyewitnesses like the apostles themselves. The text highlights the academic consensus on the exceptionally early dating of this material, often within a few years of the crucifixion, strengthening the historical foundation for the earliest Christian message.
Introduction: Uncovering the 'Audio Files' of Early Christianity
It’s a common assumption that the core beliefs of Christianity were something of a mystery for decades, only being written down in the Gospels long after the events they describe. This picture suggests a long game of "telephone," where stories could evolve and change before being committed to paper. But what if the earliest Christians had a way to preserve their core message with precision from the very beginning?
This discovery is affirmed by a near-unanimous consensus of modern critical historians—a group that includes believers, agnostics, and atheists alike. Long before the New Testament books were written, the first followers of Jesus transmitted their foundational beliefs through brief, memorized statements of faith known as "oral creeds." Think of these as the "audio files" of the early church—pithy, portable summaries of the gospel that circulated within years, or even months, of Jesus's crucifixion (c. 30 or 33 CE).
These early creedal traditions, embedded like fossils within the later New Testament letters, reveal some surprising truths about what the very first Christians believed. They provide a clear window into the beliefs of the church in its infancy, showing a message that was remarkably early, consistent, and directly connected to the original eyewitnesses.
1. The First Christian "Books" Weren't Books at All
The earliest Christian teachings were not transmitted through written texts, but through oral tradition. In the first-century Mediterranean world, this was a necessity. It was a largely oral culture, and the vast majority of people were illiterate. For a new message to spread rapidly across diverse communities, it couldn't rely on scrolls that few could read. It had to be designed for memory.