The ‘Gospel’ and the ‘Word’: Exploring Some Early Christian Patterns

Abstract

Graham Stanton and others have made important steps toward understanding the origins and development of ‘gospel’ language in earliest Christianity. This article attempts to provide a similar contribution regarding the use of ‘word’ language as synonymous with ‘gospel’ language among the earliest Christians. A distinctive and predominant ‘word (of x)’ pattern can be discerned in this regard, particularly evident in the Pauline writings and in the description of the Pauline mission in Acts. This use of ‘word’ language in synonymy with the gospel most likely had its origin in the legal and prophetic ‘word’ language of the Jewish scriptures, acquired through the eschatological self-understanding of the early Christians in general and the prophetic self-understanding of Paul in particular.