I- Introduction
The word *kerygma* (often rendered in French as *kérygme*) originally refers, within the Christian tradition, to the public and solemn proclamation of the Good News of the Gospel. It is the fundamental announcement of the salvation and resurrection of Jesus Christ, understood not merely as a speech, but as a performative word capable of awakening faith.
The term comes from the Ancient Greek *kērugma* (κήρυγμα), meaning “proclamation made aloud” or “preaching.” It derives from the verb *kēryssein* (to announce) and the noun *kēryx*, which denotes the herald or town crier of antiquity.
Although primarily theological, the word is sometimes used in a broader literary or philosophical context to denote: a fundamental statement, dogma, or primary truth proclaimed with force; or a peremptory assertion that carries its own authority, without necessarily requiring logical or argumentative justification.
Karl Barth versus Rudolf Bultmann
For both Rudolf Bultmann and Karl Barth, the *kerygma* (the central message of Christian proclamation) is fundamental; however, they hold radically opposing views regarding its nature and the way in which human beings receive it.
Bultmann considered the biblical worldview (spirits, miracles, resurrection, ascension) to be a “myth” unacceptable to the modern scientific mind. He therefore proposed deciphering or demythologizing these myths to extract an existential message from them.
Barth criticized Bultmann for transforming theology into anthropology. For Barth, theology must not start with man (his condition or his existential questions) but with God: with objective grace and concrete revelation in Jesus Christ. The Gospel speaks first of God and His action, not of man’s capacity to attain an authentic existence.
Bultmann proposed a highly existential reading: the Bible serves to reveal to man his need for authenticity and frees him from the inauthenticity of his existence by focusing on the “how” of faith.
Barth criticized Bultmann for turning theology into anthropology. For Barth, theology must not start with man (his condition or his existential questions) but with God: with objective grace and concrete revelation in Jesus Christ. The Gospel speaks first of God and His action, not of man’s capacity to attain an authentic existence.
Divergence
The divergence between Bultmann and Barth can be summarized by two opposing trajectories.
Bultmann’s Kerygma—from the bottom up (anthropocentric).
For Bultmann, the Kerygma must find an anchor point within the structure of human existence to be heard. Man as recipient and criterion: If the message does not speak directly to the human condition (to our fears, our quest for meaning, our finitude), it remains a dead letter or an ancient myth incomprehensible to the modern mind. Faith as decision: The Kerygma is validated only when it sparks an existential transformation in the individual. It is the human being who, upon receiving the Word, moves from an inauthentic life to an authentic one.
Barth’s Kerygma: From the top down (Theocentric).
For Barth, the Kerygma is a “bomb” dropping vertically from heaven. He categorically rejects the idea that man—or his philosophy or psychology—should serve as a prerequisite for receiving God. God as the sole subject: The Kerygma is God’s free revelation. It does not require man to be “ready” or modern culture to approve of it. God makes Himself understood through His own power. Divine sovereignty: Barth believes that making the Kerygma dependent on human understanding (as Bultmann does with Heidegger) imprisons God within the confines of human thought. To him, Bultmann’s liberal theology ultimately amounts to disguised anthropology: the conversation shifts from God to man.
Summary
For Bultmann, the Kerygma is a call for man to understand his own existence. For Barth, the Kerygma is the Word of God that shatters and transcends all human existence.
Opinion
1. Faith as a gift from God (*Donum Dei*)
Faith comes from God. Belief is not the product of human intellectual reflection or cultural adaptation. It is the Holy Spirit who enables human beings to believe in what transcends reason. For proponents of the traditional *kerygma*, adapting the message to make it “acceptable” to modern man is a mistake; the supernatural and the miraculous (such as the Resurrection) are integral to the scandal and folly of the Cross—realities that can only be grasped through God-given faith.
2. The universality of sin
The concept of man as “fundamentally sinful” lies at the heart of the critique of modernism. Whether man lives in the age of the Roman Empire or in the era of artificial intelligence and electricity, his fundamental nature remains unchanged: he is marked by a rupture with God (sin). Consequently, his fundamental spiritual needs—forgiveness, redemption, and salvation—remain exactly the same. The traditional *kerygma* therefore does not need to be rewritten for every century, as it addresses a universal human condition.
3. Opposition to demythologization
God speaks for Himself. The Word of God requires no authorization from science or modern philosophy to be true and effective. The danger of an anthropocentric approach—seeking to adapt the Bible to the modern mindset—is that it makes man the judge of God’s Word, whereas it is the Word of God that must judge man.
Prayer:
Lord Jesus, I believe with all my heart that You are the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Savior. Today, I glorify You and exalt You above all else. You are the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
In the name of Christ! Amen!
II- Reflection
II-1 The Kerygma According to the Bible
Jesus Christ is the Messiah promised by the Scriptures; He died for the sins of the world; He rose from the dead; He was exalted to the right hand of God as Lord and King; and salvation is now offered to all who repent and believe in Him. This proclamation is particularly evident in Peter’s speeches in the Book of Acts, where the death, resurrection, and lordship of Christ form the heart of the apostolic message.
The kerygma also possesses an eschatological dimension. It announces that the reign of God has been inaugurated in Jesus Christ and will reach its fulfillment upon His return. Thus, the kerygma is not merely the announcement of past events; it proclaims a present reality and a future hope.
These are seven points of the kerygma according to the Bible:
1. Jesus Christ, the promised Messiah
The apostolic kerygma proclaims that Jesus is the Messiah foretold by the prophets and the fulfillment of divine promises.
Acts 2:36 “Therefore let all Israel be assured of this: God has made this Jesus, whom you crucified, both Lord and Messiah.”
2. The atoning death of Christ
The heart of the kerygma is the proclamation of Christ’s death for the sins of the world.
Romans 5:8 “But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”
Mark 10:45 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
1 Peter 3:18 “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
1 Corinthians 15:3 “For what I received I passed on to you as of first importance: that Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures,”
3. The resurrection of Christ
The resurrection is the divine confirmation of Jesus’ identity and the efficacy of His redemptive work.
Romans 1:4 “and who through the Spirit of holiness was appointed the Son of God in power by his resurrection from the dead: Jesus Christ our Lord.”
Acts 2:24 “But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him. “
4. The exaltation and lordship of Christ
The risen Christ now reigns at the right hand of the Father.
Acts 2:33-34 “33 Exalted to the right hand of God, he has received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit and has poured out what you now see and hear. 34For David did not ascend to heaven, and yet he said, “ ‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand”
5. The call to repentance and faith
The kerygma is not merely an announcement; it calls for a personal response.
Acts 2 :38 “Peter replied, “Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”
Mark 1:15 ““The time has come,”he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
6. The Gift of the Holy Spirit
Salvation is accompanied by the gift of the Holy Spirit promised by God.
John 14:16-17 “16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever—17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.”
Titus 3:5-6 “5 he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us generously through Jesus Christ our Savior,”
7. Eschatological hope
The kerygma also proclaims the return of Christ and the definitive establishment of the Kingdom of God.
Acts 1:11 ““Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? This same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “16 For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”
II-2 The Distinctive Features of the Kerygma According to Paul
In his book “Paul of Tarsus: The Enfant Terrible of Christianity,” theologian Daniel Marguerat paints an intimate and historical portrait of the apostle Paul, a man who loves, who struggles, who toils, and who suffers; a profoundly human man, a daring adventurer whose theology was born of trials, shocks, and journeys.
Paul, named Saul at birth, was born in Tarsus, Cilicia, around 1–5 AD. A Hebrew of the tribe of Benjamin and from a Pharisaic family, he was raised in strict observance of the Law of Moses. Although deeply attached to Judaism and Jerusalem, he spoke Greek, knew Latin, and held Roman citizenship.
Around the age of thirteen, Saul was sent to Jerusalem to study under the guidance of Rabbi Gamaliel. There, he received thorough training in the Scriptures, Jewish tradition, and methods of rabbinic debate. Brilliant and rigorous, he was preparing for a career within the Sanhedrin. His passionate attachment to the Law and the Jewish faith fostered an intense zeal in him that drove him to the point of religious fanaticism.
Before his conversion, Saul was a fierce opponent of the nascent Christian movement. He likely witnessed the debates between the apostles and the Sanhedrin, as well as the trial of Stephen, whose execution he approved. Convinced he was serving God, he waged a violent persecution against the Church in Jerusalem, having Jesus’s disciples arrested and imprisoned in an effort to eradicate what he viewed as a threat to the Jewish faith.
The pivotal moment in Saul’s life is recounted in Acts 9:1–22: his encounter with Jesus Christ on the road from Jerusalem to Damascus—a journey of approximately 240 kilometers.
II-2-1 The Distinctive Features of the Kerygma According to Paul
– On the Road to Damascusc
Driven by deep hostility toward Christians, Saul was traveling to Damascus with authorization to arrest Jesus’ disciples and bring them back to Jerusalem. Along the way, a light from heaven enveloped him, and he heard the voice of Jesus saying: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” This decisive encounter with the risen Christ transformed his life and marked the beginning of his spiritual transformation.
The encounter with Jesus radically transformed Saul’s life. Blinded by divine light on the road to Damascus, he was led into the city, where Ananias—sent by God—prayed for him. Saul regained his sight, received the Holy Spirit, and was baptized. Called by God to proclaim the Gospel to both Jews and Gentiles, he immediately began declaring in the synagogues that Jesus is the Son of God and the Messiah, astonishing all who knew of his past as a persecutor.
Saul subsequently spent time in Arabia, Damascus, Jerusalem, Syria, and his native Cilicia before Barnabas asked him to help teach the church in Antioch (Acts 11:25-26 “25 Then Barnabas went to Tarsus to look for Saul, 26 and when he found him, he brought him to Antioch. So for a whole year Barnabas and Saul met with the church and taught great numbers of people. The disciples were called Christians first at Antioch.” ) —a multi-ethnic church founded by Christians who had fled Judea due to the persecution that followed the death of Stephen.
– The Fundamental Reversal
From both a biographical and a theological perspective, the encounter with the risen Christ on the road to Damascus marks the true starting point of Pauline theology. Many theologians consider that this encounter profoundly shaped his entire theology and accounts for several characteristics of his kerygma.
It must be noted, however, that Paul never presents his experience as the source of the Gospel. For him, the Gospel comes from God:
“11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.“ (Galatians 1:11–12).
Nevertheless, this encounter provided the framework within which he understood the person of Christ and salvation.
Christ is the organizing center of his entire body of thought. Some theologians view Damascus as the moment of birth for the concept of union with Christ. There is even a very interesting theological hypothesis regarding this.
The first words Paul hears from Christ are: “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute me?” (Acts 9:4).
Yet Paul was persecuting Christians, not Jesus directly.
Christ therefore identifies Himself with His people.
Some exegetes see here the seed of the Pauline doctrine of union with Christ: believers are in Christ, Christ is in them, and the body of Christ is united to its Head.
This insight would later become one of the major themes of his epistles.
If we look even more deeply, the center of gravity of the Pauline kerygma must be:
“Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9; 1 Corinthians 12:3; Philippians 2:11).
Let us recall the first sentence Paul spoke to Christ on the road to Damascus:
“Who are you, Lord?” (Acts 9:5). It is precisely this truth—”Jesus is Lord”—that was revealed to him in Damascus. Expiatory death, justification, grace, union with Christ, and even the Church subsequently flow from this fundamental revelation.
One can therefore maintain that the revelation of Jesus as Lord and Messiah on the road to Damascus constitutes the historical, spiritual, and theological starting point of the Pauline kerygma.
From this foundational encounter, Paul would gradually develop his entire theology: “Jesus is the risen Lord; by his grace, we are saved through faith and united with Him.”
In other words, if we trace Paul’s thought back to its source, his experience on the road to Damascus can be summarized in that first confession—”Jesus is Lord”—and the rest of his kerygma flows from this fundamental truth.
II-2-2 Characteristics of the Pauline Kerygma
Paul’s thirteen epistles (seven of which are considered authentic by the majority of scholars) constitute the primary source for his theology. Supplemented by the Book of Acts, they bear witness to his ministry dedicated to proclaiming the risen Jesus Christ throughout the Roman Empire. Despite enduring much suffering and persecution, Paul remained faithful to his mission until his death—likely as a martyr in Rome around AD 60.
Paul’s life illustrates the power of God’s grace to transform even those furthest removed from Him. Once a persecutor of Christians, he became a faithful servant of Jesus Christ. His testimony reminds us that salvation is offered to all—not on the basis of merit, but solely through God’s mercy. No matter how troubled a person’s past may be, God can save them and renew their life through His grace.
Paul’s life teaches us humility, courage, and total surrender to God. Transformed by the grace of Christ, he dedicated his entire life to proclaiming the Gospel, despite persecution, suffering, and imprisonment. His testimony demonstrates that deep trust in God enables us to persevere in all circumstances and advance the Kingdom of God. His example invites us to live fully for Christ, looking to Him as our model.
He wrote: “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (Philippians 1:21).
Opinion
The revelation of “Jesus as Lord” (On the Road to Damascus) gives rise to an understanding of salvation “by grace”, received “through faith” and realized in “union with Christ”.
1. Paul’s proclamation, according to our vision: “Jesus is Lord” (Romans 10:9 “If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.”; Philippians 2:11 “and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father”).
2. If Jesus is Lord, then salvation comes from Him
Since Jesus is Lord, salvation cannot be produced by man himself. It is a gift from the Lord.
Paul concludes: Salvation is by grace.
“It is by grace that you have been saved” (Ephesians 2:8).
Grace is the consequence of Christ’s lordship: the Lord takes the initiative to save.
3. If Jesus is Lord, man responds with faith
Grace does not impose itself mechanically.
It calls for a response: faith.
“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved” (Acts 16:31).
Faith is the act by which a person acknowledges Christ’s lordship and places their trust in Him.
4. If Jesus is Lord, He unites believers to Himself
Salvation is not merely an external pardon.
The risen Lord brings the believer into living communion with Himself.
Hence one of Paul’s major themes:
“in Christ”, “Christ in you”, “with Christ”
Faith leads to union with Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ” (Galatians 2:20).
According to this opinion that is ours, we present the Pauline kerygma based on the fundamental message of the biblical kerygma previously outlined, placing particular emphasis on grace, justification by faith, union with Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the universality of salvation.
Although Paul proclaims the same Gospel as the other apostles, he emphatically declares that his Gospel does not come from men but was revealed to him directly by Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11–12 “11 I want you to know, brothers and sisters, that the gospel I preached is not of human origin. 12 I did not receive it from any man, nor was I taught it; rather, I received it by revelation from Jesus Christ.”). His kerygma develops several major themes.
1. Christ crucified and risen at the center
For Paul, the cross and the resurrection constitute the very heart of the Gospel.
“but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles” (1 Corinthians 1:23).
The resurrection is the starting point of his theology and the foundation of Christian hope.
“He was delivered over to death for our sins and was raised to life for our justification” (Romans 4:25)
“And if the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead is living in you, he who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies because of his Spirit who lives in you” (Romans 8:11)
2. Justification by faith
Paul places particular emphasis on the fact that salvation is received through faith and not through works of the Law.
“Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 5:1)
“know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” (Galatians 2:16).
3. Union with Christ
One of the most distinctive themes of the Pauline kerygma is the believer’s union with Christ.
“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. “ (Galatians 2:20)
“To them God has chosen to make known among the Gentiles the glorious riches of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory” (Colossians 1:27),
Characteristic expressions:
“in Christ”
“with Christ”
“Christ in you”
“Christ in you”.
For Paul, all the blessings of salvation flow from this union.
Reference: United With Christ
4. The cosmic dimension of Christ
Paul presents Jesus as the “last Adam” inaugurating a new creation.
“21 For since death came through a man, the resurrection of the dead comes also through a man. 22 For as in Adam all die, so in Christ all will be made alive.” (1 Corinthians 15:21-22).
Christ is presented as Lord of all creation and Head of the new humanity.
“9 he made known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure, which he purposed in Christ, 10 to be put into effect when the times reach their fulfillment—to bring unity to all things in heaven and on earth under Christ” (Ephesians 1:9-10).
5. The universality of salvation
The Gospel is intended for all peoples without distinction.
“For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile” (Romans 1:16)
“There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28).
6. The work of the Holy Spirit in salvation
The Holy Spirit applies the work of Christ to the believer.
“For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink” (1 Corinthians 12:13).
“13 And you also were included in Christ when you heard the message of truth, the gospel of your salvation. When you believed, you were marked in him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, 14 who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God’s possession—to the praise of his glory” (Ephesians 1:13-14).
The Spirit regenerates, indwells the believer, produces spiritual fruit, guarantees the future inheritance.
7. An eschatological perspective
Salvation has already been secured, yet it awaits its final fulfillment.
“20 But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ, 21 who, by the power that enables him to bring everything under his control, will transform our lowly bodies so that they will be like his glorious body” (Philippians 3:20-21),
“When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory” (Colossians 3:4)
The believer lives in the tension of the “already” and the “not yet”.
III- Conclusion
The biblical kerygma is the proclamation of the death, resurrection, and lordship of Jesus Christ, accompanied by a call to repentance and faith. The Pauline kerygma takes up this fundamental message while specifically developing the themes of grace, justification by faith, union with Christ, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the universality of salvation.
Paul’s thought can be summarized by this formula:
By grace, through faith, united with Christ.
Salvation originates in the sovereign grace of God, is appropriated through faith, and is fulfilled in living union with Jesus Christ, in anticipation of the glory to come.
Prayer:
Thank you, Jesus, for Your infinite love, for Your sacrifice on the cross and for Your victory over death. I adore You and I give You thanks for Your immense glory. Take all the space in my heart and reign as absolute Master.
In the name of Christ! Amen !
By Phalin Chou
Bibliography
Paul de Tarse: L’enfant terrible du christianisme (Livre) par Daniel Marguerat
Le kérygme dans la Bible ou la rencontre du Ressuscité dans notre histoire personnelle
Porter le kérygme dans le corps
Qu’entend-on par kerygma dans le Nouveau Testament grec ?
Jésus de l’histoire et interprétation du kérygme. la pensée de R. Bultmann
Le b.a.-ba du kérygme (part. I)
Le b.a.-ba du kérygme (part. II)
A Summary of Dunn’s Theology of Paul the Apostle (By Stephen Barkley)
In Christ's Love
