No.16 Referenced from ~ Part1 - Chapter 3 - Prologue

The archetype of the issue of "historical fact and faith"

When the task of theology is "to establish in the present age the faith that was once established among the apostles," the steps to accomplish this task seem to be self-evident. First, we must understand how the faith was established in the apostles, then look at the differences in the conditions for establishing the faith between the apostles and the post-apostles, and finally, examine measures to overcome the differences. In this way, we overcome the "pastness" of the faith established in the apostles.

However, when we ask "How did the faith of the past arise?", which is the first step, we are faced with an unexpected situation. It is the description in the Gospels that tells us that it was not necessarily easy for the apostles to acquire faith. In other words, "even if Jesus were right in front of them, it would be difficult to believe in him."

Herein lies the original landscape of the "historical fact and faith" issue. In the time of the disciples, the reality of Jesus and the faith of the apostles, that is, "historical facts and faith," were already separated.