EN
The death and resurrection of Jesus are not only the heart of the Christian profession of faith but are also the main themes of the Church's preaching. This is witnessed by the apostle Paul in his First Letter to the Corinthians (ca. 55 A.D.) which contains in 1 Cor 15:1-11 what seems to be the oldest Christian profession of faith. This passage, including 1 Cor 15:3b-5, is presented by Paul as the kernel of the Gospel which he himself received and which he in turn preached to others. In this way, Paul demonstrates that Christian preaching is essentially the 'transmission of the Gospel!' Transmitted in this fashion, the Gospel centers on four realities concerning Christ: his death, burial, resurrection and subsequent apparitions as the Risen Christ (15:3b-8). It is important that the authenticity of the Gospel preached in his fashion can be testified to by eye-witnesses, well-known personalities and holders of responsible positions in the early Church (15:5-7). Paul is able to count himself among these witnesses (15:8). Holding firmly to the message of the Gospel, proclaimed by Paul and the early Church (15:11), brings salvation to every human being.