Friday, November 7, 2008
Monday, September 24, 2007
LECTURE NOTES ON
JOHANNINE LITERATURE
BY PROF. DR. FR. ANTHONY CERESKO, OSFS, SSDDIVINE WORD SEMINARY, Tagaytay City
Compiled by
ARNOLD C. BIAGO, SVD
Van der Watt J. G. “Ethics in First John: A Literary and Socioscientific Perspective” in CBQ 61 (1999).
I. INTRODUCTION
1. The Gospels are not biographies of Jesus. They are interpretations of the events of Jesus’ life and teachings in the light of the resurrection faith. They are theologies; that is, they are 4 different presentations of the faith of the first generation of Christians. (Mk in the 60’s in Rome
Lk in the 80’s in Syria John in the 90’s in Ephesus
Despite their diversity, there is a basic unity that (more than) transcends the theological differences.
2. A key difference between the 3 Synoptics and the Gospel of John:
The Synoptics are concerned to present the words of the historical Jesus. John presents these same words but adds reflections on them, to open up their meaning and give insight into their full significance. The words of Jesus himself and the reflections on them are all put on the lips of Jesus.
3. For John, what Christians say and believe about the Christ of their faith, they also say and believe about Jesus of Nazareth. The Christ of faith who is present and continues to teach in their midst (reflections) is the same person as Jesus of Nazareth
4. John’s place in the NT:
In Paul, early Christianity had its earliest (53 to 64 c.e.), and in some way seminal, theological mind. Shortly afterwards, chronologically, the Synoptic Gospels were composed when the early Christians felt the need to explain their existence as a community in reference to Jesus, and to order their life in accord with Jesus’ way of life. Other NT authors developed particular theological and practical themes as the need arose (Hebrews, James, Pastoral Epistles). The role of the Gospel of John was to re-interpret definitively the primitive faith at a time when the expectation of the immediate return of Jesus declined and the Church began to grow as an institution. Significantly, John did not write a Church history, nor a manual of discipline (rule book), nor a theological treatise. He wrote a Gospel. The Gospel writer (Evangelist) reminds his readers that faith is not a matter of future expectations or present institutional life, with its hierarchy and sacraments. Faith is knowing Jesus and being nourished by the food and drink that he gives: his words, wisdom, teachings / his flesh and blood in the Eucharist.
5. The primary purpose of John’s Gospel is to bring the reader to faith in Jesus, to lead each one to their own experience of him, and to a personal answer to the question “Who is Jesus?, Who is Jesus for me?”. In that sense, John is the “spiritual Gospel” (Clement of Alexandria). It gives ways in which the gospel writer helps the readers to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and thus to possess life in his name (20,31). We see this characteristics in many ways:
a) By the pedagogically simple picture that through begetting/birth in water and Spirit believers receive God’s own life, and that through Jesus’ flesh and blood that life is nourished.
b) By the dramatic stress on one-to-one encounters with Jesus (Nicodemus, the Samaritan woman, Martha and Mary, Mary Magdalene…).
c) By the “everyman and everywoman” role of the Johannine character, like the man born blind (9,35-41) and the Samaritan woman (4,39-42), personifying different faith reactions.
d) By the language of love binding believers to Jesus as love binds Jesus to the Father.
e) By stressing the indwelling Paraclete through whom Jesus remains attainable.
f) By the importance of discipleship which is a role that all can share in. For John there are no second class citizens among believers; all are God’s own children in Christ.
II. AUTORSHIP OF JOHN
1. The Gospel was not written by John the apostle, the son of Zebedee and brother of James (never is the beloved disciple[1]nd century. Indeed, the ancient world had a different understanding of “author” than we do. The apostle John’s name is attached to the Gospel to give apostolic authority, possibly because the book was written at Ephesus
2. The real authority behind the Gospel and the source of its unique and original presentation of Jesus is the “Beloved Disciple”. He was a follower of Jesus who witnessed his miracles and listened to his teachings. He was not an “apostle” or member of “the Twelve”. He eventually became a leading figure and teacher in one of the early Christian communities, and formed disciples of his own. Together they developed a unique and original way of presenting the life and teachings of Jesus, based on the witness and teachings of the beloved disciple and the experiences of the Johannine community.
3. One of these followers of the beloved disciple eventually put into written form the traditions about Jesus as developed in the Johannine community. He was a theological and literary genius, and the work that he wrote represents a real masterpiece. This follower of the BD and author of the Gospel we call the “Evangelist”. He eventually revised and expanded his Gospel to answer some objections and difficulties (2nd edition). Another follower of the beloved disciple, different from the Evangelist, acted as a “final editor”. This person inserted other available material from the Johannine community; for example different versions of the same discourses (6,51-58 is an alternative version of 6,35-50) and added chapter 21 (note the 2 different endings of the Gospel: the earlier ending in 20,30-31 and the later ending in 21,24-25).
III. HISTORY OF THE JOHANNINE COMMUNITY[2]
1. John’s Gospel presentation of Jesus contains debates and arguments that give us some clues to the Johannine community’s life and history. Also the 3 Epistles of John are more directly and openly addressing the members of the community and their problems and conflicts. Thus we can reconstruct something of their background and history. R.E. Brown described the history as moving through 4 stages.
a) The 1st stage took place in the 70’s and 80’s in Palestine or near it (North of Palestine, in Syria
b) The 2nd phase took place in the 90’s, after the community moved to Ephesus
c) The 3rd phase, around 100 c.e., is reflected in 1 and 2 John. Because of the community’s lack of structure, its lack of rules and no one to enforce the rules, it began to disintegrate and split into two factions (see 1Jn 4,1-6; 5,6-7). The split is seen in 1 and 2 John. One group (the “secessionists” – docetists) put too much stress on the divinity of Christ. The leader of the other group who is the author of 1 and 2 John affirms both the divinity and the humanity of Jesus (1Jn 4,9; 2Jn7-11).
d) The 4th phase was written after the Epistles, in the 2nd century. Groups of “secessionists” (=heretics) with their overstress on the divinity of Christ eventually moved toward Docetism (Jesus had only the “appearance” of the human nature), Montanism (Montanus, a priest in Phrygia – Asia Minor, in the 2nd century claimed to be himself the Paraclete, a source of revelation and above any authority of Church leaders), and Gnosticism (for whom salvation comes through knowledge alone). Others (“orthodox”) in the Johannine community began to see the need for more structure, for ex. Diotrophes, mentioned in 3Jn 9-10; he refuses to welcome some, and even “expels them from the church”. They eventually merged into the larger growing union of churches with their authoritative teachers (presbyters, bishops). For purposes of unity with the greater Church they had to compromise on their community structures. They accepted more hierarchical forms. Yet, they also brought a great treasure to the larger community (Church), the witness of the Beloved Disciple and their own experiences as a community.
2. The presence in the Bible of the Johannine traditions is important for their ideals of love and unity; their clear recognition of Jesus’ continuing presence in the Spirit/Paraclete’s indwelling in each disciple; their brief history and survival as a non-hierarchical community. All of these serve as a reminder and conscience to more authoritarian tendencies within the Church.
IV. RELATIONSHIP OF JOHN TO THE SYNOPTICS
A. Similarities between John and the Synoptics:
1. All four the Gospels agree on the general outline of the ministry of Jesus: it begins with the preaching of John the Baptist and concludes with the passion and crucifixion, followed by the stories about the empty tomb.
2. John agrees with Mark (therefore also with the others) on at least one specific sequence of events: miracles of the loaves and fishes, followed by the walking on the water and the confession of Peter. It agrees also on certain details: the “nard of great value… …worth 300 denarii” (Jn 12,3-5; Mk 14,3-5); the “two hundred denarii worth of bread” (Jn 6,7; Mk 6,37).
3. John agrees with Luke about Jesus’ friendship with Martha, Mary and Lazarus; a post-resurrection appearance in Jerusalem ; the miraculous catch of fish by Peter and his companions in the Lake of Galilee
B. Differences between John and the Synoptics:
1. In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus speaks in parables but in John he speaks in longer discourses. In the parables of the Synoptics, Jesus announced the in-breaking of the Kingdom of God
2. In the Synoptics, the public ministry of Jesus lasts only one year. The focus is on an extensive ministry in Galilee, one journey to Jerusalem Jerusalem and an extensive ministry in Jerusalem and Judah
3. John probably represents the more accurate picture. The Synoptics, for dramatic purposes, have telescoped the three years into one. John has many of the events or sayings of Jesus that are recorded in the Synoptics, but they are found in a different context. Examples:
a) Institution of the Eucharist. In the Synoptics, Jesus pronounces the words “Take and eat, this is my body” and “Take and drink, this is my blood”. In John there is NO institution of the Eucharist in the Last Supper. Instead, Jesus gives the command to eat the bread that is his body (flesh) in Jn 6,51 (miracle of the multiplication of the loaves). The discourse of the “vine and the branches” (Jn 15) and the water turned into wine at Cana (Jn 2) echo the command to “take and drink the wine that is his blood”.
b) The agony in the garden. John has NO agony in the garden, but the words o Jesus early in the Gospel “What shall I say? Father, save me from this hour?” (12,27), echo the words of Jesus’ agony in the Synoptics, for example Mk 14,36 “Father, let this cup pass from me; but not my will but yours be done”.
4. The fact that we have two such divergent witnesses (Synoptics and John) to essentially the same events is a strong proof for the historicity and authenticity. The Synoptics represent one basic tradition (Mk, to which Q has been added in Matthew and Luke), about the deeds and words of Jesus. John’s Gospel represents this independent tradition and its own witness and purpose.
V. JEWISH FEASTS AND CHRISTIAN SACRAMENTS (Chs. 5-10)
A. Old Testament Feasts and Their Replacement
1. Four OT feasts are mentioned in these 6 chapters: Sabbath, Passover, Tabernacles, Dedication. John presents Jesus himself as replacing these feasts.
a) In Jn 5,1-47, Jesus heals on the Sabbath: Jesus asserts his authority over the Sabbath to give life (vv. 21.24-26.29.39-40); he asserts his identity and oneness with the Father (v.17 “The Father is working still, and I am working still”).
b) In Jn.6,1-71 Jesus multiplies the loaves and fishes and gives a discourse on the Bread of Life at Passover time, when the Jews commemorated the exodus. The multiplication of loaves echoes the manna in the wilderness (v.32); the walking on the water recalls the exodus and the rescue at the Red Sea (6,16-20). Jesus himself is the true manna, the true Bread form heaven, the life-giving food, represented in life-giving teaching (6,35-51a) and eucharistic body (6,51b-58).
c) Jn 7,1-10,21 takes place during the Feast of the Tabernacles marked by the prayer for rain and the illumination of the Temple
d) Jn 10,22-24 takes place during the Feast of the Dedication of the TempleTemple Temple
2. This familiarity with the Jewish feasts points to the origins of the Johannine tradition in Palestine , in the historical ministry of Jesus, and in the early Jewish-Christian community of Palestine
a) the location of Bethany two miles from Jerusalem
b) the pool of Bethesda
c) Solomon’s porch in the Temple
d) the Lithostros (19,13), the paved courtyard where the hearing of Jesus before Pilate took place
3. This “replacing” of the Jewish feasts by Jesus, also reflects the conflicts with the Jewish leaders and the Jewish-Christian Johannine community, that resulted in the expulsion from the synagogue (16,2).
B. The Christian Sacramental in John
1. John has been seen as the “most sacramental” of the NT writings in the broader sense that the Johannine Jesus makes use of the earthly to symbolize the heavenly; for example, water and wind both symbolize the Holy Spirit, and restoration of physical life (Lazarus) points to the gift of eternal life.
2. The discourse on the Bread of Life in ch.6 reflects the structure of the Eucharist wherein the Scriptures (“life-giving bread” of Jesus’ teaching in vv.35 to 51a) and the bread is blessed, broken and eaten (“life-giving bread” of Holy Communion in vv.51b to 58).
3. The meditation on the wine as life-giving blood of Jesus is reflected in the story of the wedding at Cana (Jn 2,1-11; water turned into wine) and the parabolic discourse on the wine and the branches (15,1-11).
4. Teachings on the meaning of baptism are reflected in the conversation with Nicodemus in ch.3 (being “born again” of water and the Spirit, vv.3-5) and the conversation with the Samaritan woman in ch.4 (“the spring of water welling up to eternal life” in v.14 equals the indwelling of the Holy Spirit given with baptism).
5. John shows the ultimate source of baptism and Eucharist in the water and blood that flow from Jesus’ side in his death on the cross (19,34).
6. John gives us the clearest information on the forgiveness of sins in 20,22-23, where the Risen Jesus breathes on the apostles gathered in the Upper Room and says, “Receive a Holy Spirit (breath). Whose sins you shall forgive are forgiven them, and whose sins you retain are retained”.
VI. THE OUTLINE / STRUCTURE OF JOHN’S GOSPEL
1. Prologue (1,1-18): an early Christian hymn that has been adopted to serve as an “overture” to the Gospel narrative. It introduces and summarizes the career of the Incarnate Word (a musical “overture” to an opera, symphony or film serves to capture the attention of the listeners and introduce the various musical themes that will be developed in the course of the composition).
2. The Book of Signs (1,19-12,50): the Word reveals himself to the world and to “his own”, but they will not accept him.
3. The Book of Glory (13-20): to those who do accept him, the Word shows his glory by returning to the Father in death, resurrection, ascension/glorification. Fully glorified, he communicates the Spirit of life.
4. The Epilogue (ch.21): Galilee resurrection appearances, including the commission to Peter, “Feed my lambs”.
VII. THE MOVEMENT OF THOUGHT IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
A. “Signs” (semeia) in John’s Gospel
1. The Synoptic Gospels describe the miracles of Jesus primarily as “acts of power” (dunameis). By these “acts of power”, Jesus establishes the “reign” or rule of God in the world and defeats the power and rule of Satan. In John’s Gospel, the miracles of Jesus are referred to as “works” (ergon / erga) and “signs” (semeion / semeia). Jesus calls the miracles as “works” in Jn 5,17; 9,4; 14,10. The author of the Gospel and characters other than Jesus call the miracles “signs” (Jn 2,11; 4,54; 20,30). In John’s Gospel, Jesus performs only 7 “signs”, all of them in the first part of the Gospel, the Book of Signs (1,19-12,50):
a) marriage at Cana (2,1-11)
b) the cure of the official’s son at Capernaum
c) the cure of the man sick for 38 years (5,1-9)
d) the multiplication of the loaves (6,1-13)
e) the treading on the water (6,16-21)
f) the cure of the man born blind (9,1-7)
g) the raising of Lazarus (11,1-14).
2. For John, these miracles are not important simply as acts of power. They are important because they are signs or symbols that point and reveal deeper spiritual truths. For ex. the giving of sight to the man born blind:
a) Jesus had proclaimed himself as “light of the world” in 8,12; 9,5.
b) Jesus is the one “sent” by God (v.4), and he “sends” the blind man to wash (baptism) in the Pool of Siloam, that means “sent” (v.7).
c) The man can now see, light comes to his eyes (9,7); but the enemies of Jesus remain in darkness because they suffer from spiritual blindness (9,35-41). The gift of physical sight symbolizes spiritual sight, the light of faith to which he is led (9,38 “Lord, I believe!”).
d) This symbolism of spiritual sight and the light that is Christ continues in the liturgy of Baptism and the Paschal candle.
3. In Jn 11, Jesus restores Lazarus to physical life as a symbol (sign) of his power to grant eternal life through enlightenment gained by his teaching and from Baptism.
B. From the Book of Signs to the Book of Glory
1. The “signs” in the first half of the Gospel point beyond themselves to the spiritual gifts now possessed by the Christian community (see the gift of the Holy Spirit in Jn 7,39). Through Jesus’ death/glorification on the cross, the Spirit who is the source of these gifts is poured out on the Christian community. The spiritual life (eternal life) and spiritual sight (to see God working in our lives) were symbolized by the physical miracles of Jesus’ lifetime.
2. Once Jesus’ “hour” has come (13,1), the “signs” and the reality that they symbolize become present. From the pierced side of Jesus “lifted up” on the cross, flows the new order of things symbolized by the water and blood (the presence of Jesus through the Holy Spirit given by Baptism and the Eucharist in 19,34). Note that John is the only one writing of Jesus’ pierced side! (see Table)
13,1 “The Hour Has Come”
Book of Signs (1-12)
= Eternal Life
CURE OF THE cure of spiritual blindness
MAN BORN BLIND
MULTIPLICATION life-giving wisdom and knowledge
OF LOAVES: life-giving eucharistic bread
RAISING OF resurrection and possession of eternal life
LAZARUS
MOSES’ SERPENT / LIVING WATER / GOOD SHEPHERD / BREAD & WINE are universal symbols that express the desires, aspirations, longings of every human being. Everyone want to know the way to happiness, something to believe in, to hope for, to have nourishment that never fails, to quench one’s thirst with clean, fresh water, to have someone to guide them to life-giving pastures, etc.
Book of Glory (13-20)
Signs are NO LONGER NEEDED when the reality that they symbolize is present, the CROSS!
Crucified, Glorified
Lifted up Gift of the Spirit
C. The Signs, the Symbols and the Spirit
1. The signs and symbols in the Book of Signs (1-12) are necessary in the absence of the Spirit because they prepare for and point ahead to that Spirit. In the Book of Glory (13-20) these signs and symbols are no longer needed: that Spirit to whom they point is now present, poured into our hearts in the death and resurrection/glorification of Jesus. They take on a new function; they serve to interpret and explain the significance and meaning of the Paraclete/Spirit now present in our midst and in our hearts.
2. The Book of Glory further explains and illuminates the identity of the Spirit/Paraclete and what he accomplishes by narrating how his presence came about through the death/glorification of Jesus. The return of Jesus to the Father, the “hour” of his “passage”/”passing over” (=exodus) is NOT a departure. Jesus “passes over” to a new way of being present with and to his followers.
By His Death / Glorification
RESURRECTION OF LAZARUS: the restoration of physical life points to Jesus’ power to give eternal life.
LIVING WATER: the Samaritan woman satisfies her physical thirst.
THE BREAD MULTIPLIED: serveed to feed the physically hungry crowd.
Jesus is now present in the community and in our hearts showing that eternal life.
Jesus, by his Spirit, is the living water springing within us, and giving eternal life.
Jesus is now present nourushing with his life-giving teachings, nourishing our “eternal life” with his own body and blood.
3. John’s eschatology is “realized eschatology” because it emphasizes the present reality of our Salvation (already/not yet, begun/not fully realized). John’s great insight: Jesus foretold and symbolized his future new presence in 7 “signs” and various symbols. What is the sign today by which the Christian community shows forth to the world the saving presence of Christ in their midst and in their hearts? “By this (sign) shall all know that you are my disciples, if you have LOVE for one another.” The Christian community’s “sign” to the world of the presence of a saving, life-giving reality in their midst is their love for one another, following the example of the “Word made flesh” who revealed and served as the “sign” of the Father’s love for humankind.
VIII. STYLISTIC FEATURES IN JOHN’S GOSPEL
In John, literary style and theology are intimately bound together. Indeed, the “revelation” (doctrine and teachings) is incarnate in the (Greek) language itself and its power to communicate by word, grammar, syntax, etc. The “medium itself is the message”: the Gospel itself provides a model, a form of “incarnation”, God’s Word in human words. One must attend closely to the language and how it is made to work in order to perceive the meaning of the Gospel. We may affirm that the author John (the Evangelist) was not only an insightful theologian but also a masterful teacher and literary craftsman. He uses:
1. Discourses. The discourses of the fourth Gospel are quite distinctive. It is an entirely personal style, developed by the Evangelist or by the Beloved Disciple himself. They are like meditations on the words of Jesus, seeking to clarify their meaning. The author does not reason in a Western manner; he testifies, affirms. He does not try to prove a thesis by building consecutive arguments until a conclusion is reached. On the contrary, his thought grows in a circular way around a central point, repeating, restating, going to ever higher levels. See for example Jn 14,1-24. “Parabolic Discourses” of 10,1-18 (The shepherd and his flock) and 15,1-10 (The vine and the branches). The “parable” is stated first (10,1-5; 15,1-2) and the image is developed in a repetitive, circular way, “to remain, to abide” (menein).
2. Poetic Format. Portions of the Gospel seem to be written purposely more in poetic style than prose. See especially the Prologue (1,1-18) and chapter 17. The words of Jesus are given in successive lines, each one being almost the same length, and made up of one clause. He speaks more solemnly then in the Synoptic Gospels, like the poetry of the prophets (“Thus says Yahweh” cf. also Isa 5) and in a way appropriate for one who “comes from God”.
3. Misunderstanding: Jesus comes “from above”. But he must use the language of “here below”, images and metaphors, to describe himself and present his message. When Jesus dialogues with others (Pharisee, Nicodemus, Samaritan woman, etc.), the person misunderstands the image or metaphor and takes only the surface or material meaning. This allows Jesus to explain further and unfold his doctrine:
2,19 “Destroy this Temple and in three days I will raise it up again”= the Temple is understood by the bystanders as the (Jerusalem ) Temple
3,3 “No one can see the kingdom of God
4,10 “Living water” promised by Jesus= the Samaritan woman thought at water from a spring, fresh-flowing water (not from a well); Jesus refers to Holy Spirit’s presence within us, which is life-giving.
11,11 “Lazarus has fallen asleep”= the apostles intended the physical sleep, a sign of health; Jesus means death.
cf. also John 6,26-34 “work” and “bread”; 8,33-35 “slavery” (physical vs spiritual).
This use of misunderstanding represents a teaching device developed by early Christian catechists and the Evangelist himself. It recalls the parables of Jesus in the Synoptics, that were also frequently misunderstood. The device flows from the Gospel’s theology of the Incarnation: 1 word = 2 meanings; and also 1 person = 2 natures
4. Two-fold meanings:
a) Word-play: there is often a play on the various meanings of the (Greek) word that Jesus uses:
i. 3,1-21 the dialogue with Nicodemus. In 3,3 Jesus uses the word “anothen” to mean being born from above, but Nicodemus understands it as to be born again. In 3,8 the term “pneuma” is used by Jesus to mean the Spirit, but Nicodemus intends simply the wind, breeze, breath.
ii. 7,1-13 the Feast of the Tabernacles. In 7,8 the phrase “to go up” has a deep spiritual meaning, as to go/return to the Father in heaven, yet the disciples simply think about going up to Jerusalem
iii. 19,17-30 the crucifixion. In 19,30 Jesus uses the phrase “gave up his spirit/Spirit” to mean that he handed over, poured forth his Spirit, while the disciples focused on the last breath of Jesus.
b) two levels of meaning: the words and actions of Jesus have one level of meaning, their historical meaning that refers to his lifetime. Later, the meditation of the early Christians reinterpret and discover other meanings in those words and actions, often referring to the Church or the Sacraments:
iv. 1,29 “Lamb of God” for John the Baptist was an apocalyptic image, a sign of the end-times. The Evangelist reinterprets this image in the light of the Suffering Servant of Isa 53 (v.7 “like the lamb that opens not his mouth…”) and the Paschal lamb sacrificed at Passover (Ex 12).
v. 3,5 “One must be born of water and spirit” in the lifetime of Jesus was related to the OT reference to spirit, and the Essene purification rituals. The Evangelist uses it to mean the sacrament of Baptism.
vi. 6,35-50 “the bread of life” was intended in the lifetime of Jesus as his nourishing wisdom and life-giving instructions. The Evangelist adds to it a reference to the Christian Eucharist.
5. Irony: the opponents of Jesus make statements about him that are critical or sarcastic. But by way of irony, these statements are often true or more meaningful in a way that the speakers do not realize.
vii. 3,2 “You came from God” is intended by Nicodemus as the one sent by God, but the expression has a deeper meaning in the Trinitarian context: Jesus is the Eternal Word spoken by the Father.
viii. 4,7-12 “Do you pretend to be greater than our ancestor Jacob?” is the provocation to Jesus. Actually the answer is: YES!
ix. 7,27-29 “We know where this man comes from […] When the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from”. They think they know where Jesus comes from, that he comes from Nazareth
x. 9,40 “Surely we are not blind, are we?” Expecting a “no”, they receive the true answer, a “Yes, you are blind!”
xi. 11,48-50 “The whole world will believe in him” …spread of Christianity. “Romans will come to destroy” …they came anyway. “One man should die instead of all” …Jesus’ sacrificial, redemptive death.
xii. 19,3 “Hail, king of the Jews!” It is meant to be sarcastic, mocking. In fact it is true!
xiii. 19,13 “Pilate sat down on the judgment seat” is ambiguous! The Greek text allows also the following translation, “Pilate seated him (Jesus) on the judgment seat”.
6. Inclusion, or “envelope figure”: the Evangelist often mentions a detail or makes an allusion at the end of a section that matches a similar detail at the beginning of a section. This is a way of “packaging” sections by tying together the beginning and the end.
xiv. 1,19 and 28: John the Baptist
xv. 2,1 and 11: Cana in Galilee AND 4,46 and 54: Galilee (double inclusion)
xvi. 9,1 and 41: Blindness / sin
xvii. 11,4 and 40: God’s glory
xviii. 19, 14 and 36: Passover / lamb, connected also with 1,19 (Lamb of God).
7. Dialogue fades into monologue:
Jesus begins a conversation with a certain person or audience. Gradually the person or crowd disappears and Jesus remains speaking alone. This seems to be a conscious literary device of the Evangelist to free the words of Jesus from a specific time and place so that they take on a universal and eternal validity.
xix. 3,16 to Nicdemus “God gave his only Son” (Incarnation / death and resurrection). Does it refer to the Incarnation or the Jesus’ death, or to both? The answer is “both”, even though the death has not happened yet in the story.
xx. 10,1-18 “Good shepherd” discourse: there is no indication of time and place.
xxi. 14-17 “Last discourse” (vine and branches, High Priestly Prayer) it has timeless qualities.
IX. Wait for the right bus
JOHANNINE CHRISTOLOGY
A. A Functional Christology
1. As with St. Paul
B. Pre-Existence of the Son
1. “Incarnation” (“the Word became flesh” 1,14) implies pre-existence (the Word who was in the beginning [Jn 1,1-2] descended from the Father to take on human nature). This idea is already present in Christian thought earlier in Paul (Phil 2,6-11; 1Cor 8,6; 10,4; Gal 4,4; Rom 10,6 ff), but in John it becomes more prominent and developed. In our union with Christ, we also can enter into relationship, “oneness”, with the Father as “Children of God” (sons and daughters in the Son). We can do the works of Christ; we can know the Father, and the Father will love us. But no believer can say, “Before Abraham came to be, I am”. This is what sets Christ absolutely apart from us: “ego eimi, I AM”, an implicit affirmation of his divine nature.[3] Compare Ex 3,13-14 (Hebrew and Greek LXX) and Jn 6,20; 8,24; 8,28; 13,19; 18,5-8 (note the reaction of the soldiers).
C. Sources for the Idea of Pre-Existence
1. There are at least two sources on which the Johannine tradition drew from language to express the idea of pre-existence of Christ.
a) The first source is the Samaritan Christians who were among the earliest members of Palestinian followers of the Beloved Disciple. Other early Christians spoke of Jesus as the promised Davidic Messiah (for ex. Lk 1,32-33.69 etc; Mt 1-2; Mk 11,10; 12,35-37). The Samaritans saw Jesus against the background of Moses, who came down from God on Mt. Sinai
b) A second source for describing the pre-existence of Christ comes from the OT language about the personified Divine Wisdom (the Wisdom Woman of Job 28; Prov 1-9 [see especially 8,12-31, with special attention to 22-31 that was used for the dispute against Arianism in the 2nd/3rd century]; Sirach 24; Wis 9). The Wisdom writers of the OT assigned a “personality” to that impersonal power of God that they perceived as creating and governing the universe. That personifying process resulted in the various forms in which the Wisdom Woman (hokmah, sofia) appears in the OT texts.
2. The early Christians were able to transfer some of this language to Jesus in order to articulate and express the identity and significance that they perceived and experienced in Jesus Christ. Already the process is underway of trying to discover and develop a more precise language with which to articulate the reality and identity of Jesus Christ. With the help of the categories of Greek philosophy, the process will culminate in the great creedal formulas of the early Councils:
“I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only begotten (see Prov 8,22) Son of God. God from God, light from light, true God from true God, begotten not made; one in being with the Fahter (see Jn 1,1), by whom all things were made (see Wis 7,22; 9,9; etc)”.
3. At this point, it is interesting to see an example of parallelism[4]. In Sir 24,8 we read, “The one who created me assigned a place fro my tent (skhnh skene). And God said to sophia (sofia = personified Wisdom), make your dwelling (kataskhnwson = pitch your tent) in Jacob.” In the passage of John that we parallel to this we read: Jn 1,14 “The Word was made flesh and dwelt among us” (eskhnwsen en hmin = pitched his tent among us!). between a passage from the Wisdom literature and one from the Gospel of John
X. REALIZED ESCHATOLOGY
1. There is a built-in tension in the eschatology of the NT reflected in the terms “already… …but not yet”: the Kingdom of God
2. John does not deny the “not yet”, but he emphasizes more the “already”: these things have already begun. This is called a “realized eschatology”. Judgment is already taking place: 3,18 “whoever does not believe is already condemned”; 5,24 “whoever hears my word and believes […] is already passed from death to life”; 7,12; 9,16; 10,19-21 “they were sharply divided over him”; 12,31 “Now has judgment come into the world”.
3. Many things that Christians expected at the end of time are already here, at least in part. We do not have to wait for the Second Coming to face judgment, to receive eternal life, or even to have the presence of Christ, because he is already among us in his Paraclete (Jn 14,15-20).
XI. THE PARACLETE[5]
1. paraclhtos (from kalein) = to call alongside, one called alongside to help, intercede, console, encourage: it is like a lawyer (in a trial = a defense lawyer), spokesperson, witness (in defense of) etc. We must make a distinction between identity of person and identity of action. The Paraclete is different from Jesus because Jesus is “with the Father” and the Paraclete is now with (and in) us. But Jesus and the Paraclete are identical in what they do (the activity of teaching and consoling).
2. Jesus is no longer with us in one sense: he has returned to and is with the Father. But he has sent his Spirit (Paraclete) who continues Jesus’ work. In that sense, Jesus is still with us. When the Spirit works, it is Jesus who (also) works, in an identity of will and action. Just as Jesus received everything from the Father and while on earth he is the way to know the Father in heaven, so when Jesus returns to heaven, the Paraclete who receives everything from Jesus is the way to know Jesus. R.E. Brown speaks about the “resemblance of the Paraclete with Jesus” (p1441).
3. John’s interest is not the same as later Trinitarian theology, where the main problem will be to show the distinction between Jesus and the Spirit (two different “persons”; Word and Spirit); John’s focus is on the similarity between the two (one God, one will, one source of action).
XII. THE BELOVED DISCIPLE IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN[6]
We presume that there are two identities or ways of presenting, describing the “Beloved Disciple”.
a) One Beloved Disciple is the historical figure who is at the origin of the traditions behind the Gospel and the Epistles of John (the Beloved Disciple of the world behind the text). He was an anonymous follower of Jesus who witnessed Jesus’ miracles and listened to his teachings. He was not an apostle or member of “The Twelve”.
b) There is also the Beloved Disciple whom we encounter in the story that is told in the Gospel of John (the Beloved Disciple of the world of the text). This character is a literary creation by the Evangelist, a symbolic figure, an idealization of the historical Beloved Disciple.
This is possibly why the Beloved Disciple of the Gospel is not explicitly identified and given a name, so that he/she could retain a metaphorical or symbolic role as one who embodies and sums up numerous qualities and characteristics that mark the “ideal” disciple or follower of Jesus. We build up or create our understanding of the Beloved Disciple (or discipleship) from the other characters in the Gospel who each represents important aspects of authentic discipleship. The literary character of the Beloved Disciple thus acts like a magnet that pulls together these various qualities into a single paradigm or picture (like a prism that reflects a ray of light into the separate colors of the spectrum):
xxii. Nathanael (1,43-51) “You are the Son of God, the King of Israel
Thomas appears three times, each time being a step closer to paschal faith: in 11,7-16 he is committed to follow Jesus; in 14,1-6 he does not fully realize who Jesus is; in 20,24-29 he makes a full confession of faith;
the Samaritan Woman acts out of her faith by bringing her fellow townspeople to encounter Jesus (4,27-30; 39-42);
the Man Born Blind, who comes to believe in Jesus (9,35-39) and accepts even excommunication from Judaism rather than renounce his faith (9,22.34);
the Royal Official, the Gentile who believes in the life-giving words of Jesus even without seeing signs (4,46-54);
Mary Magdalene (who is NOT the sinful woman who washes the feet of Jesus; and NOT event he sister of Martha, from Bethany
The Beloved Disciple reflects the egalitarian nature of the Johannine community. All followers of Jesus are potentially “beloved disciples”. Each member of the community has received the gift of the Paraclete and each embodies some aspects or qualities of “beloved discipleship”.
XIII. QUMRAN AND THE GNOSTICISM
A. Qumran
It was earlier thought that the Johannine tradition was greatly influenced by Greek or Hellenistic culture. Abstract ideas like light and darkness; the dualistic division of humanity into light and darkness, truth and wickedness; the Logos (word) all come from Greek philosophy and mystery religions.
The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls (DSS) at Qumran Qumran were a Jewish sect. Their writings contain the same kind of vocabulary and ideas that we find in the Johannine writings. A world divided into light and darkness (Jn 3,19-21); people under the power of the angel of darkness (1Jn 5,19); some people walking in the light and some in darkness (Jn 8,12; 1Jn 1,5-7); walking in truth (2Jn 4; 3Jn 4); testing the spirits (1Jn 4,1); the spirits of truth and perversity (1Jn 4,6). beginning in 1947 has changed all that. The Essenes who inhabited
The resemblance of this vocabulary and these terms to similar language in the Essene writings from Qumran is truly amazing. Did the Essenes of Qumran influence the Early Christians; or did Jesus or John the Baptist, or the Early Christians borrow from the Essenes? Neither is correct. The Essenes did not borrow from the Early Christians, nor vice versa. Both the Early Christians and the Essenes were making use of themes and language common among the Jews in Palestine Qumran has opened our eyes to a whole new world of Jewish life and spirituality that formed the background for Jesus and the Early Christian community as well as for the Essene Jews. The Johannine writing of the NT preserved and handed on these themes and language from that period that ended with the destruction of Jerusalem
B. Gnosticism[8]
The themes in the Johannine writings of light and darkness, the dualism of truth and falsehood, the Logos or “Word” that creates, and the Savior who “comes from above” into this world, who “returns to heaven” and promises to take his followers with him, all of this resembles similar themes and language of the Gnostic heretics opposed by the Early Church Fathers in their writings (Irenaeus, Adversus Haereses).
The central teaching of Gnosticism is that knowledge saves, not action; knowledge, “gnosis” of our true identity is salvific. The “(Gnostic) Savior” is the one who comes from above to reveal this “knowledge” (gnosis). He comes to us from the world of light and spirit to rescue us (“save” us) from the material world in which we are imprisoned. Our true identity: we are “children of light and spirit” who have been imprisoned in this material world. We are ignorant of our true identity, and that is why we have this feeling of “alienation”: we are strangers and aliens in this material world of darkness; it is not our true home. The Savior comes to liberate us by revealing the knowledge of our true identity and origin; he leads us back to the world of light and spirit (Jn 3,13.19.31; 14,2-3; 16,28; 17,16-17).
Forms of Gnosticism appear in almost every period of human history (for ex. The Manicheism that St. Augustine
The Gospel of John, in making use of this kind of language, is daring, even dangerous. This way of developing and expressing the teachings of Jesus can be easily misunderstood and misinterpreted. The Epistles of John and Paul (Col 2,8.23) show that some groups used and developed this approach in an exaggerated and erroneous way that led to wrong understandings of Christian doctrine (heresies). At the same time, the themes and theology of John have provided one of the most important sources and inspiration for later development of Catholic theology, spirituality and practice.
A collection of Gnostic-Christian (heretical) writings was discovered in 1947 at Chenoboskian (Nag-Hammadi) in Egypt
EXEGESIS OF THE PROLOGUE (JN 1,1-18)
1In the beginning was the Word;
the Word was in God’s presence,
and the Word was God.
2He was present with God in the beginning.
3Through him all things came into being,
and apart from him not a thing came to be.
4That which came to be found life in him,
and this life was the light of the human race.
5The light shines on in the darkness,
for the darkness did not overcome it.
(6Now there was sent by God a man named John 7who came as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all might believe – 8but only to testify to the light, for he himself was not the light.)
9He was the real light
that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world.
10He was in the world,
and the world was made by him;
yet the world did not recognize him.
11To his own he came;
yet his own people did not accept him.
12But all those who did accept him,
he empowered to become God’s children –
those who believe in his name,
13those who were begotten,
not by blood,
nor the flesh,
nor human desire,
but by God.
14And the Word became flesh
and made his dwelling among us.
And we have seen his glory,
the glory of an only Son coming from the Father,
rich in kindness and fidelity.
(15 John testified to him by proclaiming: “This is he of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ “)
16And of his reaches
we have all had a share –
kindness in place of kindness.
17For while the Law was the gift through Moses,
this kindness and fidelity came through Jesus Christ.
18No one has ever seen God;
it is God the only Son,
ever at the Father’s side,
who has revealed him.
I. INTRODUCTION
The Gospel of John, unlike the other Gospels, begins not in story but in song. The Prologue (1,1-18) is a hymn, a poetic summary of the whole theology and story told in the Gospel. John’s story is a great cycle, that ends where it began. The Son descends from heaven to our level, and ascends back to heaven bringing us up with him to the Divine level. The Prologue describes the Son in heaven with the Father and continues with the description of the Son’s descent. The rest of the Gospel describes the Son walking among us and the final elevation and return to the Father.
II. THE BACKGROUND: Moses, Wisdom Woman, God’s Creative Word
The NT understanding of who Jesus Christ is (Christology) reaches its fullest development in John’s Gospel, with the doctrine of Christ’s pre-existence. The early Christians struggled to express this understanding of who Jesus is and of his existence with God before he took on our human nature. They searched for adequate words and images, which are now reflected in three main sources.
a) Many Samaritans had joined the early Christian community in Palestine Temple in Jerusalem and the Davidic Messiah (Jn 4,19-20); instead, they emphasized traditions about Moses and the Sinai Covenant and described Jesus using the image of Moses with the Tablets of the Covenant Law (Torah) descending from being with God on Mt. Sinai
b) A second source of language and images to describe the pre-existence of Christ comes from the Genesis story of creation (Gen 1,1-5). The Genesis story tells how God created by simply speaking, “Let there be…”. Thus, it was through God’s creative Word (logos) that things came into being.
c) A third source of language and images to express the pre-existence of Christ comes form the description of the Wisdom Woman in the OT Wisdom Writings[9] The OT Wisdom writers personified Wisdom as a woman, the Wisdom Woman. She was in the beginning with God at the creation of the world (Prov 8,22-31; Wis 9,9-11), and she came to dwell with human beings when the Law was revealed to Moses (Sir 24,8-12.22).
III. EXEGESIS
1. Verses 1-5: 1 In the beginning was the Word;
the Word was in God’s presence,
and the Word was God.
2 He was present with God in the beginning.
3 Through him all things came into being,
and apart from him not a thing came to be.
4 That which came to be found life in him,
and this life was the light of the human race.
5 The light shines on in the darkness,
for the darkness did not overcome it.
The first verses (1-5) recall the Genesis account of creation. At the moment of creation, the Word already existed: “In the beginning… …God said, ‘Let there be light’”; the first thing God created was light, a light to show the way in which human beings can walk (4b).
Yet, human beings rejected the light trough sin (Gen 3), thus the darkness of evil was introduced into God’s creation (Jn 1,5a). Evil is not a “thing”, but it is “lack of thing”, it is lack of light. Thus evil does not exist, it is simply a lack of light, a lack of good. The author here is not presenting two principles in creation (good and evil), but one principle! Nonetheless, John stresses that this darkness did not overcome (or grasp, comprehend, understand) the light (5b), as Gen 3,15 affirms (“he will strike your head but you shall crush his head”).
2. Verses 6-8: 6 Now there was sent by God a man named John
7 who came as a witness to testify to the light, so that through him all might believe –
8 but only to testify to the light, for he himself was not the light
These verses are written in prose, not poetry. They have been inserted into the poem by the author or editor of the Gospel and interrupt the flow of thought. They present John the Baptist as an example of a ray of light shining in this darkness. The mention of John the Baptist shows that verses 9-18 refer to the Incarnate Word, Jesus.
3. Verses 9-11: 9 He was the real light
that gives light to everyone;
he was coming into the world.
10 He was in the world,
and the world was made by him;
yet the world did not recognize him.
11 To his own he came;
yet his own people did not accept him.
The first half of the Gospel (chs. 1-12) shows us the rejection of Jesus by the darkness (evil forces) and “the Jews”, and this rejection is summarized in verses 9-11 The Incarnate Word came into the world that had been created by him. But that world rejected him because the world had been perverted by human sin. The Incarnate Word came to his own land and people whom Moses and the prophets had prepared to receive him. But they also rejected him.
4. Verses 12-13: 12 But all those who did accept him,
he empowered to become God’s children –
those who believe in his name,
13 those who were begotten,
not by blood,
nor the flesh,
nor human desire,
but by God.
Some did believe the Incarnate Word (Jesus). The second half of the Gospel (chs. 13-20) deals with the Salvation of these believers. The Son enabled these believers to become children of God. He breathed his spirit of new life on them, just as God had breathed the spirit of life into Adam.
5. Verses 14-18 – The New Covenant - :
14And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us.
And we have seen his glory,
the glory of an only Son coming from the Father,
rich in kindness and fidelity.
(15 John testified to him by proclaiming: “This is he of whom I said, ‘The one who comes after me ranks ahead of me because he existed before me.’ “)
16And of his reaches we have all had a share –
kindness in place of kindness.
17For while the Law was the gift through Moses,
this kindness and fidelity came through Jesus Christ.
18No one has ever seen God;
it is God the only Son,
ever at the Father’s side,
who has revealed him.
a) Just as the new creation replaces the old, the “New Covenant” replaces the Sinai Covenant. This “replacement” of Jewish institutions (the Temple Jerusalem Temple
b) In the “New Covenant”, the humanity of the Word, his flesh, becomes the supreme localization of God’s presence and glory;
c) “kindness (grace) and truth (fidelity)” in verses 14 and 17 translate the OT Covenant terms “hesed weemet”, God’s merciful love and faithfulness, as expressed in the gift of the Covenant. In verse 17, the words of God in the Ten Covenant Commandments were engraved in stone on Sinai. So now the Word of God is engraved in the flesh of Jesus, the embodiment of God’s kindness in the New Covenant. In verse 18 Moses could not see God. Now the Son who has seen God reveals him to humankind. The Gospel that follows is the story of that revelation.
THE EPISTLES OF JOHN
IV. INTRODUCTION
The Epistles of John are important for two reasons. Firstly, they give us a somewhat different version of the traditions about the life and teachings of Jesus that trace back to the Beloved Disciple. Secondly, they shed light on the life and struggles of the Early Christian communities that belonged to the Johannine tradition (BD). The author of the Three Epistles of John is called “the Presbyter”. He was a disciple of the BD, but a different person from the Evangelist and Final Editor of the Gospel of John. Thus, we have four people of the “Johannine community” connected with the Gospel and the Epistles of John:
a) the BD, whose witness and teachings lie at the origin of the Gospel and the Epistles;
b) the Evangelist, who wrote most of the Gospel of John;
c) the Final Editor, who added some passages and especially ch.21 to the Gospel;
d) the Presbyter, who wrote the Epistles.
There are at least three differences between the Gospel of John and the epistles:
e) the Christology of the Epistles is a “lower” Christology. God is light, not Jesus (compare 1Jn 1,5 “God is light…” and Jn8,12 “I am the light of the world…”); God gives the command to “love one another” (compare 2Jn 4-5 with Jn 13,34).
f) the eschatology of the Epistles is more future-oriented than the “realized eschatology” of the Gospel. For ex: judgment will come at the Parousia (1Jn 2,28-3,3), it is NOT already taking place as in the Gospel (Jn 3,18; 5,24; 12,31).
g) The Dead Sea Scroll (DSS) parallels, especially the vocabulary, are even closer in 1Jn than in the Gospel.
The date and place of the Epistles. The Epistles were written after the main part of the Gospel was written by the Evangelist (90 c.e.), but before the Final Editor added ch.21 (100+ c.e.). The Epistles come from the same region as the Gospel, that is, in or near Ephesus in Asia Minor (modern Turkey
V. THE FISRT EPISTLE OF JOHN
This 1st Epistle is in the form of an “exhortation”, it is not a letter or Epistle. It parallels the Gospel and explains some of the themes of the Gospel:
a) The Prologue of the Epistle (1,1-4) parallels and comments on the Prologue of the Gospel (1,1-18). But the “Word” in the Epistle is not the Person of the Word as in the Gospel. The “Word” in the Epistle is the life-giving “message” from God that Jesus revealed.
b) The first part of the Epistle (1,5-3,10) parallels the first part of the Gospel (Jn 1-12). It proclaims that “God is light” and stresses the obligation of “walking in the light”.
c) The second part of the Epistle (3,11-5,12) parallels the second part of the Gospel (Jn 13-20). It defines the Gospel as “we shall love one another”, and it holds up Jesus as the example of love for one’s brother and sister.
d) The conclusion of the Epistle (5,13-21) echoes the theme of the first conclusion of the Gospel (Jn 20,30-31). Both the first conclusion of the Gospel and the conclusion of the First Epistle assure their readers that they posses eternal life through their belief in Jesus Christ (compare 1Jn 5,13 with Jn 20,30-31 and 1Jn 5,20 with Jn 20,28-29).
VI. THE SECOND AND THIRD EPISTLES OF JOHN
The Second and Third Epistles of John are real letters and follow the ancient letter form. They both begin with a greeting mentioning the sender and receiver (2Jn 1-3; 3Jn 1), and conclude with good wishes and farewell (2Jn 12-13; 3Jn 13-15). Both 2nd and 3rd John are the same length (probably just enough to fill one papyrus sheet), and reflect the problems of correct teaching and use of authority that were troubling the early Christian communities of the Johannine traditions:
a) correct teaching: some groups among the Johannine Christians exaggerated certain features of the Gospel of John and were teaching incorrect ideas about the identity of Christ and its consequences. These incorrect ideas led to later heresies such as Docetism (among which the Ebionites) and Gnosticism.
b) use of authority: the author of 3Jn (“the Presbyter”) criticizes a certain Diotrephes, an early Church leader (bishop?) because he “excommunicates” those teaching wrong ideas about Christ (3Jn 9-10). It was not a question of doctrine but of discipline, in which we grasp the importance of personal ties and loyalty. Moreover, we can see the caution exercised by the Church leaders out of fear of wrong teachings (e.g. Diotrophes).
THE BOOK OF REVELATION
VII. THE ORIGIN OF APOCALYPTICISM[10]
During and after the Babylonian Exile (587-39 b.c.e.) the prophetic tradition in Israel Roman Empire (63 bce).
The situation of the Jews as an oppressed and exploited people became more and more difficult. They suffered much under their various foreign rulers. They began to lose hope of any relief or end to their suffering within the present world and its history and began to look more and more at the future: God must in some way intervene in a dramatic way to bring an end to this present wicked world and its history, and inaugurate a new, more just and peaceful world for his Chosen People.
The Jews thus developed a new literary genre or “literary form” (patterns of speech) to express this new theology of history called “apocalyptic” or “apocalypticism” (to uncover, reveal, unveiling). This new kind of theological language is difficult for us to understand because we do not have anything like it in our contemporary literature.
Contemporary Jewish groups like the Essenes at Qumran and John the Baptist expressed themselves using apocalyptic language and images. It was the dominant form of thought and expression during the time of Jesus and the first Christian communities. We find this literary form called “apocalyptic” in a number of place in the Bible:
a) Jesus himself made use of the apocalyptic language and imagery in his preaching (Mk 13,24-27 about the coming of the Son of Man);
b) among the earliest forms of this thought and expression in the Bible are the Book of Daniel in the OT and the Book of Revelation in the NT;
c) St. Paul
VIII. THE NATURE AND FUNCTION OF APOCALYPTICISM
Characteristic of apocalypses is a narrative framework, a “story”, during which a revelatory vision is given to some person. This revelation takes place through the intervention of an otherworldly being, for example an angel (also Enoch in Gen 5,21-24). The person is taken up to a heavenly vantage point and shown a vision that is then explained by the otherworldly being. Sometimes he/she must travel some distance – to the ends of the world or upward through the heavens (2Cor 12,1-7).
The secrets revealed involve a cosmic transformation that will result in a transition from this world (or this evil age) to a world to come and a divine judgment on all. The vision of the supernatural world of the future helps to interpret present circumstances on earth that are almost always tragic.
Apocalypticism has its roots in prophecy; prophets also had visions of an assembly of divine beings, with God revealing his mysterious plan to the prophet (Isa 6; Amos 3,7; 1Kgs 22,19-23). The messages of the prophets also involved present circumstances on earth (international politics, social concerns). But the situations and solutions were different from those of apocalyptic. Apocalypses are most often addressed to those living in time of persecution and suffering, so desperate that they are seen as the embodiment of supreme evil.
Hope for a historical solution has disappeared. Instead, a direct intervention of God is expected that will bring this evil world to an end. They are more in the nature of poetry than dogma, works of the imagination that cannot be regarded as sources of facts about history of the future.
One value of apocalypses is in their ability to envision alternatives to the world of present experience and thereby provide hope and consolation. Apocalyptic literature also served as a form of resistance against their oppressors. It enabled these persecuted communities to maintain their courage and survive even in the midst of fierce persecution.
This historical context helps to explain the savagery and war-like language of Rev 19,11-21 (in which Christ’s robes are “dipped in blood”; the sword from his mouth slays the wicked; the great banquet “to eat the flesh of kings” etc.). Some commentators object that language is too vengeful for the moral standards of the Gospel. Others argue that the violence described in Revelation acts like a catharsis. The Book helps those who feel themselves powerless in the face of exploitation to get a sense that they are powerful. God is on their side and will make them triumph.
The exaggerated description of a great victory helps them to overcome their frustration and discouragement. It enables them to be patient and endure their hardships so that they can survive and continue to resist. In this way, the oppressed people leave the situation into God’s hands.
IX. THE ESCHATOLOGY OF REVELATION[11]
Beside the OT Book of Daniel, we have at least 17 other apocalyptic works from the Jewish groups of the same period.[12]Qumran , etc.) and the early Christian communities was in their eschatology. The chief difference between Jewish apocalyptic communities (disciples of John the Baptist, Essenes at
Jesus and the early Christians did not see themselves as a community waiting and keeping watch for God’s decisive intervention into human history to inaugurate the new age. For Christians, the intervention had already taken place in the person and life of Jesus. In his death and Resurrection the new age has already begun, as the Church saw itself as already the community of that new age (but the full realization of that age is not yet complete).
Devastating event happened in every age. The apocalyptic literature is addressed to all people who faced confusion and anxiety in history, in every age. This is the purpose of the author at his time (to give hope to his persecuted and oppressed people), a message of hope that reaches all persecuted people throughout the centuries.
X. INTRODUCTORY QUESTIONS
A. Authorship
The Book of Revelation was written by a Jewish Christian prophet named John. He was not the apostle John (brother of James and son of Zebedee); he was not the author of the Gospel of John (the “Evangelist”).
The Greek in Revelation is the poorest in the NT, even ungrammatical at times. He was a Jewish Christian from Palestine Palestine Ephesus but eventually was exiled to the island of Patmos
Both in Palestine and in Ephesus
B. Date, Place and Life Situation of the Book
Revelation was addressed to Christian Churches in Western Asia Minor (today Turkey ) from the small off-shore island of Patmos
The Christian communities were being harassed form Roman authorities, with occasional persecutions. Memories of the fierce persecution and killing of Christians at Rome
C. The Structure of the Book
The structure of Revelation is difficult to understand; there is no consensus among commentators and interpreters. This might be a stratagem of the author himself, revealing something “mysterious”!
a) its unique mix of apocalyptic and prophecy makes it unlike other apocalyptic books or apocalyptic writing;
b) apocalypses introduce readers into the mysterious plans of God, revealing part of what is concealed from normal vision. Almost by design the author proceeds in a way that defies human logic.
A simple description according to the contents of Revelation:
c) A Prologue (1,1-3)
d) Letters to the Seven Churches (1,4-3,22)
e) Two sets of prophetic visions or revelatory experiences (4,1-11,19; 12,1-22,5)
f) Epilogue and Blessing (22,6-21)
D. The Role of the Liturgy
These visions of John the seer/prophet include what was happening in heaven and on earth, and the visions of heaven is set in a liturgical context:
a) seven lamp stands (1,12-13)
b) worship of God and the Lamb
c) the many songs and acclamations
d) the altar
e) the smoke of the incense
Some argue that the context of the visions of heaven reflect the early Christian worship:
f) the frequent mention of the lamb and the white garments (3,5.18; 4,4 etc.) suggest the Easter celebration when Baptism took place;
g) John the prophet/seer receives his vision on “the Lord’ s day” (1,10), the weekly Christian gathering for worship (see also the “marriage of the Lamb” in 19,9, is it the weekly Eucharist?);
h) perhaps the weekly gathering for worship was the context for the reading aloud of passages from the Book;
i) frequent use of the Book in the liturgical readings of the Church today provide a healthy context for coming close to its original role for the Christian community;
j) this could avoid some of the exaggerations and distortions of the Book that come from private readings and interpretation.
[1] The term “Beloved” may refer to the importance that the disciple had in his community, not necessarily to the real actual relationship between Jesus and the apostle himself.
[2] Cf. R.E Brown, The Community of the Beloved Disciple (166-69) and Intro to the NT (373-76).
[3] They affirmed Jesus’ identity indirectly, because they did not have yet the terms and concepts to articulate it properly in other way.
[4] Cf. James G. D. Dunn, Christology in the making (215.1 Dun.C). See chapter 5, The Wisdom of God, p.165.
[5] Cf. Reymond E. Brown, The Gospel according to John vol.2 Appendix V: The Paraclete (pp.1135-44).
[6] Cf. Sandra Schneiders, “Because of a woman’s testimony – Re-examining the issue of the authorship of the Fourth Gospel”, in NTS 44 (1998), 513-35.
[7] “Anointing” in the Gospels occurs in three occasions:
Lk 7,36-50; 8,1-3: in the Pharisee’s house. A sinner known in the city (anonymous) washes Jesus’ feet with her tears, wipes them with her hair, and anoints his feet with perfume;
Mk 14,3-9 // Mt 26,6-13: in
Jn 12,1-8: in
[8]Cf. R.E Brown, Intro to the NT (92-93).
Hans Jonas. The Gnostic Religion: the message of the alien God at the beginning of Christianity.
[9] Cf. R. E. Brown. Anchor Bible Commentary, vol. 29, pp.521-23 (hokmah).
[10] Cf. also A. R. Ceresko. Introduction to the Old Testament, ch.25.
[11] Cf. John J. Collins. The Apocalyptic Imagination: an introduction to the Jewish matrix of Christianity. 203.8 Col-Ai.
[12] For example the Book of Enoch, Apocrypha, DSS, etc. (cf. NJBC art.67).
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