Humanities 110                                                                                Ellen K. Stauder

 

 

Between Jew and Hellene: 

The Emerging Christian Community of the Gospel of John

 

 

TERMS

Christology--the study of various perspectives on the enduring significance of             the person and work of Jesus (Powell 169).  There are two kinds of             christology, "low" and "high."  "Low" refers to the use of Hebrew bible             or intertestamental terms applied to Jesus, such as Messiah, prophet,             servant, Son of man.  None of these titles imply divinity.  "High"             christology is an understanding of Jesus as divine, as in such titles as             Lord and Son of God.

docetism--the belief, ultimately deemed a heresy, that Jesus only seemed to             have a human body and to suffer and die on the cross

eschatological--pertaining to the end time when Jesus will return as judge

eucharist--the ritual Christian meal involving bread and wine, instituted by             Jesus the night before his death (Powell 170)

gnosticism--another ultimately heretical belief; gnostics believed that matter             is evil and that salvation comes through esoteric knowledge

incarnation--the Christian doctrine that God became a human being in the             person of Jesus (Powell 171)

Logos--Greek for "word" (see the prologue to John)

parousia--a Greek technical term for the expected visit of a high official; in             Christian terms, it means the expectation of the imminent return of             Jesus as the Son of Man

Q = Quelle (German for source); refers to a set of sayings and stories of Jesus             that perhaps were used by Matthew and Luke

synoptic--from "synoptikos," meaning "seeing the whole together."  This refers to the Gospels of Mark, Matthew and Luke since they can be directly compared.

 

DATES

29-33   Crucifixion of Christ

46-48   Paul's first missionary journey

50        Q source circulates in Galilee

57        Paul's letter to the Romans

59-60   Paul's journey to Rome

70        The destruction of the Temple; context for Pirke Avot

80-90   The Gospel of Matthew

81-100 Book of Revelation

85-115 The Acts of the Apostles (Luke)

90-100 The Gospel of John

 

OUTLINE

 

I.  Phases of Christianity (adapted from Perrin)

            A.  Palestinian Jewish Christianity

            B.  Hellenistic Jewish Mission Christianity

            C.  Gentile Christianity

            D.  Christianity after the Destruction of the Temple

            E.  Johannine Christianity

 

II.  Authorship of the Gospel of John

 

III.  History of the Johannine Community (see Brown)

            A.  Phase One:  Origins (mid-50s to late 80s)

            1.  Originating group--traditional Palestinian Jews, including                          followers of John the Baptist who see Jesus as a Davidic Messiah

2.  Second Group--Anti-temple Jews, including Samaritans, who understood Jesus as a second Moses.  This group joins the first group and acts as a catalyst for the development of a "high" christology.  Jews accuse the Johannine Christians of making Jesus into a second God and have them expelled from the synagogues.  As compensation for their expulsion, the community emphasizes a realized eschatology.

            3.  Inclusion of Gentiles within the community

            B.  Phase Two:  Gospel (ca. 90-100)

            Community may have moved from Palestine to Diaspora to                         teach the Greeks.  Emphasis on universality as well as a                                  continued fight against the Jews and others who rejected their                      teaching.  Community is defined by Jesus' commandment to                        love one another.

            C.  Later Phases (second and third centuries)

Further fractures in the Johannine community give rise to differences in understanding that lead some to embrace views ultimately considered heretical like gnosticism and docetism while others accepted an assimilation into the church hierarchy which embraced John's emphasis on incarnation.

                       

IV.  John and the Synoptic Gospels (taken from Powell 113) 

            A.  Examples of material unique to John

                  Miracle at Cana (water into wine), 2:1-12

                  Conversations with Nicodemus, 3:1-21

                  Samaritan Woman at the Well, 4:7-26

                  Healing of Man at Pool of Beth-zatha, 5:1-18

                  Raising of Lazarus, 11:1-44

                  Washing the Disciples' Feet, 13:1-20

                  The "High Priestly" Prayer, 17:1-26

                  Resurrection Appearance to "Doubting Thomas"

            B.  Examples of material absent from John

                  No stories of Jesus' birth, baptism or temptation

                  No transfiguration

                  No parables

                  No exorcisms

                  No predictions of Jerusalem's downfall

 

                  No references to repentance

                  No institution of the Eucharist

                  No references to a parousia

C.  Examples of material notably different in John from the               Synoptics

                  References to three Passovers indicates ministry lasts                                            three years, 2:13; 6:4; 11:55

                  Jesus' ministry overlaps with that of John the Baptist,                                            3:22-24; Mark 1:14

                  Anointing at Bethany is by Mary, sister of Martha (12:1-8;                                    Mark 14:3-9

 

V.  The Structure of John (taken from Perrin)

A.  Introduction:  Prologue and Testimony, 1:1-51

B.  The Book of Signs, 2:1-12:50

C.  Farewell Discourses and Prayer for the Church, 13:1-17:26

D.  Passion Narrative, 18:1-20:30

E.  Epilogue:  The Appearance in Galilee, 21:1-25

 

VI.  The distinctive features of John's theology

            A.  Jesus is both human and divine.

            B.  Christ is the Word Incarnate, i.e., the Word or God made flesh.

            C.  Realized eschatology (the future is now).

            D.  Jesus is the Paraclete (Greek for "the one called beside";                             usually translated as counselor, advocate or helper).                            Suggests that the risen Christ "is spiritually present to the                               believer as that believer wrestles with the problems of                                    Christian existence in the world" (Perrin 243).  See John                                   15:1-16:15.

            E.  Community is based on the commandment to love one                            another.

 

 

Selected Bibliography

Brown, Raymond. The Community of the Beloved Disciple:  The Life, Loves and Hates of an Individual Church in New Testament Times (Paulist P, 1979).

Carmichael, Calum.  The Story of Creation:  Its Origin and Its Interpretation in             Philo and the Fourth Gospel (Cornell, 1996).

 Pagels, Elaine.  Beyond Belief: The Secret Gospel of Thomas (Random House, 2003).

 Perrin, Norman. The New Testament: An Introduction (HBJ, 1974).

Powell, Mark. The Gospels (Fortress P, 1998).