John's Apologetic Christology: Legitimation and Development in Johannine Christology (Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series)

282 Pages·2001·0.96 MB·English

JOHN’S APOLOGETIC CHRISTOLOGY
LEGITIMATION AND DEVELOPMENT
IN JOHANNINE CHRISTOLOGY
The Gospel according to John presents Jesus in a unique way as
compared with other New Testament writings. Scholars have long
puzzledandponderedoverwhythisshouldbe.Inthisbook,James
McGrath offers a convincing explanation of how and why the
author of the Fourth Gospel arrived at a christological portrait of
Jesus that is so different from that of other New Testament
authors, and yet at the same time clearly has its roots in earlier
tradition. McGrath suggests that as the author of this Gospel
sought to defend his beliefs about Jesus against the objections
broughtby opponents,he developed and drewout further implica-
tions from the beliefs he inherited. The book studies this process
using insights from the field of sociology which helps to bring
methodologicalclaritytotheimportantissueofthedevelopmentof
JohannineChristology.
James F.McGrathhasbeen Lecturer inNew TestamentStudies at
Emanuel University, Oradea and the University of Oradea,
Romania for the past three years. He has published articles in
New Testament Studies, Irish Biblical Studies, Irish Theological
Quarterly,ReligionandTheologyandKoinoniaJournal.
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SOCIETYFORNEWTESTAMENTSTUDIES
MONOGRAPHSERIES
GeneralEditor:RichardBauckham
111
JOHN’SAPOLOGETICCHRISTOLOGY
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John’s Apologetic
Christology
Legitimation and development in
Johannine Christology
JAMES F. McGRATH
PUBLISHED BY CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS (VIRTUAL PUBLISHING)
FOR AND ON BEHALF OF THE PRESS SYNDICATE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The Pitt Building, Trumpington Street, Cambridge CB2 IRP
40 West 20th Street, New York, NY 10011-4211, USA
477 Williamstown Road, Port Melbourne, VIC 3207, Australia

http://www.cambridge.org

© James F. McGrath 2001
This edition © James F. McGrath 2003

First published in printed format 2001

A catalogue record for the original printed book is available
from the British Library and from the Library of Congress
Original ISBN 0 521 80348 9 hardback

ISBN 0 511 01316 7 virtual (netLibrary Edition)
CONTENTS
Preface page xi
Part1 Introduction 1
1 Introduction:thedevelopmentofJohannine
Christology 3
Previousapproaches 4
Theapproachtobetakeninthisstudy 34
Summaryandaims 44
2 AconflictsettingandadistinctiveChristology:
settingthestage 48
Theconflictsetting 48
ThedistinctivefeaturesofJohannineChristology 51
Conclusion 67
Part2 JesusandGod 69
3 Arethere‘twopowers’inJohn? 71
4 God’sequalorGod’sagent?(John5) 80
Thesubjectoftheconflict 81
TheJohannineresponse 89
Summary 101
5 ‘Iobey,therefore‘‘Iam’’’(John8.12–59) 103
Thepointatissueinthecontroversy 104
TheJohannineresponse 109
Summary 115
6 ‘Youaregods’–butwhoare‘you’?(John10.22–39) 117
Thesubjectoftheconflictanditsrelationshiptoearlier
christologicalbeliefs 117
TheJohannineresponse 121
Summary 128
vii
viii Contents
7 InthebosomoftheFather(John1.1–18) 131
ApointofcontroversyanditsrelationtoearlierChristology 132
TheJohannineresponse 136
Summary 143
8 Conclusiontopart2 145
Part3 Jesus,MosesandTorah 149
9 TheWordandtheglory(John1.1–18) 151
Thefocusoftheconflictanditsrelationtoearliertradition 151
TheJohannineresponse 153
Summary 156
10 Descentandascent(John3.1–21) 157
Thepointatissueintheconflict 157
TheJohannineresponse 166
Summary 170
11 Breadfromheaven(John6) 172
Thefocusoftheconflict 172
TheJohannineresponse 176
John6andinner-Christianconflict 179
Summary 181
12 Legitimatingsigns(John9) 183
Thepointatissueintheconflict 183
TheJohannineresponse 187
Summary 191
13 Conclusiontopart3 193
Part4 Otherissuesandconclusion 197
14 Otherpossibleissues 199
TherejectionofJesus 199
JesusandJohntheBaptist 202
Jesusandotherfigures 204
AcrucifiedMessiah 212
AcontrivedMessiah? 215
Summary 216
15 Puttingthepiecestogether 217
ThecoherenceofJohn’sportrait 217
SonofManandLogos 218
TheSonwhoissentandpre-existence 222
Thecommissioning:descendingLogosand/orascendingseer? 224
ThehumanJesusandthedivineLogos 226
Conclusion 228
Contents ix
16 Conclusion 230
Summary 230
ImplicationsforJohanninestudies 232
JohannineChristology,Trinitarianismandmonotheism 233
John’sapproachtohistaskandours 234
Andfinally... 235
Bibliography 236
Indexofbiblicalreferences 261
Indexofauthors 267
Indexofsubjects 268