The gospel of John : a theological commentary

568 Pages·1997·3.52 MB·English

by  Ridderbos

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN
The Gospel
according to John

A Theological Commentary

Herman N. Ridderbos

Translated by
John Vriend

WILLIAM B.B. Eerdmans PUBLISHING COMPANY
GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAM / CAMBRIDGE, U.K.
Dedicated to the

UNIVERSITY OF STELLENBOSCH

in gratitude for the
Graad D. Th. honoris causa,
bestowed on the author December 12, 1991

Originally published in two volumes as
Het Evangelie naar Johannes. Proeve van een theologische Exegese,
© 1987, 1992 Uitgeversmaatschappij J. H. Kok,
Kampen, the Netherlands

English translation © 1997
Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.
255 Jefferson Ave. S.E., Grand Rapids, Michigan 49503 /
P.O. Box 163, Cambridge CB3 9PU U.K.
All rights reserved

Printed in the United States of America
02 7 6 5 4 3

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Ridderbos, Herman N.
[Evangelie naar Johannes. English] The Gospel according to John :
a theological exegesis / Herman N. Ridderbos.
p. cm.
Originally published: Kampen, Netherlands :
Uitgeversmaatschappij J.H. Kok, 1987
Includes bibliographical references and indexes.
ISBN 0-8028-0453-5 (pbk. : alk. paper)
1. Bible. N.t. John — Commentaries. I. Title.
BS2615.3.R4913 1997
226.5Ό7 —dc21 96-53632
CIP
Contents

Preface

INTRODUCTION
The Peculiar Character of the Fourth Gospel

The Evidence of the Gospel Itself

The Evangelist as Tradent

Tradition and Interpretation

The Point of This Focus

History and Revelation

The Witness of the Spirit

1:1-18
The Prologue 17

1:1-5 "The Word in the Beginning"

The History of Religions Approach

The Logos and "Wisdom"

1:6-13 The Coming of the Word as the Light of the World

1:14-18 "The Word Became Flesh"

1:19-51
Preparation for Jesus' Public Ministry

1:19-28 The Forerunner

" The Jews" in the Gospel of John
1:29-34 "Behold, God's Lamb!"

1:35-51 Jesus' First Disciples: "Come and See"

2-4
From Cana to Cana: The Revelation of Jesus' Glory

2:1-11 The Wedding in Cana

2:12-22 Jesus at Jerusalem, the Cleansing of the Temple

2:23-3:10 Jesus' Knowledge of Humankind, the Diologue with Nicodemus

Flesh and Spirit

3:11-21 The Descent of the Son of Man

3:22-30 John the Baptist's Final Testimony

3:31-36 Epilogue

4:1-26 The Woman of Samaria: The Well and the Mountain

4:27-42 Fields White for Harvest

4:43-54 Back to Cana: The Healing of the

Royal Official's Son; Faith and Miracles

5-6
Jesus' Self-Revelation as Son of God
and Bread of Life, Resistance from "the Jews"

5:1-18 The Healing of a Paralytic at Bethesda, conflict over the Sabbath

5:19-30 The Self-Witness of God's Son

5:31-47 Jesus' "Witnesses," the Unbelief of "the Jews"

6:1-25 The Feeding of the Five Thousand, Jesus Walks on the Sea

6:26-59 Bread from Heaven, the Synagogue at Capernaum

6:26-35 "I Am the Bread of Life "
6:36-47 God's Saving Will Is Realized in People Coming to Jesus

6:48-59 "The Bread That I Will Give Is My Flesh "

6:60-71 Division among the Disciples

7-10
Who Is Jesus?

7:1-13 Jesus' Delayed Departure for Jerusalem for the Feast of Tabernacles

7:14-24 Jesus Teaches in the Temple: Who Fulfills the Law?

7:25-39 Jesus among the Pilgrims: "Whence" and "Whither"

7:40-52 Division among the Jews, Nicodemus's Judgment

Nicodemus

7:53-8:11 Jesus and the Adulterous Woman

8:12-20 Jesus' Self-Witness Again under Attack

8:21-29 "I Am He"

8:30-47 The Seed of Abraham and the Identity of the Father

8:48-59 "Before Abraham Was, I Am"

Reflections on Chapter 8

9:1-41 The Healing of a Man Born Blind

9:1-7 The Miracle and Its Background

9:8-23 Preliminary Hearings

9:24-34 Interrogation and Expulsion of the Man 344

9:35-41 The Man's Confession, "Those Who See" and "Those Who Are Blind"

10:1-21 The Good Shepherd

10:1-6 A Misunderstood Comparison

10:7-10 "I Am the Door"
10:11-21 "1 Am the Good Shepherd"

10:22-39 Final Dialogues with "the Jews"

10:40-42 Back to the Beginning

11—12
Prelude to the Passion Narrative

11:1-44 The Raising of Lazarus

11:1-16 Lazarus's Illness Reported

11:17-2 7 Jesus ' Journey to Bethany and Conversation with Martha

11:28-44 The Raising

11:45-54 The Sanhedrin Takes Counsel, Jesus Withdraws to Ephraim

11:55-12:8 Jesus' Journey to the Passover Feast and the Anointing at Bethany

12:9-19 Jesus Enters Jerusalem

12:20-36 Jesus' Glorification Announced, the Son of Man

12:37-50 A Retrospective: Israel's Unbelief and Jesus' Self-Revelation

12:37-43 Israel's Unbelief

12:44-50 The Nature of Jesus' Self-Revelation

13
The Last Supper Conversations with the Disciples

13:1 Transition

13:2-38 The Final Meal

13:2-11 The Footwashing

13:12-17 Jesus' Interpretation of the Footwashing

The Unity of the Footwashing Story
13:18-30 The Betrayal Predicted, Judas Dismissed

13:31-38 The Approaching Farewell, Peter's Denial Foretold

14-17
The Farewell Discourses

14:1-31 Jesus' Departure: A Reason for Joy, Not Sadness

14:1-3 No Final Farewell

14:4-11 "You Know the Way"

14:12-24 The Continuation of Jesus' Work and Continuing Fellowship with His Own, the Assistance
of the Spirit

The (Other) Paraclete

14:25-31 A Provisional Ending

15:1-8 "I Am the True Vine"

15:9-17 "Remain in My Love"

15:18-16:15 The Hostility of the World and the Witness of the Paraclete

16:16-33 "You Will See Me Again," "Sorrow Will Become Joy"

17:1-26 The Farewell Prayer

17:1-5 Jesus ' Petition for His Glorification on the Basis of His Completed Work

17:6-10 Jesus' Intercession for Those Given to Him by the Father

17:11-19 Jesus' Petition for the Preservation and Sanctification of His Own in the World

17:20-23 "That They May Be One, Even As We Are One "

17:24-26 Prayer for the Future Union of His Own with Himself

18-19
Jesus' Suffering and Death

18:1-12 The Arrest
18:13-27 Jesus before Annas, Peter's Denial

18:28—19:16a Jesus before Pilate

18:28-32 Jesus Handed Over to Pilate

18:33-38 The First Interrogation: Jesus' Kingship

18:39-40 Jesus or Barabbas?

19:1-5 "Here Is the Man!"

19:6-11 The Second Interrogation: The Heart of the Issue

19:12-16a Jesus Condemned

19:16b-27 "Crucified . . ."

19:28-37 ". . . Died . . ."

19:38-42 ". . . and Was Buried"

20
The Empty Tomb and the
Appearances of the Risen One

20:1-10 Two Disciples Visit the Tomb

20:11-18 Jesus Appears to Mary Magdalene

20:19-23 Jesus Appears to the Disciples

20:24-29 Jesus Appears Again to the Disciples, This Time with Thomas among Them

20:30, 31 Epilogue

21
Jesus' Appearance at the Sea of
Tiberias and the Conclusion of the Gospel

21:1-14 The Miraculous Catch of Fish

21:15-23 Jesus' Farewell to Peter and to the Disciple That He Loved

21:24-25 Conclusion