BEMA Episode Link: 252: John — What’s in a Logos?
Episode Length: 38:00
Published Date: Thu, 06 Jan 2022 01:00:00 -0800
Session 6
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings start a verse-by-verse journey through the Gospel of John, beginning with a discussion about how John introduces us to Jesus.

Reading the Gospel of John Through Palestinian Eyes by Yohanna Katanacho

The Fifth Gospel: Interview with Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast #4

Why Context Matters: Interview with Dr. Gary Burge — GTI Tours Podcast #45

Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge

Publications of Gary M. Burge

BEMA 87: John — Grafted

Word Pictures by Brian Godawa

NIV Archaeological Study Bible

John 1 in the New English Translation

NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible

Heart and Mind by Alexander John Shaia

John 1–12 — BibleProject

John 13–21 — BibleProject

Creation Series: John 1 — BibleProject

Notes

*Note: The following notes are handwritten by me, Adam, and I reserve the right to be wrong.

  • General Discussion
    • John seems to be the most favorite book for people in general.
    • This isn’t necessarily an area where Marty feels like an expert.
    • Marty has some recommendations for those asking for resources on John.
    • When people haven’t read the Bible before, people are often recommended to read John first.
    • John is a little more friendly to those what haven’t read the Bible before.
  • Sources
    • Reading the Gospel of John Through Palestinian Eyes by Yohanna Katanacho
      • Marty really appreciated what he contributes to the conversation.
      • Marty will recommend other books by Katanacho’s even though he occasionally dislikes a chapter here and there but Marty really likes this book in particular.
      • Answers the question: How do you live as people of love under the boot of oppression, especially in the Palestinian oppression.
    • Dr. Gary Burge
      • He has two episodes on the GTI Podcast.
      • He is known as being one of the foremost authorities on the Gospel of John who are alive today.
      • Interpreting the Gospel of John
        • First few parts about the history of John and how to approach it
        • The last half of the book is about how to do research and is geared toward the graduate student.
  • John 1 (timestamp)
    • John 1:1-5
      • Refer to BEMA 87: John — Grafted.
      • John uses MANY motifs. Were all of them intentional?
      • One of his largest motifs is the motif of light–very Essene-like.
      • When Jesus is arrested, Peter and John get into the courtyard and John is the one who gets them in.
      • This likely means that John has priestly connections.
      • One of the major aspects of the Essene world view is being son’s of light. Light vs Darkness. Light to Darkness.
      • The way that John plays with “Logos” to simultaneously speak to and subvert the Greco worldview AND the Jewish worldview using the same words, in the same sentence, in the same paragraph.
      • World Pictures by Brian Godawa:
        • When you have listened not to me but to the Logos, it is wise to agree that all things are one for through all things came into being in accordance with Logos. Men seem as if they have never met it. - Herecletus
        • Godawa says it’s easy to see John 1’s obvious connection with this Greco-Roman concept. (timestamp)
      • NIV84 Archeological Study Bible
        • Ancient Voices

          The Logos (speech, reason) is designed to distinguish the beneficial from the harmful, and thus also the right and the wrong. For this, in distinction from the other animals, in the distinctive property of man: that he alone has the ability to perceive good and bad and right and wrong and the other qualities. And it is communication of these things that makes a household and a city-state.

          - Aristotle on the Logos, Page 1720 From Aristotle, ˆPolitics, 1253a, trans. by Duane Garrett

        • John ties into this idea of Logos that all of Greek culture was enamored with and says, “Oh I’ll tell you all about Logos, but this Logos was a person. Not just an abstract, rational construct but a person named Jesus.”
        • Another resource is the NET which is an Online Translation by the America Literary Bible Society.
        • A updated NIV study bible that is not out of print is the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible
    • John 1:6-10 (timestamp)
      • Theories of Authorship
        • Dr. Burge notes the controversy surrounding who the author of John was.
          • One of the things you see in John is two books (Katanacho talks about this really well):
            1. First twelve chapters is the book of sign, the miracles that Jesus is doing
            2. Last half of John is the book of hours and is almost a different volume.
          • Some argue that these have two different authors and some go on to suggest that there are even two different Johns.
          • Dr. Burge shares that this introduction may not have been in the original John. The meter and uniqueness causes it to stand out from the rest of the gospel.
          • Marty doesn’t think there are different authors at play here.
    • John 1:12 NET (timestamp)
      • Because of the use of the phrase “those who believe in his name” in the passage, the NET, while it dismisses the idea quickly, notes that some have argued the Gospel of John may have originally been written in Hebrew.
    • John 1:13 NET (timestamp)
      • More conversation about Sons of Light and Sons of Darkness. From the ideas of the Essenes.
      • This plays into the conversation between Jesus and Nicodemus.
      • There is something here that Jesus is inviting people into that is not just connected to bloodline; Connected to human descent or a husband’s will.
    • John 1:14-18 NET (timestamp)
      • “The word became flesh OR SARX”. haha
        • The use of sarx in this passage doesn’t carry the same overtones of sinfulness that the Pauline letters do.
      • John seems to start using very big language here. In 18 verses, John has gone from talking about Logos to the Jewish context of messiah, Torah, the Law of Moses and observance.
      • An impressive setup in so few verses to set up for the narrative that we’re about to get into.
      • A theory that has been rattling around in Marty’s head for a five to six years now:
        • These four gospels were packaged intentionally by the early church to guide new believer into faith in Christ.
        • Alexander Shaia, apparently a controversial figure going off of the language used in this episode, has a body of work known as “quadrattos”.
        • Shaia’s belief is:
          • Matthew introduces you to “change”: The mumzer, who you would not expect to be included, is actually brought into the fold.
          • Mark’s theme is “conflict”: If I accept the change, I am not brought into conflict, whether that is the world of Judaism or the world of Rome, I am not brought into conflict.
          • John’s theme is “illumination” (Shaia believes John was the third gospel): I had to change my worldview. Then I had to navigate the conflict. Once I’ve done that, I now “see” and one of John’s major motifs is light and dark.
          • Luke’s theme is all about “service”: Once I’ve made it through change, conflict, and illumination, I am not called to serve.

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