BEMA Episode Link: 303: The History and Style of the Gospel of John
Episode Length: 46:48
Published Date: Thu, 03 Nov 2022 01:00:00 -0700
Session 6
About this episode:

Marty Solomon and Brent Billings take a tour through the history of textual criticism that surrounds the Gospel of John and we look at the unique styles and attributes of John’s writing.

Interpreting the Gospel of John by Gary M. Burge

Historical Tradition and Sources in John

Notes

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

BEMA Episode 303: History and Style of the Gospel of John - Study Notes

Title & Source Summary

This episode provides a comprehensive overview of the scholarly history surrounding the Gospel of John and examines its unique literary style and characteristics. Drawing primarily from Dr. Gary M. Burge’s “Interpreting the Gospel of John (Second Edition): A Practical Guide,” hosts Marty Solomon and Brent Billings explore how academic understanding of John’s Gospel has evolved over two millennia, from being considered the most honored gospel to facing Enlightenment criticism, and finally to modern scholarship recognizing its deeply Jewish character and historical reliability.

Key Takeaways

• Historical Shift: For 1,500 years, John was considered the gospel of highest honor, but Enlightenment criticism (18th-19th centuries) demoted it as the least historically reliable and most Greek/Gnostic • Jewish Recognition: In 1924, Jewish scholar Israel Abrahams declared John “the most Jewish of the four gospels,” fundamentally challenging prevailing academic assumptions • The “New Look”: J.A.T. Robinson’s 1957 paradigm shift challenged five major assumptions about John, leading to renewed appreciation for its historical value and Jewish context • Source Material: Modern scholarship recognizes that John likely drew from multiple independent sources, not just the Synoptic Gospels • Literary Sophistication: John employs distinct stylistic motifs including misunderstandings, ironies, asides, hierarchies of meaning, and hidden glimpses of Christ’s identity • Contemporary Trends: Current scholarship focuses on John’s Jewish background (aided by Dead Sea Scrolls), early dating possibilities, literary structure, social realities, and relationship to Roman imperial ideology

Main Concepts & Theories

Evolution of Johannine Scholarship

Early Period (First 1,500 years):

  • John consistently regarded as the gospel of highest honor
  • Seen as having the most theological and spiritual value
  • Generally accepted as historically reliable

Enlightenment Period (18th-19th centuries):

  • Rise of textual criticism and questioning of supernatural elements
  • Shift to viewing Synoptic Gospels as historically valuable
  • John dismissed as late, Greek, Gnostic composition
  • Considered least historically reliable gospel
  • Author assumed to be second-century Greek Gnostic, not Apostle John

Early 20th Century Turning Point (1924):

  • Israel Abrahams’ declaration that John is “the most Jewish of the four gospels”
  • Recognition that apparent anti-Jewish elements were actually critiques of specific Jewish leadership
  • Scholarly attention shifted from purely Hellenistic/Gnostic interpretation to Jewish context

The “New Look” (1957-present) J.A.T. Robinson challenged five “old look” assumptions:

  1. John’s dependence on Synoptic sources
  2. Author’s Greek background with Gnostic influence
  3. John as unreliable historical witness
  4. Evidence of late first-century theological development
  5. Non-apostolic authorship
Modern Source Theory

Contemporary scholarship suggests John drew from multiple independent sources:

  • Personal eyewitness memories (if written by Apostle John)
  • Early story collections from Christian community
  • Hellenistic narrative traditions
  • Possibly Mark’s Gospel (though timing debated)
  • Independent testimonies from other witnesses
Distinctive Johannine Style

Unique Linguistic Features:

  • Double “amen” formulation (“truly, truly I say to you”)
  • Addressing audiences as “children”
  • Frequent use of “therefore” and “thus” as transitions
  • Ten distinct stylistic markers not found in Synoptics

Literary Motifs:

  1. Misunderstandings: Seven instances where characters misinterpret Jesus’s meaning
  2. Ironies: Twelve examples of deeper reality contradicting surface appearances
  3. Asides: Parenthetical coaching comments to readers
  4. Hierarchies of Meaning: Layered interpretations building from basic to profound
  5. Hidden Glimpses of Christ: Invisible Christology requiring reader discernment
  1. Dead Sea Scrolls illuminating Jewish background
  2. Interest in early dating due to Jewish War context (70 CE)
  3. Literary structure and source analysis
  4. Social reality reconstruction
  5. Rhetorical analysis focusing on text as it stands
  6. Relationship to Roman imperial ideology
  7. Ongoing historicity discussions

Examples & Applications

Historical Context Application

The recognition of John’s Jewish character transforms interpretation of seemingly anti-Jewish passages. What appears as anti-Semitic rhetoric actually represents internal Jewish critique of specific leadership, similar to Old Testament prophetic literature criticizing corrupt religious authorities while affirming Jewish identity.

Literary Analysis in Practice

John 6 demonstrates hierarchies of meaning:

  • Basic level: Physical feeding of 5,000
  • Deeper level: Jesus as spiritual bread
  • Deeper still: Eucharistic symbolism
  • Deepest level: Jesus as eternal life source
Source Material Integration

John’s unique stories (like Nicodemus encounter) likely combine:

  • John’s personal witness or reliable testimony
  • Early Christian community preservation
  • Intentional theological presentation
  • Historical accuracy with interpretive depth
Methodological Application

The episode models approaching biblical texts by:

  1. First engaging the text directly and personally
  2. Then applying critical scholarship to enhance understanding
  3. Maintaining both objectivity (historical grounding) and subjectivity (spiritual openness)
  4. Using criticism to deepen rather than diminish faith

Potential Areas for Further Exploration

Historical Investigation
  • Detailed study of Dead Sea Scrolls’ relationship to Johannine language and concepts
  • Research into first-century Jewish-Christian relations and community dynamics
  • Analysis of John’s relationship to other New Testament writings
  • Investigation of early church testimony about John’s authorship and composition
Literary Analysis
  • Comparative study of John’s motifs across the entire gospel
  • Analysis of John’s use of Old Testament imagery and fulfillment themes
  • Study of narrative structure and theological progression
  • Examination of John’s letters for stylistic consistency
Theological Development
  • Exploration of John’s Christology in Jewish context
  • Study of John’s pneumatology (doctrine of Holy Spirit)
  • Analysis of John’s eschatology (already/not yet tension)
  • Investigation of John’s soteriology (salvation theology)
Contemporary Application
  • Modern Jewish-Christian dialogue informed by John’s Jewish character
  • Application of John’s literary techniques to contemporary biblical interpretation
  • Use of John’s theological insights for church mission and identity
  • Integration of historical-critical and devotional approaches to Scripture
Methodological Questions
  • Balance between historical criticism and faith-based interpretation
  • Role of community (ancient and modern) in biblical interpretation
  • Relationship between authorial intent and reader response
  • Integration of academic scholarship with pastoral application

Comprehension Questions

  1. Historical Development: How did the academic perception of John’s Gospel change from the early church period through the Enlightenment to modern scholarship, and what specific factors contributed to each major shift in understanding?

  2. Source Analysis: According to the “new look” paradigm, what different types of source material likely contributed to John’s Gospel, and how does this compare to earlier assumptions about its composition?

  3. Literary Sophistication: Identify and explain three of John’s distinctive literary motifs, providing specific examples of how each functions to enhance the reader’s understanding of Jesus’s identity and mission.

  4. Jewish Character: What evidence supports Israel Abrahams’ 1924 claim that John is “the most Jewish of the four gospels,” and how does this recognition change interpretation of passages that appear anti-Jewish on the surface?

  5. Methodological Approach: How do Marty Solomon and the hosts model a balanced approach to biblical interpretation that incorporates both historical-critical scholarship and devotional engagement with the text?

Brief Personalized Summary

This episode brilliantly demonstrates how scholarly understanding evolves and deepens over time, revealing the Gospel of John not as a late Greek composition but as a profoundly Jewish work that preserves authentic apostolic witness through sophisticated literary artistry. The journey from early church reverence through Enlightenment skepticism to modern appreciation parallels many believers’ own spiritual development—moving from simple acceptance through questioning to deeper, more nuanced understanding.

Dr. Burge’s analysis reveals John as a master storyteller who layers meaning upon meaning, coaching readers toward belief through carefully crafted misunderstandings, ironies, and hidden revelations. The recognition that John draws from multiple sources while maintaining unique perspective offers a model for how divine inspiration can work through human community, memory, and literary skill. Most importantly, the episode models how rigorous scholarship can enhance rather than threaten faith when approached with both intellectual honesty and spiritual openness—grasping the text firmly while remaining open to fresh insights from the Spirit.

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