The Gospel According to John A Literary and Theological Commentary

by Brodie, Thomas L.

• ISBN13: 9780195118117
• ISBN10: 0195118111
• Edition: Reprint
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 1997-11-27
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

This commentary expands Johannine studies in two directions. First, drawing on the methods of literary criticism, it gives new force to a view which is both ancient and modern--that John's gospel, far from being a poorly-edited mixture of sometimes-conflicting traditions, is in fact a coherent unity, an account of Jesus which, however diverse its sources, is a finely-chiselled work of art. Second, it indicates that the unity of John's gospel is founded ultimately not on history or theology but on spirituality. This too corresponds to a view which is both very old--John was always known as the spiritual gospel--and very recent. The present study spells out that idea in new detail. It indicates that the account of Jesus is so written that the tensions and complexities of the text reflect the tensions and complexities of human life, providing the reader not only with an account of Jesus but also with an anthropology--a map of the development of the human spirit.

Author Biography

Thomas L. Brodie, an Irish Dominican from Crusheen, County Clare, has taught scripture in the West Indies and the United States

Table of Contents

INTRODUCTION	3	(68)
1. Johannine Studies: The Three Ages of Interpretation	3	(8)
2. The Approach Adopted in This Commentary	11	(4)
3. First Impressions of the Text: At the Level of Biography, Confusion; at the Level of the Spirit, Suggestions of Unity	15	(6)
4. The Design 1. The Foundational Framework: Time and Space	21	(10)
5. The Design 2. The Central Focus: Stages of Living and Believing	31	(20)
6. The Design 3. A Complementary Aspect: Life as Descent and Ascent	51	(4)
7. An Outline of the Essence of John's Theology: Jesus as the Spirit-Giving Healer of Human Dividedness	55	(16)
THE GOSPEL IN ENGLISH	71	(58)
The Translation	71	(5)
BOOK ONE The Years of Jesus' Life (chapters 1-12)	76	(30)
Part 1. The First Year: An Optimistic Introduction to Jesus' Life (1:1-2:22)	76	(4)
Part 2. The Second Year: From the Weight of Sin to Greater Life (2:23-chapter 6)	80	(11)
Part 3A. The Third Year: From the Shadow of Death to the Light of Glory (chapters 7-12)	91	(15)
BOOK TWO Part 3B (chapters 13-21): The Central Passover Mystery	106	(23)
The Last Discourse (chapters 13-17)	106	(10)
The Arrest and Trial (18:1-19:16a)	116	(4)
Death and Resurrection (19:16b-chapter 21)	120	(9)
THE COMMENTARY Book One The Years of Jesus' Life (chapters 1-12)	129	(298)
PART 1 The First Year (1:1-2:22)	129	(60)
The Prologue (1:1-18)	133	(13)
The Week-Long Drama of Revelation and Response (1:19-2:11)	146	(2)
Day 1 (1:19-28) The Initiatory Trial	148	(4)
Day 2 (1:29-34) The Initiatory Vision	152	(6)
Day 3 (1:35-42) Basic Aspects of Discipleship	158	(6)
Day 4 (1:43-51) Further Aspects of Discipleship	164	(7)
Day 6 (2:1-11) Discipleship and Wine	171	(6)
The Cleansing and Replacing of the Temple (2:12-22)	177	(12)
Excursus 1: Continuity, Gradualness, and Repetition in the Narrative of 1:1-2:22	184	(5)
PART 2 The Second Year (2:23-chapter 6)	189	(108)
From the Weight of Sin to Greater Life	189	(5)
The Coming of Nicodemus to Jesus, and the Difficult Process of Coming to God (2:23-3:21)	194	(7)
The Coming of All to Jesus; the Fading of John (3:22-36)	201	(13)
Excursus 2: Further Literary Aspects of 2:23-chapter 3	209	(5)
The Woman of Samaria (4:1-42)	214	(12)
The Healing of the Son of the Royal Official (4:43-54)	226	(8)
The Creationlike Healing at the Pool (5:1-15)	234	(7)
The Discourse on Ongoing Person-Oriented Creation (5:16-47)	241	(16)
The Provision of Bread (6:1-21)	257	(9)
Day 2 The Bread of Life Discourse (6:22-71)	266	(25)
Part 2 Conclusion	291	(6)
Excursus 3: Repetition and Variation in the Bread of Life Discourse (6:25-59)	293	(4)
PART 3A The Third Year (chapters 7-12)	297	(130)
In the Shadow of Death	297	(6)
The Discourses at the Feast of Tents (chapters 7-8)	303	(40)
The Process of Advancing Revelation, Particularly of Revealing Jesus as Christ and Divine Son (chapters 7-8)	303	(6)
"The Brothers" and Jesus: Contrasting Sketches of Unbelief and of Waiting upon Revelation (7:1-10)	309	(4)
Jesus at the Death-Evoking Feast of Tents (7:11-52)	313	(10)
Behind the Drama of Rejected Revelation: A Drama of Contrasting Roots and Relationships (8:12-47)	323	(10)
Jesus' Vision of Life and the Jews' Vision of Death: The Parting of the Ways (8:48-59)	333	(10)
Excursus 4: The Story of the Adulteress and the Accusers (7:53-8:11)	338	(1)
Excursus 5: The Structure of 8:12-47	339	(4)
The Sight-Giving and the Shepherding (chapters 9-10)	343	(40)
The Man Born Blind (chapter 9)	343	(15)
A Parable of Divine Providence (Jesus as Good Shepherd, 10:1-21), and a Down-to-Earth Picture of Consequent Human Dignity and Destiny (Jesus at Dedication, as Messiah and Son, 10:22-42)	358	(25)
The Raising of Lazarus and Its Consequences (chapters 11-12)	383	(44)
The Story of Lazarus (11:1-53)	383	(18)
Jesus Comes to Jerusalem (11:54-12:50)	401	(26)
THE COMMENTARY Book Two Part 3B The Central Mystery Passover (chapters 13-21)	427	(170)
The Last Discourse (chapters 13-17)	427	(92)
A Unified Portrayal of Three Stages of Spiritual Development Based on God's Loving Action as Expressed in Jesus' Death and Resurrection	427	(14)
The Foot-Washing and the Response (chapter 13)	441	(16)
Jesus' Departure and Return (chapter 14)	457	(18)
Excursus 6: The Structure of John 14	472	(3)
The Parable of the True Vine (15:1-17)	475	(10)
The World's Hatred (15:18-16:4a)	485	(7)
Jesus' Departure and Return--a More Intense Portrayal (16:4b-33)	492	(13)
The Prayer of Holiness (Wholeness/Sanctification) and Unity (chapter 17)	505	(14)
The Arrest and Trial (18:1-19:16a)	519	(22)
The Arrest and Interrogation (18:1-27)	524	(8)
The Trial Before Pilate (18:28-19:16a)	532	(9)
The Glorification of Jesus (19:16b-chapter 21)	541	(56)
The Descent into Death (19:16b-37)	543	(13)
The Open Tomb and the Appearances (19:38-chapter 20)	556	(18)
The Culmination of the Gospel (chapter 21)	574	(23)
Abbreviations	597	(2)
Bibliography	599	(12)
Index	611