Evolution of a Unique Jesus Tradition in John: Method and Content of Reinterpretation, Remodelling and Enrichment of Jesus Tradition through Cultural, Religious and Philosophical Dialogue
Introduction
It deals with the Evolution of a Unique Jesus Tradition in John: Method and Content of reinterpretation, remodeling and enrichment of Jesus Tradition through cultural, religious and philosophical dialogue. Hereby we discuss with the following headings.
1. Jesus Tradition
Jesus Tradition consisted of two parts, that is logia or sayings of Jesus and inspired opinion. The distinction is one of authority, where the earthly Jesus has spoken on a subject that word is to be regarded as an instruction or command.1
2. Unique Jesus Tradition in John’s gospel
In John’s Gospel, by contrast, there are no parables or exorcisms. Jesus’ teaching focuses much more on his own identity and his unique relationship with the Father. Jesus is the eternal Son who has come to reveal the Father. Salvation comes by knowing the father through the son. Throughout John’s Gospel, Jesus openly presents himself as the divine Son of God. Thus, the author of John’s Gospel does not merely narrate a series of events but singles out details that support an ordered theological interpretation of those events.
The Gospel of John emphasizes Jesus as God incarnate and the reality to which the entire biblical story points. John emphasizes this with his opening passages that states that Jesus was with God at creation and that Jesus is God. Johannine literature is the collection of New Testament works that are traditionally attributed to John the Apostle, John the Evangelist, or to the Johannine community. They are usually dated to the period c. AD 70–120, with a minority of scholars such as John at Robinson offering the earliest of these datings.2
3. Reinterpretation of Jesus Tradition through cultural, religious and philosophical dialogue
The scholarly reinterpretation of Jesus in the Enlightenment was not formally endorsed by any ecclesiastical tradition. Rather, it was the personal opinion of theologians that began to reorient Christian thinking about Jesus. The official teachings of all Christian churches, Protestant and Catholic alike, about Jesus remained largely unchanged.
4. Remodelling of Jesus Tradition through cultural, religious and philosophical dialogue
Jesus of Nazareth remains the model and inspiration for true theological discourse. Despite his Jewish upbringing, he transcended the narrow boundaries of Judaism reaching out to others outside of his own culture. By way of illustration, we cite Jesus prophetic stand and all-embracing mission, his interaction with the Syro-Phoenician woman in Mark and Matthew and the Samaritan woman in John. Both are nameless and “faceless” women, but critical and creative dialogue partners of Jesus. The parable of the Good Samaritan in Luke and the praise of the Roman officer’s faith in Matthew are other striking examples of Jesus openness to non- Jewish people. He proclaimed the good news of liberation salvation to all irrespective of social and religious status. Poor and rich, women and men, sinners and saints, Jews and Gentiles all felt at home with Jesus, the compassionate Guru.3
But this inclusiveness has been slow to come even as we find our church in a 21st- century paradigm shift, moving from an almost exclusively top-down instruction model to a new model characterized by much more theological discourse among its own members. This new, rich dialogue must continue to move beyond our church into the area of inter-religious dialogue. In the present socio-economic, religious-cultural and political context of India, Christians should be encouraged to work with all people of good will in furthering the Reign of God. In this matter theologians have a great responsibility to educate the laity about the teachings about the riches of other religions and cultures and recognize in them the seeds of the Word.4
5. Enrichment of Jesus Tradition through cultural, religious and philosophical dialogue
5.1 The Uniqueness of Christ, Universal Lord and Savior
Since it was fully and historically realized, the incarnation of the Son of God was a cultural incarnation. “Christ Himself, in virtue of His Incarnation, to certain social and cultural conditions of those human beings among whom He dwelt.” The Son of God was happy to be a Jew of Nazareth in Galilee, speaking Aramaic, subject to pious parents of Israel, accompanying them to the temple of Jerusalem where they found him “sitting among the doctors, listening to them and asking them questions”. Jesus grew up in a milieu of customs and institutions of first- century Palestine, initiating himself into the trades of his time, observing the behavior of the sinners, peasants and business people of his milieu. The scenes and country sides on which the imagination of the future rabbi was nourished are of a very definite country and time.5
Nourished by the piety of Israel, formed by the teaching of the law and the prophets, to which a completely singular experience of God as Father added an unheard-of profundity, Jesus may be situated in a highly specific spiritual tradition, that of Jewish prophecy. Like the prophets of old, he is the mouthpiece of God and calls to conversion. Jesus is so bound up with the life of Israel that the people and the religious tradition in which he shares acquire in virtue of this liaison a unique place in the history of salvation; this chosen people and the religious tradition which they have left have a permanent significance for humanity.6
5.2 The Catholicity of the Unique Event
However historically distinctive the condition of the Word made flesh may be and consequently of the culture which receives, forms and continues him it is not first this factor which the Son of God united to himself. It is because he became man that God has also assumed, in a certain way, a race, a country and a time. The transcendence of Christ does not therefore isolate him above the human family but renders him present to all, beyond all restriction. He cannot be considered foreign anywhere or to anybody. “There are no more distinctions between Jew and Greek, slave and free, male and female, but all of you are one in Christ Jesus”. Thus, Christ is at one with us in the unity we form as in the multiplicity and diversity in which our common nature is realized.7
5.3 Jesus and the Laws
In respect to the Jewish Law, John regards it as something alien to Christians (8:17; 10:34; 15:25) and he depicts Jesus ignoring it publicly (5:9-17; 9:16). As the one who truly reveals God’s will, Jesus has become the Law’s replacement (1:17). In rabbinic circles, typical symbols for the law of Moses included bread, light, water and wine. According to John Jesus is the living bread from heaven (6:32-38) and the light of the world (1:4-9) Jesus also transforms the water of Jewish purification into the good wine (2:6-10) and contrasts the water from Jacob’s well with his own living water (4:12-15). Moreover, even though the Mosaic Law belongs to the Jews, they themselves have failed to understand it, for they have never known God (5:38-47; 7:28).8
Theological Implication
Jesus has replaced the Jewish cult may lie behind the words of the Baptist in John 1:29, 36 “Behold the lamp of God who takes away the sin of the world.” The interpretation of this saying, however, is far from certain and may have nothing to do with sacrifice. The fourth gospel reflex the situation of the Johannine community both before and after its divorce from Judaism. Today, we may learn to understand the Anti-Jewish tenor of the Gospel as the unfortunate outgrowth of historical circumstances. Such understanding in itself, however, will not prevent the gospel from continuing to broadcast its anti-Jewish message unabated.
Conclusion
The fourth book of the New Testament is in most Greek manuscript simply known as “According to John.” This links this gospel to the three preceding ones. But it is obvious that John’s Gospel is distinct from what is known as “The Synoptic Gospels.” If we would leave John’s Gospel out of our Bible, we would deprive ourselves of a large part of truth that is indispensable to our understanding of the person of Jesus Christ and of the way of salvation. John teaches us lessons that are not found in the other Gospels.
Bibliography
- Andreas J. Kostenberger, Zondervan, “Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters Biblical Theology of the New Testament,” 2009, ePub edition March 2015.
- Boismard, M.E, ‘L’E volution du theme eschatologique dans les traditions johanniques’, RB 68 (1961), 507–24.
- George R. Beasley Murray, “Word Biblical Themes- John,” London Word Publication, edited by David A. Hubbard.
- John T. Townsend, “The Gospel of John and the Jews; The story of a religious divorce,” Alan T. Davies edition, Antisemitism Foundations of Christianity Publication, (1979) 72-97.
- Jonge, M.de, “Jesus as Prophet and King in the Fourth Gospel,” Jesus: Stranger from Heaven, 49–76.
- Paul A. Rainbow, Johannine Theology: “The Gospel, the Epistles and the Apocalypse,” IVP Academic Publication 2014.
Webliography
Footnotes
- Boismard, M.-E, ‘L’E volution du theme eschatologique dans les traditions johanniques’, RB 68 (1961), 507–24. ↩
- Andreas J. Kostenberger, Zondervan, “Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters Biblical Theology of the New Testament,” 2009, ePub edition March 2015. ↩
- https://www.academia.edu/jesus_tradition_in_johannine_writings_text_for_exegesis_john_2_1_11 ↩
- George R. Beasley Murray, “Word Biblical Themes- John,” London Word Publication, edited by David A. Hubbard. ↩
- Andreas J. Kostenberger, Zondervan, “Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters Biblical Theology of the New Testament,” 2009, ePub edition March 2015. ↩
- Jonge, M.de, ‘Jesus as Prophet and King in the Fourth Gospel’, Jesus: Stranger from Heaven, 49–76. ↩
- Paul A. Rainbow, Johannine Theology: “The Gospel, the Epistles and the Apocalypse,” IVP Academic Publication 2014. ↩
- John T. Townsend, “The Gospel of John and the Jews; The story of a religious divorce,” Alan T. Davies edition, Antisemitism Foundations of Christianity Publication, (1979) 72-97. ↩
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