On Line Bible Study - For the Week September 5-11

Lesson 509

John 1: ¹⁹ Now this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders^[c] in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. ²⁰ He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”

(This study is for John 1:19-39 inclusive. Click on the above text to link to the entire first chapter of John's Gospel.)

One of the challenges in the Gospel of John has to do with the frequent mention of the "Jews". While sometimes the reference is only for the purpose of designation (John 4:9, 22; 2:6, 13; 18:33), more often than not there is a negative connotation. Biblical scholars work hard to point out that, by the time the Gospel was written - certainly well after the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD - the point of the distinction in the Gospel has to do with the Christian stand against Jewish propaganda. That we have a textual challenge is indicated above - look at the passage and see the letter "c" after the word "leaders". If you go to the link you will find a footnote telling you about the decision to add that word to the translation. In its more literal form, the verse simply reads:
...when the Jews in Jerusalem sent priests ...

The point is simply this - the gospel doesn't intend to single out a race or people, but a class of religious leadership from among the people. By the time the gospel is written, Christians see the world in two categories - those who believe Jesus is the Messiah, and those who don't. There were still Jews who leaned toward Jesus but attended the Synagogue, and we know from Acts 5:33ff that an effort was made to give the nascent Christian movement time. If their purpose - that is, followers of Jesus - is of human origin, it will fail. But if it is from God, you will not be able to stop these men...

This season of "tolerance" and discernment had come to an end. The Christian Church was not wondering if Jesus might be the Messiah. Christians were certain he was.

this - the gospel

On Line Bible Study - For the Week August 29-September 4, 2011

Lesson 508

John 1: ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God...

(Click on the link above for the entire first chapter of John's Gospel.)

Father Raymond Brown has 144 pages of introductory material regarding the Gospel of John. We would never make it through the gospel were we to consider every aspect of the possible sources, possible authors, the process of editing and redacting, the location of authorship, and all the possible reasons for the writing of the gospel in the first place.

Our comments will be succinct. Let’s just take the first sentence. In fact, let’s just take the word “was”. It is used three times to accomplish three different tasks:

1. Existence

2. Relationship

3. Predication

In the beginning the Word was – or perhaps to be more precise, the Word is. We know the prologue will take us to Jesus. John will tell us the Word became flesh. So, In the beginning was the Christ. Jesus is. This anticipates statements Jesus will make later that are referred to as the “I am” statements. We’ll get to them. For now it’s enough to acknowledge the evangelists intent. Jesus is – always.

The Word was with God – In other words, God and the Word are together, with each other, in a relationship with one another. Jesus knows God in a distinctive way. Intimacy is implied – not just “knowing” the way any of us come to know God, but knowing from having a relationship from the very beginning.

The Word was God – There is more than just a “relationship” between Jesus and God. There is unity. Again, the evangelist telescopes a later message in which Jesus tells us he is one with the Father (10:30).

One might say the Gospel of John comes out swinging. The Prologue is poetry at its theological best. It harkens back to the book of Genesis; it summarizes the experience of Jesus and with Jesus when he was physically on earth, and it anticipates the relationship we must have with Christ if we are to have any sort of relationship with God.

The Gospel narrative begins with chapter 1, verse19. We’ll go there next time.

On Line Bible Study - For the Week August 22-28, 2011

Lesson 507

John 1: ¹ In the beginning was the Word ...

I love to ride a road bike, but I don't know the first thing about the gears, or what kind of 'cassette' I have, or even the tire size. I know when something isn't working, and I am good about taking it in for maintenance; but some could say I ride irresponsibly, given my ignorance.

I heard a clergy colleague say recently that, when it comes to our sacred texts, Jewish Rabbis are more scholarly as a group than are their Christian clergy counterparts. Though I have no scientific basis for making a determination, my gut tells me she is correct.

With this 507th lesson in this series of studies we step into the amazing world of the Gospel of St. John. We will be using Father Raymond E. Brown's two-volume commentary as our scholarly launch pad for our studies. How much do we need to know in order to be informed and faithful followers of Jesus? Fr. Brown is one of the most renowned New Testament Scholars of the 20th century, and his work is exhaustive (and, some would say, exhausting...). For all his scholarship, was he a better Christian than anyone else?

Here are some interesting challenges we face as we head into this Gospel:

1. Intense debate as to when it was put together in the form as we now have it.
2. Was it a scroll? or a codex (book)? (And one might ask: Why is that important? You'll see!)
3. Are the main sources for the gospel written, or oral?
4. Why are there two endings?
5. The language at the beginning of the gospel is so different from the rest of it - why?
6. Who wrote it?
7. Why is it so different from the other three gospels? (Just how different is it, really?)
   

You may also be asking the question: Who cares?

How important is it to know about the bicycle you are riding? Just how 'scholarly' do we want our clergy to be?

John 1: ¹ In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. ² He was with God in the beginning. ³ Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. ⁴ In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. ⁵ The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.

What happened that inspired someone to write those words? And I find myself wondering: Why do those words sound so beautiful to me, and give me so much hope? What do they even mean!

Now we step into the amazing world of light and darkness, of life and death, of water and wine, of being 'born again' and 'the way, truth, and life'. Scholars or not, this amazing text has wonderful things to teach us. And so we begin...