Is John's Gospel antisemitic? : with special reference to its use of the Old Testament
We begin by observing the growing awareness among New Testament scholars of the key issues: the âelasticityâ of first century Jewish faith, sufficient to encompass many Jewish Christian groups; and the necessity for a correct terminology which not least distinguishes religious from racial polemic. We also observe the state of relations between Jews and âoutsidersâ leading up to the first century CE, to discover that, excepting the Alexandrian situation, they were generally good. We then examine Johnâs use of the Old Testament, first in his citations, then in his allusions. It becomes clear that John not only makes extensive use of the Jewish scriptures, but that those scriptures are essential to every facet of his Gospel. Since he also makes extensive use of contemporary Jewish exegeses of the Old Testament we conclude that he must hail from a Jewish (Ephesian) community, an identity he positively promotes in his presentation of Jesus Messiah. Since he often does not explain his use of the Old Testament, without which his message is lost, we further conclude that his readers too are Jewish. Finally, since his message has a specifically evangelistic as well as confirmatory component, we conclude that ÎŽÎ±áżÎżÎč: it refers to all Jews who reject the Messiah (as opposed to us Jews who accept him). Johnâs replacement christology too must be seen as part of the internal Jewish response to the Temple destruction: he offers Jesus as the restoration of the lost cultus, just as the Yavnean inheritors of the Pharisaic legacy offer halakah. We end by noting that the only effective means of ensuring a non-antisemitic interpretation of Johnâs Gospel among its modern readers, both Jews and Christians, is to return the Gospel to this Jewish setting.
Balfour, Glenn
BM Judaism
Is John's Gospel antisemitic? : with special reference to its use of the Old Testament. We begin by observing the growing awareness among New Testament scholars of the key issues: the âelasticityâ of first century Jewish faith, sufficient to encompass many Jewish Christian groups; and the necessity for a correct terminology which not least distinguishes religious from racial polemic. We also observe the state of relations between Jews and âoutsidersâ leading up to the first century CE, to discover that, excepting the Alexandrian situation, they were generally good. We then examine Johnâs use of the Old Testament, first in his citations, then in his allusions. It becomes clear that John not only makes extensive use of the Jewish scriptures, but that those scriptures are essential to every facet of his Gospel. Since he also makes extensive use of contemporary Jewish exegeses of the Old Testament we conclude that he must hail from a Jewish (Ephesian) community, an identity he positively promotes in his presentation of Jesus Messiah. Since he often does not explain his use of the Old Testament, without which his message is lost, we further conclude that his readers too are Jewish. Finally, since his message has a specifically evangelistic as well as confirmatory component, we conclude that ÎŽÎ±áżÎżÎč: it refers to all Jews who reject the Messiah (as opposed to us Jews who accept him). Johnâs replacement christology too must be seen as part of the internal Jewish response to the Temple destruction: he offers Jesus as the restoration of the lost cultus, just as the Yavnean inheritors of the Pharisaic legacy offer halakah. We end by noting that the only effective means of ensuring a non-antisemitic interpretation of Johnâs Gospel among its modern readers, both Jews and Christians, is to return the Gospel to this Jewish setting.
john_gospel special_reference use_old_testament begin observe grow awareness among new_testament scholar key_issue jewish faith sufficient encompass many jewish_christian group necessity correct terminology least distinguishes religious racial polemic also_observe state relation jews outsider lead discover except alexandrian situation generally good examine john use_old_testament first citation allusion becomes_clear john make_extensive use jewish scripture scripture essential every facet gospel since also_make extensive_use contemporary jewish exegesis old_testament conclude must jewish community_identity positively promote presentation jesus messiah since often explain use_old_testament without message lose conclude reader jewish finally since message specifically evangelistic well component conclude izi refers jews reject messiah oppose jews accept john replacement christology must see part internal jewish response temple destruction offer jesus restoration lose inheritor legacy offer end note effective_mean ensure non interpretation john_gospel among modern reader jews christians return gospel jewish setting