BIBLIOTHECA EPHEMERIDUM THEOLOGICARUM LOV ANIENSIUM

Otto ScHWANKL (Passau)

Aspekte der johanneischen Christologie . . . . . . . . . . . . 347 CLXXXIV
D. Francois TOLMIE (Blqemfontein)
. The 'Iouoaioi in the Fourth Gospel: A Narratological Perspec-
rive . _. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 377
John D. TuRNER (Lincoln, NE)·
Sethian Gnosticism and Johannine Christianity . . . . . . . . . 399
Gilbert VAN BELLE (Leuven)
Christology and Soteriology in the Fourth Gospel: The Conclu-
sion to the Gospel of John Revisited . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . 435

THEOLOGY AND CHRISTOLOGY

Jan VAN DER WATT (Pretoria)
Double entendre in the Gospel According to John 463
Sjef VAN TuBORG (Nijmegen)
Cosmological Implications of Johannine Christology . . . . . 483
IN THE FO.URTH GOSPEL
Urban C. VONWAHLDE (Chicago, IL) ESSAYS B Y THE MEMBERS
The Samaritan Woman Episode, Synoptic Form-Criticism, and OF THE SNTS JOHA..NNINE WRITINGS SEMINAR
the Johannine Miracles: A Question of Criteria . . . . . . . . 503

INDEXES
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . . . 521 EDITED BY
INDEX OF AUTHORS . . . . . 523
INDEX OF BIBLICAL REFERENCES . . 532
Old Testament . . . ·. . . . : . . . . . . . 532 G. VAN B E L L E _ J.G. VAN DER WATT
New Testament . . . . . . . . . . 536
·P.MARITZ
INDEX. OF OTHER REFERENCES . . . . . 555
Apocrypha of the Old Testament . ; 555
Dead Sea Scrolls and Related Texts . 556
Apocrypha of the New Testament . . 557
Nag Hammadi Tractates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 557
Apostolic Fathers and Church Fathers 559
Jewish Literature . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . • 560

UITGEVERIJ PEETERS
LEUVEN LEUVEK
UNIVERSITY PRESS
2005

PEETERS
 .CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTE R lOLOGY
IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL
THE CONCLUSION TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN REVISITED

INTRODUCTION
/
/

In a recent edition of the journal Biblica Hanna Roose published

a challenging paper on Jn 20,30-31 entitled "Joh 20,30f.: Bin
(un)passender Schluss? " 1• The subtitle of her contribution immediately
reveals the focus of her research and the position she intends to defend:
"Joh 9 und 11 als primare Verweisstellen der Schlussnotiz des Johannes-
evangeliums". Problems related to the conclusion of the Gospel of John
have been the subject of considerable dispute. Some six years ago I
made a detailed study on the gospel's concluding formula, describing its
difficulties in relation to the CTT}µda. hypothesis as follows 2 :
The problems surrounding the meaning of 011µe'ia in Jn 20,30-31 are well
known. It is a curious fact that in the concluding formula of his gospel, the
evangelist employs the term 011µeiov to refer to its content as if he had just
concluded a chronicle of a number of "signs" or "miracles" performed by
Jesus. Jesus' final miracle is presented in chapter 11. The term 011µeiov is
used for the last time in 12,37 and is nowhere to be found in chapters
13-20 with the exception of 20,30(-31) 3• In addition, the words and dis-
courses of Jesus, of such significance in the Gospel of John, are not men-
tioned in 20,30-31. Since the term 011µeiov does not seem to be particu-
·larly fitting as a conclusion to the gospel as a whole, those who defend the
semeia hypothesis assume that the evangelist used the term here because he
had found 20,30-31 as a concluding formula of the source and took it over
more or less unchanged as the conclusion of his gospel.
H. Roose's explanation of Jn 20,30-31 is close to that of C. Welck
(1994) 4 who emphasised the relationship between signs and faith. In his

1. H. ROOSE, Joh 20,30f.: Ein (un)passender Schluss?: Joh 9 und 11 als primiire Ver-
weisstellen der Schlussnotiz des Johannesevangeliums, in Bib 84 (2003) 326-343.
2. G. VAN BELLE, The Meaning of ur,µefa in Jn 20,30-31, in ETL 74 (1998) 300-325,
esp. p. 301.
3. l:T]µ&iov is found 17 times in Jn: 2,11.18.23; 3,2; 4,48.54; 6,2.14.26.30; 7,31;
9,16; 10,41; 11,47; 12,18.37; 20,30.
4. C. WELCIC, Erziihlte Zeichen. Die Wundergeschichten des JohaMesevangeliums
licerarisch untersucht. Mit einem Ausblick auf Joh 21 (WUNT, Il/69), Tiibingen, Mohr
(Paul Siebeck), 1994. See VAN BELLE, The Meaning of ur,µefa in Jn 20,30-31 (n. 2),
pp. 301-303.
436 G.VANBELLE
oprmon the conclusion to the Gospel of John has to do with the
"Erzahlte Zeichen" (ITT)µtta yeypaµµtvu), which reveal Jesus' So u
and thereby encourage the reader to faith in Jesus -as Messiah and Son of
God5. Roose claims, however, to be able to offer further defini tion to
Welck's arguments. In her mind, the. concluding formula and the
ITT)µefo refer in the first instance to the narrative of the man born blind
(Jn 9) and Lazarus' return from the dead (Jn 11), primarily on account of
the statement in 20,31 " ... so that you may come to believe that Jesus is
the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have
life in his name". Roose accepts in addition that the concluding note
alludes in the second instance to all other miracle stories and in the third
instance to the gospel as a whole (IV).
In the present contribution I will begin by outlining Roose's interpre-
tation (I), offer a number of critical considerations (II), with a discussion
of the relation between the· confession of Thomas and the conclusion to
the Gospel of John, which I would maintain has not received due atten-
tion in Roose's exegesis (III), and I conclude with some considerations
on Christology and style (IV).
f THE EXPLANATION OF JN 20,30-31 ACCORDING T O H . ROOSE
1. In order to support her argument that the miracle stories of John 9
and 11 in particular correspond to the intention of the concluding for-
mula, Roose offers an analysis of three elements thereof6.
(a) In the first instance she firmly underlines her contention that the
cniµefo in the Gospel of John are very closely related to the faith (nicr-
,;eu[cr]rrce). This is also the case with respect to the conclusion to the
first miracle· (2, 11) and it is likewise underlined in the final miracle story
in the words addressed by Jesus to Martha (11,40; cf. 11,4). In Jn 9 we
encounter the thematisation of "conversion", the transi.tion from disbe-
lief to belief. Jesus commands the man born blind to go and wash in the
pool of "Siloam", which is translated as "messenger" (9,7 dnecr,u1c-
µtvo<;). Once he is able to see, he recognises that Jesus himself is the
"Messenger" and he believes in contrast to the hard of heart in 12,40
(cf. Isa 6,10). The dialogues that follow the healing describe the differ-
ent stages_ of the process of conversion7 .
5. Cf. ROOSE, Joh 20,30f (n. 1), pp. 328-329.
6. Ibid., pp. 329-336: "Joh 9 und 11 als primare Verweisstellen der Schlussnotiz im
Rahmen der CIT)µ&fo-Berichte".
7. Ibid., p. 331: "Die anschlieBenden Dialogszenen skizzieren verschiedene Stationen
CHRISTOLOGY Al:'ID S01ERIOLOGY IN TIIE FOURTII GOSPEL 437
(b) The formulations of 20,31 correspond almost completely to those
of 11,27:
20,31 11,27
... \'.vu nu1r:ev[o}rrr:e ( h i tyro neni<n:ev,ca O'tl
'In o:oiic £crtl V O:x;p1cri:oc; 0 uioc; cru f,1 0 x,p1cri:oc; 0 uioc; t'OU Otoii
i:oii Otoii, ...
6 elc; i:ov K6crµov tp:x;6µevrn;;.
Given the parallelism, therefore, Roose is inclined to suspect that "the
concluding forinula alludes in the first instance to' the last miracle story
in Jn 11 " . At the level of the narrative, we are dealing with a passing
reanimation of a person who had died. Death has not yet been defeated
since the chief priests are resolved to have Lazarus put to death (12,10).
The deeper meaning of the narrative is evident, however, from 5,28"-29:
the story of the raising of Lazarus serves to guarantee eschatological res-
urrection of the dead for the readers of John's gospel. This passing rean-
imation is not transparent in itself; the narrative only becomes transpar-
ent with the confession of Martha read against the background of 20,3 I.
(c) The proposition that we "through believing may have life in his
name" is given particular emphasis in the narrative of the raising of
Lazarus, especially in the dialogue between Jesus and Martha (11,21-
27). When Martha answers that she knows that Lazarus will rise again in
the resurrection on the last day (v. 24) Jesus responds with the words:
" I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though
they die, will live, and everyone who lives and believes in me will never
die. Do you believe this?" (vv. 25-26). The dialogue reaches its climax
in the confession of Martha in v. 27: "Yes, Lord, I believe that you are
the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into the world". Martha's
confession (v. 27) as response to Jesus' " I am" statement (vv. 25-26), in
association with his promise in Jn 5,24, implies that the future resurrec-
tion in which Martha believes is not rejected by Jesus' words but rather
completed by them: Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life. Roose
points out in addition that a close com1ection likewise exists in this
instance between the miracle story of Jn 11 and that of Jn 9. As a matter
of fact, explicit reference is made in 11,37 to the healing of the man born
blind: "But some of them said: 'Could not he who opened the eyes of
the blind man have kept this man from dying?'". Striking parallels are
einer Bekehrung: Die Nachbarn diskutieren dariiber ob der Geheilte bzw. der Bekehrte
noch derselbe ist (V. 8); die Pharisaer werfen Jesus vor, mit seiner Heilung den Sabbat
, gebrochen zu ha_ben (V. 16); die Eltem distanzieren sich aus Furcht vor dem Synagogen-
ausschluss von ihrem Sohn (VV,. 18-23); der Blindgeborene wird dan in der Tatt aus-
gestoBen (V. 34)".
 438 G. VANBELLE
evident between both narratives 8 • Roose thus argues that the concluding
formula likewise, and in the first instance, refers to the miracle narra-
tives of Jn 9 and 11 with respect to the acquisition of eternal life.
2. In part two of her contribution Roose studies the location of Jn 9
and 11, to which the conclusion of the gospel alludes in a remarkable
fashion, within the framework of the gospel as a whole9. Once again she
approaches her analysis in,three stages:
(a) In terms of content; both miracle narratives allude to the entire
work / activity of Jesus, horn the appearance of John the Baptist to the
suffering, death and resurrection of Jesus. In 11,1 the reference to
Bethany explicitly alludes to the beginning of the gospel (1,28). The
evangelist is thus able to establish an inclusion that embraces the activi-
ties of Jesus in their entirety, with the raising of Lazarus as its climax. It
is interesting to riote that the rai sing of Lazarus is also preceded by a
remark concerning John the Baptist (10,40-42) that serves to indicate, in
line with 1,35-40, his subordinate significance with respect to Jesus. Jn
9 and ·11, however, also allude to the continuation of Jesus' life: the
decision is made in 11,53 that Jesus must be put to death. Moreover, the
sequence of chapters 9 and 11 exhibits a similar structure, namely that of
'conflict' followed by 'reawakening'. Jn 9,8-34 is thus constructed in
dram atic terms as·a "Prozesserzahl.ung", in similar fashion to the struc-
turing of scenes and dialogues in Jn 18-19.
(b) From the perspective of functionality, the degree of transparency,
evident from Jn 9 and 11, is further emphasised by the interpolation of
the Good Shepherd discourse. By locating tlie metaphorical discourse of
· the Good Shepherd, with its ecclesiological development, between Jn 9
and 11, the evangelist is able to establish the following composition,
which becdmes tran sparent for the members of the Johannine commu-
nity: chapters 9-11 serve to outline the life story of the Johannirie Chris-
tians: a person comes to faith (Jn 9), enters (via the door, Jn 10,7) into
the Johannine community, becomes part of the flock of which the Johan-
nine Christ is the Good Shepherd (Jn 10,1-21), and although he/she dies
he/she shall rise again (Jn 11). The life story of the Johannine Christians
is thus represented in three stages. The first stage describes his/her
development from birth (9,1 "a man blind from birth") to conversion
8. Roose (ibid., p. 335) enum erates the following parallels: (1) the description of the
meaning of the miracle story (9,3 and 11,4); (2) the metaphors of light and darlmess
(9,4.5 and 11,9.10); (3) Jesus demanding a confession of faith (9,35 and 11,26.27); (4)
the dramatic presentation in both Jn 9 and 11.
9. Ibid., pp. 336-343.
CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN r a E FOURTH GOSPEL 439
(9,38 "He said, 'Lord, I believe.' And he worshipped him"). The second
describes the Christological learnin g process within the context o f the
community, in which the convert is transformed into a genuine Johan-
nine Christian (compare 9,38 with 11,27: "She s d to him, 'Yes, Lord,
I believe that you are the Messiah, the Son of God, the one coming into
the world'"). The third stage, which is woven together with the second,
presents us with the true Johannine Christian, existing in the area of ten-
sion between finite physical life and eternal eschatological life. These
are the elements that are treated in the conclusion of the gospel: coming
to faith, the full Johannine confession of 11,27 and the gift of eternal
life.
(c) Both miracle stories occupy a central place in the composition of
the Gospel of John as a whole. The powerful dramatic structure of chap-
ters 9 and 11 reaches its climax with Jesus as miracle worker.in the rais-
ing of Lazarus who had already been dead for four days. Moreover, both
miracle stories are located in the middle of the gospel and the raising of
Lazarus results in the decision to have Jesus put to death. The claim that
we are dealing here with the climax of the gospel is further supported by
the Dedication of the Temple discourse, which also serves to introduce
the Christological climax of the Fourth Gospel in 10,30: "The_Father
and I are one". The significance for the Johannine community is also
tran sparent at this juncture: just as Jesus was condemned on account of
his self-witness, so the members of the Johannine community shall be
treated with hostility on account of the high Christology they maintain.
The interpolation of the three textual segments of Jn 10 between chap-
ters 9 and 11 thus becomes clear: the·Good Shepherd discourse (10,1-
21), the Dedication of the Temple discourse (10,22-39) and the passing
remark concerning the activities of John the Baptist (10,40-42). Roose
already pointed out that both miracle stories are brought together in a
remarkable way in 11,37 and that they exhibit several parallels 10 . In the
Gospel of John, moreover, miracle stories always come in pairs as "dou-
ble signs" which, in the present instance, serve as a framework for the
three segments of Jn 10. This element of coherence is quite clear and is
apparent not only from the reference to the healing of the man born blind
in the Dedication of the Temple discourse (see 10,21: "Others were say-
ing, 'These are not the \"lords of one who has a demon. Can a demon
open the eyes of the blind?"'), but also from the following tw<> themes
10. According to Roose, we find in John "immer zwei Wunderberichte zu einem
Doppelzeichen zusammengestellt" (ibid., p. 340): (1) 2,1-11 and 2,13-22; (2) 4,43-54
and 5,1-18; (3) 6,1-15 and 6,16-21; (4) ch. 9 and ch. 11.
440 G. V A N B E L L E
that bind the Good Shepherd discourse and the Dedication of the Tern- .
ple discourse together.
The first theme, that of the intimidation of Christians which culmi-
nates in the exclusion from the synagogue, is found in the Good Shep-
herd discourse in the allegorical form of the thief, the robber and the
wolf. For its part, the Dedication of the Temple discourse thematises the
intimidation to which the Johannine Christ is subjected. In like .fashion
to his community, Jesus arouses the hostility of his Jewish Umwelt on
account of his claims. The raising of Lazarus in Jn 11 leads to Jesus
being condemned to death by the council of high priests (11,53; com-
pare 12,10). The second theme relates to the resurrection of the dead and
eternal life, which occupies the c_entral position in Jn 11 and is prepared
for in both discourses in Jn 10: Jesus declares explicitly that he has
come to bring eternal life to his sheep (10,10.28). Chapters 9-11 thus
form a clear and coherent unit to which the concluding statement of
20,30-31 alludes.
II. A FlRST EVALUATION OF THE INTERPRETATION OF H . ROOSE
H. Roose insists, therefore, that the concluding statement of the
Gospel of John· refers in the first instance to the two miracle stories of
chapters 9 ar_id 11: She does not exclude the possibility, however, that
crriµda should also be understood in broader terms and that it also
alludes to the resurrection narrative and indeed to the entire gospel. The
latter claim agrees in substance with some of the results of my own
research published in 1998 11 :
The fa t that John in describing the purpose of his gospel only refers to
<Jl1µe'ia should not surprise us. The <Jl1µe'ia are not only the essential com-
ponent of the life of Jesus but in their revelatory character, their material-
ity, and their reality, they also illustrate the incarnation of the Son of God
(1,14) in a pre-eminent fashion. It is through the crriµe'ia that the o6 a of
Jesus is made accessible to his disciples. Indeed, "it _remains striking that
the word semeion was chosen for the final characterization of the revela-
tion brought by Jesus" 12 • With Nicol, however, one might respond to this
observation as follows: "An important reason for this is probably that the
way in which John interpreted the miracles was also the way in which he
interpreted the whole life, death and resurrection of Jesus. As with the mir-
11. VAN BELLE, The Meaning o f <n7µeia in J n 20,30-31 (n. 2), pp. 324-325.
12. W. NICOL, The Semeia in the Fourth Gospel: Tradition and Redaction (SupplNT,
32), Leiden, Brill, 1972, p. 115.
CHRISTOLOGY AND SO1ERIOLOGY IN THE FOURTII GOSPEL 441
acles, John sought to see divine meaning in all the different aspects of the
story of the earthly Jesus" 13• For the reader whb was confronted with the
entire gospel the term had received an expanded significance. :Eriµe'ia
· noteiv is clearly "a key to the basic hermeneutical principle of John" 14 •
While I can fully support the arguments presented by Roose with
respect to Jn 9 and 11 15 and applaud her description of tp.e mutual rela-
tionship between the two chapters, it is evident, nevertheless, that her
interpretation of the concluding formula does not pay sufficient attention
to the immediately preceding context. /
1. In my 1998 article I pointed out that the Thomas pericope, with its
macarism in 20,29, is very closely related to 20,30-31 and that there are
a considerable number of reasons to positively endorse the sign charac-
ter of the appearances of the risen Lord together with A. Feuillet 16 and
many others. The following represent my primary arguments in this
regard 17 : (a) The use of the particle oi'iv indicates that verse 30 is a log-
ical continuation of verse 29. (b) Jn 20,(30-)31 is related to 20,29 in a
unique way through· the use of the verb rctO"'teUCO (29 rcercfornuKa , mc;-
'tefoav'te ; 31 mcr'te6[cr]ri'te, mcr'teUOV'te ). (c) According to. 20,30-
31, the disciples function as crown witnesses to the c;riµda that Jesus
performed; this function is explicitly described in the two appearances
of the risen Jesus to his disciples (20,19-29). (d) The Thomas pericope
(20,24-29) exhibits a significant number of characteristics common to a
crriµeiov; with respect to both the signs and the appearance to Thomas
"the theme of seeing and believing" plays an important role:
20,25 20,29 4,48
eo.v µT] tOCO.. n
o MipclK<i <; i:o.v µTj crriµefo K<li 'tep<l1:(l rnri-re,
ob µ11 mcr-re6crco. µe nenicr-reuKa<;; ob µ11 mcr-re6crri-re.
mKa.ptot ol µ11 lo6v-rec;
Ka.i mcr-re6cra.v-rec;.
2. The aforementioned elements, however, are not the only evidence
of the close relationship between the Thomas pericope and the conclu-
sion to the gospel. The use of a sequence of two Christological titles fur-
13. Ibid., p. 115.
14. Ibid., p. 115.
15. On the agreements between the conclusion of the gospel and the final 1l1U'acle, the
raising of Lazarus, see VAN BELLE, The Meaning o f <n7µeia in J n 20,30-31 (n. 2), pp. 316-
318.
16. A. F'EUILLET, Les christophanies pascales du quatrieme evangile sont-el/es des
signes?, in Nouvelle Revue Theologique 97 (1975) 577-592.
17. For a fuller description of the argumentation, see VAN BELLE, The Meaning o f
<J'f]µeia in J n 20,30-31 (n. 2), pp.- 309-314.
442 G. VANBELLE
ther points in this direction. In 20,30 the evangelist expresses the inten-
tion that his readers - who, unlike the disciples 18, can no longer see -
should come to believe that Jesus Christ is the .Son of God by reading
"the book". The absolute use of the verb "to believe" in 20,29 is natu-
rally clarified by the preceding verse in which Thomas confesses his
faith. It is a question of believing that Jesus Christ is our Lord and our
God or, in other words, that he is the Messiah, the son of God.
20,28 <ineKpi6 ri 0roµiic; Kai einev ao ij)·
·o KUptoc; µou Kai o 8soc; µou.
20,29 Myet aO-tcj} 6 'Iri croii c; · o n
scopaKC1G µe nenicnevKae;;
µaK6.piot ol µt] l86v-teG·Kai mauvaawee;.
20,30 IIoU/:t µev o6v Kai liUa crriµefo enoiricrev 6 'Iricrouc; evcomov
,rov µa0ri,rov [aowii],
a OUKfonv yqpaµµeva·ev t'Q) t A.i([) 'tOll't([)"
20,31 ,aii,a Be yeypan,m
i:va ma,ev[a]rJu o n 'Iri croiic; ecrnv o x;pta,oc; o uioc; ,oii 8soii,
Kai. tVa mcn:evovw; /;;rot]V EXTI'tf; €V t'Q) OVOµan ai'J'tOU.
3. The confession of Thomas, o KDpt6i; µou Kai 6 0'e6i; µou, is not
only "the only passage in which Jesus is undoubtedly designated, or
more exactly, addressed as God" 19 in the New Testament, it also repre-
sents _the climax of a series of confessions that occur throughout the
Fourth Gospel as. a whole20 • The two Christo logical titles used to address
Jesus in v. 28 should not only be read in relation to the conclusion of the
gospel but als6 in association with the use of Christological titles else-
where in John. In what follows I will argu e that in the appearances to the
disciples (the eleven without Thomas and with Thomas) Jesus revealed
18. On the disciples, who play a significant role in the miracle stories (cf. &vromov
,iiiv µa8 11 , &v.[aut oii] in 20,30), see VAN BELLE, The Meaning o f ITT7µeia in J n 20,30-31
(n. 2), pp. 314-318.
19. R. BULTMANN, The Christological Confession o f the World Council o f Churches,
in lD., Essays, Philosophical. and Theological, English translation by J.C.G. Greig, Lon-
don, SCM Press, 1955, p. 276; cf. lD., Das christoldgische Bekenntnis des Okumenischen
Rates, in· lD., G/auben und Verstehen. Gesammelte Aufsiitze, vol. II, Tiibingen, Mohr
(Paul Siebeck),1952, pp. 246-261, esp. 247.
20. On the confession formula in the Fourth Gospel, see V.H. NEUFELD, The Earliest
Christian Confessions (New Testament Tools and Studies, 5), Leiden, Brill, 1963, pp. 69-
107; W.J. BITTNER, Jesu Zeichen im Johannesevangelium: Die Messias-Erkenntnis im
Johannesevangelium vor ihrem jiidischen Hintergrund (WUNT, II/26), Tiibingen, Mohr
(Paul Siebeck), 1987, pp. 209-216, U. SCHNELLE, Antidoketische Christologie im Johan-
nesevangelium: Eine Untersuchung zur Stellung des viercen Evangeliums in der johan-
neischen Schule (FRLANT, 144), Gottingen, Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1987, p. 158;
English translation: Antidocetic Christology in the Gospel o f John: An Investigation o f
the Place o f the Fourth Gospel in the Johannine School. Translated by L.M. Maloney,
Minneapolis, MN, Augsburg Fortress Press, 1992, p. 141.
CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN Tiffi FOURTH GOSPEL 443
himself as Messiah and Son of God. This is clearly stated in the con-
cluding formula. In addition, however, I will argue that the expression
"Messiah and Son of God" bears a close relationship to the terms
"Lord" and ''God" found in the confession of Thomas.
i l l . THE CONFESSION OF THOMAS
AND THE CONCLUSION TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN
The confession of Thomas and the intention of the conclusion to the
Gospel of John are clearly related to the events that took place through-
out Jesus' life and the role of his disciples therein: he manifested him-
self as Messiah, Son of God, by the gift of the Spirit and the forgiveness
of sins. In John's gospel, the pre-existent and divine Messiah is the one
who takes away the sins of humankind by his reconciliatory death on the.
cross. He alone is capable of granting salvation, the Holy Spirit and the
divine life associated therewith (cf. 3,34; 6,63; 7,37-39) 21• I will endeav-
. our to make this clear on the basis of three passages: the prologue, with
the witness of John the Baptist and the call of the first dj.sciples, Jesus'
dialogue with the Samaritan woman and the piercing of Jesus' side_on
the cross.
l.Jnl,1-51
In the first chapter we encounter all sorts of Christological titles and
motifs22 , intended to convince the reader that Jesus is the Messiah, the
Son of God and the source- of life: the Word (vv. 1.14), God
(vv. lc.18b), the Life and. the Light (vv. 4.5.9), the only-begotten
Son/God (vv. 14.18b), the Lamb of God (vv. 29.36), the Son of God
(vv. 34.49), the Messiah (v. 41, compare v. 45: "We have found him
about whom Moses in the law and also 1he prophets wrote"), the King
of Israel (v. 49), the Son of Man (v. 51). In addition, we encounter a
·21. Cf. R. SCHNACKENBURG, Das Johannesevangelium. I. Teii: Einleitung und Kom-
mentar zu Kap. J-4 (HTKNT, 4/1), Freiburg - Basel - Wien, Herder, 1965, pp. 304-305.
On the relationship between forgiveness of sins, the gift of the spirit, and eternal life, as
"Les Biens du Royaume", cf. J. COPPENS, Le Messianisme et sa re/eve prophetique
(BETL, 38), Gembloux, Duculot, 1974, pp. 230-240.
. 22. Cf. R. SCHNACKENBURG, Die Messiasfrage im Johannesevangelium, in Theo/.
J_ahrbuch (1966) 318-348, esp. pp. 323-327; ID., Das Iohannesevangelium, vol. I,
pp. 321-328; M. DEJONGE, Jewish Expectations about the "Messiah" according to the
Fourth Gospel, in NTS 19 (1972-73) 246-270; = ID., Jesus: Stranger from Heaven and
Son o f God, edited and translated by J.E. Steely (SBL Sources for Biblical Studies, 11),
Missoula, MT, Scholars Press, 1977, pp. 77-116.
 CHRISTOLOGY AND SOIBRIOLOGY IN T i l E FOURTI! GOSPEL 445
444 G. V A N B E L L E

the Me s s iah
numb e r of allu s ions in which important Chri s tological title s are furthe r the bapti s m of John that Je sus is rev e ale d as Son ?f God,
t (1, -34) :
(cf. 20, 3 1). Such is the "witne s s " of John the BaptJ. s 3 2
de s crib e d: th e one who ranks ahead of John the Bapti s t be caus e he
and it re mfilll:ed
come s afte r him (vv. 15. 2 7.3 0), the one who exi s te d be fore John (vv. 32 ... I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove,
not know him, but the one who s nt me to bap t I e
on him. 33 I myself did
e
15.30), the one who is clo s e to the Fathe r' s he art, the guide and the way and remam
(v. 18), the one who baptis e s with the Hol y Spirit (v. 3 3). We will firs t with water said to me , "He on whom you see the Spirit descend
s with the Holy Spirit,,. 34 And I myself have seen .
e xamine the two title s found in the conclu s ion to th e go s pe l : Son of God
is the one who baptis e
and hav e testified that this is the Son of God.
and Christ or Me ssiah.
with the Holy
Son of God. - The re ade r of the Go s pe l of John is aware from the out- · The te xt s tate s that Je s us is "the one who baptis e s
set that Je s us is the Son of God. Thi s is indicat e d in a twofold fashion, Spirit" the re by identifying him as the Son of Go an e vide nt par l l
the world m
in th e fir s t instanc e by the us e of the title its e lf in vv. 3 423 and 39 and by with the s ubordinate claim "who take s away the s m of
th e us e of th e s ynonymous e xpres s ion "Lamb of God" in vv. 2 9 and as sociation with "Lamb of God":
3424 • Th e appearanc e of John the Bapti s t, s ole mnly de scrib e d in the pro- 1,29 i'.oe o aµvoi; t'OU 8eou
logue (1,6-8.15), is e laborated in more concrete te rms from v. 19 o a'iprov i:;,v 6.µaptlav i:oii K6crµou.
onwards : "This i s the te s timony giv e n by John whe n the Jews s e nt 1,33 o i1: oc; €0"'tlV O �0.7t'C\�O)V ev 7 t V E 6 µ a n 0.yt(!).
prie s t s and Le vite s from Jerusale m to ask him, 'Who are you? " ' . John o
1,34 oii:oc; i\cr,;tv \ltO<; t'OU Osoo
the con-
the Bapti s t' s witne s s cons is ts of a negativ e (1,19-2 8) and a po s itive Messiah._ We e ncoun te r the Chri s tological titl e Me s s iah in
s tatement (1, 2 9-34). Whe n confronte d by th e Jewish authoriti e s John 5-51 ). Th call com e nces
te xt of the call of the fir s t di s ciples (l, 3 e
in s ists that he is neithe r the Me s s iah, nor Elijah, nor the prophe t (1, 2 0- John the Bapti t. Accomp d by
with a re pe tition of the witne s s of s e

2 1; cf. 1, 2 5). In ide ntifying him s e lf he r e fer s to the one who is to pre - u pa sing by and b ars witnes s to
two of hi s di s ciple s , John s ee s J e s s s e

ce de the Me s s iah : "I am the voic e of one crying out in the wilderness, i the Lamb of God!" (v. 6; cf. v. 2 9).
him onc e again: "Look, he re s 3
Je s u s .
'Make s traight the way of th e Lord', as the prophe t Is aiah s aid" (1, 2 3; After the witne s s of John the Bapti s t, the two di s cipl e s "follow"
cf. Is a 40,3). Al though he is not the Me s s iah or Elijah or the prophe t we com to know that on of th di s cipl e s i s
It is only in ve rse 40 that e _
orm s _him
(1, 2 5), he claims explicitly that he "baptis e s with wate r" (1, 2 6a) and Andre w. Andre w go e s in s earch of hi s brothe r Snnon,
bnng s him to
alre ady refer s ·indire ctly to the Me s s iah : "I bapti s with wate r. Among with gre at e nthu s iasm that h e has found the Me s s iah, and
e en Je s u s and
you s tands one whom you do not know, the one who is coming afte r me; Je s us (v. 41) . We are then told of the mee ting be tw
C-:· 42).
I am not,worthy to untie th e thong of hi s s andal" (l,26b-27). John the n Simon during which Je s u s giv e s him a new name "Cephas"
e occa 10ns to
go e s on to designate Je s us as the Me s s iah (1, 2 9-34): "Here is the Lamb The author cons ide r s it nec e s s ary on no l e s s than thre
s
"rabbi" as
of God who tak e s away the s in of the world!" (1, 2 9; cf. 1,36); "Afte r provide hi s reade rs with a tran s lation of Se mitic word s :
" e phas" as
me com e s a man who ranks ahead of me be caus e he wa s before me " "mas te r" (v. 38), "Me s siah" as "Anointe d" (v. 41) and
w are mtroduc ed
(1, 3 0). John continu e s by s tating in no unce rtain terms why he came to "rock" (v. 42 )25. To e s tory continue s , however, and
to Galil e, J u c
bapti s e : "I my s e lf did not know him; but I came bapti s ing with wate r to n e w Chri s tological titl e s . During hi s journe y
e e s s s

"W have found him

for thi s reason, that he -might be re veale d to Is rae l " (1,31). It is during Philip who then found Nathanae l and s aid to him, e
e , Je s us s on
about whom Mo s e s in the l aw and also the prophe t s wrot
23. "On the basis of the age and diversity of witnesses", we prefer to read o l)to,;, Nathanael m et s J su s e
of Jo s e ph from Nazare th" (v. 45). Whe n
e
"which is also in hannony with the theological terminology of the Fourth Gospel". See e s hi s faith
B.M. METzGER, A Textual Commentary on the Greek New Testament, London - New b e come s awar e of hi s s upern atural knowl e dg e and conf e s s

York- Stuttgart, United Bible Societies, 1971, p. 200; 21994, p. 172. God! You are th King o f l s rae l !"
in him: "Rabbi, you are· the Son of e
24. On "Son of God" and "Lamb of God" as synonymous expressions, see esp. P.J.
DU PLEss1s, Zie het Lam Gods. Overwegingen bij de knechtsgestalte in het evangelie van (v. 49). Je s us re plie s :
Johannes, in De knechtsgestalte van Christus. FS H.N. Ridderbos, Kampen, Kok, 1978,
pp. 120-138, esp. 125-128; Io., The Lamb of God in the Fourth Gospel, in J.H. PETzER- 25. G. VAN BELLE, Les parentheses dans l'evangile de !ean .. 1pergu historique t
P.J. HARTIN (eds.), A South African Perspective on the New Testament: Essays by South classification. Texte grec de Jean (Studiorum Novi Testament! Auxilia, 11), Leuven, U
African New Testament Scholars Presented to Bruce Manning Metzger during His Visit versity Press - Peeters, 1985, pp. 65-66, 106.
to South Africa in 1985, Leiden, Brill, 1986, pp. 136-148, esp. 138-142.
 G. VANBELLE
CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN TiiE FOURTH GOSPEL 447
you believe be.cause I told you that I saw you
will see greater things than these. And he said to under the fig tree? You already to be found in the prologue. Jesus is clearly described in the pro-
you, you will see heaven opened and the an els him "Very trul;Y, I tell logue as "God" in verses I and 1827: ,
descenQ.ing upon the Son of Man" ( 1 ,50-5 1 ) .. g of G od ascendmg and
1,1 'Ev apx:ii v o Mroc;,
Th_e two fu c tions of the Johannine Messiah Kai o My°'; v npo,; -cov 0e6v,
. are clearly described at
this Juncture m contrast to the role
of John . Kai 9i:i>i; v o M1oc;.
. .the Baptist. Here we 0eOV oOotic; ecbpalCeV ncbno,:g·
e nc ounte r th . e two 1,18
gospel, together with .Christological titles that occur at the conclusion to the JlOVO"{tV11c; 9ti>i; o &v tlc; "COV1C0/\.1COVtOU na-cpoc;
the two functions of the Messiah.· £1Ceivoc; t!;11r11cra1:0.
can be explain ed as a synonymous expression "La m b of God"
.
v..34). It is clear, therefore, that for "Son of God" (see I
the two titles found in Jn 20 31
;

: e a d y pres e nt fro the very first are 2. Jn 19,31-37

chapter of the gospel. There i more
ow e ver. ? w o functions of the Johannine The evangelist described the death of Jesus with the words: "Then he
Messiah are fulfill ed·· th e .gI.ft'
of the Spmt (vv . 33 -34) and the bowed his head and gave up his spirit" (19,30). The Greek text runs as
. removal of sins (vv. 29 and 36) . J
1s the Lamb of God' th Son of esus follows:
God, who takes away the sins of the
world;hAs Joillhnb·the.Bap st bears
witness, however, he is also the Son 19,30 5-ct 01'.iv fAaPtv -co o!;oc; [o] 'Iricroiic; thtv·
God 0 w aptise with the Spirit. of
-ct-cEAEITTat,
Kat lC/\.tVac; TijV KE<paA.T]VnapeoC01C€V 1:0 1CV&UJ10
•
These
. two aspects of the task of the Messiah .
chapter 20 . Durmg are al so d"IScussed m The verb napaoioroµi ("to give up") has a double meaning. One is
· hi s appearance, Jesus

31:
. passes on the ower he perhaps at liberty to argue that the evangelist saw an allusion to Jesus'
; c e 1ve o the Father forgive sins to his disciples:
.to "Jes s said to gift of the Spirit in his last breath on the cross 28. Here the evangelist
e ced be _with. you. As the Father has sent me, so I
yo: . a said this, he breathed on them send
' . and said to them Co., 1967, pp. 1-38: "Chapter One: Does the New Testament Call Jesus God?"; G.H.
: e : 1'{; the Hol Spirit._ If you forgive
the sins of any' they are forgive BO0BYER, Jesus as "Theos" in the New Testament, in BJRL 50 (1967-68) 247-261; B.A.
' you r:tain the sms of any' they
are retained"': MASTIN, The Imperial Cult and the Ascription o f the Title 0e6r; to Jesus (John XX.28), in
Studia Evangelica, vol. VI ·(Texte und Untersuchungen, 112), Berlin, Akademie Verlag,
2 0 ,2 2 JC i -cof rro eincl>v eve<p6cr71crev Kai Aeyet
"' Pe-ce nvi:uµ a iiy 1o v· ao -co ii; · 1973, pp. 352-365; ID., A Neglected Feature o f the Christology o f the Fourth Gospel, in
NTS 22 (1975-76) 32-51; M.J. HARRis, Jesus as God: The New Testament Use o f Theos
1,33 o -c?i; fonv o Pamil;cov l:V nve u a n ii in Reference to Jesus, Grand Rapids, Ml, Baker Book House, 1992; J. NEYREY, "My Lord
1 ,34 06-coi; ecrnv Ovib e; -coil 9e o u µ y ico
.. and My God": The Divinity o f Jesus in John's Gospel, in K.H. RICHARDS (ed.), Society
20,23 v -civcov a<pij-c -cac; ii a p-ci o f Biblical Literature Seminar Papers Series. One Hundred Twenty-second Annual Meet-
a c; Ct<pecov,ai ao -co ii;
µ
y,v -c;vv 1Cpa1:71-ce 1C€1Cpa.1:riv1:ai. ' ing, November 22-25, 1986, Atlanta Marriott Marquis, Atlanta, Georgia (SBL Seminar
Papers, 25), Atlanta, GA, Scholars Press, 1986, pp. 152-171; J. KOGLER, Der andere
1 ,2 9 toe o aµ vi>c; "COU 0e o u Konig: Religionsgeschichtliche Perspektiven auf die Christologie des Johannesevangeli-
0 aipcov "CT)V aµap-ciav WU 1C6cr µou
. ums (SBS, 178), Stuttgart, Katholisches Bibelwerk, 1999, pp. 146-165. See also B.
LATAIRE, The Son on the Father's Lap: The Meaning o f eir; ,ov K62nov .av na,p6r; in
The work accomplished by '1esus (4 34. . .
' ' 17,4) , the m1ss1on he received John 1 :18, in SNTU 22 (1997) 125-138; ID.Jesus' Equality with God: A Critical Reflec-
from hi s Father, he now passes on tion on John 5,18, in T. MERRIGAN - J. HAER.s (eds.), The Myriad Christ: The Plurality
to his disciples:
and the Quest for Unity in Contemporary Theology (BE1L, 151), Leuven, 2000, pp. 177-
20, 2 1 Ka0cl>i; <'tnfo,aA.lCEV µe
Ona-ci,p, Kayw neµnco 6µu,;. 190; M.M. THOMPSON, The God o f the Gospel of John, Grand Rapids, Ml, Eerdmans,
1991; J. VAN DER WATT, The C,:oss/Resurrection-Events in the Gospel o f John with Spe-
Th God.;- e xpression "God" employed to cial Emphasis on the Confession o f Thomas (20:28), in Neotestamentica 37 (2003) 127-
omas co,uess1on of faith ("My designate Jesus26 in
. 145, esp. pp. 139-141.
Lord and my God") , however, 1s 27. With METzGER, A Textual Commentary (n. 23), p. 198; 21994, pp. 169-170, we
. reject the easier reading µovoyevi']<; llt6<; (see 3, 16.18) and the shorter reading 6 µovo-
26. On the designation of Jesus as yevi']<;.
"God" TAYLOR, Does the New Testa-
ment Call Jesus God?, in ExpT
73 (1961_62/;el sp. · , R.E. BROWN, . 28. See, for instance, the recent commentaries of R.A. CULPEPPER, The Gospel and
Man: Modern Biblical Reflections Jesus, God and L tters o f John (Interpreting Biblical Texts), Nashville, TN, Abingdon, 1998, p. 236; F.J.
(Impact B oo ks)-!
, Ml i l waukee, WI, Bruce Publishing
MOLONEY, The Gospel o f John (Sacra pagina S_eries, 4), Collegeville, MN, Liturgical
448 FOURTH GOSPEL 449
G. VANBE LLE CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN TilE

.. . of two fulfilment
r e fer s
not only to "the promise" of th e S pmt
. 10 7,37-39 ("out of his he explains why his r eaders must belie ve in the form
and the out..'.flowing of blood and
he shall flow nv e r s of living wate r" ), but also to the be stowal of the quotations. With the death of Jesus
ss of John the Baptis t. The blood
Spm upon J e su ' disciple s in 20,22. J e sus giv e s up the Spirit whi ch water we se e the fulfilme nt of the witn e
takes away ··th sin of the world"
r emamed upon him (1,32): alludes to "the Lamb of God who e

by the scriptu ral r ferenc "Non e of his

(1,29) and is further supported
e e
1,32 Kai_ £µapt pT]crev 'Iroo.vvric; Asyrov Ott refers to "the one who bap-
te E_'.lµat to 7tVeiiµa Kata aivov ct>c; n:i;picrtepa.v ti: oupavoii bones shall be broken" (19,36)31. The water
. > ' (1,33) . This is ·now fulfill ed, as Jesus pr e-
K a i i;µi;ivi,v £1t' au,6v. tises with_ the Holy Spirit"
1,33 Kd.ycb OUKf16i,iv aut6v, Scriptures in 7,37b- 38 and as the evang elist
dicted with re fer e nce to the
look
Z"'l '"b
-sµJac; µi,, amjseiv £V u6att S1Cetv6c; µoi ei1ti;v· "They will
_ov av i6nc; ,o 1tvroµa lCUta aivov Kai µsvov £7t' aut6v indirectly confirms by way of the scriptural 32quo):ation
on the one whom they have pierce d" (19,37 ) .
? 1:0 £ ,lV 6 pan:,isrov SV 7tVtuµa-n ayiCl>.
7,37 Ev 6_i; tn e?"xa,n_ ftµe t;t ,fl µi;yo."-n ,fie; top,fjc; th e centurion
elcrtT]Kei 6 Iricrouc; Kat ilKpa i;v Myrov· £6.v ttc; 6i1jF{i epxfo0ro We are thus confronted with a r emarkabl e paralle l with
' centur ion, who stood
., •1YPUq>T,7J,tP6c; µi, Kat mvi;i:ro.
,
at the cr oss found in Mk 15,39: "Now when the
_., eµt ' a e,roe; Emev
6 mcrte6, rov i;lr he said, 'Truly this
facing him, saw that in this way he bre at hed his last,
n:o::aµ i_ € \ 1:T]t; lCOliac;_autOU J)eUO"OUO"lV u6ai:oc; SWvtoc;.
7'39 tOUtO € €17t€V 7ttj)l ,:01) 7tVtiiµai:oc; 6 eµeA.A.OV A.UµO.VelV ol
, .., _ _ , mcrte6cravi:i;c; elc; aut6v· in Scripture. It is possible that
31. This citation does not appear as such anywhere
0i5(O ap riv_ 7tVt1>µa, Ott Iricrouc; ou6sn:ro s6o 6.cr0ri. combin ed analogo us Old Testament references to
John, as elsewhere in the Gospel, has
tions on the eating of the paschal
19,30 Ka tl vac; 1:TJV Keq>UA.TJVn:ape6ro1Cev ,o 1tve.iiµa. make a point. Through the combination of the prescrip idea of the. suffering righteous
20,22 lCl tOU,o el1tcbv £Ve(j)UO"T]O-€V Kai Asyi,i aui:oic;· lamb (Exod 12,10.46; Num 9,12) with the Old Testament
paschal lamb and the suffering
Aa i;,:i, 1tveiiµa iiyiov· (Ps 34,21 [LXX 33,21]), he presents Jesus as both the (n. 29), pp. 99-100 (with end-
"Bloed en water" ·in Joh 19,34
righteous. See VAN BELLE,
Th si ficanc ofJes us' death is explained in the scene describino- notes on pp. 110-111). Jerusalem responsible for the
32. John is referring to Zech 12,10. The prophet holds the house of David (12,8),
the p1erc10g of his side (19,31-37) 29_ Blood and water (19 34) s bo s
'
of eternal life, are closely relate d: "Th e bloody ' r e concili atory 'r eality of
i° death of the King Shephe rd. One who was sent by God from
by the people (11,12-14) and is
on whom all messianic hope rests (9,9-10), is rejected or part of a verse, John alludes
. .
Jesus' de ! th an_,d the gift of living wate r cannot be separated from one condemned to death (12,10; 13,7). By quoting a verse,
pierced appears and the source
,, 3 also to the context, in which the death of the one who wasthere shall be open to the house
. In 9, 4 the evangelist relates th e fulfilment of this e leme nt of the water providing salvation is opened: "On that day purify from sin and unclean-
oother
Jesus ' mess1 c charge in a sequence of three asides. In v. 35 he of David and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, a fountai
n to
waters shall flow from Jerusal em" (14,8). This is also found in
solemnly d rlines the reliability of. the out-flowing of blood and water ness" (13,1) and "living spirit, like the waters from the
the Book of Comfort, written for those in exile: water and
fr J e sus side so that_his r e ade r s might be lieve that Jesus as Messiah of God, those who come to God anew (Isa 43,20;
Horeb, will give new life to the people
of the exodus (Ezek 34-36) and
an on of God grants eternal life (20,31). In the two asides that follow 44,1-5; 48,21; cf. 49,10). Ezekiel reinterprets the image up from the temple will be a
g
envisages the unleashing of a new source. Waters swellin
list uses the imagery of Jesus
. . source of new life (Ezek 47,1-12; cf. Joel 4,18). The evangegospel. In an early reference,
Press, 1998, pp. 504-505, 508-509; R. KlEFFER Joh . J B various parts of his

:;t;:c;;; !tJ; J;tf r

in
!6 g /:{;' as the temple and the source of life

- ;{
0 n
2003, pp. 1148-1149; D.M. S
Univ;rsity nPrs: 2 ;P
Jo '::c aryd o
vo\/L Peabody, MA, Hendrickson,
ew Testament Co entaries),
during the first Passover, the evangelist identifies the
of Christ (2,19-2
to be the place of
1). In
true
the discuss
worship .
ion
Here,
with
Jesus
the
is
Samari
talking
temple of Jerusalem with the body
tan
about
woman, Jesus indicates .himself
himself and his work in mys-
Nashville, 1N, Abingdon, 1999, ;p. 361-362'.°b hour is coming , and is now, when the true worshipers will wor-
' · CHNELLE, Das Evangelzum nach terious language: "The have received the Spirit can
. (4,23)." Only those who
Johannes (THK 4) ' Le"_!PZI.,,
-,, E vangelische Verlagsanstalt, 1998 (22000) pp. 290-291 · ship the Father in spirit and tnJth" has dawned for the woman.
29 · G· VAN B, Bloed en wa1er" in Joh 19,34, in J. HAERs - T ' worship the father in the right way. The hour of true worship
,;ELLE.
0 E MEY (eds.), Volk van God en gemeenschaP van de Ge I?vzgen . " : GAN - P. re she answer s Jesus' revelati on: "I know that Messiah is coming (he who is
: Plezdoo ,en voor een Therefo (v. 25).
zorgzame kerkgemeenschap · PS R · Mi chi el s Averbode, Uitgeverij Averbode, 1999, pp. called Christ); when he comes, he will show us all things" 12,10. It is most probable
' an allusion in his citation to Zech
89-112. John is not only making as, "no bone shall be
30. W. T!rosJNo Die Erhohung und r herrr y even a third, is made, such
,c ng Jesu im Johannesevangelium that a second reference, and possibl Sufferin g Servant of Yahweh:
(NTA, 21/1-2), M ster, Aschendorff 196; p. _l l, compare F. PORS_CH, Pneuma und broken", and an allusion to a passage from the Song of the
Wort. Ein exegetischer Beitrag zur P umt11ol ogze es J ohannesevangelzums (Frankfurter he was pierced for our offence s" (Js 53,5). See V AN BELLE, "Bloed en water" in
"But
TheoJogische Studien , 16) , Frankfurt am Mam, . Joh 19,34 (n. 29), pp. 100-101 (with endnotes on pp.
111-112).
Verlag Josef Knecht, 1974, pp. 337-338.
 450 G. VANBELLE
CHRISTOLOGY AND SO:rERIOLOGY IN 1HE FOURTH GOSPEL 451
man was God's Son ! "'33_ Th e confes s ion
of Ma r k ' s ce t u r i on is furthe r
eJ rat by John m a symbolic narrative (19, In 19, 3 1-37 John furthe r elaborate s upon the witne s s of the ce nturion
3 1-3 7) Th e •J hanrun .
soldi e r pie rce s Je s us' sid e and confe s ses in Mk 15, 3 9 in a highly cre ative manner. For the evangeli s t, the outflow
that he s e e s . . Je sus e ath the
e
source of ete rnal life . The belov e d of blood and wate r allude s to J e sus as Me ssiah and Son of God: blood
• . disciple his turnmdecla r e s th
witn e s s ·s tru e an d consigns at the allude s to the forgiv e ne ss of sins, water to the.gift of the Spirit, both a r e
It to writing s o that th e re ade rs .
may be lie ve that Je sus is th e Chri s t, of hi s gosp e l a source of eternal life. Je s us thus comple te s the task ascrib e d to him by
the Son of God (20, 3 1):
Mk 14, 3 9 !.Srov OE6 Kev-rup' ' ° 6 hi s Father (4,34; 17,4) and the announcement of John the Baptist is ful-
e
o!h-co,; e e 1tvsucrs d 1t s P crt T]Kro<; e evav-ria,; UU"tOU o n filled: as Lamb of God he take s away the s ins of the world (1,29) and as
d11.S,; o◊w 6 civ0pconoi;; oio 9soii Son of God upon whom the Spirit re s ts he baptise s with the Spirit (1,33-
In 19, 3 5 Ka 6 scopa co,; µsµap,uptJKev, ,; v. 34).
Ka d11,11_0ivtJ u-roii fonv fi µap-ropia,
m €Ktvoi;;_ oiosv o n <1A 0fj A!:Yet, 3. Jn 4,1-42
tJ
w': Kat oµsi,; ma,1:o[<r]t]ts.
Jn 20, 3 1 ;av,a_.St_ri:ypantai tva Up to this point we have e xamined e spe cially thre e Chri s tological
m<rteo[<r]tJte o,t
ltJ,O:?oi;; ecrn v o XPt<r-ro,; o oio,; ,oii titl e s from th e confe ssion of Thomas and the conclu s ion to the Gosp e l of
. Kat tva mcr.s6ov.si;; l;coiJv extJ,s 9eoi>,
sv tcp ov6µan au-roii. John: ulo<; -rou 0eou (Son of God); Xptcr.6<; (Chri s t) / Mscrcria<;
All this le ads us to affirm th at we . (Me ssias), 0s6<; (God). The re maining titl e KUptO<; now re quires furthe r
. . . a r e de aling at this ju n ctur
e with " a
rruxture of Synoptic mspiration and Johannine cre tivity"34_ di s cus s ion36 . In the pre se nt author's opinion the title appears for the fir s t
. ' tim e in Jn 4,1 (excluding the use ther e of in th e quotation from Isa 40, 3
Our re ading of 19 3 5 thus· b1:·11g . in 1,2 3 ). My de fence of thi s position can be found in my contribution to
s us via th e text of
lowin ob s e rva . 35' Mark to the fol- the Festschrift of Joel De lobel. Chapte rs one and four are not only par-
witne ! to th e ! : i
; : e th e s i of Jes us be a r s
tha;1:a: d 0 . w_ out : om J
alle l in tenn s of the motif of Je s us' sup e rnatural knowl e dge ; how e ve r,
This implie s that he be a r s witn e ss e s us ' side .
so that we n:ught beli.e ve . It re pr the y also contain an accumulation of Chri s tological title s37 • In Je sus'
the Johannine arti u l ati e s e nts
f th e dialogue with th e Samaritan woman, a simple e vent - the woman draws
the id e of th e crocs s : 1 : : is :
ri
; ; the Markan e n on a!
e o _- The e xpre s s ion tva Kat water from the we ll and Je sus asks he r for a drink - fonns the point of
6µim; 1ttcr-rsu[0Jr1-rs in 19 35. s g_iv; . de parture for a gradual se lf-re velation on the part of Je s us: he is a Jew
n coulnte n t m 20, 3 1 in
fession of the Ma r kan ce n't u n ·oin w ch the con-
h i
(v. 9)38, Lord (vv. 11.15.19), someone greate r than our anc e s tor Jacob
is 1onn ate d as the goal f t h
and th e cons e que nce of belief e gospel
. is e xpre s s ed. Je sus fulfil s to (v. 12), a prophet (v. 19), the Me ss ia h, who is calle d C s t (v. 25; com-
ta s k as s ign e d to him by his Fath
_o th l':5t th e pa r e v. 26: "I am he " ; se e al s o v. 29: "He cannot be the Mes s iah, can
e r who se nt m B
th cro s in a-deed of ab s olute e on
h i

lov e he offers h he ? "), a man who told the Samaritan woman e ve rything she had ever
witne s smg the outflow of blo od ? em l i 1e. In
and .'_"ater, the soldier . done (v. 29), the Saviour of the world. The fact that s uch a pa s sage ,
salvific s ignifi cance of the e ve nt re cognise s the w ch de als with the qu e s tion of th e id e ntification of Je s us : "Who is
_ t_o which he te s tifi e s . The be lov h i

ciple confirms th e truth of s te s e d di s -

h i timony. Je s us? Is he the Me s s i ah ?" (cf. 4,10.25-26; comp a r e 1, 3 8.42, whe re th e

=
di s ciple s of John th e Baptist are looking for the Me s siah), is introduc e d
with the title KUpto<; may re fer back to a conscious compo s ition al inte r-
33. For this explanation, see M. vention on the part of the e vangelis t. One can agre e at thi s juncture with
and Its Synoptic Parallels (Jn 1916SABBE
- 4 '. EI'{
The J hemnine Account of the
Death of Jesus
also ID., Omtrent het Johannese a nbgei2e') v; 7O 994) 34-64, p:c. pp. 43-51. See E. Le idig that 4,1-4 is a we ll-des igne d composition. Two title s of
Poem: B. BARNARD.With i , m o1gens ohannes (Pamtmgs: J. VANRIET.
an Essa b
Tielt, Lannoo, 1995, pp. 5-15, esp. t1b- : : d the text_ of the Gospel of John], 36. On the Johannine use of Kilpio . see "Appendix I".
BELLE (ed.), In Memoriam Maurits I an_English s!ation in G. VAN
37. See also my Les parentheses dans l'evangile de Jean (n. 21), pp. 201-235: "La
Peeters, 2004, pp. 1-15 (esp. 6_8) and s d b b ; (Annua
34. SABBE,The Johannine Accountpp. 17_32 (esp. 2
(n. 33) ' p· 50·
!;
Lovaruens1a, 50), Leuven, parenthese en 4,9: oo yap crunpiov.cn 'Ioooai:oi :Eaµapi'tai "-
38. G. VAN BELLE, Kvp1 or 'J17uoix; in John 4,1?, in A. DENAUX (ed.), New Testa-
35· VAN BELLE, "Bloed en water" in ment Textual Criticism and Exegesis. FS J. Delobel (BETI,, 161), Leuven, University
Joh 19,34 (n. 29), p. 98_
Press - Peeters, 2001, pp. 153-186.
 IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL
453
CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY
452 G. VANBELLE
of the Langua ge
.
title "The Literary Umty . of the Fourth Gospel: A Study
majesty, _the KUpto<; title in the first verse and the crco'tftp title in the last i Special Attention to Repetitions
verse, serve to frame the c hapter as a whole39 • For the non-Jewish world and Style of the Fourth Ev g
and V ana
el i st w'th
. t ions "41. One parti cu l a r ques
u·on in this
reg a r d relate s to the
one u·t1 e
thes e titles· represent de s ignations for the redeemer. A c onne c tion is thus . tand the Chri s tological titles . l s
established between 4,1 and 42. At the c entre of the narrative, verse 22 way m w .c h we s hould u n d ; : e uld w under tand the
othe r? How. s h e s
and 25 point out th a t the Lord and redeemer of all humankind is the Jew- a trans lation or a s ynonym O What might we c on s ider
or more t1.tles'.?
ish Messiah40 • The messianic func tion of Jesu s in its universal dimen- confe s sions , whic h emploi two
sions is indi c ated in 4,1 on behalf of the Samaritan woman and the non- their origin to be? a r allel u s e of (a) Christ
e a rs from the PS
One c ould ponder that "It app in Jn 12 '34 ,
Jews and openly confessed in Jn 4,42. (b) Christ and the on of Man
and Son of GOd .1Il Jn_20 '31 ' God in Jn
rae1 m . Jn 1' 49 and Ea) Lord and
I c onc lude my critique of the article of Roose at this junc ture. In my . (c ) Son of God and king of Is prophet ' as. s on of
20 '28,, ' that "the pre s en tation of Je s u s as themosaic u·
opinion the conc lusion to the go s p e l do e s not allude in the first in s tance
ogi
. . g (S of Man) as the pre- e xi s ten a l
to Martha's c onfession of faith in 11,25. While the double c onfession of David, as e s chatol c a l U
geable for the
tn e : a l instanc inter c han
faith may indeed be a literal repetition of 20,30, it s hould be read within Logo s , as Lord and God a rJe
the framework established by the distribution of Christologi c al titles evangeli s t" 42:
throughout the go s pel. The c onclusion to the go s pel together with the 1,49 · a.m:1Cpl0T\ a.o.: 0a.v ffk _
8 ou,
a ppearances of Je s u s to the eleven di s c iples and the c onfession of pa.p i, cro Ei o moc; ,: u
cri) a<nAX\lS Ei 'tO\l 1c;pUT\A.,
Thomas, who pro c laims that Jesus is our Lord and God on behalf of all
11,27 M-yEt a.01:ci>· .,
the dis c iples and as example for all the faithful, re pre s ent the c limax of va.l. Kllpu;, e-yclJ 7tE7t1.0''tEU1CO.
on

the entire gospel. The c onclusion to the gospel, together with the con- (j\) d ()XPlG'tOt;
fession of Thomas, harks bac k to the first c hapte r, the reby forming an o uioc; 'tO\l 8&0\l . v o c;.
6 El i:ov 1C6crµ o v epx, o µs
all-embra c ing in c lusion based on the Chri s tologic al title s . This warrants
further elaboration. 12,34 'A1t 1C i.0T\ _obv a.O't 6'tO\l o ; A.o ·
v o µ OU O'tt () X.PlG'tO
µev&t &le; }OV
f\µEt f\lCOUO' O.µ&v tlC a.lrova.,
uio v 'tO\l a v 0 p<i>1tou
;
6Ei {)lj!(l)0T]Va.t '
t OV
' Et (j\) O'tt
l(a.t' 1t fur.. A. &Y
I V . CHRISTOLOGY AND STYLE - a v 8 P_
, ,
0)1t0\l.
i:i. ecr,:tv 0 ,: o o ufoc; !OU
0roµci a.l. i1ti:v aoi:Q?·
20,28 d1tE1Cpi.0T\
µou.
The pre s ent study of the Christologi c al titles is rooted in the c onte xt () Kllploc; µ o u 1Ca.t O 81:0
.of a wid e r proje c t on the style of the Gospel of John with the working 20,31 i:a.iiw 6 t -ye-ypa.ma.t -
o uc; ecrnv () X.PlG'tO
\'.va. mcr,:Eu(cr)T\'tE oi:t •111cr () uioc; ,:oii 8&0\l, ...
39. E. LEIDIG, Jesu Gesprach mit der Samaritanerin und weite r e G e sp rache im
Johannesevangelium (Theologische Dissertationen, 15), Basel, Friedrich Reinhardt Kom- . . g tha t John is alone in the New Te s tament
It mu s t be con s idered s trikin. .
missionsverlag, 1979, pp. 43-44. According to Leidig, it is quite possible that the evan-
. Mes iah . ea c h instanc e s up-
on two oc c as ion s , m
gelist employed the title, rooted in the event of the resurrection, retrospectively during the m emp1oymg . the title s
public life of Jesus and in particular in those passages which mark a particular milestone
pl e mente d with the translation
'X.P\G'tO<;:
in Jesus' life. The title stands at the beginning of two passages (4,1 and 11,2) and in a •
x,pi<ri:oc;.
transitional scene in the third (6,23). Jesus is referred to as o KUplO in association with ,
EUP'f11CO.µEV 'tOV, M Evv_,.,;•a .v > 5 ecri:tv µE0i:pµT\vEu6µsvov
1 38 r
Iris mission in Samaria (4,1), the multiplication of bread in Galilee (6,22), and the resur- A-E-ytt a.oi:& T\ -yuvf . , .
4',2 5 X.PlG'tO
rection of Lazarus in Judea (11,2). In each of these locations Jesus' claim is legitimated.
o i 6a. oi:t M t cr
crla 1':pXE'ta.t 6 ':_EYOP,E O
In addition to this, Jesus is presented in chapter 4 as the saviour of the world, in chapter f\µtv 0.7t0.V't0..
6 as the eschatological anti-type of Moses and in chapter 11 (cf. chapter 9) as one who O'tO.V &A.0n £1CEiV o . o.va.-y-yEA.Et
exercises the function of creator expected of God: Jesus creates life out of death. See V m
Thomas Popp's Recent
BELLE, K6pzo, or 'Irwoix; in John 4,1? (n. 38), p. 171. · Variation and Amplification:
40. See also my article Salvation is from the J e w s " : The Pare nthesis in J n 4,22, in R. 41. G. VAN BELLE, e p etition.' EI'L 79 (2003) 166-178, pp. 177-178. .
m
BIERINGER - D. PoLLEFEYT - F. VANNEUVILLE (eds.), Anti-Judaism and the Fourth Contribution on Johannme Style, de evan gelist Johannes: Haar
polemiek e n
D E RUYTER, D e gemeente va;4
Gospel: Papers from the Leuven Colloquium, January 2000 (Jewish and Christian Her- . 42. B.W.J. 1998, p. .
itage Series, 1), Assen, Van Gorcurn, 2001, pp. 368-398. haar geschiede nis, Delft, Eburon,
454 G. VANBELLE
It is this very title x;picn6c;, which we find further explained in the
appositional material in 11,27 and 20,31 as 6 uloc; 1:0u 8c0u. Is this pre-
sent instance, together with other occasions in which two Christological
titles occur side by side, to be understood as equivalent or synonymous
usage? Let us explore one confession in which two titles occur together,
namely that of Thomas.
1. As we already pointed out, the confession of Thomas, 6 K1Jpt6 c;
µou Kai 6 8s6c; µou, is the climax of a series of confessions in the
Fourth Gospel. The first problem we are faced with is how to explain
this Christological statement on the part of Thomas? The history of exe-
gesis has provided three grammatical explanations of Thomas' reac-
tion43:
(a) The predicative explanation of 6 8s6 c; µou introduces two possi-
bilities. Artemonius took for granted that Thomas' use of "my God"
referred to God the Father and "my Lord" to Jesus. He thus presupposed
the following translation of the verse: "Thomas answered him: '(Je us,
you are) my Lord; (Father, your are) my God"' 44• E.A. Abbott para-
phrased the confession as follows: "My dear Lord - is actually none
other than my God" 45 .
(b) If one is inclined to take Thomas' reaction as exclamatory ("My
Lord and my God!") one is likewise faced with two possibilities. On the
one hand, and in line with Theodore of Mopsuestia and Faustus Socinus,
one can argue·that Thomas referred to God the Father: "Praise [or,
glory] be to my Lord and my God! " 46• On the other hand, however, one
might maintain that Thomas addressed himself to Jesus and paraphrase
the reaction together with F.C. Burkitt as follows: "It is Jesus Himself,
and now I recognize Him as Divine" 47.
(c) One can also translate the reaction of Thomas as a vocative:
Thomas responded to Jesus with "My Lord and my God" as a term of
address. This represents the most commonly accepted explanation48•
43. Here we follow HARRIS, Jesus as God (n. 26), pp. 106-111.
44. Artemonius is cited by J.A. BENGEL, Gnomon Novi Testamenti in quo e;c nativa
verborum vi simplicitas, profunditas,'-concinnitas, salubritas sensuum coelestium indica-
tor, Tiibingen, Sumtibus ac typis Io. Henr. Philippi Schrammii,1742; 31773 (ed. E. BEN-
GEL), p. 382; Stuttgart, Steinkopf, 81887 (ed. P. STEUDEL), p. 426.
45. E.A. ABBOTT, Johannine Grammar: A Comparison o f the Words o f the Fourth
Gospel with Those o f the Three (Diatessarica, 6), London, Adam and Charles Black,
1906, p. 94 (§2050) and p. 94 n. 2 (§2050a).
46. HARRIS, Jesus as God (n. 26), pp. 106-111.
47. F.C. BURKIIT, Christian Beginnings, London, University of London Press, 1924,
p. 48.
48. HARR!s, Jesus as God (n. 26), pp. 106-111.
CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL 455
We are at liberty to accept that the confession of Thomas was neither
predicative nor exclamatory. The fommla d.1tEKpi811 0roµii c; Kai Ei1tsv
au-c(f) in v. 28 clearly indicates that the following expression should be
understood as a response to Jesus' invitation in v. 27 and not so much as
an exclamation. In New Testament Greek, moreover, it is not unusual
that a nominative with the definite article is employed as a term of
address, although it has been argued that such a usage does not occur in
pre-Christian papyri49.
How then should we understand the formula and what constitutes its
background? Scholars offer a variety of interpretations50:
(a) The apologetic or polemical i nterpretation presupposes that the
confession of Thomas alludes to the cult of the emperor Domitian (A.D.
81-96), who insisted on being referred to as "dominus et deus noster"
(Suetonius, Domitian, 13)51.
(b) Others, including R.E. Brown, are more inclined to accept a litur-
gical explanation. Brown thus interprets the confession of Thomas as the
combination of a "covenantal confession" ("You are my God", cf. Hos
2,25 LXX; cf. Jn 20,17) and a "baptismal profession" ("Jesus is the
Lord")52.
(c) C.H. Dodd offers a theological interpretation, arguing that the for-
mula 6 K6pt6c; µou Kai 6 8s6c; µou is intended to identify the historical
Jesus (6 K6pt6c; µou) with the incarnate Logos (6 8s6c; µou) 53.
(d) According to A. Deissmann, the combination of Kupt◊c; Kai 8s6 c;
in the Christian liturgy harks back to the common Septuagintal conjunc-
tion Kupts o 8s6c; 54 : Ps 9,33 [10,12]; 85,15 [86,15]; 87,2 [88,1]. The
.Septuagint, however, contains a number of other formulas 55 : Kupte 6
. 8s6 c; µou (20 examples) 56, 1<6pts 6 8so c; fiµoov (14)57, Kupt◊c; 6 8s6c;
49. For this argumentation, see Harris, Jesus as God (n. 26), pp. 110-111.
50. See HARRls, Jesus as God (n. 26), pp. 110-111.
51. See below, n. 63.
52. R.E. BROWN,The Gospel According to John (xiii-xxi): Introduction, Translation,
and Notes (AncB, 29A), Garden City, NY, Doubleday, 1970, pp. 1046-1048.
53. C.H. DODD,,The Interpretation o f the Fourth Gospel, London, Cambridge Univer-
sity Press, 1963, p. 430 n. 2.
54. A. DEISSMANN, Light from the Ancient East: The New Testament Illustrated by
Recently Discovered Texts of·the Graeco-Roman World, Translated by L.R.M. Strachan,
London, Hodder & Stoughton, 1910, p. 361.
55. See HARRIS, Jesus as God [n. 26], pp. 120-121.
56. 2Kgdms [2Sam.] 15,31; 3 Kgdms. [l Kings] 17,21; Esther4,171(A); Tob3,11;
Ps 7,2.4.7 [vv. 1.3.6); 9,33 (A M2) [10,12]; 12,4 [13,3]; 29,3.13 [30,2.12]; 34,24 (35,24];
37,16 [38,15]; 39,6 (40,5]; 85,12 (86,12]; 103,1 (104,1]; 108,26 (109,26]; Jonah 2,7
[v. 6]; Hab 1,12 [A]; Isa 25,1.
57. 4 Kgdms [2 Kings] 19,19; 1 Chron 29,16; 2 Chron 14,10 bis [v. 11]; 20,12;
Ps 98,8 (99,8]; 105,47(106,47]; Isa 26,12.13; Bar 2,12.19.27: Dan 9,15.17 [A].
456 G.VANBELLE
CHRISTOLOGY AND.SOTERIOLOGY IN TIIE FOUR1H GOSPEL
457
crou (1) 58 ; ·see also frequently occurring formulas such as K6ptoc; o 0e6c;
to serve admirably as the crowning Christ9logical affirmation of the
µou 59, K6pt0<; o 0eoc; fiµ&v 60 and other examples in which e6<; µ u or
Fourth Gospel, as a confessional formula in the church, •and as a rebuttal
Kupto<; o 0eo<; fiµ&v is accompanied by cr6 (3) 61 or o-u d (or ei cru)
of e imperial cult" 63•. On the other hand, i it fair to argue that the con-
(10) 62• Toe closest parallel is to be found in Ps 34,23 (35,23) 6 0e6c; µou
eluding formula's similarity with othe r texts is ultimately accidental
Kai o K6pt6<; µou. The reverse order encountered in the Gospel of John
rooted in the variations introduced by the evangelist himself?
can be ascribed to the ,frequency of the formula Kupte 6 0e6<; µou. An
additional and evident parallel is represented by o ao-tA.eU<; µou Kai 6
0e6<; µou in Ps 5,3 (5,2); cf. 83,3 (84,2). CONCLUSION
/

Recent exegesis has often been inclined to explain Thomas' confes- In this contribution, we have indicated, dialogue with H. Roose,
sion of faith as a reaction to the cult of the emperor63 • Similar associa- at the two Christological titles in 20,31 should be read firstly in rela-
tions have been made with other texts in John, especially the discussion tJ.on to the two titles within the confession of
Thomas in 20,28. More-
on kingship during Jesus' encounter with the Samaritans in 4,42 and the ov r, we wis to emphasise that these. four titles
in 20,28 and 20,31 were
inscription placed above the cross in 19 ,19 -20. There would thus appear deliberately mtegrated in the gospel, and then
already. from the first
to be a consistent line running from the beginning of the gospel (1,49 ), chapter. This means that not only miµeia noteiv
but also the titles
through 4, 4 2 and 19 ,19 -20, to the end in 20,28, which engages in a reflect on the whole of the gospel.
polemic with the cult of the emperor64 . Should we explain the confession With B.W.J. de Ruyter we ask ow-selves whether
"the Christological
of Thomas against this background or are we at liberty' to suggest that titles" of Jesus in the Fourth Gospel eventually
come to have almost the
the formula in 20,28 makes more than one allusion? "My suggestion ame_ meaning. This asks further inquiry. A second problem that we
regarding the genesis of Thomas's confession is this. In his attempt to identify_ con: s the influence of the imperial cult
on the Christology:
depict the sigrrificance of the risen Jesus for himself personally, Thomas do the tJ.tles king of Israel/ of the Jews", "saviour
of the world"; "my
used a liturgical form ultimately drawn from the. LXX, which later came Lord and my God", which form a red thread
from the beginning of the
gospel (1, 4 9 ), over 4,42 and 19,1 9 -20, to the
end (20,28), indicate a
polemic that involves the imperial cult? This question
58. Ps 80,11 [81,10). also asks furthe r
attention.
59. For example, Ps 14 3;1 [144,1]; Jer 38,18 [31,18].
60. For example, 2 Esdras [Ezra] 9,9; Ps 98,9 [99,9].
61. Jer 38,18 [31,18]; Bar 2,15; 3,6.
62 . 2 Mace 1,2 7; Ps 15, 2 [16, 2 ); 96,9 [97,9); 117,28 bis [118,2 8]; 139,7 [14 0,6]; APPENDIX I
14 2 ,10 (B_N) [14 3,10); Hos 2 ,2 5 [v. 2 3); Isa 44,17; Jer 3, 22 .
63. W. BONNEY,Caused to Believe: The Doubting Thoma:, Story at the _Climax o f CHRISTOLOGICAL Tm.ES IN THE FOURTII GOSPEL65
John's Christological Narrative (Biblical Interpetation Series, 62 ), Leiden, Brill, 200 2 ;
B.A. MASTIN, The Imperial Cult and the Ascription o f the Title 0e6<; to Jesus (John l. 6 Myoc; (the Word): l,la.b.c.14.
XX..28), in E.A. LIVINGSTONE(ed.), Studia Evangelica, vol. VI (TU, 112 ), Berlin, 1973, 2. Macrcria.c; (Messias): 1,41; 4,25·(each time with translation).
pp. 352 -365; D. Cuss, Imperial Cult and Honorary Terms in the New estament (Para- 3. 6 Xpicn6c; (Christ): 1,17.(20).( 2 5).41; (3, 2 8); 4, 2 2
dosis, 2 3), Fribourg, University Press, 1974 ; R. CASSIDY,John's Gospel m New Perspec- 5. 9.42 *; 6,69*;
?, 2 6.2 ? .31.41a. l b.42 ; 9, 2 2 ; 10, 2 4; 11, 2 7; 12 ,34; 17,3; 2 0,31. Note:
tive: Christology and the Realities o f Roman Power, Maryknoll, NY, Orbis Books, 1992; I11crouc; Xpicr,oc; in 1,17 en 17,3.
C.R. KOESTER, "The Savior o f the World" (John 4:42), in J B L 109 (1990) 665-680; S.
VANTn.BORG, Reading John in Ephesus (Supp!NT, 83), Leiden, Brill, 1996; J. KOGLER,
Der andere Konig: Religionsgeschichtliche Perspektiven auf die Christologie des Johan-
nesevangeliums (Stuttgarter Bibelstudien, 178), Stuttgart, Katholisches Bibelwerk, 1999; 63a. See HARrus, Jesus as God (n. 2 6), p. 12 1.
M. LABAHN,"Heiland der Welt". Der Gesandte und der romische Kaiser - ein Thema 64. On 4, 4 2 , see esp. C.R. KOESTER, "The Savior o f the
johanneischer Theologie?, in M. LABAHN- J. ZANGENBERG (eds.), Zwischen den Reichen. 109 (1990 6?5-?80; M. LABAHN,Heiland der Welt (n. 63). World" (John 4:42), in JBL
65._ This list 1s based the_ text N27. The asterisk (*)
Neues Testament und Romische Herrschaft. Vortrage auf der Ersten Konferenz der Euro- _on
For this ovrv1ew of Christological _of indicates a varia nt reading.
pean Association f o r Biblical Studies (TANZ, 36), Tiibingen - Basel, Fra n cke Verlag, titles (and
2 002 , pp. 14 7-14 3; L.B. RICHEY, "Truly this is the Savior o f the World": Christ and
use of the list of DE RuYTER, De gemeente van other characterisations of Jesus), we made
de evangelist Johannes (n. 4 2 ), pp. 52 -53.
Caesar in rhe Gospel o f John, Diss. Philosophy, Marquette University, 2004. For nos. 1-13, see also F. • Theol_ogie des Neuen Testaments. Ba nd I: Die
':_s !j,e_,u !estaments. Theologiegeschichte des Urchristentums, Tiibingen, Vielfalt
Mohr, 200 2 ,
 458 G.VANBELLE CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL 459

4. 6 pam),eu c; (the King): Co pare Jesus' return to the Father: <iva.Pa.ivco: 3,1 3 ; 6, 6 2 ; 2 0;! 7 ;
(a) 6 pam1,eu c; wi5 'fopaT]A (the King oflsrael): 1,49 ; 12 ,13 ; onayco: 7, 3 3 ; 8,14a.1 4 b; 13 ,3.3 6; 14,5.28; 16 ,5a.5b.10.16 *.17 ; see
(b) 6 pam),eu c; 'tcov 'Iou6aicov (the King of the Jews): 18,3 3 .39 ; esp. 61tou syco 61tuyco (where I am going): 8,2 1 .22 ; 13 ,3 3 .3 6 ; 14,4).
1 9,3.19.2 l a.21b; 24. "To come into the world" (epxoµai i;;i c; 't.ov Kocrµov): 1,9; 3,1 9 ; 6 , 1 4 ;
(c) other instances: 6 ,15; 12,15; 18,3 7 a.37b; 19 ,(12 ).14.15a. 19. 2 1. 9 ,3 9 ; 11,2 7 ; 12 ,4 6 ; 16 ,28; 1 8,3 7 .
5. 6 iiyto c; 'toi5 8eoi5 (the Holy of God): 6,69 . 25. Jesus' unity with the Father: 5,18; 10, 3 3 .3 6 ; 1 9 ,7 .
6. 6 sio..e1C1:6c; 'tOU 8eoi5 (the Chosen One of God): 1, 3 4*. 26 . Jesus as the fulfilment of the Old Testament expectations: Moses wrote
7. 6 ut6 c; (the Son): 1,18; 3,1 6 .17 .3 5.36 a.3 6 b; 5,1 9 a.19 b.2 0.2 1.2 2 .2 3 a. abo_ut Jesus (5,4 6 -47 ); John the Baptist testified to him (1,15); the
2 3 b.2 6 ; 6 ,40; 8,35. 3 6; 14,1 3 ; 1 7 ,l a.l b. Scnptures testify on Jesus' behalf (5, 3 9 ).
8. 6 uto c; 'toi5 8i;;oi5 (the.Son of God): 1,18*. 3 4.4 9; 3 ,18 (6 µovoyf:vT) c; 27 . syro Elµi-sayings ("I am-sayings): I am the bread of life (6 ,3 5.4 1.
ut6 c; 'tOi5 8i;;oi5); 5, 2 5 ; 6 ,6 9 * ; 9, 3 5* ; 10, 3 6 ; 11,4. 2 7 ; 19 ,7 ; 2 0,3 1. 48.50-51.58); the gate ( 1 0,7 .9 ); the good-'shepberd (10,11.14.1 6 ); the
9. uto c; 'tOU <iv8pro1tOI) (Son of Man): 1,51; 3,13.14; 5, 2 7 ; 6,27.53. 6 2 ; resurrection and the life (11, 2 5); the way, and the truth, and the life
8, 2 8; 9 ,3 5; 12,2 3 .3 4c.3 4d; 13 ,3 1. (14, 6 ); the true vine (15,1.5); the light of the world (8,12; compare
10. 6 dµvo c; 'tOi5 8i;;oi5 (Lamb of God): 1,29 .36 . 9 ,5).
11 . 6 crco'tT)p wi5 K6crµou (the Saviour of the World): 4,42 . 2 8. " I am" used absolutely, referring to the name of God: 8, 2 4.2 8.58;
12. 6 Kupioc; (Lord): 13 ,19. See also 6 ,20; 18,5. 6 .8.
(a) vocative: 4,11.15.1 9 .4 9 ; 5, 7 ; 6 ,3 4.68; [8,11]; 9 ,36 .3 8; 11, 3 .12 .
2 1.2 7.3 2 .3 4.3 9 ; 13 ,6 .9 .2 5.3 6.3 7 ; 14,5.8. 2 2 ; 2 1 ,15.16 .17.2 0.2 1;
(b) Other instances: 4,1 * ; 6, 2 3 ; 11,2; 13 ,13 .14 ; 2 0,2 .13.18.20.2 5.2 8; APPENDIX I I
2 1,7 a.7b.12 .
"CHRISTIAN CONFESSIONS" IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL66
13 . (6) µovoyevftc; (the Only Begotten): 1,14.18 (µovoyeVT)c; 8i;:6 c;);
3 ,16 .18 (6 µovoyeVT)c; utoc; 'toi5 8i;;oi5).
1. Formulated in the Second Person
14. (6) 8i;:6 c; (God): 1,1.18; 2 0,2 8.
1,4 9 pappt, cru d o utoc; 'toi5 8eoi5, au Pacn.1,euc; d 'toi5 'fopari'--
Other Characterisations of Jesus: 4, 1 9 KIJPtE, Secop& O'tt 1tpO<pT]'tT]c; e i cru.
6 ,6 9 cru d 6 iiyioc; 'tOU 8i;;oi5.
15.
16 .
6 npo<pT]'tT\c; (the Prophet): 4,19; (4 ,44); 6 ,14·; 7 ,40.(52 ); 9,1 7 .
pa.ppi (Rabbi): 1, 3 8.4 9 ; 3 ,2.2 6 ; 4 ,3 1; 6 ,2 5; 9 ,2 ; 11,8.
11,2 7 cru e i b XPtITToc; 6 ulo c; 'tOU 8i;;oi5 o i;;lc; 'tOV Kocrµov spx6µi;;vo c;.
17. pappouvi (Rabbouni): 2 0,16. Compare the vocative:
1 8. 6 6t6ac r K a.Aoc; (Teacher): 1, 3 8; 3, 2 ; [8,4]; 11, 2 8; 13 ,13 .14 ; 2 0,16 .
19 . "From the house of David, from Bethlehem": 7 ,42 . 2 0,28 6 K6pi6c; µou Ka.i. 6 0i;:6c; µou.
.2 0. "Son of Joseph, from Nazareth in Galilee": 1,46 ; 6 ,4 2 ; 7 ,4 1; 1 8,5.7 .
·
2 1. "Sent by the Father": · See also:
(a) <i1toITTEAACO .(send): 3,1 7 ; 3 ,3 4 ; 5, 3 6 .3 8; 6 ,29.57 ; 7 ,2 9; 8,42 ; 10,2 4 f:l cr d 6 XPtITT6c;, elne T]µtV 1tappT]cri,;t.
10, 3 6 ; 11,42 ; 17 ,3.8.18a.18b.2 1.23.2 5; 2 0,2 1.
Note: <i1toITTeAACO elc; 'tOV K6crµov (send into the world): 3 ,17 ;
1 8,3 3 cru f;t 6 Pacn.1,euc; 't V 'Iou6aicov;
18,3 7 OOKOUV Pa.cn.1,euc; d cru;
10,3 6 ; 17 ,18a.18b.
(b) 1teµ1tco (send): 3 ,2 pa.ppt, o'toa.µev O'tt <i1to 0eoi5 SA.T]AU0a.c; 6tOUc r K 0.AOc;·
- 6 neµ\j/a c; µi;; (the one [= God] who sent me): 1,3 3 (for John the oo6ei.c; yap OIJVO.'ta.t 'tO.U'ta. 'tCl CJT]µEia. 1t0tEiv a cr\J 1tOtei , sav µT) °U
c;
Baptist); 4,34; 5, 2 3 .2 4.3 0.37 ; 6 ,3 8.39 .40*.44 ; 7 ,16 .18.28.3 3 ; 6 Seo c; µe't' O.\l'tOU.
8,1 6 .18.2 6 .2 9 ; 9 ,4 ; 12,44.45.49 ; 13 ,20; 14,24; 15,21; 16 ,S ; 16 ,3 0 vi5v oi'.8a.µi;;v o n oi6a.c; 1tUV'ta. Ka.i. 00 XPEia.v exeic; tva. -ri Cjf; spco't{i"
c;
- 'tO 8e1,r i µa. wi5 neµ\j/a.V't6c; µi;; ("the will of him who sent me"): SY 'tO\J't<!) 7ttITTEUOµEv O'tt <i1to 0eoi5 s fiASec;.
4, 3 4 ; 5, 3 0 ; 6 ,3 8.3 9 .40*.
22 . 'tO cp&c; (light): 1,(4.5. 7 ).8a.8b.9 ; 3 ,19 a.19 b.20a.20b.2 1; 8,1 2 a; 9 ,5; Compare the interrogation of John the Baptist:
11, 9 ; 12 ,3 Sa.35b.3 6 a.3 6 b. 4 6 ). Note: 'tO cp&c; 'tO <i1,r i 8iv6v (the true
light): 1, 9 ; 'tO cp&c; 'tOU K6crµou (the light of the world): 8,1 2 ; 9,5; 1, 2 1 'ti o?iv; cru 'H ia.c; d ; Ka.i Myei· OOK Elµi.
11, 9 . 6 1tpO<pT]'tT]c; Ei cru; Ka.i. d1tEKpHlri· OU.
23 . "Jesus, who descended from heaven": Kma.paivco €K 'tOU / <inc 'toi5
oopa.voi5: (1,3 2 ); 3,1 3 ; 6 ,3 3 .3 8.4 1.42.50.51.58. See also: avco (above):
8. 2 3 ; avco8ev (from above): 3 ,3 1 . 66. The present list is based on the literature mentioned in n. 20.
460 G. VANBELLE CHRISTOLOGY AND SOTERIOLOGY IN THE FOURTH GOSPEL 461
1,25 n oil v �(11t't1.�Etc; El cro o i:nc Ei 6 XPtITTOc; o uO& '!Uiac; o uo& 6 13,19 i'.va. mcr:t:Ellcrf\'tE o-ca.v Y&VT\'ta.t
1tpO(!)T\'tT\c;; 5-ct tyro Elµt.
14,10 o u mcr-ce6etc; 5 n
2. Formulated in the Third Person tyro EV 't(fl 1ta.-cpi KO.I. 6 7tC1'tT\P t v t µ o i £ITTtv.
14,11 mcr-cEUE't& µ o i 5 n tyro t v 't(fl na.-cpi Ka.i 6 na.-cT]p t v t µo i
1,34 o 6i:6c; tITTtv 6 oloc; i : o ii 9EO?- _ , 16,27
. a.iJ-coc; ya.p 6 7tC1'tT\P (!)tA.f;t oµfu;, 5 n uµe'ic; £µ£ 1tE(!)tA.TjKC1'tE Ka.i
4,42 ' O\) Ko crµ?O-
o 6i : 6c; EO"'tt v d.A.T\9roc; 6 crro'TTlP C •
, 7tE7ttO"'tE\lKO.'tE 5 n tyro 1ta.pa. 'tOU 9eoii t!;ijJ...9 o v .
6,14 o 6i: 6c; tcr-civ dlf\9&c; 6 npoq>1\-c11c; 6 ,iPx�µe v o � -
c
ov
_ ���µ��- 16,30
�c;µetc; o i µ -co v t v -co 6i:(f) mcr-ceu o µev
6,42 o ux o 6-c 6c; tcrnv 'IT\cr o iic; 6 oloc; rocrf\q>, o
O'tt &.no 9wii t!;ijJ...9Ec;.
7tC1t'&pC1 KC11.'tT\V µT\'t&pC1; 17,8 Kai au-c o i eJ...a� o v Kai eyvrocrav dJ.. T\ 9&c;,5n napa. c r o ii t!;ijJ...9 o v ,
7,40 o 6i : 6c; EO"'ttv 0.A.T\9roc; 6 7tpOq>T)'tT\t;" KO.l £7ttQ"'tf;l)Q"0.V On
7,41 o 6-c6c; EITTtv 6 xptcr-c6c;: . . . _ _
• cr\l µE 0.7t&ITTl::tA.a.c;.
20,31 'IT\cr o iic; tcrn v 6 xpiITT o c; 6 o\ o c; -co o 9eoo, 17,21 i'.va. na.v -cec; llv � cr tv, Ka9roc; cr6, 1t6.-cEp, t v t µ o i Kdyro t v cr o i , i'.v a. Kai
ain o i t v ftµ'iv dicrw, \.' v a. 6 K6crµoc; mcr-cEUTI 5 n cr6 µe dn&ITTetJ..,a.c;.
Compare: 20,31 \.' v a. mcri:E\lcrf\'tE 5 n
4,29 oeii -c e t6e-ce civ 9pron o v oc; elntv µoi 1t6.v -ce1 5cra t n o iT\ cra., µ1\n 'l11cr o iic; tcrnv b x,piITToc; b oloc; -co ii 9e o ii, ...
o �-c6c; tITTtv 6 xpicr-c6c;;
7,26 o 6-c6c; tcr-cw b x,picr-c6c;;
Compare:
9,17 7tpO(!)T\'tT\c; £0"'ttV. 4,42 -en 'ti:: yo v a.tKi EA.f:YOV 5 n OUK&tl Ota. 'tT\V O"T\V A.C1A.ta.v 7ttITTEUOµEV,
12,34 -cic; £0"'tlV 06-c o c; 6 oloc; -co ii &.v9pco7tO\l; a.iJ-c o i ya.p O.KT\ K6aµEv Kai o i oa.µEv 5 n
o 6-c6c; f o n v &.J. f \ 9coc; 6 crro-ci\p -coii K6crµou.
9,35-38:
9,35 cru mITTl::\ietc; elc; 'tOV o\o v -co ii dv 9pco1to o; Compare: 6µ o M yEro
9,36 Ka.i -cic; tcrnv , K6pte, i'.va. 1ttITTE6crro e�c; a.u� o v ; _ ,
• tlV.
K0.1. SCOpC1KO.c; O.U' t OV KO.I. 0 11.0.A.(jjV µe-ca. cr?\l £KEtvOc; EO"' 1,20 Kai d:>µo M YT\crEv Ka.i o Ji K iipv1\cra.-c o , Ka.i d:>µo M YT\ crEv o-ct
9,37 tyro OUK etµi 6 x,ptcr-c6c;.
9,38 mITTE6ro, K6pte· Ka.i np o crEKUVf\O"EV a.u-c(f).·
9,22 f]o11 ya.p cro v E-c&9Et v 't o o i ' I o oouf o t i'.v a.
1,29 i6E O dµv oc; -coii 9E o ii 6 ciipro v -ci\ v 6.µa.p-cia.v -co ii K6crµ o o. £0.V nc; 0.U'tOV OµOAOYT\crTI x,picr,:6v,
1,36 i'.oe 6 dµv oc; -co ii 9E o ii. &.n o crov a.yroy o c; y t v 11-cm.
19,14 i6E 6 �C1crtA.EUc; oµrov . 12,42 &.na. Ota. -co uc; <1.>a.ptcra.i o oc; o ux d:>µo J. 6y o ov i v a. µii &.n o crov6.y roy o t
y&V(l)V'ta.t.
Compare the (eyro) (OVK) eiµiformulas:
1,20 KO.I. a>µo M y� cr ev KC11.OUK -fipv1\cra.-c o , KO.I. cDµo A.Oyf\crEV o n tyro OUK Platte Lostraat 274/31 Gilbert VAN BELLE
Elµi 6 x,picr-c6c;. B-3000 Leuven (Kessel-Lo)
10,36 oloc; -co ii 9E o ii elµt;
18,37 �a.m11.E6c; _Elµt. _ , •
,
19,21 £KEiv o c; Ei1tEV" �a.m11.E\lt; Elµt 't(l)V I o ooa.i rov .
See also Appendix I.

3. Introduced by mO"'teOOJ iii:z ...

6,69 Ka.i ftµeic; 7tE7tlO"'tE\lKO.µEV KO.I. t yv coKa.µEV o n
cru El 6 iiyt o c; -co ii 9e o ii.
8,24 ta.v ya.p µi\ mITTEllcrf\'tE 5 n • _
t:yco elµt, dn o 9a.v ei cr9E t v -ca.ic; 6.µa.pna.ic; oµrov .
11,27 tyro 7tf;7ttITT!::\lKC1 On _ , . , , ,
cro d 6 xptcr-coc; 6 o\oc; 'tOU 9e o o 6 etc; 't�V KO<:µo v epx o _µe v o c;. "
11,4:2 (1.A,A,(l, Ota. 'tOV oxJ...o v 'tOV 1teptecri:ro-ca. f;\7tOV, t v a. mcr-ceocrrocrt v o n
cr\l µE 0.7t&ITTEtA.a.c;.