II. Composition of Fourth Gospel

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II. Composition of Fourth Gospel

• Authorship
• Date
• Place of Composition
• Question of Sources
• Question of Unity
• Theories of Composition by Stages

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• Authorship
• External evidence
• Early 2nd cent. little evidence of use no
  clear reference or quotes maybe some allusions
  no authorship tradition mentioned by Ignatius,
  Polycarp, Papias, or Justin.
• Papias (c. 130)
• No reference to FG.
• Puzzling statement seeming to distinguish John
  the apostle (by-gone era) and John the Elder
  (more recent).
• Mid-2nd cent. FG popular among Gnostics.
• Earliest commentary by Heracleon (Valentinian
  Gnostic).
• Gnostic use of FG made orthodox leery of it.
• Late 2nd cent. used by church fathers alongside
  Synoptics but has to be defended (Gnostic use
  differences from Synoptics).
• Irenaeus (c. 180) leading advocate of 4-Gospel
  tradition
• Earliest clear reference to tradition of
  authorship by John.
• Equates Beloved Disciple apostle John
  author of FG.
• Attributes to Polycarp (d 155) claims to have
  heard Polycarp as a boy and that Polycarp knew
  John personally. (Did Irenaeus misunderstand
  which John Polycarp meant?)

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• Authorship (cont.)
• External evidence (cont.)
• Muratorian Canon (c. 200)
• Attributes FG to John as joint production
  each disciple recalled what was revealed to them
  John wrote it all down.
• Differences between Gospels make no difference to
  faith.
• Clement of Alexandria (died c. 215)
• Synoptics recorded bodily facts John wrote
  spiritual gospel.
• John wrote in Ephesus after death of Domitian
  (96).
• Others remained skeptical Gaius (c. 200)
• Attributed FG to Cerinthus (early Christian
  heretic).
• Argued against FG on grounds of differences from
  Synoptics.
• Evaluation
• Tradition of apostolic authorship appears late
  contains confusion and embellishment was not
  unchallenged.
• Motivated by desire to gain acceptance for FG.

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• 2. Internal evidence of authorship
• Technically anonymous (title is secondary).
• Closing implies some role of Beloved Disciple
  (2124-25).
• 1323-26 Last Supper BD reclines on Jesus
  breast.
• 1815-16? Peters Denial another disciple
  helps Peter gain access to high priests house.
• 1925-27 Crucifixion BD assumes care of Jesus
  mother.
• 1934-35? Spear-thrust witnesses Jesus death
  he who saw it bore testimony his testimony is
  true.
• 202-8 Empty tomb BD races Peter to tomb
  witnesses empty tomb and believes.
• 2120-22 Restoration of Peter prediction of
  Peters martyrdom BDs longevity implies long
  life/ministry of BD.
• 2123 Correction of rumor that BD would not die
  before Parousia implies that BD is dead at time
  of writing (so how could he be the author?).
• 2124-25 Closing This is the disciple who is
  bearing witness to these things, and who has
  written these things...
• Seems to say BD wrote FG.
• Closer reading raises questions.

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• 2. Internal evidence of authorship
• Does closing (2124-25) really mean that BD wrote
  FG? (This is the disciple who is bearing witness
  to these things, and who has written these
  things...)
• If closing attributes FG to BD, then who wrote
  closing?
• If BD is presumed dead (2123), we must
  distinguish writer and BD.
• Ch. 21 may be secondary closing may attribute
  ch. 1-20 to BD final editor wrote ch. 21 (or at
  least v. 24-25).
• Would author of 1-20 describe himself as BD is
  described (cf. 1323 1935)?
• Closing could mean BD is witness on which book is
  based (Beasley-Murray BD caused them to be
  written).
• Distinction between he, we, and I implies
  stages in origin of FG (Hull)
• He Beloved Disciple faithful witness.
• We believing community received/passed on
  his testimony.
• I actual author/final redactor put words on
  paper.
• Solution could be to take BD as source of
  tradition on which FG rests, even if another hand
  put book in final written form.

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• Internal evidence of authorship
• Identity of Beloved Disciple
• Tradition John ben Zebedee (disciple/apostle).
• Very unlikely
• John plays almost no role in FG.
• FG omits all Syn. events in which John played
  special part.
• James / John not mentioned until 212 then not
  by name.
• Relationship to high priest unlikely for Galilean
  fisherman (1816).
• Present at Cross Syn. say the 12 had abandoned
  him.
• Other guesses Lazarus (cf. Culpepper, 32) John
  Mark Matthias Paul John the Elder.
• Bultmann non-historical ideal figure.
• d. Conclusion
• Author remains anonymous.
• Rooted in tradition associated with disciple who
  lived long, earned title beloved disciple, bore
  trustworthy testimony.
• Community product he, we, I.

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• Date Most scholars c. 90-100.
• Not much earlier than c. 90
• Ancient tradition dates FG after death of
  Domitian (96).
• Apostolic generation is dying out (2118-19,
  22-23).
• Controversy with Judaism (e.g., 922) reflects
  time near Council of Jamnia (c. 90).
• Highly developed theology.
• Not much later than c. 100
• P52 (Rylands papyrus) c. 125 in Egypt.
• Oldest extant NT manuscript is fragment of FG.
• If being copied in Egypt in early 2nd cent., FG
  must have been published by c. 100.
• Dispelled notions that FG was mid-2nd cent.
  Gnostic writing. (F. C. Baur dated FG c. 160
  because of Gnostic affinities.)
• Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110) may have known FG.

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• Place of composition
• Tradition Ephesus
• Other theories
• Egypt (Lake Sanders)
• Syria (Haenchen Kümmel)
• Palestine (Martyn)
• Synthesis (Manson Beasley-Murray Culpepper)
• Originated in Palestine.
• Developed in Syria.
• Reached final written form in Ephesus.

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• Question of Sources
• Bultmanns source theory
• Signs (Semeia) source
• Written collection of 7 miracle stories for
  missionary purpose.
• Evidence
• Numbering of signs (211 454).
• Tensions between source and Evangelist (223-24
  448 2029).
• Evaluation widely accepted and developed.
• Revelation-discourse source
• Collection of pre-Christian speeches of Gnostic
  Revealer.
• Evidence poetic style and themes have Gnostic
  parallels.
• Evaluation almost universally rejected.
• Passion narrative
• Used written passion narrative independent of
  Synoptics.
• Evidence differences from Syn. not motivated by
  Evangelists theology seams between source and
  Evangelists additions.
• Evaluation widely accepted as likely.
• Additional sources and traditions

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• Question of Unity
• Evidence of secondary additions
• Ch. 21 widely regarded as secondary appendix.
• 2030-31 seems to be ending.
• Much in ch. 21 does not fit well with ch. 1-20.
• Likely added by a final Redactor after ch. 1-20
  was written.
• No evidence FG circulated without ch. 21.
• Other possible additions
• 526-30 repeats 519-25 w/ emphasis on future
  eschatology.
• 651-58 repeats 635-50 w/ emphasis on
  sacraments.
• Evidence of textual displacement
• Order of ch. 5-6 is puzzling reversing them
  would be more logical.
• 51 Jesus goes from Galilee to Jerusalem.
• 61 Jesus crosses Sea of Galilee.
• Order of ch. 14-17 is problematic 1431 is
  continued by 181.
• Other such discrepancies here and there.
• Bultmanns commentary
• Assumes textual displacement by accident or inept
  redaction.
• Radically rearranges text to restore presumed
  original order.

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• Theories of Composition by Stages
• Bultmann
• Sources Signs Revelation discourses Passion
  narrative other.
• Evangelist basic writer of ch. 1-20 wove
  sources together to achieve profound theology.
• Disarray work somehow fell into disorder.
• Ecclesiatical Redactor rearranged, added
  material (ch. 21, etc.) produced final form more
  acceptable to mainstream church.
• Brown
• Tradition (associated with John ben Zebedee)
• Oral development one main preacher (disciple of
  John)
• First edition Evangelist (disciple of John)
  didnt use all material.
• Second edition Evangelist (disciple of John)
  added material.
• Final redaction Redactor (disciple of
  Evangelist maybe John the Elder) added more
  material, esp. ch. 21.
• Conclusion most scholars distinguish
• Sources or traditions
• Evangelist basic gospel-writer (ch. 1-20)
• Redactor final editor (added ch. 21 etc.)

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Papias (c. 130)

• If ever anyone came who had followed the
  presbyters (elders), I inquired into the words of
  the presbyters, what Andrew or Peter or Philip or
  Thomas or James or John or Matthew, or any other
  of the Lords disciples, had said, and what
  Aristion and the presbyter (Elder) John, the
  Lords disciple, were saying.
• For I did not suppose that information from books
  would help me so much as the word of a living and
  surviving voice.

14
Irenaeus (c. 180)

• John, the disciple of the Lord, who leaned on
  his breast, also published his gospel while
  living at Ephesus in Asia.
• (Attributes this tradition to Polycarp (d. 155)
  and claims that Polycarp knew John personally.)

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Muratorian Canon (c. 200)

• The fourth gospel is by John, one of the
  disciples. When his fellow-disciples and bishops
  exhorted him he said, Today fast with me for
  three days, and let us recount to each other
  whatever may be revealed to each of us. That
  same night it was revealed to Andrew, one of the
  apostles, that John should write down all things
  under his own name, as they all called them to
  mind. So although various points are taught in
  the several books of the gospels, yet it makes no
  difference to the faith of believers, since all
  things in all of them are declared by one supreme
  Spirit.

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Clement of Alexandria (died c. 215)

• Last of all John, perceiving that the bodily
  facts had been made plain in the gospel, being
  urged by his friends, and inspired by the Spirit,
  composed a spiritual gospel.
• (Also reports that John the apostle went to
  Ephesus after death of Domitian.)

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John 2120-22

• 18 Very truly, I tell you (Peter), when you were
  younger, you used to fasten your own belt and to
  go wherever you wished. But when you grow old,
  you will stretch out your hands, and someone else
  will fasten a belt around you and take you where
  you do not wish to go.
• 19 (He said this to indicate the kind of death
  by which he would glorify God.) After this he
  said to him, "Follow me."
• 20 Peter turned and saw the disciple whom Jesus
  loved following them he was the one who had
  reclined next to Jesus at the supper and had
  said, "Lord, who is it that is going to betray
  you?"
• 21 When Peter saw him, he said to Jesus, "Lord,
  what about him?"
• 22 Jesus said to him, "If it is my will that he
  remain until I come, what is that to you? Follow
  me!"

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John 2123

• 23 So the rumor spread in the community that this
  disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to
  him that he would not die, but, "If it is my will
  that he remain until I come, what is that to
  you?"

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John 2124-25

• 24 This is the disciple who is testifying to
  these things and has written them, and we know
  that his testimony is true.
• 25 But there are also many other things that
  Jesus did if every one of them were written
  down, I suppose that the world itself could not
  contain the books that would be written.