2.1 the prologue in John Flashcards
What did Morna Hooker say about the prologue?
the prologue is the ‘glorious key’ to understanding the rest of the gospel
- it reveals the theological intent to link the beginning of the account of Jesus to the beginning of the Hebrew scriptures
What did Raymond Brown say about the prologue?
the opening of John functions as an ‘overture’ to the gospel -> an overture is a piece of music used as an introduction to an opera, the prologue sets up the tale of the ministry of Jesus
What are the key concepts put forward by the prologue?
- the Logos
- John the Baptist
- the Incarnation
- Children of God
- law and grace
- life, light and darkness
Logos - influences and significance
Logos has both Greek and Jewish influences
-> Greek = opinion, reason, discourse, speech, divine force
-> Jewish thought = linked to creation, wisdom, God’s creative power
therefore the logos would have an equal appeal to both audiences
What does C H Dodd say about the logos?
‘It is never expressly said in the body of the Gospel, apart from the prologue, that Christ is the divine logos’
John the baptist - significance
John the Baptist bridges the gap between the OT and the NT -> showing humanity how to recognise the Word made flesh
Where is the logos seen in the prologue?
1:1-3 ‘In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God…’
Where is John the Baptist seen in the prologue?
1:6-8 ‘there was a man sent from God whose name was John… he himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light’
What does Stanton say about John the Baptist?
It is more accurate to describe him as John the Witness rather than John the Baptist
the incarnation - significance
connects the earthly ministry of Jesus with the pre-existent Son as God becomes fully human, with flesh and blood
Where is the incarnation seen in the prologue?
1:14 ‘the Word became flesh’
Children of God - significance
those who believe in the Logos are given the right to be children of God
- a spiritual birth rather than a physical birth
Life, light and darkness - significance
The logos is the source of life and light for humanity; which darkness can’t overcome
- to be in the light is to be in the knowledge about the nature of Jesus and his authority WHEREAS the darkness is to be ignorant of knowledge
Where is life, light and darkness seen in the prologue?
1:4-5 ‘In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness’
law and grace - significance
the law is replaced by grace BUT this had been God’s intentions all along - Hooker describes this as a ‘gigantic takeover bid’
- Jesus becomes the only way to salvation
How could gnosticism be linked to John’s gospel?
Gnostics believe:
- personal spiritual knowledge is more important than teachings -> replacement theology in John = the Torah is superseded by truth
- there is a supreme, hidden God -> could be the Logos
- gnostic texts deal with the contrast between illusion and enlightenment -> darkness and light contrasted in the Prologue
How could it be argued that gnosticism had no impact on the Prologue?
- gnosticism says nothing about Jesus being the incarnation - the idea that God could exist in the metaphysical world would be impossible for Gnostics
- Christian Gnosticism developed after the gospel was written
How did Stoicism and platonic thought influence the prologue?
ideas about the Logos can be seen within Greek thought
How did the context of Judaism influence the prologue?
John has been said to have been written between AD 90 and AD110, situating the writing in the midst of the aftermath of the falling of the Second Temple
What did Kruse say about the prologue?
‘those needing to be convinced that Jesus is the Christ were unbelieving Jews; the messiahship of Jesus was not an issue for Gentiles…’
What does it say in John 20:31
“But these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name.”
What did Brown theorise about the Prologue?
- the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls challenged the theory that the ideas found in the prologue had to derive from the Greek philosophies
- the scrolls made use of abstract ideas such as light and darkness
What did Dodd argue about the Prologue?
- John explores the theme in great depth so it would appeal to both a Jewish and Greek audience
What did John Marsh note about the Prologue?
- the author used every tool at his disposal to help express the belief that Jesus had come in flesh as the saviour
What does the Prologue emphasise that is different to the synoptic Gospels?
- Jesus’ pre-existence and the incarnation whereas the synoptics emphasise his messiahship
What does the Prologue introduce the concept of?
the Trinity
What were some major heresies concerning the Trinity in the Early Church/
- the belief that Jesus was born human but became Son of God at his baptism
- that the father existed before the Son and then created the son; so Jesus is not seen as God
What did these major heresies lead to?
- the formulation of the Nicene creed - states that the Son is cosubstantial with the Father
What did Paul argue regarding the law?
- there was no need for converts to follow the Law and that Christ is now the grace from God, not the Law
How is the impact of ‘believeing’ seen in Christianity?
- Martin Luther, argued that faith was the only way to salvation resulting in the development of Protestantism
- Evangelical churches focus on personal encounters with Christ
