Evaluating Jesus' conflict with the authorities

Question 1

What makes conflict in John distinct from the Synoptics?

Answer 1

It is particularly intense

Question 2

What have been the tragic consequences of the idea that Jesus had to die because he offended the Jews?

Answer 2

It has led to anitsemitism, the persecution of the Jews and the Holocaust. The Jews were collectively blamed for deicide and their religion was viewed as legalistic, soulless and depraved

Question 3

What is deicide?

Answer 3

The crime of murdering God

Question 4

Which gospel involves the blood curse?

Answer 4

In Matthew 27: 24-25, the Jewish people are represented as taking the blame for Jesus’ death

Question 5

What are the 4 different ways you could interpret the religious conflict with John?

Answer 5

• The conflict is historically accurate
• The conflict is historically exaggerated
• The conflict is historically distorted
• The conflict is symbolic

Question 6

Explain the idea that the religious conflict is historically accurate

Answer 6

The Jews were offended by Jesus’ claims to be God and executed him for blasphemy. This is a traditional view of why Jesus had to die

Question 7

Explain the idea that the religious conflict is historically exaggerated

Answer 7

While Jesus may have been in conflict with the authorities, the really hostile conflict was between the Christians and pharisees in the synagogues of the 1st century due to the disagreements over christology after Jesus’ death and resurrection. This reflects Brown’s view that the conflict in the gospel reflects the experiences of the Johannine Community

Question 8

Explain the idea that the religious conflict is historically distorted

Answer 8

The Pharisees disagreed with Jesus but didn’t want to execute him. Instead, in line with Rivkin’s view, Jesus was executed because it was politically expedient

Question 9

Explain the idea that the religious conflict is symbolic

Answer 9

The Jewish authorities symbolise the world’s disbelief (Culpepper’s view)

Question 10

What is the problem with viewing the conflict as historically?

Answer 10

Jesus presents Eucharistic themes and a high christology and most scholars think these ideas developed later amongst 1st century churches

Question 11

Why were the arguements with religious authorities likely embellished?

Answer 11

They were probably more like friendly debates, as the religious authorities would have had no desire to execute Jesus for making outrageous political claims

Question 12

The idea that these passages are exaggerated is based on form criticism. What does this mean?

Answer 12

These conflicts are textual units created by by 1st century Christians after their own bitter confrontations with Jewish leadership. They are putting words into Jesus’ mouth

Question 13

What does redaction criticism say about these passages?

Answer 13

These passages have been reinterpreted in light of later beliefs. Jesus did not really claim to be God - but later Christians offended the Pharisees by making these claims about Jesus. The gospels represent Jesus as having the same arguements with the Pharisees that later Christians would eventually experience

Question 14

What is the counter to the redaction criticism?

Answer 14

Jewish Law does say that those who blaspheme must be put to death

Question 15

State Leviticus 24:16

Answer 15

‘One who blasphemes the name of the lord shall be put to death’

Question 16

What happened to the first Christian martyr, Steven?

Answer 16

He was stoned to death by the Jewish authorities

Question 17

Where does Paul write about being persecuted for his Christian beliefs?

Answer 17

2 Corinthians 11:25 - ‘Three times I was beaten with rods, once I was pelted with stones’

Question 18

What is the problem with Rivkin’s idea that the Pharisees only ever dealt peacefully with their opponents?

Answer 18

It is contradicted by passages from writers who lived alongside their 1st century Jewish opponents. If religious conflict was a problem for Paul, then why not for Jesus

Question 19

What does Culpepper say about the symbolic role the Jews play in John?

Answer 19

‘Through the Jews, John explores the heart and soul of unbelief. As representatives of unbelief, their misunderstandings touch on all of the vital issues

Question 20

What does John’s gospel act as instead of being a historical account of what Jesus’ enemies did to him?

Answer 20

It is an allegory for how humans respond to Jesus’ claims

Question 21

What parable does John’s idea of realised eschatology link to?

Answer 21

Luke’s parable of the sower

Question 22

Make the case that Jesus had to die because he offended the Jewish authorities

Answer 22

• He was accused of blasphemy in all 4 gospels
• The first Christians were martyred and Paul describes being beaten and stoned
• Jesus claims to be God and this would have been extremely offensive to first century Jews
• Other Christians experienced violence at the hands of Jewish leaders so it seems reasonable that this happened to Jesus too
• Leviticus 24:16

Question 23

Argue against the idea that Jesus died because he offended the Jewish authorities

Answer 23

• The conflicts reflect what happened to 1st century Christians rather than what actually happened to Jesus
• Rivkin argues that first century Jewish sects subscribed to a philosophy of live and let live and so would not have wanted to persecute those who disagreed with them
• The Pharisees would have debated and insulted Jesus but would not have wanted to kill him