II. Composition of Fourth Gospel
A. Authorship
1. External evidence
a. Early 2nd cent. – little evidence of use. b. Papias (c. 130)
No reference to FG. Puzzling statement seeming to distinguish John the disciple (bygone era) and John the Elder (more recent). Earliest commentary by Heracleon (Valentinian Gnostic). Gnostic use of FG made orthodox leery of it.
c. Mid-2nd cent. – FG popular among Gnostics.
d. Late 2nd cent. – Appears beside Synoptics; has to be defended. e. Irenaeus (c. 180)
Earliest clear reference to tradition of authorship by John. Equates “Beloved Disciple” = apostle John = author of FG. Claims to have known Polycarp, who knew John personally.
A. Authorship (cont.)
1. External evidence (cont.)
f. 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.
Synoptics recorded “bodily facts;” John wrote “spiritual gospel.” John wrote in Ephesus after death of Domitian (96).
g. Clement of Alexandria (died c. 215)
h. Others remained skeptical – Gaius (c. 200)
Attributed FG to Cerinthus (early Christian heretic). Argued against FG on grounds of differences from Synoptics. Tradition of apostolic authorship appears late; contains confusion and embellishment; was not unchallenged. Motivated by desire to gain acceptance for FG.
i.
Evaluation
A. Authorship (cont.)
2. Internal evidence
a. b. Technically anonymous (title is secondary). Role of “Beloved Disciple” (21:24-25)?
13:23-26 – Last Supper: leans on Jesus‟ breast. 18:15-16? – Peter‟s Denial (“another disciple” gains access to high priest‟s house). 19:25-27 – Crucifixion: assumes care of Jesus‟ mother. 19:34-35? – Spear-thrust (“he who saw it bore testimony”). 20:2-8 – Empty tomb: races Peter to tomb. 21:20-22 – Rehabilitation of Peter; prediction of Peter‟s martyrdom, BD‟s longevity. 21:23 – Correction of rumor: implies death of BD. 21:24-25 – Closing: “This is the disciple who is bearing witness to
these things, and who has written these things.” a) Seems to attribute FG to BD – but who wrote closing? b) If BD is presumed dead, must distinguish writer and BD. c) Ch. 21 may be secondary; may attribute ch. 1-20 to BD; final editor wrote ch. 21 (or at least v. 24-25). d) Would author of 1-20 describe himself as BD is (cf. 19:35)? e) Could mean BD is witness on which book is based (BeasleyMurray: BD “caused it to be written”)). f) Seems to imply stages in origin of FG (Hull): “He” = Beloved Disciple – faithful witness. “We” = believing community – received/passed on his testimony. “I” = author/final redactor – put words on paper.
A. Authorship (cont.)
2. Internal evidence (cont.)
c. 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 21:2; then not by name. Relationship to high priest unlikely for Galilean fisherman (18:16). Present at Cross – Syn. say the 12 had abandoned him.
• • • •
Other guesses: Lazarus; John Mark; Matthias; Paul; John the Elder. Bultmann: non-historical “ideal figure.” Author remains anonymous. Rooted in tradition associated with disciple who lived long, earned title “beloved disciple,” bore trustworthy testimony. Community product: he, we, I.
d. Conclusion
•
B. Date – Most scholars: c. 90-100.
1. Not much earlier than c. 90:
a. Tradition: later than Synoptics. b. Second generation (21:18-19, 22-23). c. Reflects controversy with Judaism; Council of Jamnia (c. 90). d. Highly developed theology.
2. Not much later than c. 100:
a. P52 (Rylands papyrus) – c. 125 in Egypt.
Oldest extant NT manuscript. 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.
b. Ignatius of Antioch (d. 110) may have known FG.
C. Place of composition
1. Tradition – Ephesus 2. Other theories
a. Egypt (Lake; Sanders) b. Syria (Haenchen; Kümmel) c. Palestine (Martyn)
3. Synthesis (Manson; Beasley-Murray; Culpepper)
a. Originated in Palestine. b. Developed in Syria. c. Reached final written form in Ephesus.
D. Question of Sources Bultmann‟s source theory:
1. Signs (Semeia) source
a. b. Written collection of 7 miracle stories for missionary purpose. Evidence:
Numbering of signs (2:11; 4:54). Tensions between source and Evangelist (2:23-24; 4:48; 20:29).
c. a. b. c. a. b. c.
Evaluation: widely accepted and developed. Collection of pre-Christian speeches of Gnostic Revealer. Evidence: poetic style and themes have Gnostic parallels. Evaluation: almost universally rejected. Used written passion narrative independent of Synoptics. Evidence: differences from Syn. not motivated by Evangelist‟s theology; seams between source and Evangelist‟s additions. Evaluation: widely accepted as likely.
2. Revelation-discourse source
3. Passion narrative
4. Additional sources and traditions
E. Question of Unity
1. Evidence of secondary additions
a. Ch. 21 – widely regarded as secondary appendix.
20:30-31 seems to be ending. Much in ch. 21 does not fit well with ch. 1-20. Likely added by a final Redactor. No evidence FG circulated without ch. 21. 5:26-30 repeats 5:19-25. 6:51-58 repeats 6:35-50.
b. Other possible additions:
2. Evidence of textual displacement
a. b. c. d. Order of ch. 5-6 is puzzling. Order of ch. 14-17 is problematic. Other discrepancies. Bultmann‟s commentary:
Assumes textual displacement by accident or inept redaction. Radically rearranges text to restore presumed original order.
F. Theories of Composition by Stages
1. Bultmann
a. b. c. d. a. b. c. d. e. Sources (see above) Evangelist – basic writer of ch. 1-20; profound theology Disarray “Ecclesiatical” Redactor – final form; more mainstream Tradition (associated with John ben Zebedee) Oral development – one main preacher (disciple of John) First edition – Evangelist (disciple of John) Second edition – Evangelist (disciple of John) Final redaction (disciple of Evangelist; maybe John the Elder)
2. Brown
3. Conclusion – most scholars distinguish:
a. Sources or traditions b. “Evangelist” – basic gospel-writer (ch. 1-20) c. “Redactor” – final editor (added ch. 21; etc.)
Papias (c. 130)
“If ever anyone came who had followed the presbyters, 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 Lord‟s disciples, had said, and what Aristion and the presbyter John, the Lord‟s 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.”
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.)
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….”
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.)
John 21:20-22
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!"
John 21:23
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?"
John 21:24-25
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.