to make the first move in salvation. Now, we might look at certain types of sinner and say, 'Well... more to make the first move in salvation. Now, we might look at certain types of sinner and say, 'Well, I can see how it might be true of someone who is addicted to some particular substance or behaviour which they don't want to give up, but not me'. But maybe we too have our more respectable addictions-pride, perhaps, or material gain, or the right to run our own lives and put our own interests first. Yet Jesus Christ came to free us from our addiction to sin, and to make us his people. And there's a wonderful phrase in the liturgy where we acknowledge that he is the one 'in whose service is perfect freedom'. Our whole life as believers is a response to God's amazing grace, grace that was at work to save us.
he twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John has been, and remains, controversial. For perhaps t... more he twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John has been, and remains, controversial. For perhaps the majority of scholars, chapter 21 is seen as an appendix-either a secondary addition by the author or, more likely for most scholars, a later addition by a subsequent editor. 2 As an appendix, it is often treated with implicit quotation marks, suggesting also a secondary importance of its contents. But there is an increasing willingness to consider the unity of the entire gospel, and thus an openness to explore the role that chapter 21 plays in the larger proclamation of the "good news" of the fourth gospel. In this paper, I propose that chapter 21-in particular, Jesus's "feed my sheep" exchange with Peter (21.15-19)-is integrally connected to a number of Johannine themes, especially those developed in the Farewell Discourse section of chapters 13-17. With the dialogue in chapter 21, the evangelist emphasizes a crucial part of Jesus's ministry that is introduced but left somewhat hanging at the conclusion of the Farewell Discourse, namely, the formation of a durable community of believers-the church. John 21 as Epilogue: The Integrity of the Gospel The difficulty with considering John 21 as an addition to the gospel is that, aside from the problem of a subsequent narrative following the "closing statement" in 20.30-31, there is no clear textual evidence for a Feed My Sheep: The Pastoral and Ecclesial Conclusion to John's Gospel 1 Mark A. Matson 1. For those of us who claim the church as the very living "body of Christ," questions about how the church aligns with Scripture are critical. Much depends on the vital leadership exhibited by ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons. Perhaps no other single expression of Jesus better captures the need for vital leadership than the command given to Simon Peter in John 21: "Feed my sheep." Here the role of pastor/elder and minister of the Word are combined with grace and urgency. Paul Watson, along with Kay, has in my experience lived out this command on behalf of his Lord. He has, effectively and sensitively, fed the sheep in his care: as preacher, as elder, as spiritual mentor, as professor, and especially as friend. It is with the deepest respect, and indeed with both philia and agape, that this essay on John 21 is offered for those who might feed the sheep in the church of Christ like Paul has. 2. Almost all commentaries address this in one form or another. Here let me note at least some major voices in the discussion. Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971) still has a major influence on Johannine interpretation. Bultmann argued for a variety of sources and levels of editing, attributing the final chapter to a later church redactor not connected to the evangelist. Although somewhat dated, Raymond Brown remains a major voice in Johannine studies. In his Anchor Bible commentary, The Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1970), as well as his book The Community of the Beloved Disciple (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1979), Brown argued for a later formation of the gospel within a community. For Brown, chapter 21 is to be attributed to a redactor, but one well connected with Johannine thought.
y scholarly life is consumed with the study of the four Gospels. I study them as individual units... more y scholarly life is consumed with the study of the four Gospels. I study them as individual units, seeking to understand what each evangelist is trying to say in the course of the narrative of Jesus that is related. I study them in comparison with one another, seeking to understand the differences so that I might better gain an understanding of both the individual emphasis that each evangelist has and also catch a glimpse of the unifying themes that pervade the Gospels as a whole. I study them as component parts, seeking to understand the backgrounds of the traditions that influenced the evangelists. And I study them in their influence on the earliest church, so that I might better understand how they have shaped our theology and our church life. The story of Jesus Christ, and the four individual Gospels that testify to this good news of Jesus, is endlessly fascinating-but not without difficulties. How do we embrace the wholeness of the canon of four distinct Gospels in our understanding of scripture in a way that is honest about the text and at the same time reflects the spiritual gift of an inspired scripture? In this article, I wish to explore this question because I am convinced that the spiritual health of the church depends to a great extent on how we answer it. Rightly discerning the nature of scripture is essential to rightly discerning God's continued activity in our midst. THE PROBLEM OF THE FOUR-FOLD GOSPEL Any student of the New Testament becomes quickly aware of the internal tensions among the four Gospels. The most obvious difficulty is found in comparing the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) with John. We are faced with two very different portraits of Jesus' ministry.' These differences can be categorized under the general headings of chronological differences, christo logical differences, and other narrational differences. Chronological Differences In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus' ministry is apparently only one year in length-at least we are not made aware of any longer period. In this ministry, Jesus confines most of his teaching and healing to the region of Galilee, and only in the final week of his ministry does he travel to Jerusalem, a week that culminates in his crucifixion. In contrast, the Fourth Gospelhas at least a three-year ministry, which we can calculate through his repeated trips to Jerusalem at festival times. This significant difference in the basic chronological structure of the Gospels presents some interesting problems. For instance, in John the "cleansing" of the temple is very early in the Gospel, in Jesus' first trip to Jerusalem. In the Synoptic Gospels, of course, this can only take place in the one week he is in Jerusalem, the final passion week. Other chronological differences are noteworthy. In the Synoptic Gospels, Jesus' final meal is a Passover meal. His final words at the table are patterned in great part around the actions of the host at a Passover meal. In John, on the other hand, the final meal is explicitly not the Passover, because at Jesus' trial on the next day, the Jewish leaders are unwilling to enter the praetorium lest it make them unable to enter the tern
iven the centrality of the Exodus narrative in the formation of Israel's self-consciousness, it i... more iven the centrality of the Exodus narrative in the formation of Israel's self-consciousness, it is somewhat surprising that relatively few direct references to the book of Exodus are found in the gospels. 1 However, "traces" of certain passages in Exodus do appear at critical points in the gospel accounts. These traces are found more as intertextual uses-that is, as echoes and allusions, rather than explicit citations. 2 Such echoes, though, are a powerful means of evoking previous texts often in very creative ways. As a result, we can affirm that the Exodus narratives remained central for the Jesus community, but in ways which emphasize Jesus' unique relationship with God. That is to say, the gospels echo certain aspects of the Exodus accounts, but refract them through a decidedly Christological lens. In this essay, I focus on a cluster of striking allusions to Exodus in the gospels, particularly Luke's Transfiguration account and a possible echo of that in John's prologue. Echoes of Exodus in the Transfiguration Accounts The various synoptic accounts of the Transfiguration (Mark 9.2-10; Matt 17.1-9; Luke 9.28-36) provide a strong echo to the book of Exodus by alluding to the image of Moses ascending Mount Sinai in Exodus-in Exodus 19.16-25 and 24.12-18, but especially in Exodus 33.17-34.8 and 34.29-35. 3 Jesus is thus brought into relation with Moses and Elijah (especially with Moses) and the story of Jesus is linked to the story of Israel's journey to the promised land. 4 Turning first to the Markan version of the Transfiguration, the following strong indications of intertextual linkage present themselves: 5
The literature on the relationship of John and Synoptics is extensive, and certainly I cannot eve... more The literature on the relationship of John and Synoptics is extensive, and certainly I cannot even attempt a sketch of all the issues involved. I refer, instead, to the comprehensive study of the problem in D. Moody Smith's John Among the Gospels (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 1992), of which a second edition, updated, is soon to be published. 2 C. K. Barrett, The Gospel According to John, second edition (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978), p. 42 ff.; Frans Neirynck has expressed his view in many articles, for a quick summary see "John and the Synoptics" in L'Evangile de Jean, ed. M. De Jonge (Leuven: Leuven University Press, 1987), pp. 73-106. 1 Intertextuality and the Relationship Between John and the Synoptics Mark A. Matson Milligan College I. JOHN AND THE SYNOPTICS AND THE "SOURCE MODEL" The study of gospel relationships, whether the study of the Synoptic Problem or the relationship between John and the Synoptics, has often focused on explicit examples of quotation (citation) or clear instances of verbal agreement between the gospels. Evidence of agreement in wording between two gospels would suggest some kind of literary relationship, while the absence of clear agreement points away from a literary relationship. This is a well-worn track for those who are interested in the sources of our gospels. 1 In the case of the relationship between John and Synoptics, for instance, we can see how this key issue influenced Johannine scholars in the last century. On the one hand we find scholars such as C. K. Barrett and Frans Neirynck who are convinced that the similarities in arrangement and occasional wording between John and the Synoptics point to John's knowledge and use of these other gospels, especially Mark and Luke. 2 On the other hand, however, we find a much larger array of scholars, perhaps best represented by
The Fourfold Gospel: A Theological Reading of the New Testament Portraits of Jesus. By Francis Watson
The Journal of Theological Studies
Current Approaches to the Priority of John
Page 1. to make the first move in salvation. Now, we might look at certain types of sinner and sa... more Page 1. to make the first move in salvation. Now, we might look at certain types of sinner and say, 'Well, I can see how it might be true of someone who is addicted to some particular sub-stance or behaviour which they don't want to give up, but not me'. ...
The Our Father and 3 rd Person Imperatives
... person imperative forms in the first half, and then 2nd person imperatives in the second half... more ... person imperative forms in the first half, and then 2nd person imperatives in the second half. Mark Matson, The Our Father and 3rd Person Imperatives 1 Page 2. ... will on earth.1Mark Matson, The Our Father and 3rd Person Imperatives 2 Page 3. ...
Uploads
Papers by Mark A Matson