Whence and Whither A Narrative Perspective on Birth a[nwqen 157 The literary context of 6,62-63 brings to mind the dialogue with Nicodemus. V. 62 echoes the whence and whither of Jesus, and v. 65 is a slightly altered quotation of 3,27. John 1,18, the peak of the Prologue, paves the way for the principle of likeness. The Son alone could know God because He comes from God and is of the same nature. The unity between the Father and the Son in John’s Gospel is, of course, in accordance with this principle (9). In John 8,44-47 those who are ejk tou' qeou' are contrasted with those who are not, and this is a difference in terms of understanding versus not understanding (ajkouvw cf. 19). John 11,10 addresses the contrast between darkness and light in a way that recalls traditional ways of illustrating the principle of likeness: Light can only be apprehended by light (10). Understanding that Jesus’ way to Jerusalem is aimed at bringing life from death is possible only for those who have the light within themselves. John 11,10 sheds some light on the epistemological nature of darkness versus light in the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus. This contrast is clearly seen in 3,2.19-21. These passages do not, however, emphasize the light within, but Christ’s role as the light. These two perspectives on the light are, however, integrated in John’s Gospel. This is seen in the Prologue where vv. 9-10 in particular echoes 3,19. Jesus as the light implies also illumination of human beings. To ancient readers this was a term of epistemology, which is confirmed in its contrast in 1,10 (“…the world did not know him”) (11). Furthermore, the contrast between darkness and light in the Prologue (1,9-13) which implies a contrast between man in himself and birth from God, fits the contrast between above and below in chap. 3. When, in his examination of Jesus (John 18) Pilate asks “what is truth?”, he raises an epistemological question. Jesus says that “everyone who belongs to the truth listens to my voice” (18,37), thus claiming that understanding truth requires a fundamental familiarity with it. The Johannine tradition in 1 John speaks in the same vein (3,1- 3; 4,4. 6) (12). To summarize so far, I concur with Jerome H. Neyrey who (9) See e.g. John 6,46; 10,38; 14,10.20; 17,21. (10) C.R. KOESTER, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel. Meaning, Mystery, Community (Minneapolis 2003) 163 on this particular text: “The ability or inability to see depended not only on a person’s external circumstances but on one’s internal condition — one’s belief or unbelief”. (11) See KOESTER, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, 148-149. (12) The principle of likeness is found elsewhere in the New Testament as well; e.g. Acts 17,27-28; 1 Cor 2,6-16; 15,50.