168 Karl Olav Sandnes Him, they are in the world: “The perception of who Jesus is, brought about by the mysterious work of the Spirit (3,7-8), entails being ejn tw/' kosmw/ but not ejk tou' kovsmou” (39). Thus chap. 8 brings out the likeness v of the believers with Jesus, but also the distinction between them and Him. Is there a flashback to the Nicodemus dialogue in this dispute? As noted above, there are significant points of convergence bridging the distance between the two episodes. Both instances are about teachers of Israel, both of whom are unable to comprehend. The Pharisees walk in darkness; Nicodemus came at night (cf. 3,19-21). The Pharisees judge according to human standards, while Nicodemus is implicitly said to be born of flesh. At the centre of both texts is the vertical axis (earth – heaven), explicitly voiced in 8,33 and more implicitly in chap. 3 but nevertheless not to be overlooked (cf. 3,13-14.31). The Pharisees and Nicodemus are presented within the same epistemological pattern, which implies the principle of likeness. What they fail to know is described in similar terms, the whence and whither of the mystery of faith and the whence and whither of Jesus himself. Finally, in both chapters “birth” sums up what is at stake. In 3,3-8 this is obvious, but the response of the Pharisees implies that the question of birth is involved: “We are not illegitimate children (gegennhvmeqa)” (8,41) (40). c) John 9 The narrative starts out as a miracle story. Jesus makes the man born blind see (9,1-7). Throughout the text ajnablevpw, blevpw, ajnoivgw touJ" ojfqalmouv" are repeated. The incident takes place on a Sabbath and hence the narrative becomes a dispute on the identity of Jesus and his authority to perform the healing. It becomes a controversy with the Pharisees and Jews on who Jesus is (vv. 16.22.24.35-36), very much in line with the preceding chapters, but with increasing hostility. The miracle is called a sign (v. 16), thus indicating a second level of meaning. The reader is guided to this level in two ways. In the first place, vv. 4-5 presents Jesus as the “light of the world” as opposed to darkness. Since Jesus is himself the light, he can make the blind man see (41). Vv. 4-5 echoes John 11,9-10 where “having the light within (39) NICHOLSON, Death as Departure, 111. (40) The textual criticism question involved here does not affect this fact. (41) Since readers know from several passages (e.g. 1,9; 8,12) that Jesus is the light of the world, the miracle signals a new level of meaning; KOESTER, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel, 163.