“Dematerializing” Religion: Reading John 2–4 as a Chiasm 545 (e) In both monologues God ‘loves’ (ajgapavw) and (therefore) ‘gives’ (divdwmi) something, but the objects to these verbs are different, if not even exactly reversed. In the first monologue, God loves “the world” and gives his “Son” (3,16), a statement concerning salvation. In the second monologue, God loves “the Son” and gives him pavnta, including the world (v. 35), emphasizing judgment (see hJ ojrgh; tou' qeou' in 3,35). (f) Finally, the whole chapter is held together by the inclusio of the phrases “see the kingdom of God” in 3,3 (ijdei'n th;n basileivan tou' qeou') and “see life” in 3,36 (o[yetai zwhvn) (84). Both phrases characterize true believing as a form of ‘seeing’ spiritual truth in marked contrast to the “beholding” (qewrou'nte") of material signs that previously caused Jesus’ suspicion about false faith (2,23) (85). Despite some remaining questions (86), these and other formal and textual parallels render the many source-critical theories of dislocation and transposition within John 3 unconvincing (87). b) The Central Significance of 3,13-21 The narratological and theological gravity in John 3 is found in the monologues of 3,(11)13-21 and 3,31-36. These rich theological expositions are prepared beforehand by the narration of action which leads in turn to a dialogue, a typical development of Johannine discourse (88). Although John the Baptist’s monologue in 3,31-36 might appear as a shortened “duplicate” of the speech in 3,13-21 (89), it does not just repeat previous statements but has its own contribution to make. Some important expressions and themes in the Gospel are launched from this text, such as the rhvmata tou' qeou' (3,33; 8,47) (90), the Father’s love for the Son (3,35; also 5,20; 10,17; (84) FREY, Die johanneische Eschatologie, III, 244. (85) See also JULIAN’s (Jesus and Nicodemus, 31-45) review of other proposals for structuring John 3. (86) See BROWN, The Gospel According to John, I, 135. (87) For a brief review see JULIAN, Jesus and Nicodemus, 28-29. (88) Brown counts the development from dialogue to monologue among the characteristics of Johannine discourse. R.E. BROWN, The Gospel and Epistles of John. A Concise Commentary (Collegeville, MN 1988) 19. See also John 5,1-9 (action: healing), 5,10-18 (dialogue), 5,19-47 (monologue). (89) BROWN (The Gospel and Epistles of John, 19) finds “duplicate speeches” in the Gospel of John and counts 3,31-36 among them. (90) The rJh'mata of Jesus (5,47; 6,63.68; 8,20.47; 12,47.48; 15,7) are the words of God (3,34; 17,8; see 14,10).