Martijn Steegen, «M. Steegen: To Worship the Johannine 'Son of Man'. John 9,38 as Refocusing on the Father», Vol. 91 (2010) 534-554
Important early textual witnesses show John 9,38-39a to be absent. Because of the use of uncharacteristic vocabulary, the use of rare verb forms such as e¶fh and pistey¥w, and the unique confession of faith and worship of Jesus as “Son of Man” during his earthly life, John 9,38 has been said to stand outside Johannine theology. I argue that, although John 9,38-39a confronts the Gospel’s reader with uncharacteristic vocabulary, this does not necessarily imply that these words were added by a later hand under liturgical influence. Instead of standing outside Johannine theology, the confession of faith and the worship by the man healed from his blindness function as the first fulfilment of the proleptic prediction of the words in 4,23 kaiù gaùr oO pathùr toioy¥toyv zhtei˜ toyùv proskynoy˜ntav ayßto¥n. Then, I confront the absence of 9,38-39a with yet another text-critical problem in the larger pericope 9,35-41 — the replacement of the title yiOoùv toy˜ aßnurw¥ poy in 9,35 by yiOoùv toy˜ ueoy — and argue that these two text-critical problems cannot be separated from one another. Finally, I explore how the designation “Son of Man” functions within the framework of pistey¥w and proskyne¥w. The worship of the Johannine Jesus can hardly be seen as a goal in itself. Instead, it is an acknowledgement that the Father is made known in the person of Jesus (cf. 9,3), and hence is typically Johannine.
547
TO WORSHIP JOHANNINE “ SON MAN â€
THE OF
of symbols, keywords, images and themes 39. It is a method of
working which characterizes the style of the fourth evangelist. In
line with this thinking, Ruben Zimmermann argues that the author,
with each repetition or variation, reveals new facets of the image
or the keyword. This ultimately enables the reader to come to a
better and more complete understanding of the specific keyword.
Wo rd s are joined together in networks which can become
hermeneutic keys to the theology of the Gospel. Therefore, these
networks need to be perceived in their entirety 40. They lead the
reader to deeper theological understanding 41.
By means of the verb proskynew Jesus gives God, the Father,
Â¥
a central place in the encounter with the Samaritan woman. True
worship is worship en pneymati kaı alhue¥a, fully directed
ß ¥ ùß ı∞
towards the Father (t√ patrı) 42. The preposition en, the use of
ß
Â¥
which in 4,24 should be taken as locative or metaphorical rather
t h a n temporal, serves to denote the sphere in which the
proskynew moves. The Spirit’s title in 16,13, to pneyma thv
¥ ù ˜ ˜
alhue¥av, demonstrates how the fourth evangelist understands the
ß ı
unity between pneyma and alhueia. In the title, to pneyma thv
˜ ߥ ù ˜ ˜
alhue¥av, the pneyma could stand for the world of ultimate
ß ı ˜
reality. Since Jesus, being the truth (cf. 14,6), makes the Spirit
possible, Spirit and truth function as a unity in their dependence on
Jesus, because these two realities converge in him 43. In 2,21 Jesus’
R.A. CULPEPPER, Anatomy of the Fourth Gospel. A Study in Literary
39
Design (Philadelphia, PA 1983) 201.
R. ZIMMERMANN, “Methaphoric Networks as Hermeneutic Keys in the
40
Gospel of John. Using the Example of the Mission Imageryâ€, Repetitions and
Variations in the Fourth Gospel (eds. G. VAN BELLE – M. LABAHN –
P. MARITZ) (BETL 223; Leuven 2009) 381.
R. ZIMMERMANN, “Methaphoric Networksâ€, 381.
41
According to Louw and Nida the preposition en is used in three different
ß
42
ways in the Gospel of John: to denote a location (e.g. 8,20); to indicate a specific
time (e.g. 2,19) or metaphorically (e.g. 14,4). However, according to J. Horst the
use of the preposition en in 4,23-24 must be understood as indicating a close
ß
personal relationship and not as signifying agency. See J.P. LOUW – E.A. NIDA,
Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Greek New
Testament (New York 1988) 84-85. And J. HORST, Proskynein. Zur Anbetung
im Urchristentum nach ihrer religionsgeschichtlichen Eigenart (NTF 3/2;
Gütersloh 1931) 293-307.
For a detailed and complete study on worship in Spirit and Truth in
43
John 4,19-26 see B. THETTAYIL, In Spirit and Truth. An Exegetical Study of
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