Philipp F. Bartholomä, «John 5,31-47 and the Teaching of Jesus in the Synoptics. A Comparative Approach.»
Within Johannine scholarship, the assumed differences between Jesus’ teaching in John and in the Synoptics have frequently led to a negative judgment about Johannine authenticity. This article proposes a comparative approach that distinguishes between different levels of similarity in wording and content and applies it to John 5,31-47. What we find in this discourse section corresponds conceptually to a significant degree with the picture offered in the Synoptics, though couched in a very different idiom. Thus, the comparative evidence does not preclude us from accepting this particular part of Johannine speech material as an authentic representation of the actual content of Jesus’words.
Biblica_1:Layout 1 21-11-2011 12:59 Pagina 386
386 PHILIPP F. BARTHOLOMÄ
and messiahs is found in the Synoptics as well. Matt 24,5.24 par.
is conceptually close to our Johannine proposition as Jesus warns
that “many will come in my name, saying ‘I am the Messiah!’
and they will lead many astray†[1/2-level of closeness; cf. Matt
7,15] 29.
Finally, in John 5,44, the reason is named why Jesus’ hearers are
indeed vulnerable to accepting the claims of false messiahs while
at the same time neglecting the witness of the Father to the Christ
he had sent. They are more eager “to accept glory from one an-
other†rather than “to seek the glory that comes from the one who
alone is Godâ€. It is the same misguided mindset that the Synoptic
Jesus detects in his pharisaic opponents in Matt 23,5-7. Far from
longing to receive glory from God, they “do all their deeds to be
seen [and honored and respected] by others†[0/2-level of close-
ness] 30. Elsewhere, in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt 6,1) Jesus
likewise warns against a kind of religiousness that places more im-
portance on human praise while losing sight of what actually mat-
ters most — divine approval: “Beware of practicing your piety
before others in order to be seen by them; for then you have no re-
ward from your Father in heaven†[0/2-level of closeness; cf. Luke
11,43; 20,46] 31.
29
For this parallel cf. 27NA; KÖSTENBERGER, John, 193; RIDDERBOS, John,
206; SCHNACKENBURG, Johannesevangelium, 179; also B. SCHWANK,
Evangelium nach Johannes (St. Ottilien 1998) 188: “Wir meinen also, daß
die Synoptiker und Johannes dieselbe Tradition über viele andere, die
kommen und sich zu unrecht einen Namen machen, aufgegriffen habenâ€.
30
The Matthean woes against the Pharisees are mentioned as parallels to
the Johannine tradition by, e.g., SCHNACKENBURG, Johannesevangelium, II,
180; T. ZAHN, Das Evangelium des Johannes (KNT 4; Leipzig 1921) 317; H.
THYEN, Das Johannesevangelium (HNT 6; Tübingen 2005) 328-329; as well
as BLOMBERG, Historical Reliability, 117. Cf. also BROWN, John (i-xii), 229:
“(…) we find similar condemnations of sterile tradition and the seeking of
praise in Matt xxiiiâ€.
31
For this parallel, see also SCHNACKENBURG, Johannesevangelium, II, 180.
FOLLOW US