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The Criticism of the Fourth Gospel

PREFACE

CONTENTS

1. Conservative Opinion.

2. Mediating Theories.

3. Partition Theories.

4. Uncompromising Rejection.

5. Recent Reaction.

I. i. Defects in the Methods of current Criticism.

ii. Instances in which Criticism has corrected itself.

iii. Examples of Mistaken Method as applied to the Fourth Gospel.

II. The Oldest Solution of the Problem of the Fourth Gospel.

I. The Gospel is put forward as the Work of an Eye-witness.

i. Passages which make a direct claim.

ii. Passages in which the impression conveyed is indirect.

II. The Identity of the Evangelist.

Different Kinds of Precision in Detail.

i. Pilgrimages.

ii. Ceremonies.

iii. The Temple.

iv. Sects and Parties.

v. Jewish Ideas and Dialectic.

vi. The Messianic Expectation.

ii. The Duration of the Ministry.

iii. The Cleansing of the Temple.

iv. The Date of the Last Supper and of the Crucifixion.

II. The alleged Want of Development in St. John’s Narrative.

i. Anticipated Confessions.

ii. The Use of the Word ‘Believe.’

iii. Traces of Development in the Fourth Gospel.

III. The Nature of the Discourses.

ii. Method of approaching the Question of Miracle.

iii. The Gospel embodies ocular Testimony.

iv. A Patristic Parallel.

I. Affinities of the Logos doctrine.

1. Partial parallels in O. T. and Judaism.

2. The Evangelist not a philosopher.

3. Points of Agreement with Philo.

4. Absence of Philonian Catch-words.

5. More fundamental differences.

iv. Possible avenues of connexion.

2. View of Grill.

3. View of Loisy.

1. The Gospel not a Biography.

2. The Christology of St. John compared with that of St. Paul and of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

3. Comparison with the Synoptic Gospels.

4. Interpretation of these Relations between the Synoptic Gospels, St. Paul and St. John: Alternative Constructions.

Two Preliminary Remarks.

5. Objections to the Critical Theory.

6. Larger Objections.

I. Summary of the Internal Evidence.

II. The External Evidence.

1. The Position at the end of the Second Century.

2. Earlier Evidence.

2. The date of Papias.

3. The death of the Apostle John.

4. The son of Zebedee and the beloved disciple.

5. John of Ephesus and his Gospel.

Epilogue on the Principles of Criticism.

INDEX