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Many scholars have perceived a contradiction between two pairs of verses in 1 John. While the first pair (1: 8 and 10) states that those who claim that they do not 'have sin' or 'have not sinned' are guilty of deceit, the second pair (3: 6 and 9) declares that those 'born or and 'abiding in' God 'cannot sin.' The apparent discrepancy, known as the 'sinlessness contradiction,' has been the subject of constant debate, an interpretive problem to which Johannine scholars have proposed varying solutions. This thesis does not propose a new exegetical solution to the debate; rather it analyses the typical hermeneutical moves that interpreters make in such a debate. It draws methodologically on the interplay between the perspectives of reader-response theorists Stanley Fish and Wolfgang Iser, with an emphasis on Fish's prioritization of the 'interpretive community.' By these lights, the thesis attempts to expose how readerly assumptions shape the perception of texts, accounting thus for the diversity of explications of 1 John 1: 8, 10 and 3: 6,9. The thesis explores how readers in the eighteenth and twentieth centuries have dealt with the 'sinlessness contradiction.' Given the degree to which John Wesley is identified with a concern for 'Christian perfectionism,' the exegetical debate surrounding Wesley's own treatment of the issues in debate with others, and the work of commentators on whom he drew, is a site of particular hermeneutical interest. Fish is used to question critically the ubiquitous claim simply to 'return to the text.' An excursus fills out the picture of Wesley's 'interpretive community.' Scholarly readers today typically view the debate surrounding Wesley from the perspective of contemporary historical-critical scholarship. The thesis thus finally analyses six recent treatments of the 'sinlessness contradiction,' which together offer more fertile ground for the interest in the readerly aspects of historical-theological reconstruction.

This thesis investigates the ways in which Moses traditions are used in the Gospel of John. The term "Moses traditions" is meant to refer to the stories connected with the person of Moses in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Later developments of these traditions are taken into account, if they are relevant to John's use of Moses traditions. The study addresses three areas of concern: First, the literary context and narrative significance of each instance of a use of a Moses tradition in John's Gospel is investigated. Secondly, the probability of the suggested links to the Old Testament Vorlagen is assessed. It is argued that in many cases the identification of a suggested link cannot be strictly separated from the interpretation of the link. Thirdly, the theological significance of each suggested link is presented. It is argued that the most significant theological inference from the use of Moses traditions in John is the sociological function of the christological use of Moses traditions. Although Moses traditions are used to illuminate the person of Jesus, the function of that use is time and again to define the identity of Christian believers in relation to mainstream Judaism. The introductory chapter presents a short survey of scholarly work on John's use of the OT. It also tackles the details involved in detecting and interpreting OT allusions in a NT text. Finally, it discusses the explicit use of the name "Moses" in John's Gospel and establishes the thesis of the sociological function of the use of Moses traditions. Chapter Two discusses the use of Sinai traditions in John 1 and 2. It is argued that Ex 33-34 provides the crucial OT background to Jn 1: 14-18, and that Ex 19-24 illuminates several details of John 1: 19-2: 11. Chapter Three follows the use of Passover traditions throughout the whole Gospel. It is argued that Passover traditions serve mainly to illuminate aspects of Jesus' death. Chapter Four presents the use of wilderness traditions in John 3 and 6-8. A multifaceted picture emerges that includes a variety of ways in which wilderness traditions are evoked. Also, an excursus is added that discusses the question of how John's use of the OT affects the theological value of the OT revelation. Chapter Five tackles several instances in which the prophet like Moses is evoked or in which Moses and Jesus are compared as persons. Chapter Six summarizes the main results of the study.

This study focuses on occurrences of spatial language found in the Farwell Discourse. We employ a sequential approach to studying the language. The sequence in which the spatial language unfold in the discourse not only has pedagogical value in communicating the content of the discourse, not is it only the text's way of engaging the reader and demanding the reader to respond to its claims but also it is part of the text's content. Through means of spatial language, John's Jesus communicates an ontology where being is not only modelled by the Mutually Indwelling God, but is also defined as being in relationship with the Mutually Indwelling God. The Farewell Discourse begins with the footwashing narrative in which a central issue is established. If Jesus is to depart, how are the disciples to continue experiencing Jesus' presence? Jesus answers by pointing the disciples to the being of the Mutually Indwelling God. Just as the Father is immanent in Jesus in the relationship that Jesus shares as the Son of the Father, Jesus is to be present to the disciples in their relationship to him. However, if Jesus models the disciples' experience of his presence on his own relationship with the Father with whom Jesus shares being, does Jesus suggest that the disciples are ontologically transformed in their relationship to Jesus? The Discourse answers affirmatively. But also it states that in fact alienation from a relationship with the Mutually Indwelling God is not to have an alternative and equally viable being, but to cease to have being. This is because only they have being who have the experiential knowledge of the Mutually Indwelling God. And ultimately this knowledge is a universal offer to the whole world that are given the opportunity to have true being by knowing the Father and Jesus, the Sent One.

The concept of love abounds in the Bible but it is questionable whether the same un-derstanding that the antique audiences of the biblical documents could have had of this concept is prevalent in our time. The reason for such doubt lies, simply, in the noticeable absence of regard for each other among (even devout) people. The study was directed towards an investigation of theological and popular views on biblical love as well as a brief overview of lexicographical works by known scholars as regards the noun  and the verb . It was found that, despite the vol-ume of entries, not much in the way of clarification of the meaning of  and re-lated words is available. There is, indeed, a dire lack of contemporary social-scien-tific related data as regards this important concept and related matters. The world of the New Testament differs widely from the one we live in and a brief overview was given from social-scientific sources on the historical-cultural aspects of the first century Mediterranean world. This was done from the perspective of making use of such data in the exegesis of three shorts text-segments selected from the Gospel of John. The text-segments John 3: 16; 13: 34-45 and 21: 15-17 are well-known for the bear-ing they have on the noun  and the verb  in the Fourth Gospel as well as the popular meaning/s that is quite commonly ascribed to the texts. Exegesis was done from a grammatical-historical paradigm with joint usage of applicable historical-cultural data. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (New Testament)

The concept of love abounds in the Bible but it is questionable whether the same un-derstanding that the antique audiences of the biblical documents could have had of this concept is prevalent in our time. The reason for such doubt lies, simply, in the noticeable absence of regard for each other among (even devout) people. The study was directed towards an investigation of theological and popular views on biblical love as well as a brief overview of lexicographical works by known scholars as regards the noun  and the verb . It was found that, despite the vol-ume of entries, not much in the way of clarification of the meaning of  and re-lated words is available. There is, indeed, a dire lack of contemporary social-scien-tific related data as regards this important concept and related matters. The world of the New Testament differs widely from the one we live in and a brief overview was given from social-scientific sources on the historical-cultural aspects of the first century Mediterranean world. This was done from the perspective of making use of such data in the exegesis of three shorts text-segments selected from the Gospel of John. The text-segments John 3: 16; 13: 34-45 and 21: 15-17 are well-known for the bear-ing they have on the noun  and the verb  in the Fourth Gospel as well as the popular meaning/s that is quite commonly ascribed to the texts. Exegesis was done from a grammatical-historical paradigm with joint usage of applicable historical-cultural data. / Biblical and Ancient studies / D. Th. (New Testament)

This study is concerned with the need to investigate the Johannine idea of truth in the context of the Old Testament background, with the stated aim of showing how this conception of truth could still reach those outside the boundary of Judaism. This thesis needs to be set within the larger framework of revelation. The revelation of God in the Old Testament pointed to God's final and fullest revelation given in his Son. And because Jesus is indeed the truth, as he himself explicitly claimed, it necessarily follows that every portion of this revelation is true and reliable in every way. Moreover, because this revelation has been given, there is the need for those to serve as witnesses to it. These witnesses, both divine and human, are themselves revelation by virtue of their divine origin and their consequent inclusion as part of the overall New Testament witness to Jesus. Chapter one addresses those introductory matters relevant for understanding John's unique view of truth. There are two aspects to this view of truth as centered in Jesus: Jesus as the revelation of truth, and Jesus as the revealer of truth. Truth is the person and work of Jesus, and chapter two treats the first aspect in discussing eight ideas that explain this view of truth. The second aspect is the focus of chapter three. Because truth comes only from God, it must be revealed since human beings cannot understand it on their own. In order for this revelation to be received, witnesses are needed to testify to it. Hence, in John truth and revelation cannot be separated, and witnesses must testify to this revelation as the truth of God. Because Jesus is both the revealer and the revelation itself, he is therefore the preeminent witness precisely because his is a self-authenticating witness that receives the Father's affirmation. The last chapter applies this theological foundation using three ideas that are specifically connected with the word "truth": abiding, sanctification, and worship. Truth is more than intellectual acquirement; it is living one's life in love and service of God and others. / New Testament / D. Th (New Testament)

John 21 tells of the “miraculous draught of fishes.” The disciples fish all night and catch nothing. In the morning, they fail to recognize Jesus on the shore, instructing them to cast their net again. After an amazing catch and subsequent breakfast, Jesus thrice questions Peter’s love and commissions him to “feed my sheep.” Using Narrative Criticism, this study examines this recognition scene, specifically in light of recognition scenes in Genesis. Previous work used primarily Greco-Roman texts to analyze Johannine recognition. This study adds the Hebraic perspective, asking, “How would a reader, well acquainted with Genesis, understand recognition in John 21?” This study labels characters who withhold recognition from others as “manipulators,” and argues that biblical recognition can be understood within a context of “manipulation.” It proposes a taxonomy of manipulation with six narrative kernels. This yields four patterns gleaned from Genesis: 1) Manipulation narratives are focused around chosen leaders—manipulators—undergoing a character development process; 2) These manipulators disempower others while empowering themselves for gain; 3) Genesis manipulation stories often contain evocative déjà vu motifs: repetitive words and themes connecting the units, reinforcing the story, and sometimes haunting manipulators; 4) Manipulators are often “counter-manipulated” in a reciprocal manner ironically similar to their own previous behavior. This may correct and transform the manipulator. The taxonomy and patterns are applied to John 21:1-19 as a lens for a new reading. The study also examines Greek diminutives in John 21, which enhances the reading. This reading characterizes Peter’s earlier behavior in John 18 as manipulative, when he withheld his identity three times. When the disciples go aimlessly fishing in John 21, Jesus actively withholds his identity in ironic counter-manipulation, mirroring Peter’s earlier denials. The disciples’ lack of recognition underscores their dullness, especially Peter’s. Jesus’ three questions to Peter continue the ironic counter-manipulation, paralleling Peter’s earlier three denials. Finally, Jesus predicts Peter will glorify God in his death, indicating his future turn toward ideal discipleship. / New Testament / D. Th. (New Testament)