John

GAIL R. O’DAY

SUSAN E. HYLEN

Westminster John Knox Press louisville • kentucky

Westminster Bible Companion

Series Editors

Patrick D. Miller

David L. Bartlett

© 2006 Gail R. O’Day

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. For information, address Westminster John Knox Press, 100 Witherspoon Street, Louisville, Kentucky 40202-1396.

Scripture quotations from the New Revised Standard Version of the Bible are copyright © 1989 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the U.S.A. and are used by permission.

Book design by Publishers’ WorkGroup

Cover design by Drew Stevens

First edition

Published by Westminster John Knox Press

Louisville, Kentucky

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file at the Library of Congress, Washington, D.C.

ISBN-13: 978-0-664-25260-1

ISBN-10: 0-664-25260-5

Contents

Series Foreword

Introduction

Historical Issues

Authorship

Date

Social Location of the Gospel

Literary Features

Metaphor

Irony

Characters

Structure

Theology

Contrasts and Choices

Jewish Tradition

Jesus’ Identity and Purpose

Conclusion

PART 1: THE BEGINNINGS OF JESUS’ MINISTRY

John 1:1–4:54

1. The Prelude to Jesus’ Ministry

John 1:1–51

The Prologue (John 1:1–18)

“In the beginning was the Word”

Children of God

The Word Became Flesh

The Witness of John the Baptist (John 1:19–34)

The Gathering of Jesus’ First Disciples (John 1:35–51)

2. “Greater Things”: The Opening of Jesus’ Ministry

John 2:1–22

The Wine Miracle at Cana (John 2:1–12)

The Cleansing of the Temple (John 2:13–25)

3. Jesus and Nicodemus

John 3:1–21

Born from Above or Born Again?

“God so loved the world”

4. The Final Witness of John the Baptist

John 3:22–36

5. Jesus in Samaria

John 4:1–42

Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1–30)

“Living water”

True Worship

The Samaritan Woman’s Witness

Fields Ripe for Harvesting (John 4:31–42)

6. Jesus Heals an Official’s Son

John 4:43–54

PART 2: REVELATION AND CONFLICT: JESUS’ MINISTRY CONTINUES

John 5:1–12:50

7. Jesus Heals on the Sabbath

John 5:1–47

A Sabbath Healing (John 5:1–18)

The Discourse (John 5:19–47)

Excursus: “The Jews”

8. The Bread of Life

John 6:1–71

The Feeding of the Five Thousand (John 6:1–14)

Jesus Walks on Water (John 6:15–21)

Dialogue and Discourse on the Bread of Life (John 6:22–71)

Excursus: The Eucharist in John

9. Jesus at the Festival of Booths

John 7:1–8:59

Jesus Goes to Jerusalem (John 7:1–13)

Jesus’ Teaching and Response (John 7:14–52)

Interlude: Jesus and the Woman Caught in Adultery (John 7:53–8:11)

Jesus the Light of the World (John 8:12–20)

Freedom from Slavery (John 8:21–59)

10. Jesus Heals a Man Blind from Birth

John 9:1–41

The Healing (John 9:1–12)

Responses to the Healing (John 9:13–41)

11. Jesus the Gate and the Shepherd

John 10:1–42...