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Langley Sbts 0207D 10640.Pdf (1.245Mb) Copyright © 2020 Stuart Benjamin Langley All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. WHO SAYS THAT GOD LOVES THE WORLD? A HISTORICAL ARGUMENT TO IDENTIFY THE AMBIGUOUS SPEAKERS IN JOHN 3 __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by Stuart Benjamin Langley December 2020 APPROVAL SHEET WHO SAYS THAT GOD LOVES THE WORLD? A HISTORICAL ARGUMENT TO IDENTIFY THE AMBIGUOUS SPEAKERS IN JOHN 3 Stuart Benjamin Langley Read and Approved by: ________________________________________ Jonathan T. Pennington (Chair) ________________________________________ William F. Cook III ________________________________________ Brian J. Vickers Date______________________________ ἐκεῖνον δεῖ αὐξάνειν, ἐμὲ δὲ ἐλαττοῦσθ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ........................................................................................... vii LIST OF TABLES……………………………………………………………………. ...xii PREFACE ......................................................................................................................... xii Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION ..................................................................................................1 Thesis ..................................................................................................................3 Background .........................................................................................................4 Continued Speech Theory .......................................................................... 6 Reflection Theory ...................................................................................... 8 Blended Theology Theory ......................................................................... 9 Method ..............................................................................................................10 Reception History or History of Interpretation? ...................................... 11 Does History of Interpretation Belong to New Testament Studies? ........ 12 Procedure Moving Forward ..................................................................... 14 PART 1 HISTORY 2. PRE-MODERN INTERPRETATION: EARLY CHRISTIANITY ....................................................................................20 The Second and Third Centuries .......................................................................21 The Fourth Century ...........................................................................................33 The Fifth Century ..............................................................................................50 The Sixth Century .............................................................................................60 3. PRE-MODERN INTERPRETATION: THE MEDIEVAL ERA ........................................................................................64 iv Chapter Page The Seventh and Eighth Centuries ....................................................................64 The Ninth Century.............................................................................................73 The Tenth and Eleventh Centuries ....................................................................87 The Twelfth Century .........................................................................................91 Concluding the Medieval Era .........................................................................100 4. PRE-MODERN INTERPRETATION: THE REFORMATION ERA ..............................................................................102 The Reformation Era .......................................................................................103 Early Modern Era ............................................................................................119 Concluding the Reformation Era ....................................................................127 5. MODERN INTERPRETATION: A LACK OF CONSENSUS ...............................................................................129 Continued Speech Theory ...............................................................................130 Traditional Position ............................................................................... 130 Rearrangement Theory .......................................................................... 134 Reflection Theory............................................................................................137 Shift in Style and Tense ......................................................................... 138 Post-Resurrection Viewpoint ................................................................. 139 Johannine Terminology ......................................................................... 142 Blended Theology Theory...............................................................................146 Conclusions to Chapter 5 ................................................................................148 PART 2 INTERPRETATION 6. READING THEOLOGICALLY: THE PURPOSE OF JOHN 3 ..............................................................................151 Purpose and Audience of the Fourth Gospel...................................................155 John’s Gospel as a Missionary Document ............................................. 155 The Johannine Community in Conflict .................................................. 156 v Chapter Page John’s Gospel: Narrative and Rhetoric .................................................. 158 John’s Narrative Arc .............................................................................. 159 The Book of Signs ................................................................................. 162 Conclusions .....................................................................................................164 7. WHO SAYS THAT GOD LOVES THE WORLD? JESUS AS THE SPEAKER IN JOHN 3 ............................................................166 Nicodemus, Jesus, and John the Baptist .........................................................167 The True Teacher ................................................................................... 168 The Gift of God ..................................................................................... 171 A Trustworthy Testimony ...................................................................... 174 What of the Crucifixion? .................................................................................177 What of Faith in the Son? ...................................................................... 178 What of the Baptist’ Testimony? ........................................................... 180 Must Not the Son of Man Be Lifted Up? .............................................. 182 8. CONCLUSION...................................................................................................187 Appendix ..........................................................................................................................191 1. HISTORY OF INTERPRETATION OF JOHN 3…………………………......190 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 199 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS A. General Abbreviations ACCS Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture ANF Schaff’s Ante-Nicene Fathers BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament BibSac Bibliotheca Sacra BMSSEC Baylor-Mohr Siebeck Studies in Early Christianity BNTC Black’s New Testament Commentary Series BTNT Biblical Theology of the New Testament CSEL Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum CSS Cisterian Studies Series CTQ Concordia Theological Quarterly EGGNT Exegetical Guide to the New Testament ExpTimes The Expository Times HNTC Harper’s New Testament Commentary HTCNT Herder’s Theological Commentary on the New Testament IBC Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Preaching and Teaching ICC International Critical Commentary ITQ Irish Theological Quarterly IVP InterVarsity Press IVPNTC IVP New Testament Commentary Series JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JPC John Phillips Commentary Series vii JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplemental Series JTS Journal of Theological Studies MNTC Moffatt New Testament Commentary NAC New American Commentary Series NCBC New Century Bible Commentary NCC New Cambridge Bible Commentary NIBC New International Biblical Commentary NICNT New International Commentary on the New Testament NTS New Testament Studies PJBR Pacific Journal of Baptist Research PNTC Pillar New Testament Commentary Series SNTSMS Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series TNTC Tyndale New Testament Commentaries WBC Word Biblical Commentary B. Abbreviations for Pre-Modern Works Adv. Felic. Alcuin’s Against the Heresies of Felix Bapt. Tertullian’s On Baptism C. Ar. Athanasius’ Orations against the Arians C. Eun. Gregory of Nyssa’s Against Eunomius C. Felic. Paulinus’ Against Felix C. Jul. Augustine’s Against Julian C. Nestor. Cassian’s Against Nestorius Cod. reg. Benedict’s Codex Regularum Monasticarum et Canonicarum Cog. bapt. Ildefonsus’ On the Knowledge of Baptism viii Cog. bapt. B. Bede’s On the Knowledge of Baptism Comm. Apoc. Victorinus Commentary on the Apocalypse
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