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THE AUTHORSHIP of the FOURTH GOSPEL by DWIGHT CROWELL THE AUTHORSHIP OF THE FOURTH GOSPEL by DWIGHT CROWELL B.A., Kingswood University, 2014 M.A., Acadia Divinity College, 2016 Thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology, Acadia Divinity College, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts (New Testament) Acadia Divinity College Acadia University Spring Convocation 2016 © by DWIGHT CROWELL, 2016 This thesis by Dwight Crowell was defended successfully in an oral examination on 19 April 2016. The examining committee for the thesis was: Dr. Robert Wilson, Chair Dr. Paul Anderson, External Examiner Dr. Allison Trites, Internal Examiner Dr. Craig A. Evans, Supervisor This thesis is accepted in its present form by Acadia Divinity College, the Faculty of Theology of Acadia University, as satisfying the thesis requirements for the degree of Master of Arts (Theology). ii I, Dwight Crowell, hereby grant permission to the University Librarian at Acadia University to provide copies of my thesis, upon request, on a non-profit basis. Dwight Crowell Author Dr. Craig A. Evans Supervisor 19 April 2016 Date iii TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION .................................................................................1 DEFINITION OF QUESTION .....................................................................................1 OVERVIEW OF SECONDARY LITERATUR ...........................................................3 Agnostic concerning the Identity of the Beloved Disciple ......................................3 The Beloved Disciple is a Literary Device or Symbolic Figure ..............................6 A Few Novel Suggestions ......................................................................................11 Methodology and Outline of Chapters ...................................................................13 CHAPTER TWO: THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE ..........................................................15 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................15 EUSEBIUS’ DISTINCTION: THE JUSTIFICATION FOR DISTINGUISHING THE APOSTLE JOHN FROM THE ELDER JOHN ...........................................................16 EXTERNAL EVIDENCE BETWEEN 180 AND 200 C.E. ........................................18 External Evidence: Antioch, Egypt, Africa, and Rome .........................................18 External Evidence: Asia Minor ..............................................................................23 THE EXTERNAL EVIDENCE BETWEEN 100 AND 180 C.E. ...............................51 The proto-Orthodox Use of the FG between 100 and 180 C.E. ............................52 The Gnostic Use of the FG between 100 and 180 C.E. .........................................59 HOW JOHANNINE AUTHORSHIP AROSE AMONG THE GNOSTICS AND IRENAEUS ..................................................................................................................64 How the Valentinian Gnostics Came to Believe the FG was Written by the Apostle John...........................................................................................................66 How Irenaeus and the proto-Orthodox Came to Believe that the FG was Written by the Apostle John ................................................................................................69 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................71 CHAPTER THREE: THE INTERNAL EVIDENCE........................................................74 INTRODUCTION .......................................................................................................74 EXEGESIS OF PASSAGES THAT INCLUDE THE BELOVED DISCIPLE ..........75 The Witness, Evangelist, and Redactor .................................................................75 iv John 13:21-30.........................................................................................................77 John 19:25-27.........................................................................................................83 John 20:1-10...........................................................................................................87 John 21:1-8.............................................................................................................92 John 21:15-25.........................................................................................................96 ARGUMENTS USED TO IDENTIFY THE BELOVED DISCIPLE ......................104 The Weak Link in Westcott’s Argument: Opening the Door to non-Apostolic Authorship............................................................................................................104 Arguments that Support and Oppose Johannine Authorship ...............................106 Arguments that Support and Oppose Lazarian Authorship .................................109 Facts in the Fourth Gospel that are Better Explained by Lazarus than the Apostle John ......................................................................................................................116 Arguments that Support and Oppose Identifying the Elder John with the Beloved Disciple ................................................................................................................120 CONCLUSION ..........................................................................................................122 CHAPTER FOUR: AN EVALUATION OF THE THEORIES OF AUTHORSHIP FOR THE FOURTH GOSPEL .................................................................................................123 INTRODUCTION .....................................................................................................123 THEORIES THAT IDENTIFY THE APOSTLE JOHN AS THE BELOVED DISCIPLE AND AUTHOR .......................................................................................123 Westcott’s Process of Elimination .......................................................................124 Morris and Keener: Champions of Johannine Authorship ..................................124 Brown and Schnackenburg: The Scholars Who Rejected Johannine Authorship............................................................................................................126 Evaluation ............................................................................................................129 THEORIES THAT IDENTIFY THE ELDER JOHN AS THE BELOVED DISCIPLE OR EVANGELIST ....................................................................................................130 Building on Delff’s Theory ..................................................................................130 Streeter and Macgregor: The Elder John, The Evangelist ...................................132 Hengel and Bauckham: The Threefold Identification .........................................134 Evaluation ............................................................................................................136 v THEORIES THAT IDENTIFY LAZARUS AS THE BELOVED DISCIPLE ........137 Sanders: Lazarus and John Mark .........................................................................138 Stibbe: Lazarus and the Elder John ......................................................................138 Witherington: The Elder Lazarus and John of Patmos ........................................139 Evaluation ............................................................................................................140 CHAPTER FIVE: CONCLUSION ...........................................................................142 BIBLIOGRAPHY ........................................................................................................... 145 vi ABSTRACT The research question for this study is, “Who provided the primary source of material for the Fourth Gospel (FG)?” This primary source is also referred to as the author or authority of the FG. In light of this and Jn 21:24, our research question could also be stated this way, “Who was the Beloved Disciple?” We limit the possibilities to three candidates, the Apostle John, the Elder John, and Lazarus of Bethany. The method we follow to investigate this question is, first, to analyze the internal and external evidence that is relevant to FG authorship, and then to endorse a theory that best explains both lines of evidence. The first chapter investigates the external evidence, and we consider the second-century writings of the Sethian and Valentinian Gnostics and the proto-Orthodox. The second chapter analyzes the passages in the FG wherein the BD appears and evaluates the arguments, which scholars have derived from the internal evidence, that support or oppose each candidate. The third chapter considers the theories that claim that the Apostle John, the Elder John, or Lazarus of Bethany was the BD, and uses the research from chapters one and two to evaluate these theories. The theory that identifies Lazarus with the BD and the Elder John with the Evangelist is judged as the one which best accounts for the internal and external evidence. The Elder John was Lazarus’ disciple, and he selected, arranged, and edited Lazarus’ written memoirs (and possibly other sources) to create the FG. Because of the Elder’s role in composing the FG, the name ‘John’ was attached to it. The Elder John was soon conflated with the BD, and, near the end of the second century, the proto-Orthodox were influenced by the Valentinian Gnostics to conflate this Elder John with the Apostle John. vii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I would first like to thank my thesis
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