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A Diachronic Analysis of the Use of Scripture in the Variant Versions of the Apocryphon of John

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A Diachronic Analysis of the Use of Scripture in the Variant Versions of the Apocryphon of John Loyola University Chicago Loyola eCommons Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2011 A Diachronic Analysis of the Use of Scripture in the Variant Versions of the Apocryphon of John David Creech Loyola University Chicago Follow this and additional works at: https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Creech, David, "A Diachronic Analysis of the Use of Scripture in the Variant Versions of the Apocryphon of John" (2011). Dissertations. 80. https://ecommons.luc.edu/luc_diss/80 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Loyola eCommons. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Loyola eCommons. For more information, please contact [email protected]. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License. Copyright © 2011 David Creech LOYOLA UNIVERSITY CHICAGO A DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS OF THE USE OF SCRIPTURE IN THE VARIANT VERSIONS OF THE APOCRYPHON OF JOHN A DISSERTATION SUBMITTED TO THE FACULTY OF THE GRADUATE SCHOOL IN CANDIDACY FOR THE DEGREE OF DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY PROGRAM IN THEOLOGY BY DAVID ANDREW CREECH CHICAGO, IL AUGUST 2011 Copyright by David Creech, August 2011 All rights reserved. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS The wise sage Qohelet tells us that “a threefold chord shall not be quickly broken” (Eccl 4:12, NRSV). Many strands made up the chord that supported me throughout the dissertation process. I would not have finished without the gracious help and encouragement of several key friends and colleagues. Thanks are first due to the Theology Department at Loyola University Chicago. I appreciated the collegial atmosphere and the open sharing of ideas. The faculty helped me hone my critical thinking and writing skills. Drs. Tobin and Di Vito served admirably on my committee, offering timely and incisive feedback. The dissertation was greatly strengthened by their input. I cannot thank my director, Dr. Lupieri, enough. He went above and beyond what can be reasonably asked of a director and provided just what I needed— feedback, ideas, even the gentle (perhaps sometimes too gentle) nudge forward— throughout the entire process. The staff, especially Catherine Wolf and Marianne Wolfe, helped me manage and navigate the labyrinthine (and not so labyrinthine) university requirements. My cohort provided camaraderie and helped me grow ideas. Carl Toney, in particular, was a dear friend and sounding board. The strongest strands of support came from my family. Dad and Mom instilled in me from early on a love for the text and a desire to learn. My sisters and brother—Julie, Elizabeth, Jamie, and Jonathan—believed in me and offered regular encouragement. Finally, deepest thanks are to my wife, Jessica, and our kids, Ian, Ela, and Dylan. We all got much more out of iii this than we bargained for and I am grateful for your patience and endurance. Jessica, you gave the most of all, and I dedicate this work to you. iv For Jessica TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS............................................................................................iii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS.......................................................................................viii CHAPTER ONE: PRELIMINARIES 1 Introduction................................................................................................................... 1 History of Research.......................................................................................................1 Origins and Classification.......................................................................................... 1 The Apocryphon of John..........................................................................................19 Overview of the Argument......................................................................................... 34 Aims and Thesis....................................................................................................... 34 Chapter Summaries.................................................................................................. 34 CHAPTER TWO: “INDEED HE SAID THROUGH THE PROPHET” 36 Introduction................................................................................................................. 36 The Apocryphon and the Biblical Text: Two Common Misperceptions.................... 37 Rejection of the Jewish and Christian Scriptures.................................................... 38 Intentional Misreading of Scripture: Reverse or “Protest” Exegesis....................... 46 Summary.................................................................................................................. 64 The Biblical Text as Foundational.............................................................................. 64 Biblical Theology in the Apocryphon of John......................................................... 65 The Apocryphon of John’s Structural Dependence on the Biblical Text................. 75 Exegetical “Proofs”.................................................................................................. 81 Summary of Findings............................................................................................... 87 Conclusion................................................................................................................... 87 CHAPTER THREE: “NOT AS MOSES SAID” 89 Introduction................................................................................................................. 89 Moses the Unreliable Witness..................................................................................... 90 The Rhetoric of Citation........................................................................................... 90 Framing the Rejection: The Savior Laughs............................................................. 93 Not as Moses Said… but Just as Moses Said........................................................... 99 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 116 CHAPTER FOUR: A DIACHRONIC ANALYSIS 118 Introduction............................................................................................................... 118 An Outline of the Parameters.................................................................................... 119 Three Key Moments............................................................................................... 119 The Text and Its Audience..................................................................................... 120 The Apocryphon of John in the Second Century...................................................... 130 The Shape of the Apocryphon circa 150 CE.......................................................... 130 The Apocryphon of John as Rewritten Scripture................................................... 135 The Apocryphon of John in Early Christian Communities.................................... 139 The Apocryphon of John after Irenaeus of Lyons..................................................... 140 vi Irenaeus’ Assault on “Knowledge Falsely So-Called............................................ 141 The Gnostic Response............................................................................................144 The Apocryphon of John at Nag Hammadi............................................................... 148 Two Versions......................................................................................................... 148 The Continued Use of Scripture in the Apocryphon.............................................. 150 Conclusion................................................................................................................. 154 BIBLIOGRAPHY........................................................................................................156 VITA............................................................................................................................177 vii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ABD Freedman, David Noel, editor. The Anchor Bible Dictionary. 6 volumes. New York: Doubleday, 1992. ANF Roberts, Alexander and James Donaldson, editors. The Ante-Nicene Fathers. 1885-1887. 10 volumes. Repr. Peabody: Hendrickson, 1994. BDAG Bauer, W., F. W. Danker, W. F. Arndt, and F. W. Gingrich. Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature. 3rd edition. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1999. Crum Crum, W. E. A Coptic Dictionary. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1939. DNTB Evans, Craig and Stanley Porter, editors. Dictionary of New Testament Background. Downers Grove: InterVarsity, 2000. EDNT Balz, Horst and Gerhard Schneider. Exegetical Dictionary of the New Testament. 3 volumes. Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 1990-1993. Lampe Lampe, G. W. H. A Patristic Greek Lexicon. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1961- 1968. LSJ Liddell, H. G., R. Scott, and H. S. Jones. A Greek English Lexicon. 9th edition with revised supplement. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1996. NA27 Aland, Barbara and Kurt, editors. Novum Testamentum Graece. 27th edition. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1993. NHL Robinson, James M., editor. The Nag Hammadi Library in English. 3rd revised edition. San Francisco: Harper and Row, 1988. OCD3 Hornblower, Simon and Anthony Spawforth, editors. The Oxford Classical Dictionary. 3rd revised edition. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2003. TDNT Kittel, Gerhard and Gerhard Friedrich, editors. Theological
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