Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 52:2 (Jun 2009)
Article: The Character Of John In The Fourth Gospel
Author: Cornelis Bennema

---

JETS 52:2 (June 2009) p. 271

The Character Of John In The Fourth Gospel

Cornelis Bennema*

* Cornelis Bennema is associate professor of New Testament and head of the New Testament department at the South Asia Institute of Advanced Christian Studies, P.O. Box 7747, Kothanur, Bangalore-56007, India.

The first human character that appears in the Fourth Gospel is John (1:6). Although he is never called “Baptist” or “Baptizer” in this gospel, the references to his baptizing activities in 1:25-33 and 3:23 assure us that it is the same person we find in the Synoptics. Virtually all scholars agree on the characterization of John in the Fourth Gospel: he is a witness. The author has stripped John of almost all details regarding his identity and activities, reducing him to the single role of a witness to Jesus. John is a flat character, and hence there is nothing more to him.1 This may explain why John has received so little attention from scholarship.2

I will argue that this characterization is an oversimplification. Though John’s main representation in the Fourth Gospel is that of a witness, it is not straightforward. Rather, John’s characterization as a witness is complex and multifaceted—his single trait is not a simple trait. This becomes evident when we examine his other roles as a baptizer, herald-forerunner, teacher, best man, and a “lamp.” Most scholars do not adequately explain how John’s other roles relate to his principal role. In fact, I will argue that it is misleading to speak of primary and secondary, major and minor roles. John never operates as a witness apart from his other roles; rather, he is a witness in

JETS 52:2 (June 2009) p. 272

these roles.3 I will attempt to elucidate John’s lesser-known roles and demonstrate that they define his role as a witness. This will provide a more comprehensive portrait of John in the Fourth Gospel.

I. John The Witness

The Prologue introduces John as “a man sent from God” (1:6), indicating that God is the authority behind his mission. John’s mission is mentioned in the following verse, “he came as a witness to testify regarding the light” (1:7). This light is the divine, life-giving Logos who became a human being—Jesus (1:1-4, 14<...

visitor : : uid: ()