Journal: Bibliotheca Sacra
Volume: BSAC 179:713 (Jan 2022)
Article: The Meaning of λελουμένος in John 13:10 and John’s Soteriology
Author: Seung-In Song

BSac 179:713 (January-March 2022) p. 58

The Meaning of λελουμένος in John 13:10 and John’s Soteriology

Seung-In Song

Seung-In Song is Assistant Professor of New Testament at Ezra Bible Institute for Graduate Studes, Goyang, South Korea.

Abstract

John 13:10 involves two major exegetical issues: confirming the text, and interpreting λελουμένος and νίψασθαι. For the first issue, I propose that the reading with εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας is the original. As for the latter, I suggest that λελουμένος (the bathing) means spiritual cleansing by faith in Jesus’s words, and νίψασθαι (the footwashing) refers to spiritual cleansing by Jesus’s cross. These observations lead me to see Johannine soteriology containing the dual requirement of belief in the word and the cross for salvation.

Textual Criticism Of John 13:10

Because of its assorted variants, early church writers to recent scholars have attempted numerous textual studies and exegetical interpretations of John 13:10.1 Six variants appear in the Greek manuscripts.2 These six divide into two groups according to whether they include the phrase εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας or not. Both the shorter reading (א, vg, some old Latin texts, and Origen) and the longer reading (B, W, P66, D, θ) have early and wide distributions. The former can be translated “one who has bathed does not need to wash.”3 The latter can be rendered as “one who has

BSac 179:713 (January-March 2022) p. 59

bathed does not need to wash except for the feet.” In my opinion, the longer reading seems original.4 The main reason for supporting the longer reading relates to the internal evidence: the foot has been mentioned throughout 13:5–9 and the reading with εἰ μὴ τοὺς πόδας coheres well with the narrative flow. When Peter heard that the footwashing was related to having a share with Jesus (v. 8), he asked Jesus t...