Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 72:1 (NA 2021)
Article: The Identification Of New Exodus Themes In John 13–17
Author: Carl T. Martin

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The Identification Of New Exodus Themes In John 13–171

Carl T. Martin

North-West University, South Africa
[email protected]

Dissertation Summary

Within the discipline of biblical theology an interest has arisen in the presence of what has become known as New Exodus. What began as a study of New Testament references to Israel’s Exodus from Egypt expanded to consider references to the Second Exodus – the promised return from exile spoken of by the prophets. New Testament writers apply references to the Exodus from Egypt and the Second Exodus return from exile in developing the theology of the New Exodus in the ministry of Jesus and the development of the church. New Exodus studies that began in the writings of the Apostle Paul were followed by those in the Letter to the Hebrews, the Synoptic Gospels, Acts, and the book of Revelation. For the Gospel of John, two studies examining New Exodus dimensions in the first ten chapters (1–4 and 5–10 respectively) have been completed. After surveying the extensive body of New Exodus literature, the present work interacts with those studies of New Exodus in the Gospel of John and carries the research forward by defining New Exodus and by examining the canonical Scriptures and selections from the intertestamental literature, culminating with a focus on John 13–17 for New Exodus themes.

After mapping out in chapter 1 the nature of the task and the procedure for the thesis as a whole, an extensive survey of research on the larger field of New Exodus studies summarises the challenge of defining terms for the study. In

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chapter 2 careful attention is given to a wide array of studies that address areas of Exodus and New Exodus studies.

Chapter 3 is devoted to Johannine studies that pertain to New Exodus. Detailed examination is undertaken of two dissertations written under the same supervisor. Both writers contend that New Exodus is ‘a major interpretive key’ for unlocking the New Testament. One argues for the presence of New Exodus in John 1–4. The other, without any interaction with the work on John 1–4, argues for the presence of New Exodus in John 5–10. While material from both dissertations provides helpful insight for the Gospel of John the authors did not utilise the same tools for evaluating New Exodus considerations, therefore a number of their conclusions are challenged in the present work.

Chapter 4 opens with a ser...