John—Historian or Theologian?
You have already read your free article for this month. Please join the BAS Library or become an All Access member of BAS to gain full access to this article and so much more.
Already a library member? Log in here.
Institution user? Log in with your IP address or Username
Footnotes
The Greek term Ioudaioi (“Jews”) is frequently translated as “the Jewish authorities” in modern translations. This is historically accurate. In the trial narrative, the term Ioudaioi seems synonymous with the “chief priests,” as it had earlier been with the “Pharisees.” In either case they are the Jewish authorities. Surprisingly, in John the Pharisees do not appear in the Passion narrative (the account of Jesus’ arrest, trial, and death). And indeed this is true in the Synoptics as well. Very probably this reflects the fact that the Jewish religious party that debated most vigorously with Jesus during his public ministry did not play a crucial role in putting him to death. Evidently, that role fell to the chief priests, who in Acts are portrayed as pursuing and persecuting the followers of Jesus in Jerusalem after his death and departure.
Rudolf Bultmann made these suggestions in his justly famous commentary on John, published in German in 1941 and in English translation 30 years later. Unfortunately, he did not pursue them. Had he done so he might have come to more positive conclusions about the historical value of the Gospel of John.