Draft #5 Essay by Hugh O’Donnell, Dec 5, 2009

Title: Teach John using an Inverted Parallel Structure (Chiasm)

Abstract

John’s gospel has a literary structure that easily adapts to teaching the gospel using a hands-on investigative approach. The teaching structure helps brings alive the existing chapter structure increasing recognition of the gospel’s unity and symmetry in a way that enhances memory and understanding - the way early biblical chiastic structure intended. The Fourth Gospel can be viewed as nine separate sections having inverted parallel structure (chiasm). The structure pairs Jesus’ two life-giving narratives and His two Sabbath healing narratives as many exegetes have done before. Additionally the gospel has two additional parallels that contrast each other like the evangelist’s matching but contrasting miracle parallels. The linking of eight sections as chiastic parallels adds meaning not otherwise apparent. Using the structure suggested, the gospel’s central focus depicts Jesus as the husband from heaven, who gives food, water and sight (spiritual life and light) to his family.

Introduction

The traditional literary structure attributed to the gospel of John is one of a book with two sections, the Book of Signs and the Book of Glory. Another literary structure in John is it’ five part chiastic format suggested by Peter Ellis is his book, The Genius of John. One obvious problem with designating chapters 1-11 as the Book of Signs comes in chapter 2 when the miracle of changing water to wine is called the first manifestation of Jesus’ Glory (2:11). Ellis’ 21-section chiastic format is more consistent with the way biblical authors wrote. The structure proposed by Ellis can be simplified, for teaching purposes, revealing an over arching chiastic structure that spans the entire Gospel. The importance of viewing the gospel as nine chiastic sections helps teach the Gospel, using its current Chapter format, without learning the difficult, non-chapter, non-paragraph, chiastic structure the author employed.

The simplified nine part, inverted parallel structure, follows a standard chiastic format: Topic A, B, C, D, E, D’, C’, B’, A’. Sections A and A’ of the chiasm “bookend” the text like slices of bread for a sandwich, adding emphasis and focus to the “meat” section, part E of the gospel. The matching parallel sections consist of Section A (Ch 1), “the witness of John (Baptist) and others,” that occurred before Jesus’ ministry began, paralleled with Section A’ (Ch 20/21), “the witness of John (Beloved Disciple) and others,” that occurred after Jesus’ resurrection or post ministry. Section E, the heart the gospel, has Jesus telling us that He is the new Passover meal (Ch 6), the new water and wine of Tabernacles (Ch 7), and the new eternal flame of the temple lamp, the “light of the world” (Ch 8). Section B (Ch 2-4a), Jesus the Husband, is paralleled with section B’ (Ch 12-19), Jesus the King. Section C (Ch 5), Sabbath healing of lame man, is paralleled with section C’ (Ch 9/10), Sabbath healing of blind man. Finally, section D (Ch 5), life to a stranger, is paralleled with section D’ (Ch 11), life to a close friend.

Section B and B’ form the most interesting and controversial parallels suggested. Did the author of the gospel intend section B, Jesus the Bridegroom, to be a synonymous or antithetic parallel with B’ (Ch 18/19), Jesus King of the Jews? The remainder of the essay will deal with some matching and contrasting parallels I suspect the author intended. Let your students argue if they are synonymous or antithetical.

The chiastic structure lends itself to seeing and teaching the gospel using search-compare-contrast hands-on techniques that totally engage the students. The gospel can be taught using group or individual discovery methods avoiding lecture methods many teenage students dread. A discovery teaching method brings alive the existing chapter structure of the gospel enhancing the gospel’s unity and content so the text can be better remembered, better understood, and better connected. Students love to search for matching connectivity and contrast within parts of a document. The teaching technique facilitates understanding the entire composition in greater depth. Of course the teacher guides students through the numerous parallels and contrasts as discovered.

The Proposed “Teaching” Structure

The chiasm proposed here is briefly outlined as follows:

A (Chap 1) - Witness of John (Baptist) & others - pre ministry Jesus.

B (Chap 2-4a) – Jesus the Mosaic Messiah & Church’s New Bridegroom

C (Chap 4b) - Jesus gives life to a stranger.

D (Chap 5) – Jesus heals health of person of weak character and faith.

E (Chap 6-8) – Jesus, Son Messiah, gives life with spiritual food of Passover (Ch 6)and water/wine/light/sight of Tabernacles (Ch 7/8).

D’ (Chap 9/10) – Jesus heals sight of person of strong character and faith

C’ (Chap 11) – Jesus gives life to close friend.

B’ (Chap 12-19) – Jesus the Davidic Messiah & False “King” of the Jews.

A’ (Chap 20/21) - Witness of John (Beloved Disciple) & others - post ministry Jesus.

We know John’s original manuscript did not have the existing chapter breaks we now find. In fact, if you study the text using chiastic literary examination, the manuscript is wonderfully divided by numerous chiasms as suggested by Peter Ellis in his book, The Genius of John. Ellis clearly shows how the original text was organized by dozens of interconnected 5 part chiasms and not by chronology or individual chapter/paragraph sections that modern writers use.

It is not the purpose of this essay to exegete the contrasting parallel structure proposed because we may never fully understand whether the author of John intended B and B’ as synonymous or antithetical parallels. We may never be able to know for sure if the parallel sections outlined here where part of the author’s overall intentions. The value of the proposed structure is its teaching format. Try asking your students to test John for the following chiastic structure while you guide them to find all the matching synonymous and antithetical parallels. Speculation will abound.

John’s Matching Contrasting Parallels

When I teach the gospel of John, I break down and explain the matching sections using the following outline. The rest of the essay details the parallels and contrasts I find when I break down the structure suggested. Four tables in the appendix further detail the insights I share with my students.

1. A-A’ Jesus as witnessed to by others, pre and post ministry.

2. B-B’ Jesus as the new Bridegroom, Temple, Moses long promised Israel.

3. C-C’ Jesus as one who gives life to all.

4. D-D’ Jesus as one who heals and gives light to all believers.

5. E Jesus as new Husband/Son, Moses, Exodus, King David, and Festival basis.

Section A versus Section A’

The parallels between section A and A’ compare the witness of Jesus’ disciples pre and post ministry. Both sections focus on the witness of two very different persons named John, John the Baptist (A) and John the Beloved Disciple (A’). In both sections, other disciples also witness about Jesus. For example, Nathaneal is mentioned in A five times while Mary Magdalene is quoted in section A’ 5 times. The comparisons between sections A and A’ seem to be mostly synonymous rather that antithetical parallels, with the exception of Nathanael’s statement about Jesus being King of Israel while Jesus replies to Nathanael that He is the Son of Man (1:49-51).

As you go though Chapter 1 (A), ask your students to list all the claims these witnesses say about Jesus before he formally begins his ministry in Galilee just after leaving John the Baptist at Bethany across the Jordan. Then compare the statements made about Jesus by witnesses after his resurrection in Chapters 20 and 21 (A’). Incidentally, if Chapter 21 is later proved to be a redaction, the exercise is still valid.

B versus B’

If we examine the narrative between Nathanael and Jesus above, we see a possible polemical contrast between Jesus as Bridegroom in B and Jesus as ill-advised King in B’. Disciples living in Jesus’ time did not agree on whether the messiah would be Moses-like, that is a bridegroom, or David-like, a king who would restore Israel to its former power as a Kingdom. In verse 1:49, Nathanael, described as a person without guile, declares Jesus to be both the Son of God and the King of Israel. Jesus replies He is the Son of Man in verse 1:51. If one reads “Son of Man” as a metaphor for Jesus as a Moses-like messiah, the gospel is possibly antithetical to B’ where Jesus is portrayed as a Davidic-like messiah in a negative sense.

The author of John often uses irony to make a point. He uses implied “understanding” within an inner circle of listeners and then parallels it with “misunderstanding” by hearers of Jesus outside the community of the beloved disciple. The technique makes it difficult to determine if a contrasting parallel is positive or negative. I suspect the author intended section B as an “inner” or “understood” irony against the Jesus of B’ where “outer” or “misunderstanding” hearers saw Jesus as a Davidic like messiah.

The Israelites living in Jesus’ time could not agree on whether the messiah would be Moses-like, that is a collective patriarch, or David-like, a king who would restore Israel to its former power as a Kingdom. When Jesus is so clearly crucified in Chapter 19 as “King of the Jews,” the community surrounding the author of John “understand” Jesus as King of the Jews was fatal. The crucifixion of Jesus, the destruction of Jesus’ body as a defiled temple, was probably not seen by many “outsiders” as the death of Jesus as God’s long promised Bridegroom. Many Christians today miss the irony of Jesus’ death as King of the Jews: the death of Israel’s long-demanded King, a king an adulteress Israel demanded of their prophet Samuel (1Sam 8:6). Contrasting B versus B’ uncovers the possible irony intended.

Larry Lyke’s new Book, “I Will Espouse You Forever – The Song of Songs and the Theology of Love in the Hebrew Bible” describes at length the likely mindset of people living in Jesus’ era concerning the topics of purification, baptism and marriage covenant that appear throughout section B. Most importantly, second temple Jews viewed the temple in Jerusalem as their “marriage tent” with God. Temple defilement, adultery, marriage, purification rites, baptism and water wells are common motifs seen in John chapters 2-4a, as well as in the Old Testament. All of these topics would have been understood in Jesus’ times through the interpretive lens of Hebrew Prophets providing the important presumption that Israel and YHWH were married.

In Section B (Ch 2-4a), the word bridegroom/husband is mentioned 9 times. In section B’ (Ch 18/19), the word King is mentioned 14 times giving further basis to a contrast between Jesus as a Moses-like messiah, Moses-like bridegroom, a husband type provider, compared to His’ portrayal in B’ as a Davidic-like messiah, a misunderstood King type provider. A better understanding of how people in first century Jerusalem viewed God’s portrayal as Bridegroom in Hebrew Scriptures helps us more clearly see chapters 2-4a (B) as a theme about Jesus as bridegroom.

The church today more clearly sees itself as Jesus’ bride. We now read Paul’s Ephesians 5:23-32 as making that point. John Paul II, in his lectures on the Theology of the Body, uses the same text from Paul to call Jesus our bridegroom. John Paul II also links the Genesis creation stories to see God as our Father and humans as God’s bride made in His image and likeness.

Beside conceptual markers that parallel B and B’, textual markers tie section B to section B’. For example, the Cana wedding is declared “not yet” Jesus’ Hour (2:4) but it is the first manifestation of Jesus’ glory (2:11). B’ opens with the declaration that now is the final manifestation of Jesus’ glory (12:23) and that Jesus’ Hour (13:1) is at hand. Table 1 summarizes text markers showing section B and B’ as parallel narratives. Interestingly, the important link between section B and B’ is further highlighted when both sections point to the central section of the gospel, section E. Many of the same text markers found in B and B’ are found in section E indicating the evangelist not only intended sections B and B’ as matching parts of a chiasm, they also were intended as bookend narratives of a literary sandwich pointing to section E as the middle or meat of the sandwich. When Jesus gives His family food, they try to make Him King (6:15).

Three “first to third” matching markers connect B and B’ and appear in section E as “second.” The first Passover of Jesus’ public ministry is celebrated during section B. The third and last Passover of Jesus’ ministry is celebrated during section B’. The second and middle Passover of Jesus’ ministry occurs during section E (6:4). Similarly, Nicodemus, after appearing for the first and third times during sections B and B’, appears for a second and middle time in section E. Lastly, John’s gospel contains three predictions that the “Son of Man” will be lifted up. The first and third predictions come in sections B and B’. The second and middle prediction comes during section E (8:28).

C versus C’

The author of John picked only 4 of the many miracles Jesus performed (20:30) to include in C, C’, D and D’ parts of the gospel. However, the theological dialogue these four miracles must have raised during oral discussion would have been precisely the minimum needed to span the entire range of Jesus’ miracles.

The healing parallels between C and C’ are easy to find. Students should have a field day finding the comparisons. The most obvious parallel - both are Sabbath healing miracles occurring by famous pools in Jerusalem. If you look closely, the sections are contrasting parallels in that the lame man of chapter 5 seems to be weak in character (sin no more) compared to the blind man of chapter 9 who cannot see (no sin caused his blindness). The 38 years the lame man suffered is indicative of the 38 years the Israelites spent in the Exodus desert as a penalty for disobedience. The lame man seems to “turn on Jesus” whereas the blind man defends Jesus under threat of his life. Jerome Neyrey listed the connections between sections C and C’ as follows:

Jerusalem Feast (5:1) Jerusalem feast in Chapter 9
Sabbath healing (5:10) Sabbath healing (9:14)
severity of disease (5:5) Severity of disease (9:1)
illness/sin (5:14 sin no more) illness/sin (9:2 blind because of sin?)
site: a pool in Jerusalem (5.2) site: a pool in Jerusalem (9:7)
command (“rise, take…5:7) command ( “go, wash 9:7a)
obedience/cure (5:9) obedience/cure (9:7b)
court of inquiry (5:9b-16) court of inquiry (9:13-14)

healed man healed man

charge:Sabbath violation charge:Sabbath violation

defense (5:30-47) defense (9:30-34)

form: healing/controversy form: healing controversy

who?-I did not know (5:12-13) who?-I do not know (9:12)
Jesus found him (5:14) Jesus found him (9:35)
No Christophany Christophony (9:35-38)
they Judge Jesus (5:9-16) they Judge Jesus (9:13-34)
Jesus judges them (5:38-47) Jesus judges them (9:39-41)

D versus D’

Sections D and D’ contrast the two life giving miracles performed by Jesus in this gospel. In C and C’ the contrast is Jesus healing a person of weak character and faith (C) with Jesus healing of a person with strong character and faith (C). D contrasts the life restoration of a young boy, who is a stranger to Jesus, with the life restoration of Lazarus (D’), who is a very close friend of Jesus. Jesus gives life to a Gentile, immediately, by remote control (D) and gives life to a Jew, Lazarus, after four days, using close contact (D).

The synoptic gospels record far more “person” miracles that John, however the range and variety of the four miracles in John is all you need to understand Jesus healed Jew and Gentile, strangers and friends, sinners and non sinners, young and old, alike. The common denominator was belief.

Section E - The middle, the focus point of the parallel structure.

Chapters 6, 7 and 8 form section E, the middle and focal point of the chiastic or parallel structure. The gospel is organized around Jewish festivals. B and B’ are near or on Passover. Chapters 5 (C)) and 9 (C’) mention “other” festivals than the two main Jewish festivals of Passover and Tabernacles. Sections D and D’ mention no festival.

The festival references in John have great significance and are clear markers dividing the text into sections. The middle section refers to both Passover and Tabernacles. Passover commemorates the Exodus Passover where lamb and the blood of the lamb marked the salvation of Israel from Egyptian slavery through Moses. Our Eucharist is tied to Passover as in chapter 6, which connects the life giving manna of Exodus with the life giving bread of Jesus.

The beginning of the gospel tells us Jesus is both life and light. In chapter 7, the festival of Tabernacles was known as a festival of lights and a festival of rainwater. Jerusalem was lit up with light during Tabernacles celebrating the eternal light or lamp that guards the Ark of the Covenant in the temple. It was also the festival of rain celebrating the water so vital to the autumn harvest. The festival of Tabernacles was also called booths or Sukkot. During the festival, the priest would pour water and wine on the temple altar. In chapter 7 Jesus declares he is the water leading to eternal life. In chapter 8 Jesus declares he is the light of the world.

The middle of the chiasm points to Jesus as Israel’s new Bridegroom, the husband who brings food, water and light that gives spiritual life to his family and sight to see our way to the Father. The accent is on the historical fathers Moses and Abraham, forerunners to Jesus as the way to our spiritual Father. The light theme of chapter 8 gives way to the light and sight giving of chapters 9 and 10 where the festival of Dedication (Hanukah) is celebrated. The festival of Dedication was a mini Tabernacles-like festival started in 168 BCE by the Maccabees. The eternal light of the temple, the lamp above the Ark, was celebrated during the festival of Dedication. Today Hanukah (festival of Dedication) is called the festival of lights.

Summary

Biblical writers made heavy use of chiastic structure to organize their texts. The chiastic structure helped the writer compare and contrast statements, topics and concepts. The middle of a chiasm was given special emphasis, special weighting, very unlike the way we organize paragraphs and chapters today. When we study scripture today we often focus on opening and closing sections rather than the intended focus biblical writers placed on the center parts of their chiasms.

The proposed “chapter based” chiastic teaching structure serves several purposes. It introduces your students to chiastic structure. It teaches your students to recognize the special meaning the center had for biblical writers. It teaches your students to recognize parallel elements of a biblical text discerning the value of parallels as synonymous or antithetical comparisons. It helps your students remember John as a text centered on the imagery of the Church as bride with Christ as it’s Bridegroom. It helps your students remember John as a witness of two John’s and the study of Jesus’ four core miracles, gifts that give life and light to His Moses-like family, providing spiritual food and water on our journey to the Father’s promised home. It helps your student’s see the gospel’s central focus as Jesus’ Eucharistic replacement of Moses’ Passover.

Table 1 Matching Literary Markers between sections B and B’

First appearance of Jesus’ Mother (2:1).	Second appearance of Jesus’ Mother (19:25)
Not yet Jesus’ Hour (2:4)	Jesus’ Hour arrives (13:1)
Cana wedding with “close family” (2:1-2, 11)	Last supper with "close family" (13:5-6)
Cana first manifestation of Jesus’ glory (2:11)	Final manifestation of Jesus’ glory (12:23)
Jesus' first Passover (2:13)	Jesus' third Passover (12:1)
Nicodemus appears for first time (3:1)	Nicodemus appears for third time (19:39)
First lifted up prediction (3:14).	Third lifted up prediction (12:34)

Table 2 Parallels between sections B and B’

II B – Defiled Jerusalem temple (2:14-16) and Samaritan Mountain (4:20-22) are not the place to worship the Father in spirit and truth (4:23).

B – Defiled temple of Jesus’ body will be purified, raised (2:19-22).

B - Moses’ Son of Man must be lifted up (3:14)

B – Son of God reveals truth and gives the Spirit (3:33-36)

B’ - Golgotha is identified as the place of true worship, true matrimony, true Spirit (19:17, 18:37, 18:11,19:34)

B’ – Defiled temple of Jesus’ body is lifted up (19:18)

II. B – Baptism and birth by water from below and above (1:33, 3:3,5)

B’ - Purification from below as blood and water pour from the Son of Man on the altar of Golgatha (19:34)

B’’ - Purification flows from above as Jesus, the Son of God, gives out His Spirit on the altar of Golgatha (19:30).

III. B - Jesus is Moses like bridegroom of Samaritan woman (4:25, 29, 42)

B - Jesus is Bridegroom identified by John the Baptist (3:29)

B’ - Mary perfumes Jesus’ feet like a bride (12:3)

B’ - Jesus washes Peter's feet like a bridegroom (13:5-10)

B’ - Jesus prays that His family might be one with Him (17:23-24)

Tables 3 and 4 summarize important points for the chiastic narrative structure proposed. Table 3 addresses the critical items that tie chapters 2, 3 and 4a into a single narrative about bridegrooms. Table 4 list items that may have been previously unclear or confusing if the gospel were not read through the lens of this narrative chiasm.

Table 3 Common Thread of John 2:1-4:46

1. Cana wedding = Jesus as bridegroom from God.

2. Six water jars at Cana infer “incomplete” wedding/baptism/purification covenant relationship. Seven jar in chapter 4 points to Jesus as completing Bridegroom.

3. Defilement of temple in chapter 2 is a common OT reference to spousal infidelity[1] with Jesus identified as body/temple (husband) later defiled by protagonists of Jesus.

4. Water and wine of chapter 2 are common fertility images in OT understood by first century, second temples Jews[2].

5. The Nicodemus episode in chapter 3 is about fertility, covenant love, covenant purification, baptism into covenant relationship that produces children of God.

6. Jesus represented as God’s bridegroom from both above (Son of God) and below (Son of Man) in chapter 3.

7. That Jacob's well in chapter 4 = reference to famous OT prophets (Isaac, Jacob and Moses) meeting their spouses at similar fertility wells[3].

8. Living water/well motif of chapter 4 has basis in OT as fertility images[4].

9. That the Samaritan woman’s 5 husbands = 5 apostate Kings of Israel.

10. That false worship sites in Samaria and Jerusalem = apostate forms of worship with God's bridegroom[5], [6].

Table 4 - Other Items in John Clarified by the Proposed Chiasm

A. Why the Cana wedding story only appears in John.

B. Why chapter 5 seems to be out of order relative to chapter 6.

C. Why the temple cleaning episode appears in John chapter 2 instead of before the passion narrative as in the other gospels.

D. Why Nicodemus’ water and spirit text appears between chapter 2 and chapter 4.

E. Why Nicodemus, who appears in no other gospel, appears three times in John.

F. Why John the Baptist strangely refers to Jesus as bridegroom, not in chapter1 where he first appears, but after the Cana wedding in the middle of chapter 3.

G. Why Nathanael, who only appears in John’s gospel, so quickly declares Jesus both the Son of Man and King of Israel shortly after two other disciples, Andrew and Philip, are introduced in chapter 1.

H. Why the term beloved disciple is used only in John.

I. Why the gospel of John seems more mystical if Jesus is a messiah like King David rather than a bridegroom like described in Song of Songs.