“are you are suggesting John writes (at the very end of the first century) to Jewish Christians? Where do you get that from?”
The purpose of John in composing his Gospel is clearly stated in John 20:30-31. He points out that his work is essentia1ly selective. He has chosen to record some of the signs that Jesus did in the presence of His disciples, that his readers may be encouraged to hold fast their belief that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that in so doing they may experience the higher, eternal life that it is in His power to bestow upon them.
The main themes of his writing would appeal to Jewish Christians.
John introduced his writing with a Wisdom Christology (John 1: 1—3) as did the writer of Hebrews (Hebrews 1: 1—3). The root of this Christology, on which John and the writer to the Hebrews drew, was the Old Testament passage in which Christ, as the Wisdom of God, is said to have created all things, (Proverbs 8: 22ff.), where Wisdom personified speaks in the first person as the beginning of God’s way, his darling first-born child and his evaluator when he created the world. The wording of this passage underlies the description of Christ as “the beginning” of Genesis 1: 1; that is to say, the “beginning” in which God created heaven and earth was Wisdom. Christ, as the Wisdom of God, is the beginning “in” whom all things were created; He is the “in” of Genesis 1: 1: “in the beginning God created heaven and earth”,
He stresses the Messiahship of Jesus in;
the fulfillment of the many Old Testament prophecies about the work the Messiah,
His performing a Messianic action in ‘cleansing’ the temple on His first visit to Jerusalem after His ministry had begun.,
His claims to ‘work’ on the Sabbath involving the healing of the paralyzed man at Bethesda, and in the gift of sight to a man born blind,
His revelation of Himself to the Samaritan woman,
His feeding the hungry Galilaeans, though He escapes from them as soon as they try to enthrone Him as an earthly monarch,
His approach to Jerusalem for the last time, though as soon as He is greeted as a warrior-king He finds an ass and rides into the city as a king of peace.
He shows that the salvation Jesus came to bring was the climax of Jewish religion;
He shows that the blessings Jesus had to bestow were prefigured in the blessings bestowed by God upon Israel in the past;
He shows that the truths enshrined in the ritual of the Jewish festivals, particularly the Passover, were symbolic of the final truth revealed in Jesus.
John conspicuously sets forth the self-revelation of Jesus as the unique Son of God. (John the Baptist’s testimony, ‘I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God’ John 1:34);
John, having considered the many miracle signs of Jesus, chose seven to demonstrate the true identity of Jesus. These miracles appear to have been selected to appeal to Jewish Christians (cf. the water that Jesus made into wine had been used for “Jewish rites of purification”. The miracle of the loaves and fish provided an opportunity for Jesus to describe himself as the “true bread” [John 6:32-33], as compared with the “manna in the wilderness” [John 6:31]). These “signs” demonstrate that Jesus fulfills and ends the old covenant, so that further involvement in Judaism as a religious system is now pointless.
the turning of water to wine at Cana (2:1-11)
the healing of the son of the nobleman in Capernaum (4:45-54)
the healing of the cripple at the pool in Jerusalem (5:1-9)
the feeding of the multitude in the wilderness (6:1-15)
the healing of the blind man in Jerusalem (9:1-8)
the raising of Lazarus from the dead in Bethany (11:1-44)
the resurrection of Jesus himself in Jerusalem (20:1-29)
Two of the constantly recurring themes of this Gospel are the nature of the unbelief which led the Jews to refuse to accept Jesus as the Messiah, and the factors of the faith which led His disciples (Jews) to acknowledge Him as the One ‘of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write’
“If you have a copy of John 20:31 as it appears in P66 (Bodmer papyrus II)”
Google “Bodmer Papyrus”. There are copies there on some of the sites.
“That’s an admission that the Bible is not a pristine word of God but that it contains uninspired text.”
I don’t see where that follows from what I wrote. John, as an after thought, added a postscript.
“Rather than go into descriptive opinions about Bultmann’s style, just give me specific answers to the particular verses he motions.”
To be quite frank with you I don’t have the time or the inclination to debate Bultmann. Back 30 years ago when I studied his theology I became convinced by the writings of other scholars, a few I mentioned in my previous post, that his methodology was wrong and therefore see no value in answering his position point by point.
I do value our discussions and hope this does not insult you or discourage you in any way.
Yet this Wisdom is subordinated to the Father (who is not Wisdom, for there is no mixing or confusion among Hypostrases)? It is the Wisdom of God that says the Father (who is not Wisdom) "is greater than I." What can possibly be greater than wisdom? Are we talking brawn before brains?
His performing a Messianic action in ‘cleansing’ the temple on His first visit to Jerusalem after His ministry had begun
Is that a good example how we should follow in his footsteps? Would it not have been more Christ-like to simply convert their hearts so that they may repent and leave without the theatrics? And I though he was sent not to judge but to save...
His feeding the hungry Galilaeans, though He escapes from them as soon as they try to enthrone Him as an earthly monarch
Which they did in keeping of the same Judaic religion he supposedly came to fulfill. So rather than explain to them why they were wrong, he turns them off so they'd abandon him? What was the feeding then all about? It's like inviting someone over to a dinner and the kicking them out afterwards!
John, having considered the many miracle signs of Jesus, chose seven to demonstrate the true identity of Jesus
But Judaism has seven criteria fort he messiah and Jesus fulfills only one, being Jewish. If John was trying to convince the Jews he was wasting his time. John's Gospel may deal with Jewish issues, but only Greeks would accept them blindly.
Two of the constantly recurring themes of this Gospel are the nature of the unbelief which led the Jews to refuse to accept Jesus as the Messiah, and the factors of the faith which led His disciples (Jews) to acknowledge Him as the One ‘of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write’
Except that claim is a stretch (and no verse clearly shows it to be true). The Jews would know that is not true, but the Greeks would be convinced because they didn't know much about Judaism. The miracles are attempts to convince someone by magic. God couldn't convert their hearts as he does today, but had to resort to magic. The disciples all scattered when Jesus was arrested. So much for their belief. And even after he resurrected and was about to leave, and after they already received the Holy Spirit (according to John) some still doubted (Mat 28:17).
Why would John write tot he Jews when Judaism rejected Christians by that time, and very few Jews were in the Church. And why would he wrote in highly developed Greek if it was intended for the Jews?
To be quite frank with you I don’t have the time or the inclination to debate Bultmann. Back 30 years ago when I studied his theology I became convinced by the writings of other scholars, a few I mentioned in my previous post, that his methodology was wrong and therefore see no value in answering his position point by point.
I wasn't asking you to discuss Bultmann. I asked you to rebut the specific objections he raises on specific verses I posted.
I don’t see where that follows from what I wrote. John, as an after thought, added a postscript.
Holy Spirit had an "oh by the way" after thought and said "quick, John, write this down before I forget?" :)
Google “Bodmer Papyrus”. There are copies there on some of the sites.
I did. They show a page here and there. No complete work.
I do value our discussions and hope this does not insult you or discourage you in any way
I am honored. Why would I be insualted or disocuraged? Disagreement stimulates, and agreement stagnates.