CREDO UT INTELLIGAM: Irony in John 9

Many commentators read John 9, inclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the frame of baptism, and some commentators read this passage, exclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the same frame. Examining John 9 through a baptismal optic, this article proposes that the "corrective additions" of v...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Neotestamentica 2014-01, Vol.48 (2), p.365-385
Main Author: England, Frank
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Baptism
Blindness
Christianity
Confession of faith
Curiosity
Eternal condemnation
Gospel of John
Healing
Irony
Narratives
New Testament
Paradox
Paradoxes
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Summary:Many commentators read John 9, inclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the frame of baptism, and some commentators read this passage, exclusive of verses 38 and 39a, within the same frame. Examining John 9 through a baptismal optic, this article proposes that the "corrective additions" of verses 38 and 39a to the early manuscripts of John 9, inter alia, p⁷⁵ and ℵ*, envisage readers and auditors that, ultimately, may remain as blind as the man born blind, and yet whose physical sight is restored by Jesus. It is argued that the presence of John 9:38, in particular, fails to foreground the concomitant requirement of the baptismal ritual, namely, the confession of faith in Jesus, and, as a result, actually dissipates the focus upon baptism. It is asked whether, unable to read or hear ironically, the "scribal correctors" have not suppressed, rather than highlighted, precisely what is essential to discipleship.
ISSN:0254-8356
0254-8356