John’s prologue: Christological and doxological significance for the Johannine narrative

This article presents a literary exegetical analysis of the prologue (John 1:1-18) of the Johannine narrative with special attention to the author’s (narrator’s) point of view. The author sets the tone of his gospel and writes with literary beauty while showing his theological points of view that will be seen throughout his narrative to follow. He presents Jesus as the eternal λόγος of God, and thus provides a unique point of view toward the Son of God of the Father who exists from eternity past with God the Father. Merely by studying, reflecting on, and remembering the Gospel’s prologue, the reader can understand and relate to the Christological and doxological significance of the Johannine narrative.

R. Alan Culpepper – Jörg Frey (eds.), The Opening of John’s Narrative (John 1:19–2:22). Historical, Literary, and Theological Readings from the Colloquium Ioanneum 2015 in Ephesus (WUNT 385; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2017)

Book Review: R. Alan Culpepper – Jörg Frey (eds.), The Opening of John’s Narrative (John 1:19 – 2:22). Historical, Literary, and Theological Readings from the Colloquium Ioanneum 2015 in Ephesus (WUNT 385; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck 2017)

»We have Found the Messiah« (John 1:41) - The Formation of Disciples in the Gospel of John

The disciple is a seminal topic for every Evangelist. The Johannine image of the followers of the Rabbi from Nazareth diverges from the Synoptic vision. In the Fourth Gospel, the disciples follow and serve the Master – like in Mark, Matthew, and Luke – yet the Johannine Jesus does not ask them to break their family ties or leave anything behind. A narrative analysis of the Fourth Gospel lets Culpepper consider the disciples of Christ from the perspective of their literary functions and determine the criteria of their discipleship. The critic divides their formation process into three stages related to seeing, believing, and continuing in the word. In the eyes of the reader, the followers of Jesus – perceived individually or as a community – perform functions as role models or representatives. To be a disciple is to accept the gift of becoming a child of God (John 1:12), which presumes a broad, universal perspective. For this reason, the author of John uses the term »disciple« as many as seventy-eight times, »Twelve« – only four times, while the word »apostle« is never spoken.

Christology and Revelation

From the outset Christianity had a proper name in its signature: Christ. Christians are the disciples of Christ, those who gain reward from the Revelation done in and through Christ. From the New Testament to the Second Vatican Council, this Christian identity is expressed in terms of fullness. Christ is the fullness, or plenitude, of Revelation: ‘full of grace and truth’ (John 1:14). Thus, understanding the bond between Christology and Revelation comes down to grasping this fullness and the correlation between the fullness of Revelation and the fullness of Christ.

The Relevance of John 1:1-18 for contemporary Christians

Often times, a written piece unfolds with a presentation which is somewhat introductory in nature. In this sphere, the preamble of the subject matter is unveiled and this tends to form the framework of the whole literature; in fact, a clear picture of the foreword helps the reader, audience or interpreter unravel the message of the piece because the prologue serves as a key to unlock several other parts of the book. This understanding seems inherent in the Gospel of John, one of the books that present the account of Jesus’ ministry on earth. Although, the book of John has been widely controversial, its prologue (1:1-18) is an integral portion in the account and it has received a great deal of attention because of its wholeness and its importance to the book in its entirety. This study critically engages the prologue of the Johannine Gospel with the view of ascertaining its significance and importance to the Gospel account as a whole.

Studi Eksposisi tentang Penegasan Kembali Perjanjian Allah dengan Abraham dalam Kejadian 15:1-21

The Bible reveals that every believer is given the privilege of being an heir (John 1:12), including as an heir of God's promises (Rom. 8:17; Gal. 4:7; Eph. 3:6). Even so, believers can still experience difficulties in life. The Bible shows that believers can also experience fluctuations in faith as a result of circumstances that occur around them, such as Abraham's example. Therefore, the discussion of Abraham's experience in Genesis 15:1-21 in waiting for God's promises becomes an interesting topic and contributes to believers today in trusting God and His care during life's struggles. There is also scope for this article to focus on exposition studies regarding the reaffirmation of God's covenant with Abraham regarding heirs and the promised land. This research uses the descriptive-analytical method, which describes or provides an overview of the object of research. The object of research is in the form of data obtained through an exposition study of the text which is the subject of discussion. Based on research it is found that figures like Abraham, including believers, can experience doubts about God's promises. But on the other hand, God remains faithful in fulfilling His covenant to Abraham by reaffirming His promises bound in a covenant ceremonial (Covenant).Alkitab mengungkapkan bahwa setiap orang percaya diberikan hak istimewa yaitu sebagai ahli waris (Yoh. 1:12), termasuk sebagai pewaris dari janji-janji Allah (Rm.8:17; Gal. 4:7; Ef. 3:6). Meskipun demikian orang percaya masih dapat mengalami kesulitan hidup. Alkitab menunjukkan bahwa orang percaya juga dapat mengalami fluktuasi dalam hal iman sebagai akibat dari keadaan yang terjadi disekitarnya, seperti contohnya Abraham. Oleh karena itu, pembahasan tentang pengalaman Abraham dalam Kejadian 15:1-21 dalam menanti janji Allah menjadi topik yang menarik dan memberi kontribusi bagi orang percaya masa kini dalam mempercayai Allah dan pemeliharaan-Nya di tengah pergumulan hidup. Ada pun lingkup pembahasan artikel ini adalah seputar studi eksposisi mengenai penegasan kembali perjanjian Allah dengan Abraham tentang ahli waris dan tanah perjanjian. Penelitian ini menggunakan metode deskriptif – analitis, yaitu mendeskripsikan atau memberikan gambaran terhadap objek penelitian. Adapun objek penelitian itu berupa data yang diperoleh melalui studi eksposisi terhadap teks yang menjadi pokok pembahasan. Berdasarkan penelitian ditemukan bahwa tokoh seperti Abraham, termasuk orang percaya, dapat mengalami keragu-raguan terhadap janji Allah. Namun di sisi lain, Allah tetap setia dalam memenuhi perjanjian-Nya kepada Abraham dengan memberikan penegasan kembali janji-Nya yang diikat dalam sebuah seremonial perjanjian (Covenant)