The Johannine Footwashing as the Sign of Perfect Love: An Exegetical Study of John 13:1-20 (Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen Zum Neuen Testament 2.Reihe)

The account of the footwashing in the Fourth Gospel has no proper parallel in antiquity. Bincy Mathew provides a critical and thorough exegetical analysis of the footwashing (Jn 13:1-20) and shows that an explanation of the footwashing as humble service or Christian humility or a reversal of social roles fails to fully capture the revelatory character of the footwashing. She argues that the footwashing is a symbolic prefiguration of Jesus' death on the cross enacted during the last supper to manifest his perfect love for his own and continue to make its effect through the disciples whom he sends. This loving action is Jesus' gift of life to those who commit themselves to this washing, which is expected to flow out from the participants of the footwashing to others unconditionally because the source of such action is the normative action of the Master and the Lord. In this book, Bincy Mathew addresses the literary, structural, and semantic unity of the footwashing pericope within the intra-textual contours of the Fourth Gospel. Cover Titel Acknowledgements Table of Contents Abbreviations General Introduction Chapter 1: The Footwashing: A Status Quaestionis A) The Footwashing: Non-Sacramental Interpretations I. The Footwashing as the Salvific Death of Jesus 1. Alan Culpepper (1991) 2. Marianne M. Thompson (2003) II. The Footwashing as the Vicarious or Atoning Death of Jesus 1. David Gibson (2007) 2. Otfried Hofius (2009) 3. Mark Matson (2014) B) The Footwashing: Sacramental Interpretations I. Francis J. Moloney (1991) II. Christopher Thomas (1991) C) Conclusion Chapter 2: “Except for the feet” John 13:10: A Text-Critical Analysis A) Variant Readings of John 13:10 B) External Criticism C) Internal Criticism I. Transcriptional Probability 1. Long Reading: The More Difficult Reading a) Are λούω and νίπτω Synonyms? (i) Leviticus 15:11 (ii) Tobit 7:9 (iii) Philo, De somniis (iv) Testament of Levi 9:11–12 (v) Aramaic Levi Document 19–25b (vi) Papyri Oxyrhynchus 840 (vii) Archaeological Evidence 2. The Long Reading Easily Explains Other Variations II. Intrinsic Probability 1. The Johannine Use of λούω and νίπτω 2. The Long Reading: A Grammatical Consideration D) Conclusion Chapter 3: “Ah, Yes! to Generous Souls How Noble Every Task!”: Footwashing in the Ancient Jewish, Greek, and Roman Literature A) Previous Research on John 13 in Relation to Ancient Footwashing B) Footwashing in the Jewish Culture I. Washing One’s Own Feet 1. Hygiene, Comfort and Hospitality a) Genesis 19:2 b) Genesis 24:32 c) Genesis 43:24 d) Judges 19:21 e) 2 Samuel 11:8 f) Canticles 5:3 2. Ritual Setting II. Washing Someone Else’s Feet 1. An Expression of Hospitality a) Genesis 18:4 b) Testament of Abraham c) 1 Timothy 5:10 2. An Expression of Intimacy and Love a) 1 Samuel 25:41 b) Joseph and Aseneth c) Luke 7:44 d) John 12:1–8 III. Metaphorical Footwashing 1. Psalm 57:11 (58:11 MT) 2. Psalm 59:10 (60:10 MT); Psalm 107:10 (108:10 MT) 3. Isaiah 49:23 C) Footwashing in Ancient Greek Culture I. Washing One’s Own Feet 1. Hygiene and Comfort 2. Ritual Purpose 3. Metaphorical Footwashing II. Washing Someone Else’s Feet 1. An Expression of Hospitality 2. Metaphorical Footwashing 3. Footwashing and Slavery 4. Footwashing in Banquet Settings D) Footwashing in Ancient Roman Culture I. Washing One’s Own Feet 1. Hygiene and Comfort 2. Ritual Settings II. Washing Someone Else’s Feet 1. An Expression of Intimacy and Love 2. Footwashing in Banquet Settings E) John 13 and the Footwashing Parallels Chapter 4: “Before the Feast of the Passover” The Structure and the Role of John 13:1–20 in Its Context A) The Structure of John 13:1–38 I. Discourse Development Markers II. Temporal Markers III. The Dramatis Personae IV. The Chiastic Structure 1. Peter’s Objection as the Centre of Chiasm (John 13:1–35) 2. The Example of Jesus as the Centre of Chiasm (John 13:1–32) 3. Theme of Betrayal as the Centre of Chiasm (John 13:1–38) 4. The Commitment to Jesus (John 13:1–38) 5. Several Distinct yet Connected Units V. Inclusio in John 13:1–38 VI. John 13:1–20: The First Sub-Unit B) John 13:1–20 in Relation to Chapters 1–12 I. The Passover II. The Hour III. Fulfilment of the Scripture IV. The Dramatis Personae V. Action-Dialogue-Monologue Pattern C) John 13 in Relation to Chapters 14–17 I. Literary Structure II. The Literary Genre of John 13–17 1. Jewish Farewell Discourse 2. Greek and Roman Farewell Discourse 3. The Greek Symposium D) Conclusion Chapter 5: “I am Among You as One Who Serves” A Literary-Critical Analysis of John 13:1–20 A) A Critical Appraisal of Literary-Criticism on John 13 I. Oral Tradition II. Written Tradition(s) Theory 1. Theory of Multiple Traditions a) Marie-Émile Boismard b) Georg Richter c) Robert Fortna d) Christoph Niemand e) Urban C. von Wahlde 2. Theory of A Single Tradition a) Rudolf Bultmann b) Hartwig Thyen c) Raymond E. Brown III. The Synoptics’ Influence on John 13 1. Independence of John 13 from the Synoptics a) Raymond E. Brown b) Rudolf Schnackenburg 2. Dependence of John 13 on the Synoptics a) C. K. Barrett b) Maurits Sabbe (i) The Last Supper in the Synoptics (ii) John 13 and the Anointing Narratives 3. A Homogenous Composition? B) A Literary-Critical Analysis of John 13:1–20 I. The Johannine Narrative Introductions (John 13:1–3) II. The Presence of Satan in the Last Supper III. The Departure of Judas (John 13:30) IV. Jesus, the Serving Master (John 13:4–5) V. The Saying in John 13:16 1. A Debate over John’s Influence of Matthew 10 2. John 13:16 and Matthew 10:24–25a: An Analysis VI. The Saying in John 13:20 1. John’s Use of ὁ λαμβάνων Instead of ὁ δεχόμενος 2. The Use of πέμπω for ἀποστέλλω 3. The Use of Indefinite τινα for the Definite ὑμεῖς C) Conclusion Chapter 6: “He Loved Them Perfectly” The Identity and Mission of Jesus and the Disciples (John 13:1-A, 20-A') A) The Identity and Mission of Jesus, John 13:1 (A) I. The Question of the Syntax of John 13:1 1. John 13:1 in Previous Research a) Πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα neither Qualifies εἰδώς nor ἠγάπησεν (NIV) b) πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα Qualifies εἰδώς (NRSV) c) πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα Qualifies ἠγάπησεν (RSV) d) πρὸ δὲ τῆς ἑορτῆς τοῦ πάσχα Qualifies both εἰδώς and ἠγάπησεν 2. A New Proposal for the Syntactic Structure of John 13:1 a) Arguments against the Three-Sentence Structure (i) John 13:2–5 (ii) John 19:28 (iii) John 13:1 b) Arguments against the Two-Sentence Structure c) Arguments in Favour of the One-sentence Structure 3. A New Translation for John 13:1 II. The Temporal Reference III. The Knowledge of Jesus IV. The Hour of Jesus 1. The Verb μεταβαίνω 2. The Prepositional Phrase ἐκ τοῦ κόσμου τούτου 3. The Johannine Use of πρὸς τὸν πατέρα V. The Love of Jesus for His Own VI. The Ultimate Manifestation of Love of Jesus 1. The Meaning of εἰς τέλος 2. The Final Act of Love of Jesus B) The Identity and Mission of ‘His Own,’ John 13:20 (A') I. The Receiver of the One Sent by Jesus 1. The Receivers of Disciples 2. The One Sent by Jesus II. The Father, the Centre of Mission C) Conclusion Chapter 7: “I know Whom I Have Chosen” Judas and Jesus: Breaching and Bridging the Code of Table Fellowship (John 13:2-B, 13:18–19-B') A) Love Is Denied, John 13:2 (B) I. An Ascensive καί II. The Genitive Absolute Construction III. The Progressing Supper IV. The Character Judas V. Whose Heart Is Involved? VI. The Name Ἰούδας Σίμωνος Ἰσκαριώτου VII. ἵνα παραδοῖ B) Love Is Affirmed, John 13:18–19 (B') I. Οὐ περὶ πάντων ὑμῶν λέγω II. ἐγὼ οἶδα τίνας ἐξελεξάμην III. The Old Testament Saying in John 13:18 1. The Noun τρώγω 2. The Phrase μου τὸν ἄρτον 3. The Johannine ἐπαίρω 4. The Johannine πτέρνα IV. John 13:18,21 and Mark 14:18, 21 (Matthew 26:21; Luke 22:21) V. Believing Jesus as ἐγώ εἰμι (John 13:19) 1. The Verb πιστεύω in John 2. The Johannine ἐγώ εἰμι in 13:19 a) The ἐγώ εἰμι with Implicit or Explicit Predicate Compliment b) The Absolute ἐγώ εἰμι VI. Love for Enemy in John? C) Conclusion Chapter 8: “If You Know ... If You Do” The Authority of the One Who Washes the Feet (John 13:3-C, 16–17-C') A) The Authority of Jesus, John 13:3 (C) I. ὅτι πάντα ἔδωκεν αὐτῷ ὁ πατὴρ εἰς τὰς χεῖρας II. Jesus’ Origin and Destiny B) Authority of the Master and the Sender, John 13:16–17 (C') I. ἀμὴν ἀμὴν λέγω ὑμῖν II. οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ 1. The Comparative οὐκ ἔστιν μείζων 2. The First Components of the Comparison, δοῦλος and κύριος 3. The Second Components of Comparison, ἀπόστολος and ὁ πέμψας III. Blessedness of the One Who Does 1. The Adjective μακάριος 2. The Conditional Clauses 3. Correlation between Knowing and Doing C) Conclusion Chapter 9: “I Have Given You a Sign.” Jesus’ ὑπόδειγμα: The Gift and Task for the Disciples (John 13:4–11-D, 12–15-D') A) The Footwashing, Jesus’ Gift of Life-Giving Love, 13:4–11 (D) I. Preparation for the Act of Love II. Washing the Feet Proper 1. εἶτα βάλλει ὕδωρ εἰς τὸν νιπτῆρα 2. Water in John 13 III. καὶ ἤρξατο νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας τῶν μαθητῶν IV. καὶ ἐκμάσσειν τῷ λεντίῳ ᾧ ἦν διεζωσμένος V. The Misunderstood Identity of Jesus VI. ὃ ἐγὼ ποιῶ σὺ οὐκ οἶδας ἄρτι, γνώσῃ δὲ μετὰ ταῦτα VII. The Effect of the Action 1. οὐ μὴ νίψῃς μου τοὺς πόδας εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα 2. ἐὰν μὴ νίψω σε, οὐκ ἔχεις μέρος μετ ̓ἐμοῦ a) μέρος μετ ̓ἐμοῦ b) The Present Indicative ἔχεις VIII. Misunderstanding Peter 1. A Curious Peter in John 13:24 2. Cowardly Love of Peter in John 13:36–38 3. Status and Role: Seeing Peter through Another Prism IX. καὶ ὑμεῖς καθαροί ἐστε, ἀλλ ̓ οὐχὶ πάντες X. The Parenthesis B) The Footwashing: The Task for Life-giving Love, John 13:12–15 (D') I. Completing the Action 1. γινώσκετε, Imperative or Interrogative? 2. νίπτειν τοὺς πόδας as Jesus’ Doing II. Jesus, ὁ διδάσκαλος and ὁ κύριος (John 13:13) 1. Jesus, ὁ διδάσκαλος 2. Jesus, ὁ κύριος 3. ὁ διδάσκαλος καί ὁ κύριος in John 13:13 III. The Obligatory Nature of the Footwashing IV. The Sign of Love (John 13:15) 1. The Term ὑπόδειγμα 2. The ἵνα Clause 3. καθὼς ... καὶ ὑμεῖς C) Conclusion General Conclusion Bibliography Index of References Index of Modern Authors Index of Subjects Back cover: Was the footwashing in John 13:1-20 simply an act of service or humility? Bincy Mathew provides a critical and thorough exegetical analysis of the footwashing and shows that it is the symbolic prefiguration of Jesus' death on the cross enacted during the last supper to manifest his perfect love for his own Bincy Mathew bietet eine kritische und gründliche exegetische Analyse der Fußwaschung (Joh 13:1-20) und zeigt, dass eine Erklärung der Fußwaschung als bescheidenem Dienst oder christlicher Demut oder einer Umkehrung der sozialen Rollen den Offenbarungscharakter der Fußwaschung nicht voll einzufangen vermag