Thursday, May 30, 2024

Walter Grundmann on the Johannine use of μεγας

  

4.         The Johannine Use.

 

Jesus tells Nathanael, who saw that he was known by Him: μείζω τούτων ὄψῃ (Jn. 1:50). This promise is elucidated by the general promise: ὄψεσθε τὸν οὐρανὸν ἀνεῳγότα … The reference is to seeing the δόξα of Jesus, in which they will share when they are drawn into it. This takes place because through and in Jesus they see God and are set in fellowship with Him. Jesus expects for Himself: πατὴρ φιλεῖ τὸν υἱὸν καὶ πάντα δείκνυσιν αὐτῷ αὐτὸς ποιεῖ, καὶ μείζονα τούτων δείξει αὐτῷ ἔργα, ἵνα ὑμεῖς θαυμάζητε, 5:20. He does not do His miracles of Himself. He fulfils what the Father, with whom He is one in love, manifests to Him. He will show Him greater works than the miracle wrought at the pool of Bethesda on the man who had been lame for 38 years. What this greater thing is may be seen in the following verse. It is a matter of ζωοποιεῖν. This is the greater thing compared with the miracles which He performs. To the disciple who abides in faith in Christ the promise is made: ηείζονα τούτων ποιήσει, and the basis of this is His going to the Father (14:12). This going to the Father gives Him the possibility of greater efficacy exercised through the disciples.

 

The promise of the greater thing, and the power to do it, make Jesus greater than the fathers. The Samaritan woman senses this from His saying: μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἰακώβ; (4:12). The Jews ask the same question: μὴ σὺ μείζων εἶ τοῦ πατρὸς ἡμῶν Ἀβραάμ; (8:53). He Himself confesses: ἐγὼ δὲ ἔχω τὴν μαρτυρίαν μείζω τοῦ Ἰωάννου (5:36). The question is whether this is a witness greater than John had or than John gave. In view of v. 33 the latter is more probable. Jesus lays before those who would judge Him two witnesses: the works which the Father gives Him, and Scripture, in which the Father has testified to Him. The witness of John is mentioned only for the sake of His hearers. He does not emphasise it, for He will not accept the witness of men. It is said of the witness of God as compared with the witness of men: μαρτυρία τοῦ θεοῦ μείζων ἐστίν (1 Jn. 5:9).

 

A special question is raised by the textually uncertain saying in 10:29: either πατήρ μου ὃς δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μείζων ἐστίν (א LD syrsin pesh Basil Chrysost Cyril Alex), or: πατήρ μου δέδωκέν μοι πάντων μεῖζόν ἐστιν (AB Tert Aug latt). In the first case Jesus grounds His authority to grant eternal and inalienable life in the greatness of the Father, which is above all things, so that nothing can pluck those who belong to Jesus out of the hand of the Father. In the second case the power of Jesus as a shepherd is described as the highest and supreme thing. Whereas in the first case the greatness of Jesus is grounded in the Father, in the second it is said of this greatness which the Father has given Him that it cannot be challenged by anything. Though Jesus speaks of His unity with the Father, and this is the foundation of Johannine Christology, He does not equate Himself with the Father. This is plain in the saying: πατὴρ μείζων μού ἐστιν (14:28). The First Epistle declares: μείζων ἐστὶν θεὸς τῆς καρδίας ἡμῶν, namely, as He who pardons, who overcomes the accusing heart (3:20). For this reason it can say: ὑμεῖς ἐκ τοῦ θεοῦ ἐστε, τεκνία, καὶ νενικήκατε αὐτούς (namely, the ψευδοπροφῆται), ὅτι μείζων ἐστὶν ἐν ὑμῖν ἐν τῷ κόσμῳ (4:4). God, who is in the community, is greater than Satan, who is in the world.

 

The Johannine Christ forbids the disciples to exalt themselves above Him. He also commands them to love and serve as He does: οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ, οὐδὲ ἀπόστολος μείζων τοῦ μέμψαντος αὐτόν, (Jn. 13:16). In so doing they will experience the hatred of the world like Himself: μνημονεύετε τοῦ λόγου οὗ ἐγὼ εἶπον ὑμῖν· οὐκ ἔστιν δοῦλος μείζων τοῦ κυρίου αὐτοῦ· εἰ ἐμὲ ἐδίωξαν, καὶ ὑμᾶς διώξουσιν. But also: εἰ τὸν λόγον μου ἐτήρησαν, καὶ τὸν ὑμέτερον τηρήσουσιν (Jn. 15:20).

 

In 1 Jn. 3:19 f. we have the saying: “Herein—namely, in love in deed and in truth—we shall know that we are of the truth, and shall assure our heart before him. For if our heart condemns us, God is greater than our heart, and knoweth all things.” The greatness of God, which is above both accusation and Satan, to whom all accusations go back (cf. 1 Jn. 4:4), consists in the forgiveness which remits guilt and in the power which gives fulfilment of the commandments. (Walter Grundmann, “Μέγας, Μεγαλεῖον, Μεγαλειότης, Μεγαλοπρεπής, Μεγαλύνω, Μεγαλωσύνη, Μέγεθος,” Theological Dictionary of the New Testament, ed. Gerhard Kittel, Geoffrey W. Bromiley, and Gerhard Friedrich, 10 vols. [Grand Rapids, Mich.: Eerdmans, 1964–], 4:536–538)