Year: 1912
Type: article
Abstract: Since 1898, when Professor Wilhelm Baldensperger, of Giessen, published his Prolog des vierten Evangeliums, all studies of the Fourth Gospel have had to take some account of the thesis there argued, the thesis, namely, that that Gospel is dominated by a "polemic-apologetic " attitude toward the followers of John the Baptist.New Testament scholars have in general been disposed to think that Baldensperger carried much too far his theory of Tendenz, and to deny the existence of such a Baptist sect, at least in the numbers and importance demanded by his theory.The following observations would merely raise the question of the bearing of certain New Testament data concerning the man who, after Jesus, Peter, and Paul, is most frequently mentioned in its pages.The witness of the first two Synoptics we can state in brief, turning then to that of Luke, more interesting and significant.Mark and Matthew make it clear that there was a very striking likeness or analogy between the mission of Jesus and that of John, so striking that by their contemporaries they were sometimes identified (Mark 8: 27 f.; 6:14-16).They received alike the title "prophet" from their followers (Mark I1:32; 8:28; Matt.21:11) and "devil possessed" from their enemies (Matt.1:18; Mark 3:22, 30).Their messages had similar content (Mark I: 15; Matt.4:17; 3:2); both led to repentance and preparation to enter the kingdom of God (Matt.21:31 f.).Jesus was very clearly conscious of this parallelism and gave it clear statement; he further praised John in exalted terms (Matt.11:9-14).John had a definite group of "disciples" (Mark 2:18), and there are distinct indications that his following persisted, an ascetic movement, given to fasting and ablution.The Gospel of Luke, roughly contemporary with that of Matthew, confirms the suggestions of the other Synoptics.Passing over for the moment the birth-stories of chaps.I and 2, we examine the synoptic part of the narrative.The first verses of chap. 3 give an elaborately calculated date.By a series of synchronisms the year (apparently 29 A.D.) is established in which-the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness!Every reader is conscious of a start of surprise; the careful dating creates the expectation that the long-delayed principal clause is to offer a statement about Jesus.On the contrary, 9o
Source: The American Journal of Theology
DOI: 10.1086/479058
Author: Clayton Raymond Bowen
Language: English
Subfield: Religious studies
Field: Arts and Humanities
Domain: Social Sciences
Open Access status: bronze
OpenAlex ID: W2077737339