11/3/22
Scholarly Reflections
Mbamalu, A. "'Life' in the Fourth Gospel and Its Resonances with Geneiss 1-3." In Die Skriflig 48(1), Art. 1719, 2014.
Mbamalu explores the concept of "life" in the fourth Gospel, evaluating it in terms of the opening chapters of Genesis (Mbmalu 2014, 1). He finds a motif of new creation, as compared with the original creation. He takes John as a document firmly rooted in Hebrew Scriptures, showing a substantial amount of continuity with the concepts.
Mbamalu surveys Dodd (1968) and those who build on him, finding John to use an allusive (intertextual) method of applying Old Testament concepts (Mbmalu 2014, 2). Key to John's Gospel are the concepts of the creation, which Jesus is bringing to a fulfillment, and the fall, which Jesus is atoning for. The knowledge of good and evil, and the focus of belief on God's Word rather than the serpent's word, are critical to John's Gospel (Mbmalu 2014, 3). In sharp contrast to the death which comes about through believing the serpent, in life which comes through believing Jesus.
In the fourth Gospel, Mbamalu notes that life is already present in Christ (Mbmalu 2014, 3). It is inherent in Jesus himself and is transferred to others by Jesus' work (Mbmalu 2014, 4). It is life which endures, while all earthly fame or wealth passes away. It is further used as that which is given in gifts of healing - life rather than health. Furthermore, in John, the origin of Jesus and life is not traced by a genealogy as in Matthew and Luke, but by an assertion of Christ's pre-existence (Mbmalu 2014, 5). God in His Word gives life.
Scholarly Reflections
Mbamalu, A. "'Life' in the Fourth Gospel and Its Resonances with Geneiss 1-3." In Die Skriflig 48(1), Art. 1719, 2014.
Mbamalu explores the concept of "life" in the fourth Gospel, evaluating it in terms of the opening chapters of Genesis (Mbmalu 2014, 1). He finds a motif of new creation, as compared with the original creation. He takes John as a document firmly rooted in Hebrew Scriptures, showing a substantial amount of continuity with the concepts.
Mbamalu surveys Dodd (1968) and those who build on him, finding John to use an allusive (intertextual) method of applying Old Testament concepts (Mbmalu 2014, 2). Key to John's Gospel are the concepts of the creation, which Jesus is bringing to a fulfillment, and the fall, which Jesus is atoning for. The knowledge of good and evil, and the focus of belief on God's Word rather than the serpent's word, are critical to John's Gospel (Mbmalu 2014, 3). In sharp contrast to the death which comes about through believing the serpent, in life which comes through believing Jesus.
In the fourth Gospel, Mbamalu notes that life is already present in Christ (Mbmalu 2014, 3). It is inherent in Jesus himself and is transferred to others by Jesus' work (Mbmalu 2014, 4). It is life which endures, while all earthly fame or wealth passes away. It is further used as that which is given in gifts of healing - life rather than health. Furthermore, in John, the origin of Jesus and life is not traced by a genealogy as in Matthew and Luke, but by an assertion of Christ's pre-existence (Mbmalu 2014, 5). God in His Word gives life.
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