|
Veteran Member
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Colorado
Posts: 8,674
|
Jesus and the miraculous signs
There are a few things that strike me about the Gospel of John, which make me think that perhaps John is a blending of the Gospel of Mark and the Pauline writings.
From Paul:
Quote:
1 Corinthians 1:
20 Where is the wise man? Where is the scholar? Where is the philosopher of this age? Has not God made foolish the wisdom of the world? 21 For since in the wisdom of God the world through its wisdom did not know him, God was pleased through the foolishness of what was preached to save those who believe. 22 Jews demand miraculous signs and Greeks look for wisdom, 23 but we preach Christ crucified: a stumbling block to Jews and foolishness to Gentiles, 24 but to those whom God has called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God. 25 For the foolishness of God is wiser than man's wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man's strength.
|
Seems like a strange thing to say if Jesus had just been here 15-20 years ago performing miraculous signs, but here is what the Gospels have to say:
Quote:
Mark 4:
11 The Pharisees came and began to question Jesus. To test him, they asked him for a sign from heaven. 12 He sighed deeply and said, "Why does this generation ask for a miraculous sign? I tell you the truth, no sign will be given to it." 13 Then he left them, got back into the boat and crossed to the other side.
|
This is the only mention of miraculous signs in Mark, and again this leads me to believe that the author of GMark used Pauline writings or traditions.
Quote:
Matthew 12:
38 Then some of the Pharisees and teachers of the law said to him, "Teacher, we want to see a miraculous sign from you."
39 He answered, "A wicked and adulterous generation asks for a miraculous sign! But none will be given it except the sign of the prophet Jonah. 40 For as Jonah was three days and three nights in the belly of a huge fish, so the Son of Man will be three days and three nights in the heart of the earth.
|
This is basically Matthew's only mention of signs.
Luke makes the same mention.
Then we get to John:
Quote:
John 2:11
This, the first of his miraculous signs, Jesus performed in Cana of Galilee. He thus revealed his glory, and his disciples put their faith in him.
John 2:18
Then the Jews demanded of him, "What miraculous sign can you show us to prove your authority to do all this?"
John 2:23
Now while he was in Jerusalem at the Passover Feast, many people saw the miraculous signs he was doing and believed in his name.
John 3:2
He came to Jesus at night and said, "Rabbi, we know you are a teacher who has come from God. For no one could perform the miraculous signs you are doing if God were not with him."
John 4:48
"Unless you people see miraculous signs and wonders," Jesus told him, "you will never believe."
John 4:54
This was the second miraculous sign that Jesus performed, having come from Judea to Galilee.
John 6:2
and a great crowd of people followed him because they saw the miraculous signs he had performed on the sick.
John 6:14
After the people saw the miraculous sign that Jesus did, they began to say, "Surely this is the Prophet who is to come into the world."
John 6:26
Jesus answered, "I tell you the truth, you are looking for me, not because you saw miraculous signs but because you ate the loaves and had your fill.
John 6:30
So they asked him, "What miraculous sign then will you give that we may see it and believe you? What will you do?
John 7:31
Still, many in the crowd put their faith in him. They said, "When the Christ comes, will he do more miraculous signs than this man?"
John 9:16
Some of the Pharisees said, "This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath." But others asked, "How can a sinner do such miraculous signs?" So they were divided.
John 10:41
and many people came to him. They said, "Though John never performed a miraculous sign, all that John said about this man was true."
John 11:48
"What are we accomplishing?" they asked. "Here is this man performing many miraculous signs. If we let him go on like this, everyone will believe in him, and then the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation."
John 12:18
Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him.
John 12:37
[ The Jews Continue in Their Unbelief ] Even after Jesus had done all these miraculous signs in their presence, they still would not believe in him.
John 20:30
Jesus did many other miraculous signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not recorded in this book.
|
|
03-08-2007, 04:56 AM
