My Sheep Hear My Voice

2017

2016

he twenty-first chapter of the Gospel of John has been, and remains, controversial. For perhaps the majority of scholars, chapter 21 is seen as an appendix-either a secondary addition by the author or, more likely for most scholars, a later addition by a subsequent editor. 2 As an appendix, it is often treated with implicit quotation marks, suggesting also a secondary importance of its contents. But there is an increasing willingness to consider the unity of the entire gospel, and thus an openness to explore the role that chapter 21 plays in the larger proclamation of the "good news" of the fourth gospel. In this paper, I propose that chapter 21-in particular, Jesus's "feed my sheep" exchange with Peter (21.15-19)-is integrally connected to a number of Johannine themes, especially those developed in the Farewell Discourse section of chapters 13-17. With the dialogue in chapter 21, the evangelist emphasizes a crucial part of Jesus's ministry that is introduced but left somewhat hanging at the conclusion of the Farewell Discourse, namely, the formation of a durable community of believers-the church. John 21 as Epilogue: The Integrity of the Gospel The difficulty with considering John 21 as an addition to the gospel is that, aside from the problem of a subsequent narrative following the "closing statement" in 20.30-31, there is no clear textual evidence for a Feed My Sheep: The Pastoral and Ecclesial Conclusion to John's Gospel 1 Mark A. Matson 1. For those of us who claim the church as the very living "body of Christ," questions about how the church aligns with Scripture are critical. Much depends on the vital leadership exhibited by ministers of the Word, elders, and deacons. Perhaps no other single expression of Jesus better captures the need for vital leadership than the command given to Simon Peter in John 21: "Feed my sheep." Here the role of pastor/elder and minister of the Word are combined with grace and urgency. Paul Watson, along with Kay, has in my experience lived out this command on behalf of his Lord. He has, effectively and sensitively, fed the sheep in his care: as preacher, as elder, as spiritual mentor, as professor, and especially as friend. It is with the deepest respect, and indeed with both philia and agape, that this essay on John 21 is offered for those who might feed the sheep in the church of Christ like Paul has. 2. Almost all commentaries address this in one form or another. Here let me note at least some major voices in the discussion. Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John (Philadelphia: Westminster, 1971) still has a major influence on Johannine interpretation. Bultmann argued for a variety of sources and levels of editing, attributing the final chapter to a later church redactor not connected to the evangelist. Although somewhat dated, Raymond Brown remains a major voice in Johannine studies. In his Anchor Bible commentary, The Gospel According to John, 2 vols. (New York: Doubleday, 1970), as well as his book The Community of the Beloved Disciple (Mahwah, NJ: Paulist, 1979), Brown argued for a later formation of the gospel within a community. For Brown, chapter 21 is to be attributed to a redactor, but one well connected with Johannine thought.

Early Christianity, 2010

Der Aufsatz zeigt, dass die weithin gleichen Gleichnistexte in Q, Matthäus, Lukas und im Thomasevangelium, die sich auch in den meisten sprachlichen Merkmalen entsprechen, abhängig von ihrem jeweiligen Kontext eine sehr unterschiedliche soziale Wertigkeit und Funktion aufweisen. Das Gleichnis in Q spielt auf lokale Wissensbestände über die Schafhaltung als eine sozial randständige Tätigkeit und an das damit gegebene ökonomische Denken an. Matthäus formt die Figur des Hirten biblisch um und verändert den Diskursrahmen von der konkreten Schafhaltung zum Herrschaftsdenken (Foucaults ,governmentality'). Das Gleichnis bei Lukas ist im Rahmen der städtischen, auch in der Hirtendichtung vorliegenden Idealisierungen des Landlebens zu lesen. Im Thomasevangelium befinden wir uns schließlich in einer großen Distanz von der tatsächlichen Schafhaltung. Die Tätigkeit der Hirten ist hier schlicht zu einer Metapher für die elitäre Suche nach Erkenntnis geworden.

Biblical Interpretation, 2016

One of the characteristics of the good shepherd of John 10:11–18 is a phrase that is usually translated “he lays down his life” (vv. 11, 15, 17, 18). Although interpreters often acknowledge the alternate meaning, “he risks his life,” this option is usually rejected. This article sees the notion of risk as an important element of John’s metaphorical presentation of Jesus as shepherd. Drawing on cultural conventions of shepherding, the literary context, and metaphor theory, the author argues that John portrays Jesus as one who risks his life for the sheep, and not simply as one who dies for them. This idea of a shepherd who risks his life for the flock can illuminate the reader’s understanding of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, and the way that disciples are called to follow him.

2004

Horizons in Biblical Theology, 2018

It is often said that the Johannine Jesus never utters a narrative parable like those that are so ubiquitous throughout the Synoptics. However, in John 10, we have the closest parallel in the so-called “Good Shepherd” discourse, where Jesus uses a “figure of speech” (παροιμία) to compare himself to a benevolent or noble shepherd. This article will explore this παροιμία in light of the unfolding narrative Christology over the first nine chapters. Against that backdrop, we will examine the questions: “What historical information can reasonably be inferred as part of the literary construct known as the implied audience?,” and “How has the implied audience been prepared by the narrator to receive this metaphorical speech?”

2008

is hard to imagine how the automobile might have an impact on interpreting texts for preaching, for it is certainly not a typical lens through which to read the Bible into the pulpit. But as preaching is also about interpreting the lives of our parishioners, the interaction of car and congregation, of transportation and transformative proclamation, is an important reminder of how the Bible and our preaching must intersect daily living in meaningful ways. For indeed, the advent of and reliance on the automobile has had an extraordinary effect on how we go about our lives and our daily work. We would benefit from sustained reflection on how this influences our life and work of faith as well. The focus of this issue of Word & World also raises the question of how we preach the Bible or word of God when invention and technology create ever further distance between us and the world of Scripture. Where do we find points of transference and moments of meaning in the biblical text so that our sermons take life in the lives of our people? As we drive around in the privacy, privilege, and convenience of our automobiles, how do we engage narratives that tell of travel from Judea to Galilee by foot, or from Tiberias to Capernaum by boat? How do we relate to the work of discipleship, of apostleship, of fishermen, tradespeople, and tent

Andrews University Seminary Studies, 2004