Water Symbolism In John

This study explores the meaning and function of water as a literary symbol in the Gospel of John. Jones first gives an account of symbol: it points beyond itself, it defies clear and definitive perceptual expression, and it in some way embodies that which it represents. Then he examines the narrative sections of John that involve water, plotting the expanding meaning and function of the symbol as the narrative unfolds. The study concludes that water serves primarily as a symbol of the Spirit and therein symbolizes Jesus. The symbol of water calls a wide variety of readers to a decision and functions as a bridge linking the new identity believers receive when they come to faith in Jesus with the traditions from which they came.

This study of water symbolism in the Gospel of John attempts to unravel its subtle reference to eschatology. Wai-yee Ng, after examining various approaches to the interpretation of symbols in John, offers a composite treatment of the subject by surveying the literary development of «water» throughout the gospel and by expounding its underlying eschatological framework. Exploring the historical significance of the symbol in John 4:1-42 uncovers a vertical aspect of eschatology assumed in the discourse. Ng also interprets the water symbol of John in the canonical context of biblical revelation.

Craig Koester's respected study uses the symbolic language of the Gospel of John as a focus to explore "the Gospel's literary dimensions, social and historical context, and theological import." This edition is fully revised and updated and includes a number of new sections on such topics as Judas and the knowledge of God. Fresh treatments are given on a number of issues, including the Gospel's Christology. This new edition offers both new insights and proven worth for students and scholars alike.

What kind of book is the Bible? Is it a rulebook or a guidebook for moral living? Is it a history book or a book filled with fascinating (and sometimes fantastic) stories? Did humans write the Bible or did God somehow speak a perfect message that the authors transcribed? Many people have asked these questions about the nature of this beautiful, odd, comforting, disturbing book the church calls its “Holy Scripture.” Charlotte Vaughan Coyle shares her own journey to make sense of the Bible in this read-through-the-Bible-in-a-year project. She discovered that the crucial work of asking hard questions and even arguing with the Bible revealed the Scriptures to be a symphony of polyphonic voices, a work of art that paints an alternative vision of reality, a complex novel-like story unavoidably embedded in its own culture and time, and yet able to give witness to the God beyond history who has acted (and continues to act) within history. With the heart of a pastor and the passion of a preacher, Rev. Coyle invites seekers and students (both churched and un-churched) to strap on their scuba gear and join her for a deeper dive beneath the surface of this immense, colorful, mysterious world of the Bible.

This volume examines Johannine symbolism within the lens of Jesus' relationship with the Father. After demonstrating that the Gospel narrative symbolically portrays Jesus as the Son of God who is relationally inseparable from his Father, the study shows how the Son-Father Relationship (SFR) is at the center of the network of Christological symbols in the Gospel of John. Using an innovative narrative framework, this book unveils the creative and symbolic introduction of the SFR in the Prologue (Jn. 1. 1-18), its development through the words and actions of Jesus' teaching ministry within the Johannine narrative, and its culmination in the Prayer (Jn. 17); the SFR motif then concludes in the remainder of the Gospel. This narrative framework reveals how the SFR shapes the literary style and theological strategy of the Gospel, and acts as an integrative force by giving structure and cohesion to the Gospel's symbolic system. Two key features presented in this book are a theory of symbolism and a network of symbols. The specially formulated 'Theory of Johannine Symbolism' explains the theoretical and theological underpinnings of the Gospel's symbolic network, called 'John's Christological Symbology'. Through the symbolic network, the author of the Gospel fulfills the theological purpose stated in Jn. 20:31-that hearer-readers believe in Jesus the Christ, as the Son of God, and thereby experience eternal life.

In Nuptial Symbolism in Second Temple Writings, the New Testament and Rabbinic Literature, André Villeneuve examines the ancient Jewish/Christian concept of the marriage covenant between God and his people, moving through salvation history from Eden to Sinai, the Temple and the eschaton.

Water is a core symbol in the Gospel of John and is particularly prevalent in passages that involve the revelation of Jesus's identity. Using Richard Bauckham's category of a "Christology of Divine Identity," That He Might Be Revealed explores the way the Fourth Evangelist plays on the memory of the major water events of Israel's history and mythology in order to incorporate Jesus into the divine identity. In the water stories of the OT, the distinctive identity and abilities of Yahweh are at stake. Yahweh's victory in these events forever fuses his identity to water imagery so that control of the waters becomes one of the major markers that characterizes and distinguishes him in Jewish thought. The water imagery in John is the author's attempt to tap into this rich accumulation of images and memories to identify Jesus as God himself incarnate.

Papers presented at the Inter-disciplinary Seminar on Water, held at Kolkata during 20-21November 2003.