The Receiver’s Paradox: Agency and Essence in John 13:20
The Gospel of John contains not only paradoxical thought but also formal paradoxes—short logical riddles of a kind put to rhetorical use by ancient speakers. One overlooked formal paradox is the aphorism in John 13:20. The evangelist models this paradox on a reversal of the logic of Heraclitus’s riv...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Interlibrary Loan: | Interlibrary Loan for the Fachinformationsdienste (Specialized Information Services in Germany) |
| Published: |
2023
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2023, Volume: 85, Issue: 1, Pages: 97-109 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Johannesevangelium 13,20
B Heraclitus, Ephesius 550 BC-480 BC B Paradox |
| IxTheo Classification: | HC New Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
Paradox
B Heraclitus B Agency B Gospel of John B Jesus B athleticism B riddle |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The Gospel of John contains not only paradoxical thought but also formal paradoxes—short logical riddles of a kind put to rhetorical use by ancient speakers. One overlooked formal paradox is the aphorism in John 13:20. The evangelist models this paradox on a reversal of the logic of Heraclitus’s river paradox. While Heraclitus’s river paradox is a means to deliberate essence, Jesus’s "receiver’s paradox" is a means to deliberate agency. Jesus intends the paradox as a way to help the disciples reflect further on their concerns for mission. As a result, this interpretation alleviates concerns that the utterance is unrelated to the discourse. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-2529 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2023.0005 |
