HOW CAN WE KNOW THE AUTHENTIC WORDS OF JESUS?

ST JOHN’S GOSPEL:

HOW CAN WE KNOW WHAT ARE THE AUTHENTIC WORDS OF JESUS?

INTRODUCTION

The other day in the Christian Studies course while looking at the Gospel of John and the seven “I am” sayings, discussion on the penultimate one “I am the way the Truth and the Life” (John 14/6) caused some difficulty for some with the phrase “No one comes to the Father but through me”. This exclusivity is a stumbling block for many in the Christian church. While some firmly believe that Christ IS the only way to God others find that unpalatable and are sometimes dismissed as “woolly liberals” or doubting Thomases who believe that God will eventually forgive us all and receive us all into the Kingdom. There are, of course many shades of opinion between!

I grew up in an evangelical church environment where we were taught that every single verse of the Bible was the verbatim word of God. Every single utterance in the gospel from the lips of Jesus was not to be doubted. I gradually came to realise that there were other ways of understanding the bible and would now describe my theology as liberal/radical/catholic! I am often told I am woolly-minded, but I prefer to think of it as a more questioning approach, open to new insights.

I have struggled with the evangelical closed approach for most of my life, believing as I do, in a loving God who in John 10:6 said “There are other sheep not belonging to this fold. I must lead them as well…”  I do believe that the Bible is the inspired word of God; I do believe that the biblical writers have been led by the Holy Spirit, but it is also blindingly obvious that the writings reflect both the culture and society in which and for which they were written. So, are all Jews, devout Muslims and non-believers to be condemned to hell? I think not: by our narrow-mindedness we condemn ourselves. If the Spirit “leads us into all truth” (John 16:13) I suspect there are still truths to be revealed. The Spirit is still revealing: we are still learning: truths are yet to be discovered! We still ask questions – we must and we should!

JOHN 14: 6   IAM THE WAY THE TRUTH AND THE LIFE. NO ONE CAN COME TO THE FATHER EXCEPT BY ME.

In the context of the New Testament and specifically the 4 gospels, this is the only occurrence of this particular saying.  John’s gospel is a very different sort of writing from the other 3 “synoptic” gospels. It was written, possibly 60 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. Even bearing in mind the much sharper memory and ability to recount events before reading and writing became common-place, it is stretching credulity to believe that John (even if he was “The Beloved Disciple”) could recount the words of Jesus with pin-point accuracy some 50 years later. Whereas Matthew Mark and Luke are more “biographical” in style, and each written for different audiences in different places using somewhat different yet similar sources, John is a very different style.

John focusses on seven signs and seven “I am” sayings.  Each saying is the focal point of a discursive reflection by the writer, frequently putting the words into the mouth of Jesus. For instance: John 3:16, “God so loved the world that he gave his only Son that everyone who has faith in him may not perish but have eternal life. It was not to judge the world that God sent his Son into the world, but that through him the world might be saved.” This is,  probably, one of the one of the best known bible texts, but the question is are these the authentic words of Jesus or the words of a deeply spiritual writer who is reflecting on the purpose of Jesus: what was in God’s mind at this moment. Why Jesus? He was writing for a particular audience and seeking to convey the reality of Jesus to them. If they are the authentic words of Jesus, rather than reflection on Jesus from some time later, then there are some (theological) difficulties. In the previous v.14 Jesus speaks of being “lifted up”. This, many commentators suggest, implies crucifixion. Did Jesus know, at this moment, possibly 2 years before the event that he would be crucified? This suggests that he had prior knowledge i.e. he was born with a prior knowledge of how his life was to be mapped out. That would make him a puppet without free will. Jesus had to have free will to accept or reject the path of his life in order to be the sinless sacrifice for the sins of the world. It could simply suggest that this is reflection from a time AFTER the crucifixion and resurrection to explain why Jesus came into the world.

LATER MEDITATIONS/REFLECTIONS?

So, we could try to understand these saying less as quotes from things Jesus said but rather as meditations of a leader of the early church reflecting back into his knowledge and reflection on things that Jesus said and did from a most-resurrection perspective.

With that in mind it is possible to see John 14:6 as a reflection on the concept of Jesus being “I AM” and therefore being the way to know the Father. The phrase “No one comes to the Father but through me” has in mind Jewish Christians who are wavering and wanting the best of both worlds – the law as righteousness and leaving the synagogue and all that and following Christ alone without the law.

WHY NOT IN THE OTHER GOSPELS?

Further, if these sayings are the authentic words of Christ why did NONE of the Synoptic writers pick them up and use them? for they contain the essential nature of Jesus Christ? If Jesus had actually used these formulations of words, then surely Mark (who may have recorded the memories of Peter for his gospel) would have found room for them?  I cannot think, that Luke, whose gospel drips with care and compassion for the outcast and needy would not have picked up the words of Jesus which culminated in the words “I am the Good Shepherd.” (John 10:11)

ENDPIECE

I have always enjoyed reading John’s gospel: I see it as a very different kind of gospel from the synoptics which strike one as more “factual” or even prosaic, dealing with events as they occurred from start to finish. John is far more poetic, from the very opening line “In the beginning was the Word…”

The writer has spent years reflecting on the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He has got behind the events in his contemplation and lifts them to a new level, and he plays around with words, with concepts and uses Jesus in a more mystical way.