So glad you’re writing about this! My pastor’s been preaching through John this year. When we reached John 12 earlier this spring, I suggested to him that perhaps Jesus was inspired by Mary’s example to wash his disciples’ feet. After all, the 12 would not have recognized Mary’s action as an example for them to follow, since she was a woman. So Jesus does a similar action of humble washing at the last supper and explicitly tells the disciples that it is an example for them to follow. My pastor was very receptive to the idea!
That is a great point Jennifer. Encouraged that your pastor was receptive. I first came across this comparison between Jesus and Mary in Bruno Barnhart’s commentary, where he makes a case for a gradual progression in John where Jesus increasingly speaks and acts in ways that resemble women. It definitely seems like there is a lot to challenge our tidy boxes, both for ourselves and for our Lord. Thanks for adding to the discussion!
Very interesting, Kim! Will you be posting anything from this paper? I really appreciated your recent post about PCA GA and background checks, and I would love to read your research on 2 John. I have not really studied the epistles in any depth, but the more I dig in to Johannine ecclesiology I’m realizing that is going to be necessary.
That’s a great question! Assignments do often turn into posts so I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m really curious because most Evangelical scholars take the elect lady as referring to the church, but there are good (better?) arguments for taking her as a real lady and major player in the early church. Definitely borrowing from your resource list regarding John’s emphasis on women elsewhere. Stay tuned!
Or maybe we don’t have to choose between those options? Guessing it’s not a scholarly position, but many Johannine scholars view many characters in John as having a representative function. Eg, Mary Magdalene is an individual woman, but through allusions to the Song of Songs and the typology of the bride as the people of God, Mary also represents the church as the new bride of the bridegroom. Regardless, staying tuned with anticipation!
It’s interesting you point that out! I’ve found at least one journal arguing the same thing. I am curious- where did you find these books? Some are expensive/hard to find online and are not in the seminary library. Any affordable tips for getting ahold of these recommended titles?
Great question. Afraid I don’t have any good tips. By happy providence I found Barnhart and Schneiders at local used bookstores. The others I bought online except for Beirne, which is unbelievably expensive but I was able to access as an e-book through my seminary library. Fwiw, I don’t recall 2 John being discussed too much in these books, although the epistles are included in Brown’s Community of the Beloved Disciple (which, as you may know, is a very contested book/thesis).
So glad you’re writing about this! My pastor’s been preaching through John this year. When we reached John 12 earlier this spring, I suggested to him that perhaps Jesus was inspired by Mary’s example to wash his disciples’ feet. After all, the 12 would not have recognized Mary’s action as an example for them to follow, since she was a woman. So Jesus does a similar action of humble washing at the last supper and explicitly tells the disciples that it is an example for them to follow. My pastor was very receptive to the idea!
That is a great point Jennifer. Encouraged that your pastor was receptive. I first came across this comparison between Jesus and Mary in Bruno Barnhart’s commentary, where he makes a case for a gradual progression in John where Jesus increasingly speaks and acts in ways that resemble women. It definitely seems like there is a lot to challenge our tidy boxes, both for ourselves and for our Lord. Thanks for adding to the discussion!
I’m in the early stages of a research paper regarding John’s letter to the “elect lady” in 2 John. This adds new layers to explore and ponder!
Very interesting, Kim! Will you be posting anything from this paper? I really appreciated your recent post about PCA GA and background checks, and I would love to read your research on 2 John. I have not really studied the epistles in any depth, but the more I dig in to Johannine ecclesiology I’m realizing that is going to be necessary.
That’s a great question! Assignments do often turn into posts so I wouldn’t be surprised. I’m really curious because most Evangelical scholars take the elect lady as referring to the church, but there are good (better?) arguments for taking her as a real lady and major player in the early church. Definitely borrowing from your resource list regarding John’s emphasis on women elsewhere. Stay tuned!
Or maybe we don’t have to choose between those options? Guessing it’s not a scholarly position, but many Johannine scholars view many characters in John as having a representative function. Eg, Mary Magdalene is an individual woman, but through allusions to the Song of Songs and the typology of the bride as the people of God, Mary also represents the church as the new bride of the bridegroom. Regardless, staying tuned with anticipation!
It’s interesting you point that out! I’ve found at least one journal arguing the same thing. I am curious- where did you find these books? Some are expensive/hard to find online and are not in the seminary library. Any affordable tips for getting ahold of these recommended titles?
Great question. Afraid I don’t have any good tips. By happy providence I found Barnhart and Schneiders at local used bookstores. The others I bought online except for Beirne, which is unbelievably expensive but I was able to access as an e-book through my seminary library. Fwiw, I don’t recall 2 John being discussed too much in these books, although the epistles are included in Brown’s Community of the Beloved Disciple (which, as you may know, is a very contested book/thesis).