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...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Estes, Douglas 1972- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Catholic Biblical Association of America 2023
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
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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.
ISSN:2163-2529
Contains:Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2023.0005