Theological and Literary Intelligence [pp. 762-768]

THEOLOGICAL AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.
ART. XII.-THEOLOGICAL AND LITERARY INTELLIGENCE.
GERMANY.
The Studien uzd Kritiken, part IV., I874, published already in August, has a
very important and able article on the Gospel of John. by Prof. Dr. W. BEYSCHLAG,
of Halle, one of the editors, and of the highest standing for his learning and
critical sagacity. It covers over a hundred pages and is to be continued. It is of
special importance in this country as well as in Germany, in consequence of the
renewed attacks upon the authenticity of this gospel, in which it is confidently
maintained that its origin cannot be earlier than the middle of the second century.
Dr. Beyschlag examines the whole question in the light of all the recent discussions, beginning with Baur's famous essay in i844, which is the real basis of
the recent criticism, and which was well answered by Hase in his letter to Dr.
Baur in I855. He states the question thus: Whether the Fourth Gospel is to be
regarded as essentially, an ideal speculative-poetic work of some later writer, or,
with all its spiritual elements, as essentially the historical narrative of an eye-witness and an Apostle. In the present article he refutes the former view in a
masterly way, under three chief heads: First, in its principles, by exhibiting in
opposition to it the decisively Christian (not speculative) characteristics of the
book; second, in reply to its criticisms, by a proof of the violence done by them
to the gospel; third, historically and positively, by setting forth in many particulars the historical superiority of the report of John over that of the other gospels.
In a second article he proposes to solve the alleged internal difficulties of the
gospel, and to press through them to a positive comprehension of the work in its
origin and individuality.
We should like to give a full abstract of the whole discussion, which is conducted with great candor and skill, but we can only refer to the instances under
the third head, in which the author sums up the historical superiority of the
Gospel of John. First-In respect to John the Baptist and his baptism, it is the
most full and complete, bearing the characteristics of a contemporary report.
Second-The same is the case in respect to the family of Jesus and to His disciples.
Third-The purification of the temple stands in John in its most natural historical
place. Fourth-We have here also the clearest representation of some characteristics of the public life of Jesus, as seen, for example, in the narrative of the feeding of the multitude in the sixth chapter. Fifth-The account of the last acts in the
life of Christ is fully presented, and the catastrophe accounted for,only by following
the order of events as in this gospel. Sixth-In the history of Christ's passion,
the comparison of the narrative of John with that of the other gospels leads to
the same conclusion. Seventh-So, too, with the last supper, which is put by
John on the thirteenth Nisan before the feast of the passover. Eighth —The washing of the disciples' feet. Ninth —The particularity of the account in respect to cutting
oft the ear of Malchus by Peter, and to the denials of Peter. Tenth-The account
of the trial before Annas, the High Priest, is that of an eye-witness. EleventhThe particularity of the testimony in the hearing before Pilate. Twelfth-Some
other particulars in respect to the history of the passion establish the same point.
Thirteenth-John's account of the resurrection fills up gaps and explains difficulties
which occur in the other evangelists. Fourteenth-The same point is, in conclusion, further illustrated by Dr. Beyschlag in the narrative of the Ascension and of
the descent of the Holy Spirit.
The general conclusions from this discussion, as drawn by the author, are the
following: First-That the Fourth Gospel must be regarded as historical, because its author stands on the ground, which he could not have invented, of a
positive historical faith. Second-The negative-critical discussion proves that
the idealizing and poetizing of the evangelical history, ascribed to the Fourth
Gospel, can only be carried through by a most unnatural and arbitrary criticism;
the historical character of the book is a constant protest against such an abstract
plan as is thus forced upon it. Third-In the whole scheme of the public life of
Jesus, and in the whole series of greater and less incidents, we find in John such a
positive knowledge of facts as proves that we have them here at first hand from
an eye-witness. And thus, if we have not yet quite established the absolute credibility and apostolical authenticity of the Gospel of John, yet we have shown the utter
untenability of the hypothesis of a Logos-romance on which the destructive criticism
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