Table Of ContentThe Questions of Jesus in John
Biblical Interpretation Series
Editors in Chief
Paul Anderson
Yvonne Sherwood
Editorial Board
Akma Adam – Roland Boer – Musa Dube
Jennifer L. Koosed – Vernon Robbins
Annette Schellenberg – Carolyn J. Sharp
Johanna Stiebert – Duane Watson
Ruben Zimmermann
VOLUME 115
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/bins
The Questions of Jesus in John
Logic, Rhetoric and Persuasive Discourse
By
Douglas Estes
LEIDEn • BOSTOn
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/bins 2013
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Estes, Douglas.
The questions of Jesus in John : logic, rhetoric and persuasive discourse / by Douglas Estes.
p. cm. — (Biblical interpretation series, 0928-0731 ; v. 115)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBn 978-90-04-20510-9 (alk. paper)—ISBn 978-90-04-24029-2 (e-book)
1. Bible. n.T. John—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 2. Jesus Christ. 3. Question (Logic) I. Title.
BS2615.52.E88 2013
226.5’066—dc23
2012031732
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covering Latin, IPA, Greek, and Cyrillic, this typeface is especially suitable for use in the
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ISSn 0928-0731
ISBn 978-90-04-20510-9 (hardback)
ISBn 978-90-04-24029-2 (e-book)
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COnTEnTS
Acknowledgments .......................................................................................... xi
List of Abbreviations ...................................................................................... xiii
1. Why Questions? ......................................................................................... 1
The Propositional Problem .................................................................... 2
Lost in Declaration ................................................................................... 6
Quor Quaestiones? ..................................................................................... 9
Johannine Questions ................................................................................ 12
2. Perspectives on Questions ..................................................................... 14
Asking Questions ...................................................................................... 14
Ancient Questions .................................................................................... 15
Questions in Hebraic Context .......................................................... 16
Questions in Greco-Roman Context .............................................. 20
Modern Questions .................................................................................... 27
Questions and Answers ...................................................................... 28
Questions and Truth ........................................................................... 30
Questions and Speech ........................................................................ 31
3. How Questions Work ............................................................................... 33
Questions vs. Questions .......................................................................... 34
Questioning Questions ....................................................................... 37
Defining Questions ................................................................................... 39
Question Elements .............................................................................. 42
The Syntax of Questions .................................................................... 43
The Semantics of Questions ............................................................. 45
The Pragmatics of Questions ............................................................ 47
The Traditional Approach to Questions ............................................ 49
Informational Qualities of Questions ............................................ 52
Rhetorical Qualities of Questions ................................................... 54
4. John’s Use of Questions .......................................................................... 57
Why John Uses Questions ...................................................................... 58
Questions Inform Dialogue ............................................................... 59
Questions Persuade Readers ............................................................ 61
viii contents
Obstacles to John’s Questions ............................................................... 64
Question Types & Case Studies ............................................................ 68
5. Open Questions ......................................................................................... 69
Variable Questions .................................................................................... 71
Case Study: John 7:19c ........................................................................ 73
Set Questions .............................................................................................. 76
Case Study: John 8:46a ....................................................................... 77
6. Reflective Questions ................................................................................. 81
Indexical Questions .................................................................................. 83
Case Study: John 11:26b ...................................................................... 85
Test Questions ........................................................................................... 87
Case Study: John 18:4b,7a .................................................................. 89
Conditional Questions ............................................................................. 91
Case Study: John 3:12 ........................................................................... 94
Speculative Questions ............................................................................. 97
Case Study: John 6:62 ......................................................................... 99
Sequence Questions ................................................................................. 103
Case Study: John 1:38a ........................................................................ 105
Expository Questions ............................................................................... 107
Case Study: John 8:43 .......................................................................... 109
7. Decisive Questions ................................................................................... 111
Polar Questions .......................................................................................... 113
Case Study: John 5:6 ............................................................................ 116
Alternative Questions .............................................................................. 118
Case Study: John 18:34 ........................................................................ 120
Deliberative Questions ............................................................................ 123
Case Study: John 18:11b ....................................................................... 125
8. Responsive Questions .............................................................................. 128
Opposing-Turn Questions ...................................................................... 131
Case Study: John 3:10 ........................................................................... 133
Echo Questions .......................................................................................... 136
Case Study: John 13:38 ........................................................................ 138
Retort Questions ....................................................................................... 140
Case Study: John 11:9a ......................................................................... 142
contents ix
9. Coercive Questions ................................................................................. 145
Loaded Questions .................................................................................... 147
Case Study: John 9:35 .......................................................................... 149
negative Polar Questions ...................................................................... 152
Case Study: John 11:40 ....................................................................... 155
Biased Questions ..................................................................................... 157
Case Study: John 8:10b ...................................................................... 160
10. Answers and Questions ......................................................................... 163
John, a Dialectical Gospel ..................................................................... 166
John, a Rhetorical Gospel ..................................................................... 168
Future Questions ..................................................................................... 171
Bibliography ..................................................................................................... 173
Index of Modern Authors ............................................................................. 199
Index of Subjects ............................................................................................. 205
Index of Ancient Sources ............................................................................. 210
Index of Greek Terms .................................................................................... 215
