The close of the Gospel. 21:24–25

MANY SCHOLARS THINK THAT the emphasis on the conditional nature of the questions (21:22–23) suggests that disappointment with the beloved disciplés death existed in the early church.¹⁰⁹⁶³ That is, Jesus apparently said something about some disciples remaining until he returned, which the Synoptics already apply to the transfiguration (Mark 9:1–2; Matt 16:28–17:2; Luke 9:27–29); the death of the last disciple could well provoke some confusion about the meaning of such a saying. In such a case, 21:24–25 would likely constitute a later addition to the text (especially if one accepts the rest of ch. 21 as part of the Gospel), which is the view of most scholars. It can read like a miniature letter of recommendation (cf. Rom 16:2; 1Cor 4:17; 16:10; Phil 2:19; Col 4:7; Phlm 17; 3 John 12).¹⁰⁹⁶⁴

At the same time, the disciple himself could issue the same sort of warning as he was recognizing his age and impending death; the Lord might well not return in his lifetime. If the disciple remains alive at the time of the Gospel's completion, this could help explain the present tense of μαρτύρων in 21:24,¹⁰⁹⁶⁵ although one could also interpret 21otherwise (e.g., the disciplés witness continues to live even if the disciple does not; see comment on 19:35). The community («we») may second the verdict of the singular voice in 19:35, which commends the truth of the beloved disciplés witness, unless this represents an editorial «we,»¹⁰⁹⁶⁶ which many argue, on the basis of Johannine style in general, seems less likely.¹⁰⁹⁶⁷

The concluding verse (21:25) harks back to 20:30,¹⁰⁹⁶⁸ suggesting that it stems either from the author or from those close enough to the author to understand and articulate his mind. At least the plural in 21:24, however, would seem to represent others,¹⁰⁹⁶⁹ perhaps the Johannine circle of disciples,¹⁰⁹⁷⁰ confirming the veracity of the beloved disciplés witness.¹⁰⁹⁷¹ Ancient Mediterranean legal documents typically listed witnesses at the end of the document,¹⁰⁹⁷² just as the book (perhaps of life?) in Revelation is sealed with seven attesting seals.¹⁰⁹⁷³ Nonlegal documents could also follow the legal pattern and cite a past figurés saying as if citing a closing legal testimony (Seneca Nat. 5.18.16).

Some take 21:25's comments about many possible books as a reference to the proliferation of other gospels, possibly including one or more of the Synoptics.¹⁰⁹⁷⁴ While this proposal is certainly possible (we know on other grounds that they did proliferate), 21can be explained easily enough without recourse to it. Epideictic biographies sometimes ended with summary praise; after recounting Alexander's death, for example, Arrian eulogizes him, both praising him and excusing the faults Arrian has recorded.¹⁰⁹⁷⁵ The concluding announcement that the writer has provided only a sample of the subject's works was common in hyperbolic praise of onés subject.¹⁰⁹⁷⁶ Although John's Christology (cf. 1:1–3) may diminish the element of hyperbole here,¹⁰⁹⁷⁷ the text probably speaks of Jesus» incarnate signs (cf. 20:30), not works in creation (1:3). Homer complains hyperbolically that no mortal could recount all the evils that the Achaian leaders suffered, then (slightly less hyperbolically) adds that five or six years would not be enough to recount their sufferings.¹⁰⁹⁷⁸ Similarly, Diodorus Siculus (16.95.5) observes that it will be difficult, but promises to attempt to include Alexander's entire career in one book (book 17). Philo points out that Genesis deals with creation but also with ten thousand other matters (Abraham l);¹⁰⁹⁷⁹ he closes his final volume of Special Laws by noting that human longevity is inadequate to provide an exhaustive treatment of justice (Spec. Laws 4.238; cf. Moses 1.213; Dreams 2.63). Plutarch complains that it would require many books (βιβλίων) to fully criticize all of Herodotus's lies (Plutarch Malice of Herodotus 1, Mor. 854F); Lysias, that even all time would be inadequate for all humanity to declare all the exploits of Athens's deceased war heroes (Lysias Or. 2.1, §190).¹⁰⁹⁸⁰ Second Maccabees notes that many possible things could be said but the author abridges them for the sake of readability (2Macc 2:24–25).¹⁰⁹⁸¹

First Maccabees claims that the exploits of the Maccabees were simply too numerous to record them all (1Macc 9:22); some later rabbis declared that no one had tried to write all the teachings of the scribes because there would have been no end to the books needing to be written.¹⁰⁹⁸² A probably later tradition, purportedly stemming from the late first century, claims that though all the seas were ink and the earth scrolls, R. Eliezer and R. Joshua, teachers of R. Akiba, believed it would not be enough to record all the Torah that they had learned, and they had understood at most a drop of what there was to understand about Torah.¹⁰⁹⁸³ The number of books actually available in John's day would have been limited in any case, but estimates remained hyberbolic. One widespread Jewish story offers an estimate on the number of books then in circulation; Demetrius of Phalerum reportedly sought to collect for Ptolemy all the books in the world (Let. Aris. 9), which came to over 200,000, reaching for 500,000 (Let. Aris. 10).

The point is that the author provided only a small selection of Jesus» works;¹⁰⁹⁸⁴ Jesus is further praised by what the author must leave unsaid (cf. Heb 11:32). What John does include, however, is sufficient to summon his audience to deeper faith and was selected for that purpose (20:30–31).