Jewish Wisdom In The Gospel Of John

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As it is mentioned in the Introduction to Wisdom and Ben Sira, “Jewish wisdom has emerged as one of the most important domains for understanding the teachings of the historical Jesus and one of the most significant interpretations of his life” (Wisdom, 4). In first-century Judaism, when Jesus was living and promoting his teachings, wisdom remained as a central underlying topic among the people he was serving. It affected his both his lessons and his way of teaching. Though there is conflicting scripture on the attainability of wisdom, the idea that wisdom is necessary to receive enlightenment to God’s plan and to one’s own salvation is a key element of Jewish society, Christian teachings, and Judaism as a whole.
Wisdom is prevalent both …show more content…
As a whole, the Gospel is primarily focused on a few key concepts: Jesus as a Jewish person, the ‘surface’ story as opposed to the ‘hidden’ story, and thematic writing. One of the stories focused on by the writer of the Gospel of John coaligns all three of these ideas. In John 3 verses one to twenty-one, ‘John’, as the writer will be referred to in this paper, recounts the visit to Jesus by Nicodemus. Historically, it is believed that Nicodemus was a Pharisee. Pharisees have been said to be “most skillful in the exact explication of their laws” (Josephus, 729). They also “ascribe all to fate, and to God”, but still believe that the souls of good [people] live on (Josephus, 729). The Pharisees were the only remaining sect of the second temple to survive after the destruction, a feat which is credited to their ability to teach outside of the temple itself, with teachings that fit everyday life. Nicodemus was, as mentioned in the passage, a “teacher of Israel” (John 3:10). He would have been a person with Rabbinic …show more content…
All of these qualities mentioned- not understanding, not receiving the testimony, and to an extent not believing, are all qualities found in people who are not wise in the eyes of God. Jesus, as a whole, is telling Nicodemus that the same reason why he does not hold wisdom is the same reason he cannot perform the miracles Jesus does. For in the same way as Nicodemus is not Jesus because of lack of these qualities, he is not wise because he lacks the necessary
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