Koot van wyk (DLitt et Phil; ThD)

Visiting Professor

Department of Liberal Education

Kyungpook National University

Sangju Campus

South Korea

Conjoint lecturer of Avondale College

Australia

Introduction

When Rudolph Bultmann came to John 13:10 which reads “Those that are washed do not have the need to wash except the feet” ο λελουμενοζ ουκ   εχει χρειαν ει μη τουζ ποδαζ νιψασθαι ho leloumenos ouk echei chreian ei me tous podas nipsasthai (John 13:10), he changed the text and left out ει μη τουζ ποδαζ ei me tous podas “except the feet”. With E. Lohse also Bultmann wished to cut out of John’s gospel these words so that the sacrament is removed from the text. Bultmann and Lohse argued that Papyrus 66 or Papyrus Bodmer of circa 200 CE, left out these words and both men want to support the deletion of these words.

Problem with P66 or Papyrus Bodmer

The problem is this, papyrus Bodmer is filled with errors in John (450 corrections; 235 corrections of scribal slips). “The scribe was a careless and ineffective workman” (Gordon D. Fee, “Papyrus Bodmer II (P66): Its textual relationships and scribal characteristics” in Studies and Documents edited by Jacob Geerlings [Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 1968], 57; also the views of V. Martin and E. C. Colwell). Let us list one bizarre error by the scribe of the omission of “except the feet”: In John 4:11 the word deep is used in Greek and it is βαθυ = bathu. But what did the scribe do? He took the word ΒΑΘΥ, divided it in two ΒΑ] [ΘΥ and then placed the abbreviation horizontal line above ΘΥ and ended with the abbreviation for God = theos = THU. Still is it Bultmann’s feeling to follow this Papyrus Bodmer 66 scribe that “except the feet” should be deleted from the text contrary the majority readings that had it in, of course 200 years later texts. Said Bultmann “It is grotesque that the Lord’s supper should be represented by the footwashing, especially when the setting was already that of a meal” (see J. A. T. Robinson’s article in NTS).

I delivered a paper in 2011 in Australia at one of our institutions and made the comment that Rudolph Bultmann is a “Baal-prophet”. At the question and answer section, a retired Seventh-day Adventist professor stood up and applauded Rudolph Bultmann for his commentary on John and asked me to repeal my harsh words on Bultmann, to call him a Baal-prophet. I asked him if he has read the book by Bultmann, Kerugma and Myth where he denies the Second Coming of Christ (also in Jesus and the Word pages 44 and 47), Miracles in Faith and Understanding page 249; Judgment in Jesus Christ and Mythology page 14; atonement, the virgin birth of Christ; and incarnation. I refused to repeal my “Baal-prophet” allocation and until today, I do not regret for making that decision in public.

Three major lessons in John 13

There are three major lessons in John 13

1.     Jesus is Yahweh (verse 13).

2.     Jesus is a prophet (verse 19).

3.     Jesus is a Servant (verse 14).

Syrian Father Ephrem on the Lord’s Supper

In the Syrian Father Ephrem’s Hymn on the Crucifixion 3,1 he said that Christ was “faithful unto the cross not faithful unto the Lord’s Supper”. He also said “At the Lord’s Supper Christ sacrificed Himself. At the cross, He was sacrificed by others”. One must be careful of Eucharist or Lord’s Supper glorification. Ephesians 1:4 says that He sacrificed Himself in the eternal covenant before the Fall of Adam and Eve. Also Revelation 13:8 says that He sacrificed Himself before the Fall of Adam and Eve. People think that it reads “before the foundation of the World” but that is not correct. Kataboles or καταβοληζ literally means the “throwing down” of the earth not the creation of the earth. It is a reference when the world lost its status in the fall of Adam and thus the world was thrown down to the earth. Compare for example the judgment of Satan at the cross when Christ said “Now it is the judgment of this world, now the ruler [Satan] of this world shall be thrown out” (shall be thrown out = εκβληθησεται) (John 12:31). When Christ was lifted up He would draw all men unto Him and that is what happened from the cross to 1844, Christ received the blessed status of advocate for the whole Human race acknowledged completely since the cross by the unfallen worlds (John 12:32). The Trinity did not need  the cross to be convinced.

Christ will draw all humans unto Himself after 31 CE. How many is all? All those who will be found faithful in the judgment of the saints that started in 1844 and is called the Investigative Judgment. Successful drawing of people will happen also in the Latter Rain event since Joel 3:1 in the Hebrew and Joel 2:28 in the English is using the words “I will cast out my Spirit on all flesh”.

True meaning of Footwashing

The true meaning of footwashing lies in the message that Jesus bent down from Kingship to become human and we have to bow down only half a meter. Who is the Greatest?

Children and the Lord’s Supper in Contemporary settings

I do not know what to say about this, but in contemporary Laodicea period Church (church since 1798) while the footwashing and Lord’s Supper takes place, a tourguide is needed to take care of the children.

Status Drama in John 13

There was also a status drama in the conversation between Christ and Peter on the footwashing ceremony. Christ acknowledge to them that He is Yahweh “You call me the teacher and the Lord, and it is well you said, for I am” (I am = ειμι = eimi). Footwashing is the emptying of one’s status. Kenos =   κενοζ means empty. Like Phillipians 2:7 indicated, Christ emptied Himself for us and that is kenos. Peter’s request to uphold Christ’s status was thus blocking the process of Christ kenos or emptying activity. It was a necessary activity that was to be completed the next day at 3 o clock when He died on the cross.

Footwashing is not just social stress relieving therapy

The footwashing ceremony is not just an example of how humans must resolve their inner conflicts with each other. The opposite of which means that if I have no conflict with anyone then I do not need footwashing. For J. A. T. Robinson, the exemplary aspect in the footwashing is seen as a weak point “the purely exemplary explanation offered in v. 15 seems such a weak point . . .” (Robinson NTS). The problem is exactly this that Robinson did not understand the essence fully. Christ was to empty Himself the next day completely but this night before that event, He had to replay the total emptying in a Kindergarten demonstration so that the faithful can “replay” this emptying, not thinking of themselves, not just resolving their own personal conflicts with each other, but deeper, that they remember the Philippians 2:7 emptying of Christ in the incarnation, life and death at the cross for our salvation.

In footwashing the faithful sinner says, “Christ, because of what You did for me, I kneel down before my fellow neighbor, bend the lowest I can, touch the ground to lift up his feet, remembering your emptying at the cross for both of us, all the way from heaven, all the way from Kingship to death, all the way from Creator to nothingness”. When we stand up we remember the resurrection of Christ and the nothingness becomes the Great Someone and we are united, my footwashing-partner and me, with His salvation grace.