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The thesis examines the relationship between John 20:30-31 and the purpose of the Fourth Gospel. It argues that the passage expresses a purpose which is reflected in both the structure and the content of the Gospel as a whole. This purpose is to convince the reader that faith in Jesus as the Christ, Son of God, can and indeed should be based on the signs as recorded in the Gospel. In order to achieve this purpose, the Gospel uses the following arguments: the reader is seeking salvation; salvation is attained through faith in Jesus; faith in Jesus can be based on his signs; even the reader who has not seen Jesus' signs himself can "witness" them through the agency of the Gospel. The thesis demonstrates where and how the Gospel develops these arguments. The thesis is intended to contribute to the discussion of several issues which are central to Johannine studies. It examines an aspect of the issue of the purpose of the Gospel which has not been the subject of extensive scholarly attention, namely the way in which the author(s) of the Gospel meant their document to function in the lives of its readers. In doing so, it discusses in detail three of the christological titles, "Christ", "Son of God", and "Prophet", and sheds light on the ways in which the Gospel demonstrates the appropriateness of these titles to Jesus. In addition, it argues against the interpretations of the term sēmeion as used in 20:30-31 and of the Gospel's view of a faith based on signs. Finally, the thesis offers some suggestions concerning the identity of the intended reader of the Gospel. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

Master of Arts (MA)

While scholars uniformly recognise John 13-17 as a unique literary unit within the Fourth Gospel, these chapters contain various difficulties that distract from their cohesive integrity. Some argue that the problems result from an incomplete or careless editorial redaction, and might even provide evidence of the changing theology of the Johannine community as it moved through successive historical developments (diachronic reading). Others attempt to resolve the inner tensions by positing that the supposed difficulties actually signal changes of mood or spiritual insight, and for that reason belong where they fall (synchronic reading). A third alternative, suggested more frequently in recent years, tries to bring these divergent readings toward some harmony though a different exegetical approach. Reflecting on the influence of the Hebrew Bible on the content and style of the Fourth Gospel, these interpreters see patterns of both micro-chiasm and macro-chiasm in its literary development. They then read John 13-17 as an expression of macro-chiasm. While scholars generally acknowledge the presence of micro-chiasm in biblical literature, there is wide disagreement as to whether macro-chiastic readings are possible. This thesis explores chiasm in the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament on both the micro and macro levels, concluding that it is indeed possible to read passages in each collection as developed macro-chiastically. Further a set of criteria for governing such readings is outlined. These criteria are then applied to the Johannine Farewell discourse. Other chiastic readings of the discourse are reviewed and a new chiastic reading is offered, based on the criteria deduced in the first half of the study. A final section shows how this chiastic reading of John 13-17 allows a new assessment of the points of difficulty, and provides a bridge between the perspectives of synchronic and diachronic interpreters. Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)

In the Gospel of John (4:1-42), a story is told ofa Samaritan woman who goes to a well to draw water. While she is there, she encounters Jesus. They converse about living water and true worship. This encounter so impresses the woman that she returns to the Samaritan city of Sychar and tells the people about him. In response, the Samaritans come to meet Jesus, invite him to stay, and, after two days, declare him to be the "savior of the world." Legitimated by a comparison between Wisdom motifs and the Johannine presentation of Jesus, this narrative is interpreted against the background of the Wisdom tradition of early Judaism. The Samaritan Woman follows the paradigm of the Strange Woman found in Proverbs 2:16-19, 5:1-23, 6:23-35 and 7:5-27. Like the Strange Woman, the Samaritan Woman is depicted as an adulteress, as a foreign woman and as a foolish woman. Moreover, the Strange Woman is constructed as the polar opposite of Lady Wisdom and the Samaritan Woman is constructed as the opposite of Jesus: she is female, he is male~ she is a Samaritan, he is a Jew; she does not know, he does know. In this way, both the Strange Woman and the Samaritan Woman symbolize alterity. The narrative genre of the gospels, however, allows development of character to take place - a movement which is not possible within the didactic genre of Proverbs. Within the symbolic layer of the Johannine community, she is no longer an adulteress, but she finds her "legitimate husband" in Jesus. No longer a foreign woman, she is given the possibility of rebirth "from above." No longer ignorant, she brings others to belief through her word. The symbols of alterity are thus reconfigured in the new community. The emphasis on the symbolic representation of this character undermines the recent historical-critical arguments which claim that the Samaritan Woman narrative is based on the story of a historical person. Master of Arts (MA)

The Lucan gospel alone makes mention of the census of Quirinius in relation to the birth of Jesus (2:2). This temporal marker has consequently been used to date the birth of Jesus, but not without problems. The census reference, when understood in relation to its historical referent, causes chronological incongruity and faulty technical details within the Lucan narrative. In contrast to the many attempts which seek to maintain the historical integrity of the Lucan gospel by reconciling temporal incongruity, I contend that the census is a constituent element of the narrative. As such, the key to understanding the census reference lies in appreciating its narrative function rather than its unlikely referential function. This thesis involves a narrative-critical analysis of Luke 1-3. After an examination of the state of the Quirinius question in chapter one, I investigate three ways in which the census of Quirinius interacts with the other elements of the narrative in Luke 1-3. In the second chapter the census is discussed as a part of the setting of the narrative. Through temporal analysis I demonstrate that the census is an integral part of the Lucan temporal framework. The third chapter focuses on plot in Luke 1-3, and shows how the census contributes to its overall development. Lastly, I explore the narrative processes of characterization which contrast the respective roles of Jesus and John. The census assists in distinguishing Jesus as the primary agent of God. The analysis of these three aspects of the narrative illustrates that the census of Quirinius is an essential component, skilfully interwoven with the other elements of the narrative. Thesis Master of Arts (MA)