I’m sure it’s true that one can speak theologically and historically at the same time and in the same breath - but, for what it may be worth, I have reservations about this argument, though it is very complex and I fear I may have misunderstood something seriously.
The argument seems to be that the First John authorised and encouraged (or something near to that) the Second John to amplify his original work, notably by giving him the honourable title ‘Beloved Disciple’, which challenges Petrine claims. This creates a very curious relationship between First John and the finished text: a sort of 1-point5th person statement. A complicated idea on, I think, quite little evidence - the final chapters of John form really rather a short text with not that many words to weigh. Also I think there is a tension between saying that there should be no imputation of a theological motive as a problem and saying at least implicitly that there is a political motive, at least a motive within the politics of the early church, where some people too much loved first place. ‘Political’ motives do call for caution.
I’m sure it’s true that one can speak theologically and historically at the same time and in the same breath - but, for what it may be worth, I have reservations about this argument, though it is very complex and I fear I may have misunderstood something seriously.
The argument seems to be that the First John authorised and encouraged (or something near to that) the Second John to amplify his original work, notably by giving him the honourable title ‘Beloved Disciple’, which challenges Petrine claims. This creates a very curious relationship between First John and the finished text: a sort of 1-point5th person statement. A complicated idea on, I think, quite little evidence - the final chapters of John form really rather a short text with not that many words to weigh. Also I think there is a tension between saying that there should be no imputation of a theological motive as a problem and saying at least implicitly that there is a political motive, at least a motive within the politics of the early church, where some people too much loved first place. ‘Political’ motives do call for caution.