1:19–6:71. Witness in Judea, Samaria, and Galilee

Any modern outline of the Fourth Gospel is somewhat arbitrary; though clear sections exist, they often give way more naturally to other sections than our outlines would suggest. Although we did not, many would divide major sections at 1:19–3:36, a segmenting which is quite defensible.³⁷⁸⁹ (In contrast to longer sections, smaller sections like 1:19–51 or 2:1–11 are much easier to defend as objective units.) But given the expectation that a commentary will divide sections, we have offered a division as likely as any. The break between 6and 7is no more evident than that between 5and 6:1, for instance; but whereas the named feast dominating parts of 1:19–6is Passover (2:13, 23; 6:4), as in the Passion Narrative (11:55; 12:1; 13:1; 18:28, 39; 19:14), Tabernacles dominates 7:1–10:42. The former section also includes the Sabbath (5:1–47), the latter Hanukkah (10:22–42); the former section also includes two distinct Passovers, but all of 7:1–10appears to occur at the same time (mostly on the same day), suggesting a chronological unity for that section. The themes of conflict with Judean leaders introduced in 1:19–6simply increase in 7:1–10:42.