The Epistles of John : origins,authorship, purpose / Hugo Méndez.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Méndez, Hugo, Author.

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Epistles of John--Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Bible.

Bible. Epistles of John--Authorship.

Physical Description:

1 online resource (xvi, 258 pages) : digital, PDF file(s).

Edition:

1st ed.

Place of Publication:

Cambridge, United Kingdom ; New York, NY, USA : Cambridge University Press, 2026.

Summary:

For centuries, Christians believed that the biblical letters of 1, 2, and 3 John were penned by a disciple of Jesus. Today, scholars speculate that the three are artifacts of a lost 'Johannine Community.' In this groundbreaking study, however, Hugo M©♭ndez challenges both paradigms, meticulously laying out the evidence that the Epistles are, instead, a series of falsely authored works. The texts position themselves as works by a single author. In reality, they were penned by three different writers in a chain of imitation, creative adaptation, and invention. Through incisive, close readings of the Epistles, M©♭ndez clarifies their meaning and purpose, demystifying their most challenging sections. And by placing these works in dialogue with Greco-Roman pseudo-historical writing, he uncovers surprising links between Classical and early Christian literature. Bold, comprehensive, and deeply original, this book dismantles older scholarly views while proposing new and exciting approaches to these enigmatic texts.

Contents:

Cover

Half-title

Title page

Imprints page

Dedication

Table of Contents

Preface and Acknowledgments

List of Abbreviations

Introduction

I.1 Terms and Categories

I.2 Chapter Plan

Part I Relationships

1 Different Hands

1.1 External Evidence

1.2 Internal Evidence

1.3 Conclusion

2 Literary Dependence

2.1 Establishing Literary Dependence

2.2 Evidence for Dependence

2.3 Conclusion

3 Disguised Authors

3.1 Disguised Authorship in the Gospel of John

3.2 Disguised Authorship in the Epistles

3.3 Conclusion

4 Invented Situations

4.1 Audience and Situation in a Pseudepigraphal Letter

4.2 The Invented Community

4.3 Beyond a Johannine Community, School, or Circle

4.4 Conclusion

Part II Interpretation

5 A Treatise on Sinlessness

5.1 Interpreting 1 John

5.2 How Can One Know That They Possess ''Eternal Life?''

5.3 Can Those ''Born of God'' Sin?

5.4 What is Sin?

5.5 The Climax

5.6 Conclusion

6 Quasi-Biographical Letters

6.1 Pseudepigraphal Letters in Greek Antiquity

6.2 2 and 3 John as Pseudo-Historical Letters

6.3 Re-reading 2 and 3 John

6.4 Conclusion

Epilogue

Notes

Bibliography

General Index

Index Locorum.

Notes:

Title from publisher's bibliographic system (viewed on 18 Dec 2025).

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

ISBN:

1-009-68953-3

1-009-68956-8

1-009-68951-7

OCLC:

1564840705