It is the purpose of this essay to take relevant snapshots of some of the recent developments in the text-linguistic and communicative fields that have been applied methodologically to a syntactical and narratological reading of John 9–10. It is challenging to a New Testament scholar to re-enter the gospel story according to John with freshly awakened interpretative theories and models. I borrow from the theoretical pluralism in the humanities, particularly from general linguistics and literary science.

Demarcation and co-text

From a syntactical point of view chapters 9–10 should be taken as the co-text of John 10 and from a narratological perspective, chapters 5–10. This means that chapter 10 cannot be interpreted as an isolated island in the Johannine gospel sea. The following general observations may be considered:

The introductory words in 9:1 mark a rather abrupt beginning. The phrase καì παράγων shows a break with the previous verse, 8:59. The scene has also shifted from the temple enclosure (8:59) to the scene of the blind man. Jesus has turned away from the temple. The logical coherence and progression in the composition of chapters 9 and 10 flow from the sign (9:1–7), conveyed by various dialogues on the same central theme. The conclusive ending of 10:42 and the start of a totally new narrative about Lazarus in 11:1 figure as a break between chapters 10 and 11. The same audience, place and time indications figure in 10:1 as in chapter 9, and the example of the blind man is recalled in 10:21.