John 5:1-9

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• Reading the Texts:
  • NRSV (with link to Anglicized NRSV) at Oremus Bible Browser.
  • Greek Interlinear Bible, ScrTR, ScrTR t, Strong, Parsing, CGTS, CGES id, AV.
  • The Bible Gateway: NIV, NASB, CEV, The Message, KJV, etc.
  • The Blue Letter Bible
  • The World Wide Study Bible includes commentary & sermons.
• Historical References, Commentary and Comparative Texts:
  • The Five Gospels Parallels, John W. Marshall, University of Toronto.
  • Comparative texts about Sacred Days and Seasons (inc Sabbath) from DSS, Mishnah, Babylonian Talmud, etc. At (Rutgers University Dept of Religion) Mahlon H. Smith's Into His Own: Perspective on the World of Jesus companion to the historical study of Christian texts.
  • "Sickness and Sin," The Jesus Database, an online annotated inventory of the traditions concerning the life and teachings of Jesus. Dr. Gregory C. Jenks, FaithFutures Foundation.
  • XXII.9-17; XXX.31; Tatian's Diatessaron (c. 150-160).
  • II.XXII.3, II.XXIII.2, Adversus Haereses, Irenaeus of Lyons. (c. 180)
  • Chapter XIII, Adversus Judaeos, Tertullian (c. 198)
  • Chapter VIII, The Prescription of Heretics, Tertullian (c. 200)
  • From Augustine's Tractates on John: Tractate XVII (5:1-18).
  • From the Geneva Notes.
    • "That is to say, the house of pouring out, because a great abundance of water was poured out into that place."
  • From Matthew Henry's Commentary.
    • "We are all by nature impotent folk in spiritual things, blind, halt, and withered; but full provision is made for our cure, if we attend to it."
  • From Wesley's Notes.
    • "Probably the basin had five sides! Bethesda signifies the house of mercy."
  • From the Commentary on the Whole Bible (Jamieson, Fausset and Brown, 1871).
    • "Instead of saying he wished to be cured, he just tells with piteous simplicity how fruitless had been all his efforts to obtain it, and how helpless and all but hopeless he was. Yet not quite. For here he is at the pool, waiting on. It seemed of no use; nay, only tantalizing..."
  • From The People's New Testament, B.W. Johnson, 1891.
    • "Observe the process: (1) Christ addresses the man; (2) he commands; (3) the man obeys. It is the obedience of faith. (4) In the act of obedience he is healed. Christ is the healer, but he is healed by the obedience of faith."
• Contemporary Commentary, Studies, and Exegesis:
  • Comments (commentary) and Clippings (technical notes for in-depth study), Chris Haslam, Anglican Diocese of Montreal.
  • Exegetical Notes by Brian Stoffregen at CrossMarks Christian Resources.
    • "We want to "see" Jesus through the lens of our own understanding of what a savior should be like. As long as we "see" in this way, we cannot see."
  • Jesus Heals on the Sabbath, audio telling, story in episodes, graphic, audio and written commentaries. Go Tell Communications, Biblical Storytelling for the Global Village, 2010.
  • "Courage to be Whole," (John 5:1-9) Kyle Childress, The Ekklesia Project, 2010.
    • "Well, in our story, this man has the guts to be whole."
  • Holy Textures, Understanding the Bible in its own time and in ours, John 17:20-26, David Ewart, 2010.
    • "Anyone here tried stopping, seeing, knowing, and speaking with a beggar recently?"
  • "Poolside Healing," Mary Hinkle Shore, The Christian Century, 2007.
    • "In John 5, festival scenes in the holy city are juxtaposed with the view of five porticoes full of invalids."
  • First Look: John 5:1-9, Lee Koontz, reflectious, 2010.
    • "...how often do we search for wholeness and worth in the material things around us – in wealth, in property, in physical security, in things that have no real capacity for restoration in the first place?"
  • "Discipleship in John: Four Profiles," Mark F. Whitters, Word & World: Theology for Christian Ministry, Volume XVIII, Number 4, Luther Northwestern Theological School, 1998.
    • "Reviewing Jesus' encounter with four potential disciples in John's Gospel can help us understand our own discipleship -- potential and real."
  • "Jesus Heals the Man at the Pool of Bethesda (John 5:1-18)," by Robert Deffinbaugh at the Biblical Studies Foundation.
    • "Allow me to raise a question which may be on your mind: “Why doesn’t Jesus heal the others who are ailing at the pool of Bethesda? If Jesus is able (and surely He is), why doesn’t Jesus heal everyone at the pool that day?”"
• Articles & Background:
  • "The Eighth Day," David B. Capes, (other resources at) "Sabbath," Christian Reflection, 2006.
    • "When they celebrated Sunday as 'the eighth day,' early Christian signaled that God's new creation had begun in the resurrection of Jesus Christ."
  • "Miracles, In Other Words: Social Science Perspectives on Healings," Jerome H. Neyrey, University of Notre Dame, 1995.
    • "...we should attend to the institution in which the healing takes place, either kinship or politics. What roles does the family have in an illness? How are they socially and economically affected? What role do they play in the seeking of a cure? What costs do they pay or debts to they incur? What if the healing occurs in the political realm, even if this is a healing shrine such as the temple of Asclepius at Epidaurus? Healings, moreover, might have important political implications, for "prophets" arose, echoing themes of liberation and freedom. The political significance of the account of the healing by the Jewish Eleazar before the emperor Vespasian and his retinue should not be discounted (Josephus. Ant. 8.45-48)."
• Recommended articles from ATLAS, an online collection of religion and theology journals, are linked below. ATLAS Access options are available for academic institutions, alumni of selected theological schools, and clergy/church offices.
  • Bryan, Steven M., "Power in the Pool: The Healing of the Man at Bethesda and Jesus' Violation of the Sabbath (Jn. 5:1-18)," Tyndale Bulletin, 2003.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Duke, Paul D., "John 5:1-15," Review & Expositor, 1988.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Hodges, Zane C., "The Angel at Bethesda -- John 5:4," Bibliotheca Sacra, 1979.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Howard, James M., "The Significance of Minor Characters in the Gospel of John," Bibliotheca Sacra, 2006. (see section beginning on page 71)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Klinger, Jerzy, "Bethesda and the Universality of the Logos," St Vladimir's Theological Quarterly, 1983.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Pidcock-Lester, Karen, "Between Text and Sermon: John 5:1-9," Interpretation, 2005.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Ringe, Sharon H., "'Holy, as the Lord Your God Commanded You," Sabbath in the New Testament," Interpretation, 2005. (See also entire issue of Interpretation devoted to Sabbath, 2005.)
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Shore, Mary Hinkle, "Poolside Healing," The Christian Century, 2007.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Staley, Jeffrey L., "Stumbling in the Dark, Reaching for the Light: Reading Character in John 5 and 9," Semeia, 1991.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Thatcher, Tom, "The Sabbath Trick: Unstable Irony in the Fourth Gospel," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1999.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Thomas, John Christopher, "'Stop Sinning Lest Something Worse Come Upon You': The Man at the Pool in John 5," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1995.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Whitters, Mark F., "Discipleship in John: Four Profiles," Word & World, 1998.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
  • Witkamp, L. Th., "The Use of Traditions in John 5:1-18," Journal for the Study of the New Testament, 1985.
      EBSCO ATLASerials, Religion Collection
      EBSCO ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials
• Reviews:
  • Reviews: Wai-Yee Ng, Water Symbolism in John: An Eschatological Interpretation. Peter Lang, 2001. Review by Jo-Ann A. Brant and Ron Fay in SBL's Review of Biblical Literature.
  • Review: Wai-Yee Ng, Water Symbolism in John: An Eschatological Interpretation. Peter Lang, 2001. Review by Dennis M Sweetland in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2003.
  • Review: James McGrath, John's Apologetic Christology: Legitimation and Development in Johannine Christology. Cambridge University Press, 2001. Review by Troy A Miller in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 2003.
• Sermons:
  • "Down by the Poolside," the Rev. Dr. Homer Henderson, Day 1, 2004.
  • "The Strangest Miracle," John Jewell, 2001.
• With Children:
  • "The Pool at Bethesda," children's study, puzzles, coloring sheet, etc. Higher Praise Christian Center.
  • "Healing at the Pool," "Healing the Lame Man," Fr. Max Bowers, Kid's Church.
  • John 5 & 6 Word Search, Don Crownover's Bible Puzzles.
• Drama:
  • "Discouragement Buster," Nina Wallestad, Dramatic License. Conditions of Use.
• Graphics & Bulletin Materials:
  • Clip Art: Jesus Healing the Lame Man, Julius Schnoor von Carolsfeld woodcuts, World Mission Collection, Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod.
  • Bed Is Too Heavy, Reverend Fun Cartoon, gospelcom.net. Check for printing permissions at right-hand side of destination page.
• Hymns and Music:
  • Contemporary/Praise Song suggestions, Together to Celebrate, David MacGregor.
  • Hymns with Scripture Allusions: John 5:3, 6. The Cyber Hymnal.
• Fine Arts Images Linked at The Text This Week's Art Index:
  • Healing
• Movies scenes with the following themes, listed at The Text This Week's Movie Concordance:
  • Peace
  • Healing
• Study Links and Resources for the Book of John