Abstract

Scholars have long noted the rarity of the phrase “kingdom of God” in the Gospel of John, especially when compared to the Synoptics. Most commentators identify that the only places the term is used is in Jesus’s dialogues with Nicodemus and Pilate, but none has investigated as to the reason John uses the term in these two places in the gospel. This article proposes that John intentionally frames his gospel with “kingdom” language to emphasize the theme of kingdom. It analyzes the connections between the dialogues with Nicodemus and Pilate to show that John intentionally frames these two passages. John frames these passages for a few reasons: to show similarities between unbelieving Jews and the non-Jewish world, to repeat and clarify the nature of the kingdom, and to advance themes found earlier in the plot of the gospel such as the connection between the kingdom, the cross, and revelation.

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