Knowing Nicodemus: Understanding the Role of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John

Abstract

From the earliest theologians to the latest scholarly works, the development and purpose of the character of Nicodemus in the Gospel of John (3:1-21, 7:45-52, 19:38-42) has generated debate. This work posits a new answer to the questions surrounding Nicodemus. The Gospel of John presents Nicodemus as a pious Jew who does not believe in Jesus but shows deference to a good teacher. John therefore depicts Nicodemus as a positive example of an outsider for the readers of the Gospel. In this dissertation, I utilize both historical and literary methodologies to determine how the Gospel of John presents the character. The work begins with a thorough description of the history of how Nicodemus has been interpreted. This chapter identifies three key areas of the Gospel of John that must be discussed in order to properly understand the context around the Nicodemus passages: John’s audience, dualism in the Gospel, and the content of belief. These discussions inform interpretations of Nicodemus. Chapter five is a character analysis of Nicodemus’s appearances in the Gospel. The evidence demonstrates that Nicodemus is not a follower of Jesus despite his presence at the burial scene. The significance of this conclusion is twofold. First, it presents the earliest recorded evidence of the Esteem Conception of Toleration in all of Western literature. Second, it repudiates anti-Semitic interpretations of the Gospel of John.