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The prospect of writing anything further about the prologue of John reminds one of the verdict quoted by W. C. van Unnik in a similar context some twenty years ago: ‘the new things he said were not true and the true things were not new’. The prudent course may, therefore, be to refine an already established position with the hope of being able to say something true, even if it is not altogether new. The thesis of this article is that the prologue is a chiasm with verse 12bat its centre. That the prologue is chiastic is not a new thesis; that its centre isv. 12bis. The first part of this paper attempts to establish this thesis. The second part studies the key phrase inv. 12b, τέκνα Θεοũ, and the implications of its position in the prologue.

This exploration of the healing narratives in Matthew 8 and 9, guided by current scholarship in the fields of medical anthropology and social-scientific study of ancient Mediterranean culture, shows that when viewed in their historical and cultural context these biblical narratives point toward a more holistic understanding of healing that may encourage contemporary movements in this direction. In this context, the goal is ‘healing’ the person rather than simply ‘curing’ the disease. The goal of restoring persons to a state of well-being and social reintegration into their families and communities requires attention to the emotional, social, and spiritual well-being of persons as well as their physical health. A critically and culturally informed interpretation of Matthew’s healing narratives may therefore promote the broader understanding of healing in view in these biblical stories.

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From the earliest centuries, the Gospel of John has been embraced as the church's gospel. The first commentaries on any book of the New Testament were written on the Gospel of John. Nothing matches the beauty and lofty Christology of its poetic prologue, words that more than any others guided the councils of the early church and led to the definitive expression of orthodox Christology. 1