WHERE WE ARE

In Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, and Part 4 of this series, I argued that we have good reasons to believe that the Gospel of John provides a historically unreliable account of the life and teachings of Jesus. The problem is that the characterization of Jesus’ ministry and teachings in the Gospel of John conflicts with the characterization of Jesus’ ministry and teachings in the Gospel of Mark.

In Part 5, I argued that the following three alleged discourses by Jesus in the Gospel of John are probably either fictional or historically unreliable:

• The Bread of Life Discourse (John 6:35–58)
• The Good Shepherd Discourse (John 10:1–18)
• The True Vine Discourse (John 15:1-17)

In Part 6, Part 7, and Part 8, I argued that the following four one-on-one dialogues between Jesus and some individual in the Gospel of John are probably either fictional or historically unreliable:

• Dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus (John 3:1-21)
• Dialogue between Jesus and Pilate (John 18:28-19:16)
• Dialogue between Jesus and Mary Magdalene (John 20:11-18)
• Dialogue between Jesus and Thomas (John 20:24-29)

In this current post, I will argue that another alleged one-on-one dialogue between Jesus and an individual person in the Gospel of John is also probably either a fictional story or is historically unreliable:

• Dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan Woman (John 4:1-42)

THE ALLEGED DIALOGUE BETWEEN JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN

Before we examine the specific contents of the story about Jesus and the Samaritan woman at the well, we already have good reasons to believe that this story is probably either fictional or is historically unreliable, because we have good reasons to believe that the Gospel of John probably provides a historically unreliable account of the ministry and teachings of Jesus, and good reasons to believe that three discourses of Jesus in the Gospel of John are probably either fictional or historically unreliable, and good reasons to believe that four other one-on-one dialogues between Jesus and individuals in the Gospel of John are probably either fictional or historically unreliable.

When we examine the specific contents of this story in Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John, we find more good reasons to believe it is probably either fictional or historically unreliable:

• This story is found only in the Gospel of John.
• Jesus does not visit a Samaritan town in the other Gospels, and in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs his disciples to NOT enter Samaritan towns.
• This story is presented like a short play.
• This story is presented by an omniscient narrator.
• In this dialogue, Jesus clearly claims to be the Messiah.

THIS STORY IS FOUND ONLY IN THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

There is no parallel to the Samaritan incident in the Synoptic Gospels…[1]

The word “Samaritan” does not occur anywhere in the Gospel of Mark, and there is no mention in this gospel of Jesus visiting a Samaritan village, no mention of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, and no mention of Jesus talking to a woman by a well.

The word “Samaritan” occurs only once in the Gospel of Matthew, and there is no mention in this gospel of Jesus visiting a Samaritan village, no mention of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, and no mention of Jesus talking to a woman by a well.

The word “well” (used to mean a deep hole in the ground for accessing water) does not occur anywhere in the Gospel of Mark, nor the Gospel of Matthew. It occurs only once in the Gospel of Luke (see Luke 14:5), but that passage does not mention that Jesus was in a Samaritan village, nor that Jesus was near a well, nor that Jesus was talking with a woman by a well.

The Gospel of Luke mentions that Jesus intended to visit (or pass through) a Samaritan village on his way to Jerusalem, but the village refused to accomodate him, so he “went on to another village”, presumably to one not inhabited by Samaritans (see Luke 9:51-56). There is no mention in the Gospel of Luke of Jesus talking to a Samaritan woman, and no mention of Jesus talking to a woman by a well.

The Synoptic Gospels provide no support for the story in Chapter 4 of the Gospel of John about Jesus’ alleged conversation with a Samaritan woman by a well in a Samaritan village.

IN THE OTHER GOSPELS JESUS DOES NOT VISIT A SAMARITAN TOWN & IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW, JESUS TELLS HIS DISCIPLES NOT TO GO INTO SAMARITAN TOWNS

As shown above, Jesus does not visit any Samaritan town in the Gospel of Mark, or in the Gospel of Matthew, or in the Gospel of Luke. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus specifically instructs his disciples to NOT enter Samaritan towns:

⁵ These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not take a road leading to gentiles, and do not enter a Samaritan town, ⁶ but go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel. (Matthew 10:5-6, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

If the Gospel of Matthew is correct on this point, then it is unlikely that Jesus would take his disciples to a Samaritan village.

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED LIKE A SHORT PLAY

This alleged dialogue is written in the form of a short play, like the fictional dialogue between Jesus and Pilate in Chapters 18 and 19 of the Gospel of John.

The eminent New Testament scholar Raymond Brown indicates that this passage is presented as a drama:

The dialogue with the Samaritan woman and its aftermath (4:4-42) is the first full example of Johanine dramatic ability. In it a character who is more than an individual has been developed in order to serve as a spokesperson for a particular type of faith-encounter with Jesus. The portrayal centers on how one first comes to faith and the many obstacles that stand in the way.[2]

Robert Funk and the scholars of the Jesus Seminar note that the story of the Samaritan woman at the well is presented as a drama in three acts:

The story itself is a drama in three acts. In the first act, the disciples go off to buy food (v.8), leaving Jesus alone with the woman with whom he is about to discuss some very intimate matters (vv.7-26). The climax comes in v. 26 when Jesus informs the woman that he is the messiah.

The second act begins with the return of the disciples and the departure of the woman, who leaves her water jar behind. …

In the third act, we learn that many Samaritans had believed the testimony of the woman and so presumably became followers of Jesus (vv. 39-42). …[3]

In presenting this story as a short play, the author provides an indication that this story is partially (or completely) a work of creative writing. This is a respect in which this story is similar to the fictional one-on-one dialogue between Jesus and Pilate that occurs later in the Gospel of John.

THIS STORY IS PRESENTED BY AN OMNISCIENT NARRATOR

Jesus’ conversation with the Samaritan woman is told by an omniscient narrator, like the fictional dialogue between Jesus and Pilate, because Jesus’ disciples were not present to hear what was said by Jesus or by the woman:

⁷ A Samaritan woman came to draw water, and Jesus said to her, “Give me a drink.” ⁸ (His disciples had gone to the city to buy food.)

[…] 

²⁷ Just then his disciples came. They were astonished that he was speaking with a woman, but no one said, “What do you want?” or, “Why are you speaking with her?” ²⁸ Then the woman left her water jar and went back to the city. … (John 4:7 & 27-28, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

The disciples were not present to hear this conversation, so they would have no memory of what Jesus and the woman had discussed. Furthermore, Jesus and the Samaritan woman would likely have been alone at the well, as indicated by NT scholar Rodney Whitacre:

At noon Jesus stops to rest outside of Sychar and sends his disciples into town for food. It was the hottest time of day, not the best time to be traveling and a very unusual time for a woman to fetch water. The fact that it was noon may highlight both Jesus’ desire to avoid the Pharisees and the woman’s desire to avoid her neighbors, who would come to draw water at cooler periods of the day. Since she had had [sex with] six of the men of the village, the other women would have little love for her. Her immorality is well known to the villagers (4:29), as one would suspect.[4]

It appears that nobody else would have heard this conversation. This is another respect in which this dialogue is similar to the fictional one-on-one dialogue between Jesus and Pilate later in the Gospel of John.

IN THIS DIALOGUE JESUS CLEARLY CLAIMS TO BE THE MESSIAH

At the end of the conversation with the Samaritan woman, Jesus allegedly makes a clear claim to be the Messiah:

²⁵ The woman said to him, “I know that Messiah is coming” (who is called Christ). “When he comes, he will proclaim all things to us.” ²⁶ Jesus said to her, “I am he, the one who is speaking to you.” (John 4:25-26, New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition)

Raymond Brown doubts that the historical Jesus clearly claimed to be the Messiah:

On the issue of Jesus as the Messiah in his lifetime the following theories have appeared in scholarship. Immediately following the statement of each, I shall indicate in italics my judgment of its value. (a) Publicly or privately Jesus clearly claimed to be the Messiah. Unlikely.[5]

Here are some of Raymond Brown’s reasons for his conclusion that it is UNLIKELY that the historical Jesus clearly claimed to be the Messiah:

…scenes in the Gospels in which Jesus is addressed or acknowledged as the Messiah are very few and acceptance of that title by Jesus is marred by complications. In John 4:25-26 the Samaritan woman mentions the coming of the Messiah, and Jesus says “I am he.” Yet Samaritans did not accept the Davidic monarchy; and so if one were to evaluate this scene as literal history, she meant by “the Messiah” something other than the anointed king of the House of David… . In Matt 16:16-17 Jesus responds enthusiastically to Peter’s confession of him as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God”; but in the parallel Mark 8:29-30 Peter confesses him only as “the Messiah,” and Jesus’ response is to tell that to no one. Which should one consider as more likely to have been the historical response? …while the Marcan Jesus answers “I am” to the high priest’s’ question about being “the Messiah, the Son of the Blessed,” the Matthean Jesus answers, “You have said it.” Luke 22:67-68 and John 10:24-25, if they are taken on the level of history, show no uncomplicated affirmation by Jesus that he is the Messiah.[6]

Early Christians firmly believed that Jesus was the Messiah, but this belief became prominent and widespread among Jesus’ followers after the alleged resurrection of Jesus, and thus the authors of some of the Gospels put this Christian belief into the mouth of Jesus, but it is unlikely that the historical Jesus made a clear claim to be the Messiah.

CONCLUSION

Before we examined the specific details of this story in the Gospel of John, we already had good reasons to believe that it was probably either fictional or historically unreliable. But after examining the specific details of this passage we have more good reasons to conclude that the alleged dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman is probably either fictional or historically unreliable.

This story is found only in the Gospel of John. There is no support for this event in the other Gospels. Jesus does not visit a Samaritan town in the other Gospels, and in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus instructs his disciples to NOT enter Samaritan towns. This story is presented in the form of a short play, like the fictional dialogue between Jesus and Pilate later in the Gospel of John. This story is presented by an omniscient narrator, and Jesus’ disciples were not present to hear what Jesus said or what the Samaritan woman said, also similar to the fictional dialogue between Jesus and Pilate. Finally, in this dialogue Jesus clearly claims to be the Messiah, but it is unlikely that the historical Jesus made such a clear claim.

These specific details about the alleged dialogue between Jesus and the Samaritan woman make it probable that this alleged dialogue is either fictional or historically unreliable.

END NOTES

1. C.K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John, 2nd edition (Philadelphia, PN: The Westminster Press, 1978), p.229.

2. Raymond Brown, An Introduction to the New Testament (New York, NY: Doubleday,1997), p.342.

3. Robert Funk and the Jesus Seminar, The Acts of Jesus (San Francisco, CA: HarperCollins Publishers, 1998), p.380.

4. Rodney Whitacre, John – The IVP New Testament Commentary Series, volume 4 (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1999), p.101.

5. Raymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah, Volume One (New York, NY: Doubleday,1994), p.477.

6. Raymond Brown, The Death of the Messiah, Volume One (New York, NY: Doubleday,1994), p.475-476.