Relevance of the “Εγώ εἰμι” Sayings of Jesus in John’s Gospel to the Contemporary Church in Nigeria
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Date
2017
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The Department of Religions, University of Ilorin
Abstract
“Εγώ εἰμι” phrases in the Gospel of John have been variously translated among the biblical
scholars. The objective of the paper therefore, is to unearth the Εγώ εἰμι sayings of Jesus
that represent a particular relationship of Jesus to the spiritual needs of humans: the bread
that gives eternal life; their light in darkness, their entrance into security and fellowship,
their guide and protector in life, their hope in death, their certainty in perplexity, and their
source of vitality for productiveness. The methodologies used were exegetical and historical
and sociological. Data were gathered through secondary and internet sources. Therefore
through lexico-semantics analysis which reveals, its root-words and word-stems and the
various possible semantic categories created by the human mind, this paper claims that in
these phrases, Jesus used everyday physical things to illustrate deep spiritual truths about
himself. The paper contends that the church cannot claim ignorant of Jesus and his work to
the world of which He came to save. Neither can she give excuse whatsoever of her failure
or fruitlessness.