The rhetorical impact of the sēmeia in the gospel of John

Willis Salier investigates the use of the term semeia and the narratives this term refers to in the rhetorical strategy of John's Gospel. The three poles of author, text and reader are considered. The study is more literary and socio-historical in flavour and bypasses previous discussions regarding sources, which have tended to dominate research on the semeia in the Fourth Gospel. First, he investigates the resonances that the term might have with an audience in the late first century. This part of the investigation concludes that the term helps to build a bridge between the conceptual background of the Gospel and the broader cultural foreground of its audience. It is also suggested that the term both draws on, and contributes to the prominent trial motif in the Gospel itself. Second, the semeia narratives are investigated for their place in the rhetorical strategy of the Gospel. It is concluded that they point to the identity of Jesus as the divine Messiah of God, illustrate the life that his ministry brings, and provide a subtle critique of other 'would be' lifegivers in the surrounding cultural milieu.