103 THE TRUE MEANING OF JN 9, 3-4 J. DUNCAN M. DERRET In Jn 9:5 the relative negative coupled with an ellipsis before ἵνα reveal that Jesus did not deny hereditary sin or reincarnation in a specific “test case”. 1. Introduction In this case I do not turn to the Jewish background to explain a dif- ficult passage, but to points of Greek syntax, to a superstition which John knew, and to an early Buddhist adaptation of the Johannine passage. Why did the disciples raise the question why a man was blind from birth, and what does Jesús’ answer really mean? The words are so punctuated: ἀπεκρίθη Ἰησοῦς, οὔτε οὗτος ἥμαρτεν οὔτε οἱ γονεῖς αὐτοῦ, ἀλλ᾿ φανερωθῇ τὰ ἔργα τοῦ θεοῦ ἐν αὐτῷ. ἡμᾶς δεῖ ἐργάζεσθαι τὰ ἔργα τοῦ πέµψαντός με ἕως ἡμέρα ἐστίν... All agree, and I too used to agree, that Jesus denied that the Man Born Blind owed his congenital blindness to any sin on the part of his parents, or any sin of his own in a previous life. On the contrary his blindness was evidence of the divine providence, whose programme has two parts: (1) divine miracles include cures even of congenital diseases, and (2) by enlightening that man. physically - with its consequences - Jesus will pro- vide, at one remove, for the enlightening of others after his own miracles cease. Ps 146,8 and Is 35,5 are not terminated by Mt 11,5. The man’s previous history has been summed up in the Pharisees’ words (9,34b), “thou wast entirely born in sin”. His condition at birth was contaminated by some sin. His testimony was inadmissible by Jewish law on account of his way of life (9,8)1. Yet he sees Christ (9,37), converses with him (which the Pharisees did not), and believes (9,38) and worships Jesus. The incident, says Jesus, is a crisis-incident. Those unconditioned by worldly sight are capable of truly seeing; those who rely on worldly sight are to be redefined as “blind”. J.D.M. Derrett, “‘Dost thou teach us? (Jn 9,34c)’”, Downside Review 117 (1998) 183- 1 94. Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XVI - 2003, pp. 103-106 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)