P. Derek Overfield PhD Thesis - Research@StAndrews:FullText

The significance of this is intensified by the fact that
p~~ is the term used in the oriental Aramaic of the
Peshitta to render the &'va.j3a.CV€I.V of Jn 3:13, 6:62 20:17;
Rom 10:6; Eph 4:8. ,In Christian Palestinian Aramaic
it is the word used in Rom 10:6. In Jewish Aramaic it
is the term used to describe the ascent of Moses to heaven
in the PT to Ps 68:18 and the PT to Deut 30:12-14. For
a definition and discussion of the ascension in John's
Gospel see below pp. 333f.
1353 : 13 , 6:62 and by implication 20:17. In 3:13 the
use of the perfect tense (&.va.l3i'\3TJX€v ) draws attention
to the fact that the evangelist is speaking post event urn
and also to the fact that the ascension was an event that
was unique to Jesus: Jesus has ascended to heaven and is
still there. Cf R.E. Brown, The Gospel according to John,
I, New York: 1970; pp.144-49; E.M. Sidebottom, "The Ascent
and Descent of the Son of Man in the Gospel of St. John",
ATR 3 (1957), pp.115-22.
136 Rom 10:6-8 obviously indicates knowledge by the author
ofaxa.-rc1{3a.o-l., - &.v~a.cn, scheme, but it is significant that
Paul does not emphasise it but instead places stress on
the 'word of faith' which was directly accessible to the
believer.
137 ;:ae~, yeypa.1t-ra.1. is the most frequent Introductory­
Formula in the Pauline corpus,occurring over 20 times,
and on every occasion there is obvious reference to a
recognisable OT text.
l38For the possible source of the citation cf Ellis,
Use of the OT, p.35.
l390n the three occasions when Paul talks of 'going' in
the sense of going on a journey he uses ?toP€~O~'; cf
Rom 15:25; 1 Cor 10:27, 16:4.
(140Eph 1:20-22; Col 3:1; 1 Thess 1:10; 2 Thess 1:7.
These texts more correctly describe Christ's present
position, i.e. 'glorified'. It is in this wider, theological
sense that they can be described as ascension
texts.
141 Eg. Gen 26:2, 44:26, 46:3; 1 Sam 10:9, 23:4; Is 30:2;
Amos 6:2.
142 Eg. Gen 18:21; Exod 19:21; Judges 7:10; 1 Sam 14:36;
2 Kings 1:15.
xl