What did John `see and believe' in the tomb? Countless Easter sermons and many Bible commentators may have got it wrong

Abstract

This article examines the varying interpretations of John 20:6—9. There is a 1,600-year division of opinion on the subject, with eminent figures in church history on opposing sides of the issue. Simply put, the two interpretations are (1) the mundane, that the evangelist believed what the women had said (the body was removed); or (2) the miraculous, that he believed Christ had risen from the dead. In the last two centuries, opinion has shifted significantly away from the mundane interpretation, due in part to a misunderstanding or mistranslation of the terms used for burial cloths. The author argues that the mundane is more consistent with the wording, the style of the gospel, and the relevant passages in Luke.