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Man born blind, Jn.9:2
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Does anyone have an explanation for John 9:2 other than a belief
in some sort of transmigration of souls or reincarnation?
(David Coomler)
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Maybe the solution is not so difficult. We do not need at all to
suppose any belief in trasmigration.
What is really implied in the question is the existence of two
opposites theological doctrines: a) if someone suffers a terrible
misfortune, this is a punishment for his own sins; b) if someone
suffers a terrible misfortune, this is a punishment for his parents' sins.
But the case the disciples here consider is an extreme one: a borderline
case. It upsets the balance between those two options, because a man
born blind was not able to commit sin before being born.. So the
disciples' dilemma is a fictitious one. Formally it admits both options:
either this man is punished for his own or for his parents' sins.
Substantially and actually it admits but one: that man is punished for
his parents' sins. The disciples' dilemma is a rhetorical question. It
does not really admit the first option, as clearly impossible. It means:
we have to think that he is punished for his parents' sins, do not we?
DL
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Domenico LEMBO Universita' di Napoli
lembodo@ds.cised.unina.it
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