INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF JOHN

When someone tells me that they wish to stu y the !i"le #o$ the %e$y #i$st time& I ty'i(ally sen them to the Gos'el o# John) It is a "oo* that has e+ual %alue "oth to "e,inne$s as well as to those who ha%e stu ie the S($i'tu$es #o$ a li#etime) It is at the %e$y hea$t o# the S($i'tu$es)

AUTHOR
The autho$ is not name in the "oo*) Chu$(h t$a ition says that the autho$ was the a'ostle John) It is notewo$thy that the 'e$son o# John is not mentione "y name within the Gos'el a((ount) When he is $e#e$en(e & he is sim'ly (alle -the is(i'le whom Jesus lo%e - .John /01203 /41253 26123 2/173 2/1268)

THE DATE OF COMPOSITION

When was the Gos'el o# John 'enne 9 Ou$ ea$liest manus($i't e%i en(e is the small manus($i't #$a,ment *nown as the Rylan s Pa'y$i .':28 that (ontains a 'o$tion o# John /; an has "een ate to the ea$ly 'a$t o# the se(on (entu$y) < num"e$ o# ates #o$ the o$i,inal (om'osition o# the Gos'el o# John ha%e "een su,,este "y s(hola$s) /) The Ea$ly Date) In su''o$t o# an ea$ly ate o# autho$shi' '$io$ to the <)D) 76 est$u(tion o# Je$usalem is the #a(t that Je$usalem an its Pool o# !ethes a a$e es($i"e in the '$esent tense1 Now there is in Jerusalem by the sheep gate a pool, which is called in Hebrew Bethesda, having five porticoes. (John 5: !) The '$o"lem with this is that the Pool o# !ethes a (an still "e seen in Je$usalem to ay& nea$ly 2666 yea$s a#te$ the #all o# Je$usalem an this statement (oul "e a((u$ately ma e to ay) 2) The T$a itional Date) W$itin, in the late 2n (entu$y& I$enaeus (omments on Re%elation /0 an its $e#e$en(e to the num"e$ 5551 "e will not, however, incur the ris# of pronouncing positively as to the name of $ntichrist% for if it were necessary that his name should be distinctly revealed in this present time, it would have been announced by him who beheld the apocalyptic vision. &or that was seen no very long time since, but almost in our day, towards the end of 'omitian(s reign ) Domitian was assassinate on Se'tem"e$ /;& 45 <)D) This woul 'la(e the w$itin, o# the "oo* o# Re%elation sho$tly "e#o$e that time)

I,natius seems to +uote #$om John=s ,os'el on se%e$al o((asions1 John 01; in the E'istle to the Phila el'hians in (ha'te$ 7& John :106 in the >a,nesians& (ha'te$ 7& John /1/? in the E'hesians& (ha'te$ ; an John 26127 in the Smy$neans (ha'te$ 0) This means that his Gos'el was in su##i(ient (i$(ulation "y <)D) /65 #o$ the !isho' o# <ntio(h .I,natius8 to ha%e stu ie it)

PURPOSE OF THE GOSPEL ACCOUNT

The autho$ states his $eason #o$ w$itin, this a((ount1 )any other signs therefore Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this boo#% *+ but these have been written that you may believe that Jesus is the ,hrist, the -on of .od% and that believing you may have life in His name. (John /:*/0*+!) It has "een su,,este that this ou"le 'u$'ose #o$ms an outline o# the "oo*1

/1/

/1/4

/21/

261/

"ritten so that you may believe that Jesus is the ,hrist, the -on of .od... P$olo,ue Pe$io o# 0 yea$s Fo(us u'on the minist$y an mi$a(les o# Jesus

...and that believing you may have life in His name

Passion Wee*

E'ilo,ue

Fo(us u'on Jesus tea(hin, his is(i'les an the e%ents o# the eath& "u$ial @ $esu$$e(tion P$i%ate >inist$y

Pu"li( >inist$y

John st$esses the eity o# Ch$ist) Jesus is '$esente as the Son o# Go ) This is not to say that the othe$ ,os'el a((ounts o not s'ea* o# His eity& "ut John ,i%es this a s'e(ial em'hasis) John stan s in (ont$ast to the othe$ th$ee ,os'el a((ounts) They a$e es($i"e as the -Syno'ti(s- "e(ause they a$e simila$ in ou$loo*) John is uni+ue an i##e$ent)

Matthew

Mark

Luke

John

Portrait of Jesus Original rea ers !e" #$rase

Ain,

Se$%ant

Tea(he$

Son o# Go Chu$(h

Jews

Romans9

G$ee*s

Ain, om o# hea%en Se$mons

Imme iately Son o# man >i$a(les Pa$a"les

!elie%e

Pro%inent se&tions Genealog"

Tea(hin,s

T$a(e "a(* to <"$aham

None

T$a(e to < am

None

Geogra#$i& E%#$asis Ti%e Se'uen&e

Em'hasis on the minist$y o# Jesus in Galilee Only one Passo%e$ mentione

>inist$y in Ju ea 0 Passo%e$s

The #i$st th$ee Gos'el a((ounts (an "e seen in (ont$ast to the Gos'el o# John in a num"e$ o# i##e$ent a$eas)

Synoptic Gospels Em'hasiBe the *in, om inhe$itan(e Relates many o# the sho$t sayin,s o# Jesus

Johns Gospel Em'hasiBes ete$nal li#e inhe$itan(e Gi%es mo$e o# the lon, is(ou$ses o# Jesus

Em'hasiBe #utu$e '$o'he(y

Ce$y little a"out #utu$e '$o'he(y

The Syno'ti( Gos'els ea(h es($i"e))) The tem'tation o# Jesus in the wil e$ness) The 'a$a"les o# the *in, om) The sen in, out o# the a'ostles to Is$ael) Pete$=s (on#ession o# Jesus as the >essiah) The t$ans#i,u$ation) The a,ony in the Ga$ en o# Gethsemane)

John is silent a"out ea(h o# these e%ents "e(ause they o not 'lay a 'a$t in his maDo$ theme o# '$esentin, Jesus as the Son o# Go ) On the othe$ han & John is uni+ue in tellin, us o#)))

The ea$ly Ju ean minist$y o# Jesus .John /1/4 E ?1?28) The -I am- statements o# Jesus .John 510:3 ;1/23 ;12?3 ;1:;3 /6173 /61//3 //12:3 /?158) The -t$uly& t$uly- e(la$ations)

Th$ou,hout the #i$st 'o$tion o# the "oo*& the$e a$e se%en si,ns that a$e '$esente ) These mi$a(ulous si,ns a$e meant to show us that Jesus is the Ch$ist& the Son o# Go ) The #inal an ei,hth si,n is o# the $esu$$e(tion o# Ch$ist)

21/E// ?1?5E :? Wate$ Son to heale wine

:1/E /;

51/E/?

51/5E2/

41/E?/ //1/E?? 261/E2;

Lame Fee in, Wal*in, !lin man o# :&666 on wate$ man at heale 'ool Se%en sele(te si,ns

LaBa$us Ch$ist $aise $aise

Su'$eme si,n