NT Survey I
Gospel of John
Introduction

Author: Doesn’t say!
Author


Manuscripts have “According to John”
Polycarp (70-160 AD) was disciple of
Apostle John; Irenaeus (130-200 AD) was
disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus said the
apostle John wrote this gospel.
Testimony of Irenaeus
“We have learned from none others the plan of our salvation, than from
those through whom the Gospel has come down to us, which they did at
one time proclaim in public, and, at a later period, by the will of God,
handed down to us in the Scriptures, to be the ground and pillar of our
faith. For it is unlawful to assert that they preached before they possessed
“perfect knowledge,” as some do even venture to say, boasting themselves
as improvers of the apostles. For, after our Lord rose from the dead, [the
apostles] were invested with power from on high when the Holy Spirit
came down [upon them], were filled from all [His gifts], and had perfect
knowledge: they departed to the ends of the earth, preaching the glad
tidings of the good things [sent] from God to us, and proclaiming the peace
of heaven to men, who indeed do all equally and individually possess the
Gospel of God. Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews
in their own dialect, while Peter and Paul were preaching at Rome, and
laying the foundations of the Church. After their departure, Mark, the
disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what
had been preached by Peter. Luke also, the companion of Paul, recorded in
a book the Gospel preached by him. Afterwards, John, the disciple of the
Lord, who also had leaned upon His breast, did himself publish a Gospel
during his residence at Ephesus in Asia.” (Against Heresies 3.1.1)
Author



Manuscripts have “According to John”
Polycarp (70-160 AD) was disciple of
Apostle John; Irenaeus (130-200 AD) was
disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus said the
apostle John wrote this gospel.
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)
attributed this gospel to the apostle John.
Testimony of Clement of Alexandria
“Clement gives the tradition of the earliest presbyters, as to
the order of the Gospels, in the following manner: The Gospels
containing the genealogies, he says, were written first. The
Gospel according to Mark had this occasion. As Peter had
preached the Word publicly at Rome, and declared the Gospel
by the Spirit, many who were present requested that Mark,
who had followed him for a long time and remembered his
sayings, should write them out. And having composed the
Gospel he gave it to those who had requested it. When Peter
learned of this, he neither directly forbade nor encouraged it.
But, last of all, John, perceiving that the external facts had
been made plain in the Gospel, being urged by his friends, and
inspired by the Spirit, composed a spiritual Gospel.”
(Ecclesiastical History 6.14.5-7)
Author




Manuscripts have “According to John”
Polycarp (70-160 AD) was disciple of
Apostle John; Irenaeus (130-200 AD) was
disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus said the
apostle John wrote this gospel.
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)
attributed this gospel to the apostle John.
“Disciple whom Jesus loved”
“Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”

The “disciple whom Jesus loved” is the
person who wrote the book (21:20-24)
“Then Peter, turning around, saw the
disciple whom Jesus loved following . . .
This is the disciple who testifies of
these things, and wrote these things.”
(John 21:20, 24)
“Disciple Whom Jesus Loved”




The “disciple whom Jesus loved” is the
person who wrote the book (21:20-24)
This disciple is a significant character in
the book (13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:7, 20).
The apostle John is mentioned throughout
the Synoptics as a significant character.
The apostle John is NEVER mentioned (by
name, that is) in the fourth gospel.
Author




Manuscripts have “According to John”
Polycarp (70-160 AD) was disciple of
Apostle John; Irenaeus (130-200 AD) was
disciple of Polycarp. Irenaeus said the
apostle John wrote this gospel.
Clement of Alexandria (150-215 AD)
attributed this gospel to the apostle John.
“Disciple whom Jesus loved”
Introduction

Author: Doesn’t say!
Introduction

Author: Doesn’t say! (But was the apostle John)
Introduction




Author: Doesn’t say! (But was the apostle John)
Date: Doesn’t say! (Usually given as 80-95 AD)
Audience: Doesn’t say! (But likely to Jews;
specifically, to Greek speaking ones [cf. 1:41,
“Messiah” translated] in Ephesus).
Character: According to Clement of Alexandria, a
“spiritual” gospel.


~90% of material in John unique!
Long discourses about the Spirit, life, judgment,
resurrection, the person of Christ, etc…
John’s Use of the OT
"It is my firm conviction that the place to begin a
reflection on the milieu of the Fourth Gospel is with the
Old Testament. But the test of John’s pervading milieu
is not to be measured in terms of direct quotation from
the Old Testament because John has fewer such
quotations than the other Gospels. Yet this Gospel
literally breathes the influence of Israel’s textbook.
While John does not use the format of Matthew’s
fulfillment formulas, the entire organization of John is
posited on the belief that Jesus encompasses within his
mission on earth the fulfillment or replacement of many
of Israel’s primary historical remembrances that have
symbolized Israel’s understanding of being the people
of God."
(G. L. Borchert, John 1-11, NAC)
John’s Use of the OT

John 12:37-41 But though He had performed so
many signs before them, yet they were not
believing in Him; that the word of Isaiah the
prophet might be fulfilled, which he spoke, "LORD,
who has believed our report? And to whom has the
arm of the Lord been revealed?“ For this cause
they could not believe, for Isaiah said again, "He
has blinded their eyes, and He hardened their
heart; lest they see with their eyes, and perceive
with their heart, and be converted, and I heal
them." These things Isaiah said, because he saw
His glory, and he spoke of Him.
Is this the Isaiah John was
Thinking About?
John’s Use of the OT









John 1:1 – “In the beginning…”
John 1:25 – “Christ…Elijah…the Prophet?”
John 1:51 – “Angels...ascending/descending”
John 3:14 – “As Moses lifted up the serpent…”
John 7:42 – “Has not the Scripture said that the
Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from
Bethlehem…”
John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd…”
John 12:34 – “We have heard out of the Law that
the Christ is to remain forever”
John 15:1 – “I am the true vine…”
John 21:25 – “Many other things Jesus did,
which if they were written…”
John’s Use of the OT









John 1:1 – “In the beginning…”
John 1:25 – “Christ…Elijah…the Prophet?”
John 1:51 – “Angels...ascending/descending”
John 3:14 – “As Moses lifted up the serpent…”
John 7:42 – “Has not the Scripture said that the
Christ comes from the offspring of David, and from
Bethlehem…”
John 10:14 – “I am the good shepherd…”
John 12:34 – “We have heard out of the Law that
the Christ is to remain forever”
John 15:1 – “I am the true vine…”
John 21:25 – “Many other things Jesus did,
which if they were written…”
Beginning and End of
John’s Gospel

John 1



John 21



Jesus is God
Jesus is not only God but also the promised
Messiah
Jesus is the Messiah
Jesus is not only Messiah but also God
John 20:31 –
“These have been written that you may
believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that
believing you may have life in His name.
Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of God”


“Son of God [was] an expression which for Jews functioned
in many ways, including, as here, rough synonymity with
‘Christ’ or ‘Messiah’” (D. A. Carson, John, 661)
Better, “[T]he use of Son of God to designate the Messiah
ultimately depends on passages such as . . . 2 Samuel 7:14;
Psalm 2:7 (linking sonship and Davidic royalty). . . . That
appears to be how Nathanael used it [in 1:49], but readers
of John’s Gospel will quickly learn that the categories ‘Son’
and ‘Son of God’ are used to depict the unique relation of
oneness and intimacy between Jesus and his Father. Jesus’
sonship to God, however functionally described, involves a
metaphysical, not merely a messianic, relationship.
Nathanael spoke better than he knew” (Carson, John, 162).
Jesus as “the Christ”









John the Baptist is not “the Christ” (1:17, 20, 25; 3:28)
“‘We have found the Messiah’ (which translated means Christ)” (1:41)
“I know that Messiah is coming (He who is called Christ)”
. . . . “I
who speak to you am He” (4:25-26)
“The rulers do not really know that this is the Christ, do they?” (7:26ff) .
. . “This is the Christ” (7:41)
Jews excommunicated anyone claiming He was the Christ (9:22)
“If you are the Christ, tell us plainly” (10:24)
“I have believed that You are the Christ, the Son of God” (11:27)
The Law says the Christ is to remain forever (12:34)
“There are many other things which Jesus did, which if they were
written in detail . . .” (21:25)
Jesus as “the Son of God”











The Word was God (1:1)
The Word created everything (1:3) and has life in Himself (1:4)
The “only begotten God” (1:18)
“The Jews were seeking all the more to kill Him because . . . He . . .
was . . . making Himself equal to God (5:18)
“Before Abraham was born, I am” (8:58)
“I am the good shepherd” (10:14; cf. Ezek 34:11)
“I and the Father are one” (10:30; cf. 10:33)
“The glory I had with You before the world was” (17:5)
“He ought to die because He made Himself out to be the Son of God”
(19:7)
“Thomas . . . said to Him, ‘My Lord and my God!” (20:28)
“There are many other things which Jesus did, which if they were
written in detail . . .” (21:25)
Purpose Statement for John

John was written that “you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God;
and that believing you may have life in His
name” (20:31)
Purpose Statement for John
“John wrote to establish and confirm the historical reality concerning the
nature of the man ‘Jesus.’ While John constantly kept before his readers the
fact of Jesus’ humanity, his purpose was to show that He was more than
human, that in truth He ‘is the Christ, the Son of God.’ His historical account
of Jesus was intentionally interpretative of His true nature. He portrays
Jesus as ‘the Christ,’ the Messiah, the personal fulfillment of the Old
Testament Messianic promises. . . .This emphasis upon Jesus’ identity as
Messiah establishes that the true fulfillment of the Old Testament promises
and the hopes of the Jewish people lie in Him.
This gospel, more strongly than the synoptics, stresses the uniqueness
of the person of Jesus as ‘the Son of God.’ This revelation concerning His
divine nature is embodied . . .
This irrefutable evidence concerning Jesus’ Messiahship and deity in this
gospel was recorded for the further purpose ‘that believing ye may have life
in his name.’”
Hiebert, Introduction to the New Testament, 1:214-16
Structure



John 1:1-18 is the prologue to the book
John 21:1-25 is the epilogue of the book
John 1:19 – 20:31 is the body of the book
Let’s look at 1:1-18 a bit more closely
Structure







A The Word and God (1-2)
B What the Word brings (3-5)
C The testimony of John (6-9)
D Rejection and Reception of Word (10-13)
C' The testimony of John (14-15)
B' What the Word brings (16-17)
A' The Word and God (18)
Structure







A The Word and God (1-2)
B What the Word brings (3-5)
C The testimony of John (6-9)
D Rejection and Reception of Word (10-13)
C' The testimony of John (14-15)
B' What the Word brings (16-17)
A' The Word and God (18)
“Roadmap” of John 1:10-13


Jesus came to His own (1:19-4:54)
His own did not receive Him (5:1-12:50)



Culminates in resurrection of Lazarus
Note the use of Isaiah 6 here!
He gave life to those who did receive Him
(13:1-20:30-31)


Death, Resurrection, Giving of Holy Spirit
Culminates in purpose statement (20:30-31)
Major Themes in John

Jesus, the Man
Jesus the Man
In the Revised Version, we find that
Mark calls our Lord “Jesus” only thirteen
times. Luke calls Him “Jesus” eightyeight times. Matthew calls Him “Jesus”
one hundred and fifty-one times. John
calls Him “Jesus” two hundred and fortyseven times.”
(Hiebert, Introduction to NT, 215)
Major Themes in John





Jesus, the Man
Jesus, the Messiah
Jesus, the Son of God
“Signs” (2:1-11; 4:46-54; 5:1-9; 6:1-14,
16-21; 9:1-7; 11:17-44; 21:1-14)
Believe


Some didn’t
Others did
Major Themes in John

John repeats many other concepts over
and over in his gospel (Life, Light, Truth,
Glory, World, Hour, Jew [or Jewish],
Remain, Witness, See)
Next Week: Life of Christ