DOCSLIB.ORG

The Gospel According to John

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Gospel According to John THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN Contents Introduction ....................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 1 ........................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 2 ........................................................................................................... 3 Chapter 3 ........................................................................................................... 5 Chapter 4 ........................................................................................................... 6 Chapter 5 ........................................................................................................... 9 Chapter 6 ......................................................................................................... 12 Chapter 7 ......................................................................................................... 15 Chapter 8 ......................................................................................................... 18 Chapter 9 ......................................................................................................... 21 Chapter 10 ....................................................................................................... 23 Chapter 11 ....................................................................................................... 24 Chapter 12 ....................................................................................................... 27 Chapter 13 ....................................................................................................... 30 Chapter 14 ....................................................................................................... 32 Chapter 15 ....................................................................................................... 33 Chapter 16 ....................................................................................................... 35 Chapter 17 ....................................................................................................... 37 Chapter 18 ....................................................................................................... 38 Chapter 19 ....................................................................................................... 40 Chapter 20 ....................................................................................................... 43 Chapter 21 ....................................................................................................... 45 © Copyright 2007 Chapel Library. Printed in the USA. Chapel Library does not nec- essarily agree with all the doctrinal positions of the authors it publishes. Permission is expressly granted to reproduce this material by any means, provided: 1) you do not charge beyond a nominal sum for cost of duplication 2) this copyright notice and all the text on this page are included. Worldwide, please download material without charge from our website, or contact the international distributor as listed there for your country. In North America, for additional copies of this booklet or other Christ-centered ma- terials from prior centuries, please contact: Chapel Library 2603 West Wright Street Pensacola, Florida 32505 USA Phone: (850) 438-6666 • Fax: (850) 438-0227 [email protected] www.mountzion.org 2 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN Introduction The Author The apostle John does not name himself but states that he is the writer of this Gospel (21:24-25). He and James were the sons of Zebedee and Salome, the latter probably the sister of our Lord’s mother (19:25), and was born in Bethsaida of Galilee. His intimate relations with Jesus are indicated by the expression “the be- loved disciple” (13:23), and it has been said he was able to give men “the heart of Christ.” Clement of Alexandria (215 A.D.) says, “Last of all, John, observing that in the other Gospels those things were related that concerned the body (of Christ), and being persuaded by his friends and also moved by the Spirit of God, wrote a spir- itual Gospel.” Speaking of the four Gospels, Gregory Nazianzen (390 A.D.) says, “Matthew wrote the wonderful works of Christ for the Jew; Mark for the Roman; Luke for the Greeks; John, a herald, who reaches the very heavens, for all.” Irenaeus (202 A.D.), the pupil of Polycarp who was the friend and pupil of St. John, accepted this Gospel and says that John “for sixty years after the Ascension preached orally, till the end of Domitian’s reign; and after the death of Domitian having returned to Ephesus, he was induced to write (his Gospel) concerning the divinity of Christ, co-eternal with the Father; in which he refutes those heretics, Cerinthus and the Nicolaitans.” It is quite certain that Justin Martyr (165 A.D.) used this Gospel, and that it was combined with the others in the Diatessaron of Tatian (about 170 A.D.). In the reign of Domitian (81-96 A.D.), John was banished to Patmos and after- wards returned to Ephesus. He lived in that city to an extreme old age, the last of the Twelve Apostles. It is generally held that he wrote his Gospel in that city and not long before his death, and as indicated by Clement, at the request of Christian friends. The Purpose Nearly a generation after the other Gospels had been written this Gospel was prepared which shows that the life and labors of Jesus were at this time well known to Christians. In the meantime the apostles had preached the Gospel, Paul 3 and Peter had suffered martyrdom, and all the other apostles had passed to their reward, and Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans. The style of this Gospel is simple but the thought is profound. Its great design is to set forth the divinity of our Lord as the basis of faith, and to meet the spir- itual needs, not of a particular mindset, Jew, Roman or Greek, but of all men, and hence it is called “the spiritual Gospel,” and “The Gospel for the Church.” It states its purpose, “But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through his name” (20:31). This will explain why John does not record the facts relative to the birth and early life of Jesus, and instead of giving a genealogy declares “In the beginning was the Word,” (1:1) why certain great miracles are given (not recorded by the others), and why instead of parabolic teaching this Gospel contains the great spir- itual discourses that do not appear in the Synoptic Gospels. The Gospel of the Divine Word The design of this Gospel, to set forth the divinity of our Lord, is indicated by the opening statement—that the Word is God. Thus we see that the Bible ad- dresses more than one as God, but it is Trinity and not tri-theism. That the deity of Christ is here distinctly declared cannot be disputed. The same truth was de- clared by Christ and He permitted others to do so. If He knew Himself to be other than Divine, He would have corrected others who invested Him with that charac- ter. In support of the divinity of Christ, John records seven great miracles: water turned into wine, healing the nobleman’s son at a distance, feeding the five thou- sand, walking on the water, healing the man born blind, raising Lazarus to life, the draught of fishes after the resurrection. Matthew and Mark make use of the walking on the water, and all four record the feeding of the five thousand. The other five are recorded by John alone. Healing the nobleman’s son at a distance, and raising Lazarus to life after he had been dead four days, were most unusual and gave His divinity an outstanding character. As his opening words announce the divinity of the Word, so the closing words of the Gospel state that the design was to establish this great truth as the basis of faith. In other words, that faith is groundless if Jesus Christ is not the Divine Son of God. The Spiritual Gospel This Gospel meets the spiritual needs of the soul, whether Jew or Gentile. To this end John gives the great discourses: new birth; Christ the water of life; the 4 bread of life; the light of the world; the way, the truth, the life; the vine; the resur- rection and the life. Thus the divinity of our Lord appears in His words as well as in His works. It is in these great discourses that the deeper spiritual relation of Christ to His Church appears. These profound spiritual truths are not expressed in parabolic form. The reader has noted by the Outline, and has probably noticed the fact in reading this Gospel, that John does not record any of the parables of the other Gospels and that none of its statements take a parabolic form. He uses figures of speech and illustrations, but not parables, in the proper sense of the word. He is communi- cating God’s truth straight to the reader’s heart. 9 That was the true Light, which Chapter 1 lighteth every man that cometh into the world. The divinity of Christ 10 He was in the world, and the world was made by him, and the 1 In the beginning was the Word, and world knew him not. the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 11 He came unto his own, and his own received him not. 2 The same was in the beginning with God. 12 But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the 3 All things were made by him; and sons of God, even to them that be- without him was not any thing made lieve on his name: that was made. 13 Which were born, not of blood, 4 In him was life; and the life was the nor of
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Gospel of John
    <- THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO JOHN. THE STRUCTURE OF THE BOOK AS A WHOLE. “BEHOLD YOUR GOD” (Isa. 40:9). Click to Follow Link 1:1—28. THE FORERUNNER. 1:29—34. THE BAPTISM: WITH WATER. 1:35—4:54. THE KINGDOM. 5:1—6:71. THE KING. } PROCLAIMED. THE FOURFOLD 7:1—11:54. THE KING. MINISTRY OF } REJECTED. } 11:54—18:1. THE KINGDOM. THE LORD. 18:2—20:31 THE BAPTISM: OF SUFFERING (DEATH, BURIAL, AND RESURRECTION). 21:1—25. THE SUCCESSORS. For the New Testament and the order of its Books, see Ap. 95. NOTES ON JOHN’S GOSPEL. For the Diversity of the Four Gospels, see Ap. 96. For the Unity of the Four Gospels, see Ap. 97. For the Fourfold Ministry of the Lord, see Ap. 119. For words peculiar to John’s writings, see some 84 words recorded in the notes. The Divine purpose in the Gospel by John is to present the Lord Jesus as God. This is the one great feature which constitutes the difference between this Gospel and the other three. It has already been noted that in the first three Gospels the Lord Jesus is presented respectively as Israel’s King, Jehovah’s Servant, and the ideal Man; and that those incidents, words, and works are selected, in each Gospel, which specially accord with such presentation. Thus they present the Lord on the side of His perfect humanity. It is this that links them together, and is the real reason for their being what is called “Synoptic”, and for the marked difference between them, taken together, and the fourth Gospel.
    [Show full text]
  • Divine Fellowship in the Gospel of John: a Trinitarian Spirituality
    HTS Teologiese Studies/Theological Studies ISSN: (Online) 2072-8050, (Print) 0259-9422 Page 1 of 12 Original Research Divine fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian spirituality Author: This article investigates how Trinity features are presented in the Gospel of John and how the 1 Dirk Van der Merwe early Christians experienced the Trinity in their daily lives. The immanence and ‘lived Affiliation: experiences’ of the divine are fostered by how the immanence of the divine is expounded in 1Faculty of Theology, terms of the familia Dei: God as Father, the Logos as Son of God, believers as Children of God North-West University, and the Spirit-Paraclete as the one who constitutes the family and educates the children in the Potchefstroom, South Africa family. Therefore, in this article, the familia Dei will be the facilitating hermeneutical principle Corresponding author: used to examine the divine fellowship as well as the ‘lived experiences’ and immanence of the Dirk Van der Merwe, divine in early Christian everyday living. John’s reflection on perichoresis lies embedded in a [email protected] ‘fellowship’ perspective. The divine fellowship is investigated from the four perspectives of how the divine is identified in John: life in thefamilia Dei, love in the familia Dei, unity in the Dates: Received: 06 Jan 2019 familia Dei and glorification in the familia Dei. Accepted: 22 May 2019 Published: 30 Oct. 2019 Keywords: Trinity; Divine-Fellowship; Familia Dei; Identity; Love; Life; Unity; Glorification. How to cite this article: Van der Merwe, D., 2019, Introduction ‘Divine fellowship in the Gospel of John: A Trinitarian From the beginning of the early Church onwards, the early Christians embraced decisively spirituality’, HTS Teologiese exclusive monotheism and the veneration of Jesus.
    [Show full text]
  • 1 THAT WE ALL MAY BE ONE Sermon Delivered to St. Paul's
    THAT WE ALL MAY BE ONE Sermon delivered to St. Paul’s Church 7 Easter, John 17:20-26, Year C May 12, 2013 Thack Dyson The 1999 movie Tuesday with Morrie , based on the book by the same name, is the true story of a sports writer, Mitch Albom, and his reunion with a former college professor who is dying of ALS. Albom was a multitasking workaholic, whose life is a series of hurried appointments, rushed phone calls, and last minute sprints to catch a flight. When he discovers that his former college professor and friend Morrie Schwartz, was in the last stages of ALS, he honors a long overdue promise to visit him. In these visits, Morrie teaches Mitch some important lessons about what matters most in life. Morrie soon discovers that Mitch has a tendency to be superficial and patronizing. Morrie is sometimes patient with Mitch’s superficiality, but in one scene in particular Morrie confronts Mitch with some painful truths. Morrie is very frail, and is sitting in a recliner in obvious pain. He grimaces and asks Mitch to rub his aching feet with salve. “When we’re infants,” says Morrie, “we need people to survive; when we’re dying, we need people to survive; but here’s the secret: in between we need each other even more.” Mitch nods and patronizingly responds with a quote that he has heard Morrie say many times. “We must love one another or perish.” Morrie loses his patience with Mitch. “Yeah, but do you believe that? Does it apply to you?” Mitch is stunned and defensive as he confesses that he doesn’t know what he believes.
    [Show full text]
  • Good Friday Is the Day When Christians Opening Spiritual Mark C
    March 29, 2013 Welcome Van English Good Invocation Van English Friday Good Friday is the day when Christians Opening Spiritual Mark C. Brown commemorate the crucifixion and death Lord, Listen To Your Children Praying of Jesus. This is an Spiritual important event in Christianity, as it represents the sacrifices and 1st Prayer - Matthew 11:25-26 Lawanna White suffering in Jesus' life. The crucifixion was the culmination of a He prayed. “I thank you, Holy Parent, God of heaven and earth, because You number of events in have hidden these things from the wise and the intelligent and have revealed Holy Week, including: them to infants; yes, for such was Your gracious will." the triumphal return of Jesus to Jerusalem on Palm Sunday; the washing of the 2nd Prayer - Matthew 6:9-13 Mark C. Brown disciples' feet by Jesus; and the Last Supper on Maundy "Our Creator which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy name. Thy realm to Thursday. Good come, Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily Friday is a day of bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not mourning. Candles are often extinguished into temptation, but deliver us from evil: For Thine’s the dominion, and the and statues, paintings power, and the glory, forever. Amen." and crosses may be draped in black, purple or The Lord's Prayer gray cloth. by Albert Hay Malotte and Steve Wilkinson 3rd Prayer - John 11:41-42 Paul Gonzalez So they took away the burial stone (from Lazarus’ grave).
    [Show full text]
  • Gospel of John Volume 2
    Norman Smith’s The Gospel According to St. John Small Group Study Volume 2 Faith and Fellowship Ministry Holy Trinity Church San Francisco Prayer Before Study Illumine our hearts, loving Master, with the pure light of Your divine knowledge, and open the eyes of our mind that we may comprehend the message of Your Gospel. Instill in us also reverence for Your blessed Commandments, so that having conquered sinful desires we may pursue a spiritual life, thinking and doing all those things that are pleasing to you. For You Christ our God are the light of our souls and bodies and to You we send up glory, together with Your Father who is without beginning and Your All-Holy, Good, and Life- giving Spirit, now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen Prayer After Study Christ our God, You are the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets. You have completed the divine plan of the Father. Fill our hearts with joy and gladness now and forever and to the ages of ages. Amen. Members of Our Group Name Email Phone ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ ________________________________________________ 2 John 10 “Most assuredly, I say to you, he who does not enter the sheepfold by the door, but climbs up some other way, the same is a thief and a robber. 2 But he who enters by the door is the shepherd of the sheep. 3 To him the doorkeeper opens, and the sheep hear his voice; and he calls his own sheep by name and leads them out.
    [Show full text]
  • John 17.6-12 STUDY GUIDE
    THE GOSPEL OF JOHN Small Group Discussion Guide Text: John 17:6-12 Theme/ Big Idea: Jesus prays the Father's faithfulness towards believers. Context/ Background Information: John 17 is an intimate look into Jesus' prayer with the Father. In verses 1-5, Jesus prayed the glory of God would be seen in the crucifixion of the Son, the will of God would be accomplished, and worship of God would be restored. Now, in verses 6-19, Jesus prays God's continued faithfulness towards believers. This study guide will focus on verses 6-12, which let us in on who Jesus prays for, while the next will focus on verses 13-19, which reveal more of the specific requests Jesus makes to the Father on their behalf. WHO JESUS PRAYS FOR Jesus is praying for "the people whom [the Father] gave [him] out of the world." He is praying for those who belonged to the Father, were given to the Son, and believe (John 17:2, 6, 9, 10). In short, he is praying for his disciples, specifically and believers, generally. Jesus makes it clear he is praying for believers in four different ways. First, Jesus says that he "manifested" or revealed the Father's name. Name, in this case, means "personhood, reality, or identity." As Carson notes, "God's 'name' embodies his character; to reveal God's name is to make God's character known." (1) So Jesus is saying that he revealed the nature and person of God. And the people he is praying for are those who "kept your word" (John 17:6).
    [Show full text]
  • 1St Passion Gospel John 13:31-38; 14-18:1
    1st Passion Gospel John 13:31-38; 14-18:1 The Lord said to His Disciples *, “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times. “Let not your heart be troubled; you believe in God, believe also in Me. In My Father’s house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to Myself; that where I am, there you may be also.
    [Show full text]
  • Rainbow Forest 2020 Theme “Declaring God's Glory”
    11/21/2020 Rainbow Forest 2020 Theme “Declaring God’s Glory” 1 11/21/2020 Psalm 96:2-4 & 8 Sing to the LORD, bless His name; Proclaim the good news of His salvation from day to day. Declare His glory among the nations, His wonders among all peoples. For the LORD is great and greatly to be praised; He is to be feared above all gods. Give to the LORD the glory due His name; Bring an offering, and come into His courts. Rainbow Forest Mission Statement Connecting the Disconnected to Christ, Community and the Call Our Purpose To glorify God in everything we say and do 2 11/21/2020 Connecting Through the Word “That They May Be One” John 17 John 17:10-11; 17-26 10 And all Mine are Yours, and Yours are Mine, and I am glorified in them. 11 Now I am no longer in the world, but these are in the world, and I come to You. Holy Father, keep through Your name those whom You have given Me, that they may be one as We are. 3 11/21/2020 17 Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth. 18 As You sent Me into the world, I also have sent them into the world. 19 And for their sakes I sanctify Myself, that they also may be sanctified by the truth. 20 "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; 21 that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.
    [Show full text]
  • What Would Jesus Do?
    What Would Jesus Do? Wiehan ReferenceBrown (If required) (John 17:1) Jesus said these things, and lifting up his eyes to heaven he said, “Father, the hour has come! Glorify your Son, in order that your Son may glorify you (John 17:2) just as you have given him authority over all flesh, in orderUNDERSTANDINGTHE that he would give eternal life to them — everyone whomNEW you have TESTAMENT given him. (John 17:3) Now this is eternal life: that they know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom you have sent. John Doe (John 17:4) I have glorified you on earth by completing the work that you have given me ⌊to do. (John 17:5) And now, Father, you glorify me at your side with the glory that I had at your side before the world existed. UNDERSTANDINGTHE (John 17:6) “INEW have revealed TESTAMENT your name to the men whom you gave me out of the world. They were yours, and you have given them to me, and they have kept your word. John Doe (John 17:7) Now they understand that all the things that you have given me are from you, (John 17:8) because the words that you gave to me I have given to them, and they received them and know truly that I have comeUNDERSTANDINGTHE from you, and they have believed that you have sent me. NEW TESTAMENT (John 17:9) I am asking on behalf of them. I am not asking on behalf of the world, but on behalf of those whom you have given me, because they are yours, John Doe (John 17:10) and all my things are yours, and your things are mine, and I have been glorified in them.
    [Show full text]
  • That They May Be One in Us
    to the law of sin which is in my mem- bers” (Romans 7:21–23). That They May Be Nephi expressed similar feelings: “Notwithstanding the great good- ness of the Lord, in showing me his great and marvelous works, my heart One in Us exclaimeth: O wretched man that I am! Yea, my heart sorroweth because ELDER D. TODD CHRISTOFFERSON of my flesh; my soul grieveth because Of the Seventy of mine iniquities. “I am encompassed about, because We will not be one with God and Christ until we make of the temptations and the sins which Their will and interest our greatest desire. do so easily beset me” (2 Nephi 4:17–18). But then, remembering the Savior, Nephi stated this hopeful conclusion: “Nevertheless, I know in whom I have world may believe that thou hast trusted” (2 Nephi 4:19). What did he sent me. mean? “And the glory which thou gavest Jesus was also a being of flesh and me I have given them; that they may spirit, but He yielded not to tempta- be one, even as we are one: tion (see Mosiah 15:5). We can turn to “I in them, and thou in me, that Him as we seek unity and peace they may be made perfect in one” within, because He understands. He (John 17:20–23). understands the struggle, and He also How glorious it is to contemplate understands how to win the struggle. that we have been invited into that As Paul said, “We have not an high perfect unity that exists with the priest which cannot be touched with Father and the Son.
    [Show full text]
  • Changeable Portions for Matins of Holy Friday
    Changeable portions for Matins of Holy Friday (After the “Alleluia” verses) Troparion Tone 8 When the glorious disciples were enlightened at the washing of their feet before the supper, then the impious Judas was darkened, ailing with avarice, and to the lawless judges he betrays You, the Righteous Judge. Behold, O lover of money, this man who because of money hanged himself. Flee from the greedy soul which dared such things against the Master. O Lord Who are good towards all mankind, glory to You! Reader: Lord, have mercy. (3x) Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen. The First Gospel Sr. Rdr.: The reading from the Holy Gospel according to Saint John. (13:31-18:1) The appointed Gospel lesson is read in a normal voice by the Senior Reader. The Lord said to His disciples: “Now the Son of Man is glorified, and God is glorified in Him. If God is glorified in Him, God will also glorify Him in Himself, and glorify Him immediately. Little children, I shall be with you a little while longer. You will seek Me; and as I said to the Jews, ‘Where I am going, you cannot come,’ so now I say to you. A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another.” Simon Peter said to Him, “Lord, where are You 1 going?” Jesus answered him, “Where I am going you cannot follow Me now, but you shall follow Me afterward.” Peter said to Him, “Lord, why can I not follow You now? I will lay down my life for Your sake.” Jesus answered him, “Will you lay down your life for My sake? Most assuredly, I say to you, the rooster shall not crow till you have denied Me three times.
    [Show full text]
  • John 17:18-‐26
    John 17:18-26 John 17:18-19 “(18) As thou hast sent me into the world, even so have I also sent them into the world. (19) And for their sakes I sanctify myself, that they also might be sanctified through the truth.” A. As God the Father sent Christ into the world (John 5:30 and John 12:49), Jesus is sending the disciples into the world (John 20:21). 1. As Jesus came into the world teaching the lost (Matthew 4:12-17 and Matthew 9:35), the disciples were given the same task (Mark 16:15-20, Luke 24:44-49, John 15:16, and II Corinthians 4:3-5). 2. Taking the word of God into the world is a dangerous work (Matthew 23:34 and Acts 5:40-42). 3. Yet, just as Jesus was not alone (John 8:29), the disciples will not be alone (Matthew 28:18-20 and John 14:26; cf. Matthew 10:16-20). B. Jesus sanctified Himself for the sake of the disciples (Hebrews 2:9-11). 1. Think about this, how much did Jesus do for His own benefit (Matthew 20:28, II Corinthians 8:9, and Philippians 2:4-8)? 2. As we discussed in this chapter, it is the truth that sanctifies [makes holy] (John 17:17). John 17:20-23 “(20) Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; (21) That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.
    [Show full text]