Introduction to the Gospel of John
All four of the Gospels look in three directions at once: back to the Palestinian world of Jesus, to the time and place of the author and audience in the Hellenistic world, and to the future tasks that lie ahead.
Authorship and Characteristics
The Fourth Gospel is almost certainly the work of a close-knit group and not just one author. It appears to have been through as many as five stages of transmission, compilation, and editing. The last two or three were completed after the John of scripture had died. It is impossible to know who the final editor/author was, but the audience knew who he was; he may have been the founder and central figure of their community.
It is impossible to know the identity of “the beloved disciple” mentioned in the material; his hiddenness allows him to be a symbolic figure who embodies the ideal relationship with Jesus that this Gospel hopes for its readers.
Many of the dialogues and narratives should be understood at two levels: a witness to the time of Jesus, and a witness to the rearticulated tradition in response to events in the life of the Johannine community.
John interweaves narrative, dialogue, and discourse to create lengthy drama-like scenes. The centerpiece of Jesus’ teaching is his farewell discourse and prayer, a speech of unparalleled length compared with any other piece in the Gospels.
In the 4 th Gospel, story and theological interpretation are inseparably intertwined in the 4 th Gospel; the author uses rich metaphors and images, much poetic language, and makes frequent use of irony and symbolism. The dialogues in the material draw readers into the stories as participants. The purpose of the Gospel is to connect the gospel story to the readers’ own experience: the questions Jesus asks people in the Gospel are questions for the reader (70 years later) to consider.
Throughout the Gospel readers are urged to ponder the question of who Jesus is. For John the answer is clear- cut: Jesus is the incarnation of the eternal God in human flesh. The glory of God is revealed in Jesus, the Word becoming flesh. John emphasizes, “not only did the Word become flesh, but it happened right here in our midst. We have seen it”. Along with this over-arching concern regarding Jesus’ identity is a second concern: the identity of believers in their relationship to Jesus.
Metaphorical language dominates. The Jesus of history lies behind the material, but the language of Jesus is the most distant from the life of Jesus itself and is the most symbolic of all the Gospel language.
The material reflects a much greater separation from and hostility toward Judaism. The author looks on Jesus as a more heavenly or spiritual being than any of the other Gospels.
Date: between 95 and 120, probably somewhere around 100
The Gospel’s Reception
The 4 th Gospel was not well-received by the early church, due in part to its enthusiastic reception by the Gnostic community. It was initially rejected by the Roman church, but by the early 4 th century it was considered the most highly esteemed Gospel. From early on it was recognized as quite different from the synoptic material; as early as 200, Clement of Alexandria distinguished John from the other Gospels and referred to it as “the spiritual Gospel.”
Influences on John’s Thought Judaism (Rabbinic, Apocalyptic, Sectarian, Schismatic, Hellenistic) Greek philosophy (Platonism, Stoicism, Gnosticism)
John’s Probable Sources 1. The “backbone” of the Gospel (now comprising chapters 2-12) was a highly Jewish source probably consolidated in Palestine after the collapse of the Temple and the fall of Jerusalem. 2. An “upper room” source, Hellenistic in origin (chapters 13-17), showing almost no interest at all in Judaism. The emphasis in this section shifts from institutional to personal, and a mystical idiom is employed. This material would have been particularly suited to the private worship of small groups of Greek converts. 3. The passion narrative (chapters 18-20), was probably one of the earliest sources to be formulated since this story was the center of Christian preaching at the outset. These sources were probably drawn together to make an early draft in written form, the “written” source that is mentioned in the material itself. An editor adds 3 minor sources to the material: 1. hymnic prologue as a liturgical introduction 2. a cycle of material regarding John the Baptist 3. supplementary epilogue to address questions raised about the first draft of the Gospel
Comparison with Synoptic Materials
Synoptics John
Jesus visits Jerusalem one time in his career, the Jesus is back and forth to Jerusalem (at least 3 last week of his life. times) during his career.
One Passover is mentioned, the night before the 3 Passovers are mentioned. crucifixion.
Cleansing of the temple occurs soon after the Cleansing of the temple occurs on Jesus’ first triumphal entry, and prompts the authorities to plot trip to Jerusalem and is not connected to a plot against his life. against him.
The Last Supper is a Passover meal. The Last Supper is the day before Passover. The execution of Jesus occurs on Passover at the time animal sacrifices are made in the temple (fitting the theme that Jesus is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world).
Most of Jesus’ public activity occurs in Galilee. Jesus is found more often in Judea & Jerusalem.
Jesus’ message is about the Kingdom of God, Jesus talks a lot about himself, although always with few references to himself. as a reference point for understanding God.
Jesus teaches in short, memorable sayings. Jesus teaches in long and dense theological discourses.
Unique features of John :
no (0) parables.
contains a unique collection of miracle stories not found in the Synoptic traditions, stories that were already a collection by the time the authors received the tradition.
material unique to John: Changing water to wine at a wedding in Cana Visit of Nicodemus to Jesus in the night
Jesus’ early Judean ministry prior to arrest of John the Baptist Samaritan woman at the well Healing at Bethesda A ministry centered in Jerusalem The “I am” claims Healing of the man born blind Raising of Lazarus as turning point in outrage against Jesus Washing the disciples’ feet Farewell discourse and prayer of consecration The role of “the beloved disciple”
employs a peculiar self-disclosure discourse in which Jesus uses symbolic language to gradually reveal key elements of his identity to his followers. These “I am” pronouncements are often paired with miracle stories in which Jesus exemplifies a particular theme or symbol.
He feeds 5000, and declares “I am the bread of life” Heals a blind man, and declares “I am the light of the world” Raises Lazarus from the dead, and declares “I am the resurrection and the light.”
The Gospel of John contains fewer stories than the Synoptics, but it makes much greater use of each story as a teaching tool. The stories are typically followed by a long discourse on the theme introduced in the story.
Frequent use of words with double meanings (anothen: anew/from above; pneuma: wind/spirit; hupsothenai: lifted up on cross/lifted up in exaltation). At times entire sentences have a second meaning which is the opposite of that intended by the speaker (11:50-52; 12:19;19:5,19). At other times a key concept will be introduced and held in reserve to be illustrated later.
Problems the 4th Evangelist faces :
The Christian community is facing pressure from within and from without: People of faith are puzzled that Jesus has not returned. From outside, the community is experiencing growing pressure from Gnosticism.
For John the answer to both was in the historical person of Jesus whose life, death, and resurrection constituted already an eschatological event (perpetuated in the work of the Spirit), and provided the only true and saving knowledge of God.
John’s emphases
The incarnation is central to John, along with his emphasis on Jesus’ descent from the Father: the reader never loses sight of the idea that Jesus came from God and returned to God; the temporal was set in the context of the eternal.
The 4 th Gospel is striking in its originality, due primarily to the audience and circumstances to which it was addressed. The author is eager for the people “to believe” (98 times); believing leads to “eternal life.” He wanted the Jews to recognize Jesus as the Messiah and wanted the Greeks to see him as the Son of God.
Christianity was spreading to new places, tension was developing among the communities, the apostolic generation had died, and the return of Jesus had not occurred. It became apparent that there was a need for a written Gospel to pass on the inherited message and to confront pressure from a variety of sources: subtle forms of heresy, increasingly bitter harassment from opponents, and internal disunity.
The 4 th evangelist concluded that the greatest need of the church was to discover the proper connection between its contemporary life and the historical ministry of Jesus. He insists that Jesus continues to be known
by his followers through the ministry of the Spirit and the Word. Since Jesus now abides with his followers, it is not necessary to be fixed only on his future return.
John’s theological world-view
The Gospel begins with a three-part introduction: the prologue, a hymnic celebration of Jesus’ origin and his coming into the world, a lengthy narrative regarding the initial witness of John the Baptist to Jesus, and a lengthy narrative regarding the gathering of Jesus’ first disciples. This three-part introduction introduces themes that are decisive for interpreting John’s story of Jesus’ origin and identity, his relation to God, his relation to humankind, the importance of witness to Jesus, and the meaning of faith and discipleship.
Rather than beginning with stories about Jesus’ birth or the proclamation of John the Baptist, the Gospel begins with the cosmic pre-existence of the Word and the Word’s relationship to the world. The eternal Word, which begins outside time and space, does not remain there: The Word enters into the time-bound and space-bound world.
The incarnation is central : Jesus is the incarnate Word of God. Jesus provides access to God in ways not possible before, because Jesus’ revelation from God derives from his intimate relationship with God.
Jesus speaks God’s words and does God’s deeds, but he also shares in God’s character and identity. The theme of “Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world” is woven into the narrative from the very beginning of the story when Jesus comes to John the Baptist. The symbolism of the Passover Lamb is a way of interpreting the significance of Jesus’ death, both theologically and dramatically.
“End times ” are viewed quite differently in John: Because God is fully revealed in Jesus and has become incarnate in Jesus, one does not have to wait for the future in order to have eternal life.
Revelation : keen interest in divine disclosure. Miracles are “signs” rather than demonstrations of power.
God : Emphasizes (119 times) that the God of Israel is Jesus’ “father,” a rare connection in Jewish thought.
Christology : Jesus is the fulfillment of the messianic hope that the church inherited from the ancient Hebrew prophets. Most of the traditional titles used to describe this anticipated deliverer were applied to Jesus in 4 th Gospel: Christ, Son of Man, Prophet, and King.
Salvation : The coming of Jesus was like shining a light in the darkness. Through faith in Christ people are given new life, eternal life – a present and future reality.
The Church : The church is given the task of telling the Jesus story. This Gospel emphasizes the collective or corporate life of the community, on working together and on extending the work of Jesus in each new generation. Members of the community of faith are to love one another. The Spirit continues the revelation God began in the incarnation, so that future generations to come to know the God revealed in Jesus.
The logos (λογοσλογοσ)))) Prologue/Introduction
In the first-century world boundaries between different religions, philosophies, and cultures were quite fluid. The term “logos” appears in a variety of religions and philosophies with which the writer of John was likely familiar. There is no evidence that the term was used in Gnostic circles prior to the Gospel of John. The term was common in Stoicism to refer to the rational principle of the universe. The author of the Gospel is more likely to have taken the term from Jewish and early Christian interpretations of Stoicism than from Stoic philosophy directly. The most fertile place to look for the background of logos is within Judaism. In Philo we see a good example of a Jewish contemporary who mixed Greek philosophy, especially Stoicism and Platonism,
with Jewish thought about God. ”Logos” figures predominantly in the writings of Philo as the creative plan of God that governs the world.
Scholarly theories regarding the use of λογοσ
Rudolph Bultmann : The prologue is a revision of a logos hymn that originated in a Gnostic community that traced its roots back to John the Baptist.
C.H. Dodd : Probably better understood against the backdrop of Judaism. Dodd suggests that the prologue grew from Jewish wisdom, including Philo’s used of the term logos.
Gail O’Day : Specifically composed by the Evangelist as the beginning of his Gospel. It is quite likely that the prologue does incorporate phrases from a pre-existent hymn. He has created something new out of two strands of early Christian tradition, both of which were probably familiar to his readers: a hymn that celebrated the cosmic origins and pre-existence of Jesus the Word, and the John the Baptist material which was the traditional beginning point for the story of Jesus’ ministry.
“At the end of the Prologue the reader has moved from the eternal Word to the grace and truth of the incarnate Word, Jesus Christ, and is now ready to enter the Gospel narrative.” (O’Day)
Something else to consider
John Sanford encourages readers to think of John in a mystical sense, looking through an interior, psychological, and esoteric lens. When approached this way, says Sanford, the Gospel of John is a “treasure- house of psychological and spiritual insight.”
Early interpreters and commentators saw God working out the divine purpose both in history and in the human soul. Such interpreters considered scripture to have at least three levels of meaning: historical or literal; moral or ethical; and spiritual or esoteric. For these interpreters a Bible passage was not completely understood until its symbolic or spiritual meaning had been comprehended.
Sources
Borg, Marcus. Meeting Jesus Again for the First Time . San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 1994.
______. Reading the Bible Again for the First Time . San Francisco: HarperSanFrancisco, 2001.
Howard, Wilber F. “The Gospel According to St. John,” The Interpreter’s Bible in Twelve Volumes , Volume VIII. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1951.
O’Day, Gail. “The Gospel of John: Introduction, Commentary, and Reflections,” The New Interpreter’s Bible in Twelve Volumes , Volume IX. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1995.
Barrett, C.K. “John,” Peake’s Commentary on the Bible . Workingham, Berkshire, England: 1982 (1962).
Hull, William E. “John,” The Broadman Bible Commentary , Volume IX. Nashville: Broadman Publishing, 1973.
Sanford, John. Mystical Christianity: A Psychological Commentary on the Gospel of John . New York: Crossroad Publishing Company, 2001 (1993)