Chapter 20 John's Gospel, the Gnostics and Supplimenting
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CHAPTER 20 JOHN’S GOSPEL, THE GNOSTICS AND SUPPLIMENTING THE SYNOPTICS The History and the Dating of John’s Gospel The records of the historians are consistent with one another. According to the Old Latin Prologue to John, Bishop Papias of Hierapollis (60-138) related that he had written the Gospel as John had dictated it to him (RO 150). This claim may have been concerning the last chapter only. Papias said John had composed it at the request of the bishops of Asia against Cerinthus and other heretics, especially the Ebionites. Papias added that John knew the other three gospels and had written to supplement them. (RO 151). Irenaeus (120-180) wrote: ‘Later on too, John, the disciple of the Lord, who had even reclined on his bosom, he too brought out a Gospel while he was dwelling in Ephesus of Asia’. (RO 129). [Present day Turkey] A long fragment of the Muratorian Canon was discovered in 1740 by Cardinal Muratori in the Ambrosian library at Milan. Internal evidence shows it was composed between 141- 155 AD. Some attribute its authorship to Hippolytus. The Latin text, confirmed by other finds, appears to have been translated from the Greek. (RO 138-139) It explains that John wrote: at the insistence of his fellow-disciples and bishops. John agreed and asked them “to fast with him for three days, and what shall have been revealed to each let us, relate to one another”. That same night it was revealed to the Andrew, one of the Apostles, that whatever came to the minds of them all, John, in his own name, should write it all down. (EH 6:14, 5-7 and RO 139). Clement of Alexandria (150-215) mentioned that John wrote the forth Gospel after being urged by his friends (EH 6:14 and CCHS 777a). The Anti-Marcionite Prologue of John: says the bishops of Asia [present day Turkey] asked the Apostle John to answer Cerinthus and other heretics, and this was the reason why John wrote his gospel ((AMJ and RO 151- 2)). At one time it was accepted that John wrote his gospel about 96AD. ((CCHS 781j)). But recently, Tresmontant ((CTH 324)), Thied ((CTR xii)), Orchard ((BOO 18)) and Robinson ((JATR 311)) separately concluded that the first twenty chapters were written prior to 70AD with chapter 21 added about 95AD. In the first 18 verses, John gave a theological answer to the Gnostic challenge and then turned to comment on specific subjects. The Gnostic Challenge The Gnostic belief, that men were good immortal spirits imprisoned in evil bodies, was widespread in various forms throughout the Greek-speaking world. This imprisonment led to a battle between light and dark, spirit and flesh. While its influence may be seen in much of pagan and non-canonical early Christian literature, we do not posses coherent statements of the beliefs of its various sects. The word ‘Gnostic’ meant ‘knowledge’, but heretics used it to mean ‘secret knowledge’. In his Epistle to the Colossians Paul writes: “See that no one makes a prey of you by philosophy and empty deceits,… according to the elemental spirits of the universe” (Col. 2:8). It is widely accepted, that this letter was sent while Paul was in prison earlier than 70 AD. In 1st.Timothy 6: 20 we read: “Avoid the godless chatter and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge, …” Pope John Paul II considered Paul was here referring to Gnostic teachings ((JPFR 4:37)). In the Apocalypse (2:6 and 15) we read a warning regarding the Nicolaites, a Gnostic sect. In the second century, the Gnostics became more organised, but their ideas were causing problems for Christians much earlier. Ireneaus described the beliefs of Cerinthus before he described those of the Ebionites. He accused the Ebionites of ‘worshipping Jerusalem’. This indicates the Ebionites, and therefore the Cerinthians, were active prior to the destruction of Jerusalem. Irenaeus records that John had in mind: ‘the errors sown by Cerinthus and earlier still by those called Nicolaites’ ((IAH 3: 11, 1 and CCHS 778h)). The Gnostics claimed to be ‘the knowing men of light and knowledge’. Irenaeus and others made many references to the Gnostics, and Henry Owen in 1764 used this information to construct an outline of their teachings. The following is based on the work of Owen, but it needs to be remembered that the Nicolaites, Cerinthians, Ebionites and many more sects, varied from one another in their precise beliefs. The Unknown most high God lived in heaven with the chief spirits or Aeons. He generated an only-begotten son, called MONOGENES, who begat the inferior LOGOS [The Greek for WORD]. There were two high Aeons called LIFE and LIGHT. From these Aeons proceeded inferior orders of spirits, including CHRIST and DEMIURGUS. It was DEMIURGUS who created this visible world out of eternal matter. This DEMIURGUS was ignorant of the supreme God and much lower than the invisible Aeons. He was protector of the Israelites and sent Moses to them with laws of perpetual obligation. [Many of the heretical sects observed Jewish traditional laws]. Jesus was a mere man, the real son of Joseph and Mary. But CHRIST descended on him in the form of a dove when he was baptised. CHRIST revealed to him the unknown Father and empowered him to work miracles. Similarly the Aeon, LIGHT, entered into John the Baptist. As LIGHT was superior to CHRIST, John the Baptist was in some respects to be preferred to Jesus. After Jesus had propagated the knowledge of God, he came to suffer. So CHRIST left him and fled to the uppermost heaven. It was Jesus only who suffered. CHRIST would return to reign for a thousand years, with humanity the slave of lust and pleasure ((EH 3: 28)). Some groups denied that Christ had risen and there would be a resurrection of the dead ((HO 92)). Knowing this background, we are able to understand the early words of John’s gospel. John says that CHRIST is the LOGOS [The WORD] of God (John 1: 1). The WORD and MONOGENES [the only begotten son of God] are one and the same person (1: 14). CHRIST, or The WORD, is not an inferior Aeon, but God (1: 1). Christ was not ignorant of God, but knew him always and perfectly in heaven (1: 18). Christ is not to be distinguished from the DEMIURGUS for he is the creator of the whole world (1: 10). LIFE and LIGHT are not particular and separate spirits, but the same as the LOGOS and CHRIST (John 1: 4, 7-9). So John is saying that CHRIST, the LOGOS [The WORD], LIFE, LIGHT and MONOGENES (the only-begotten) are not distinct Aeons [Spirits], but one and the same Divine person. John says that an Aeon, LIGHT, did not enter into John the Baptist and communicate to him supreme knowledge of the Divine Will. He was a mere man and though inspired, much inferior to Jesus being only the forerunner of him (John 1: 6, 8, 15). John explains that the Supreme God was not entirely unknown before the time of Christ. Men were enlightened in their own consciences, but they did not want to know him (1: 9-10). The Jews were not the particular people of an inferior god, DEMIURGUS, but of CHRIST, himself the only-begotten son of God (1: 11). Eventually he became man (1: 14) and fulfilled the Law of Moses, which was only a shadow of good things to come, and instituted its fullness. CHRIST came for all men not for the Jews only (1: 12-13). Jesus was Son of the Father (1: 14). In his following verses and chapters, John selected incidents and miracles to support what he had affirmed. John refutes the idea that John the Baptist, by preaching the Law of Moses, was superior to CHRIST (John 1: 15-34). John showed Christ was superior to John the Baptist. The passages above show that Irenaeus was correct in the reason he gave why this Gospel was written. So it is logical to accept him as being correct when naming John the Apostle as its author. Some Markan priorists claim Cerinthus did not live until after John had died. But according to Eusebius, Cerinthus founded his religion ‘at the time under discussion’ ((EH 3: 28, 1)). As he had just been writing about the Ebionites this must have been very early. We also have a graphic story recorded by Irenaeus: ‘The apostle John once went into a bath- house to wash, but when he knew Cerinthus was within, leapt out of the place and fled from the door, for he did not endure to be even under the same roof with him, and enjoined on those who were with him to do the same, saying “Let us flee, lest this bath-house fall in, for Cerinthus, the enemy of the truth, is within.” Irenaeus added that he had obtained this story from bishop Polycarp, who had known John personally. ((EH 3: 28, 6)). We also read: “At his time, too, there existed for a short time the heresy of the Nicolaitans of which the Apocalypse of John [Apoc. 2: 6 and 15] also makes mention”. ((EH 3: 29, 1)). So we see again that Irenaeus was writing about a very early period. John Supplementing and clarifying the Synoptic Gospels In his gospel, John does not repeat details already to be found in the three existing gospels. If he had written without knowledge of the existing gospels, it would be incredible that he could so successfully have avoided repeating so much contained in them, such as: The Transfiguration and Christ’s confession of divinity before Caiaphas ((CCHS 778h)).