Introduction:
Theme: Six foundational questions regarding the gospel of John so you can have greater confidence that what we read in this gospel is trustworthy.
I. Who was John?
A. John the man
1. Other’s by the name “John” in the NT
a. John the baptist (1:6, 15, 19; Luke 1; all synoptics)
b. John connected to Simon Peter (1:42; 21:15-17; also translated Jonah)
c. John, of high-priestly descent (Acts 4:6)
d. John who was also called Mark (Acts 12:12)
2. His vocation was a fisherman in partner with his brother James and Peter (Matthew 4:21-22; Mark 1:19; Luke 5:10)
3. Never named in the gospel, though all three synoptics identify and name him as the brother of James and son of Zebedee (Matthew 4:21; Mark 1:19, 29; Luke 5:10)
B. John the disciple/apostle
1. One of four earliest disciples called by Jesus (Matthew 4:18-22//Mark 1:16-20)
2. Included among the twelve apostles (Matthew 10:2; Mark 3:13-17; Luke 6:13-14)
3. Included among the circle of disciples closest to Jesus (Matthew 17:1; Mark 5:37)
4. Self described as the “disciple whom Jesus [He] loved” (John 13;23; 19:26; 20:2; 21)
C. John the author/evangelist
1. Overwhelming support of early church writers
2. Identifies himself in the epistle as the author, though not by name
3. Determined by process of elimination
4. The volumes he penned
a. His gospel
b. His epistles
c. His apocalypse
5. The intimate knowledge he had with Jewish people, customs, the geography and places of Israel, words, works and interactions of Jesus – evident in the writing of the gospels
II. When did John write the gospel account bearing his name?
“John the disciple of the Lord, who leaned back on his breast, published the Gospel while he was resident at Ephesus in Asia.”
Irenaeus of Lyons (AD 130-202), Against Heresies, 3.1.1
“The Gospels containing the genealogies [i.e. Matthew and Luke], 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.”
Clement of Alexandria (AD 150-215) as cited by Eusebius (260-340), Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History 6.14.5-7
III. Where did John write this gospel from?
Ephesus, based on the witness of the early church fathers
IV. Why did John write this gospel? John 20:30-31
30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book;
31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name
(John 20:30-31 NASB)
V. How should we understand John’s relationship to the synoptic writers?
VI. What are the major themes of the gospel?
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