John

Tim Stephenson

- 4 minutes read - 805 words

Authorship

  • John son of Zebedee

  • strange he would omit Transfig if this is true (modesty?)

  • the disciple that Jesus loved (a diff. John) - see slides for scholar supporting this

  • Lazarus (ref the one you love is ill)

Our method

  • comparing similarities - more similar than different

  • doesn’t work for john! well to some extent

structure

chs 1:19-11 - signs

  • v19-28 JTB questioned by representatives of Pharisees and Levites

  • denies being Messiah but quotes Isaiah

  • John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, ‘I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, “Make straight the way for the Lord.” ’ John 1:23 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.1.23.NIVUK

  • v29-34 JTB witnesses j is the chosen one, references spirit descending as a dove v32

  • v35-42 Andrew was disciple of John, follows Jesus, hurried to tell his brother Simon

  • J renames Simon as Peter

  • 1:49 Messianic id (by Nathanial)

  • 2 Wedding at Cana

  • 2:13 J went to Jerusalem for Passover

  • 3 passovers = 3 year ministry?

  • 2nd in 6:4 as bg for feeding 5K

  • Tabernacles/Booths - ch 7&8

  • read Ez 47:1 & Zech 14:8

  • priests carried water daily to pour on altar

  • Hannukkah (festival of lights celebrng manadeans

  • Unnamed (pentecost?) 6:1

seven signs

ch 4-6

seven 'I am'

  • lots of sevens in revelation too, evidence for same author

ch 7-11

  • 7:53-8:11 early addition (manuscripts (MSS) evidence; diff greek)

  • ch 11 larazus raised ⇒ plot to kill; greater the revelation

judgement & eternal life

  • synoptics deal with future judgement and john has that but also

  • 5:24 has passed (past) from death to life

  • leads on to security of believers - quiute pre-destinarian

  • but ch 6 peter’s chosing is real but jesus then points to his pre-choosing

part 2 - the book of glory - ch 12-21

ch 13 the last supper

  • J predicts betrayal

  • J wahses feet

  • but no institution communion

ch 14 - discourse w disciples

  • cf 'the change' in Luke; now take a sword

ch15 vne and branches

ch 16 prep the discples

  • more on HS

ch17 prayer - big example

HS

  • it is to your advantage that I go \ away, for if I do not go away, the Advocate will not come to you;John 16

  • guide / declare the truth

  • witness / testimony

  • judgement / conviction (to faith, or not)

  • glorifying J

ch 18 passion narrative

  • recalled Caiphas' prophecy of 11:49-52

ch 19 the crucifixtion

  • Pilate: what is truth

  • Many omissions cf synoptics

glorification - the cross overshadowing all of John

themes

  • 19:36 none of his bones to be broken cf Ex 12:46 instructions for passover

  • control

  • 10:17-18

  • 18:6 - in Gethsemone soldiers fall to the grund in response to 'I am'

ch 20 Resurrection

  • Thomas' great declaration: Mylord and my god

  • all gospels have elements of doubt

  • the end? PT believes evidence for 21 being original (

unified synoptic outline

  • JTB

  • baptism and annointing

  • f

  • f

  • f

  • f

  • sabbath controversies

  • id of christ at Ceserea Philippi *

  • arrive in jerusalem

  • cleanses temple

  • escatological discoutse

  • passion narrative

  • resurrection narrative

john outline

  • jtb

  • moves north an south repeatedly (this is sig. diff)

  • passion narrative

  • similarities with synoptics increase, very close

  • resurrection narrative

missing from john

  • baptism

  • temptations

  • appoint the 12

diffs

  • temple cleansing

  • john early

  • others late

  • messianic id

  • john no secret at the beginnign and diff 6:15

  • others: mid-point and kept secret

  • kingdom of God

  • john: k of heaven

shared

  • cleansing

  • feed 5000

  • walk on water

  • mary and martha

prologue - howto start a gospel

  • mark: title

  • matt: title, genealogy, infancy

  • luke: lots

  • john: looks back to the very beginning - pre-existence theme

Ch 1: prologue

v1-5 logos section

  • John’s manifesto cf Luke 4

  • Jews don’t have titles for books but refer to the first few words; so 'in the beginning' is genesis

  • definition of jehovah: god, creation thru him, pre-existence

  • Logos:

  • word: by extension msg, reasn and more

  • in stoicism: rational principle of all

  • Philo: apologist of Jews to Greeks interprets judeaism in platonic terms

  • diff scholars favour diff ides but PT plumps for all things to all people

  • OT interpretation / bg

  • lady wisdom

  • revelation is word revealed in prophets

  • PT argues John’s use of logos must be original

  • scolarly consensus is that pre-existence is not in synoptics - simon gather cole from camb 'pre-existence' sees some

  • Colossians ref in slides (written before John) shows very Johnine pre-existence

  • The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. John 1:5 NIVUK https://bible.com/bible/113/jhn.1.5.NIVUK

v6-8 JTB the witness not the light

v9-14 the true light, unrecognised but bringing the right to be children of God v12

  • 'the world' frequently negative in john - contrasting church / christians

v14-18 word became flesh

  • ths is where the greek listeners would have struggled, the word stuff is more comfortable

  • the johannine thunderbolt Matt 11?

  • v15 JTB witnesses to j pre-existence

  • v18 j makes God known *