As part of the Course on the New Testament, Session 6 provides an overview of the writing of John - His Gospel on the life of Christ. (This is part of the New Testament Survey Course taught at Harare Theological College - 2016)

2. Questions :
1. Who was John ?
2. How do we know he wrote this gospel ?
3. When and where was it written ?
4. To whom was it written ?
5. What style and approach was used ?
6. What role of Jesus did John focus on ?
7. Why did John write this Gospel ?
8. What did John want to communicate ?
9. What is the structure & direction of his gospel ?

3. Question 1.
Who was John ?

4.  John
 Israeli Jew
 Fisherman – sea of Galilee (Mk 1:19-20, Lk 5:10)
 One of sons of Zebedee
 Brother = James
 Fished with partners – Peter & Andrew
 Fishing business – hired employees (Mk 1:20)
 Previous follower of John the Baptist (Jn 1:40)
 After 1 year, called by Christ to be one of the 12
 Part of the 3 closest disciples (+Peter+James)
 > Experienced closely – transfiguration, gethsemane,
raising Jairus daughter
 Later >
 Ministered with Peter (Acts 3-4)
 Jerusalem church leaders (Gal.2:9)
 Old – exiled to Island Patmos by Roman Govn because
evangelising for Christ – wrote Revelation

5. Question 2.
How do we know He
wrote this gospel ?

6. How do we know?
Issue . .
 Not recorded in the gospel we have that John wrote it
External Evidence . .
 Major church fathers in AD180: Irenaeus & Theophilus confirm
Internal Evidence . .
 In-depth detail = He must have been eye-witness of Christ
 In-depth knowledge of Jewish customs, history, geography – must have
been a Palestinian Jew
 John 21:20 = “disciple whom Jesus loved” – must have been one of the
three closest disciples – Peter, James, John
 Not Peter = next sentences shows Peter is separate
 Not James = died too early – for message that he would not die
 >> John = close disciple, eyewitness to all & only one to live long life

7. Question 3.
When and Where
was the gospel written ?

8. When ?
 John assumed his readers knew Jesus life from other gospels
 Written later in life - so he avoided repeating info from other gospels
 92% unique
 most likely approx. AD 85-95
Where ?
 Irenaeous states – wrote when in Ephesus
 Definitely in Asia Minor, before Patmos when evangelising

9. Question 4.
To whom did John write to ?
(who was the audience?)

10.  Audience ?
 All believers
 Especially to Gentiles :
 Since written in Asia Minor (likely Ephesus where most believers were
non-Jews)
 Since explains the Jewish feasts & practices a lot

11. Question 5.
What was the
style & approach
John used?

12.  John’s Approach & Style
 All Gospels written to be real aloud in sections or read in
private in sections – therefore written to be in clear units
 Carefully selected miracles & teachings
 > So not to copy previous 3 ‘synoptic’ gospels
everyone heard
 > unique material – 92%

13. Question 6.
What part of Jesus’ identity
and role did John focus on ?

14.  Jesus as God
 Throughout gospel – demonstrates – deity of Christ
 That Jesus is God
 Beginning (John 1:1) – declares Jesus is God
 End (John 20:28) – statement of Thomas after seeing
risen Christ – He is Lord and God
 Claims “I am” – from the special title of God in Exodus
3:14 when God appears before Moses

15. The Tri-unity of God learnt from Scripture:
 Jesus is God yet distinct in person from the Father &
Holy Spirit (John ch.1 & ch.14-16)

16. Seven “I am” statements

17. Question 7.
Why did John
write this Gospel
- when 3 were already written ?

18. What was his
purpose?
To >> EVANGELISE
– direct evangelistic propaganda !
- with purpose to create belief & faith
(like Mark – but different to Luke)
Key verse of purpose = at end of
gospel – John 20:30-31

19.  Verse 30
 Jesus performed many
signs/miracles which
John knew but did not
record in this book
 Verse 31
 The signs/miracles
written by John are to
fulfil a definite purpose –
> (a) for you to choose to
believer &
(b) as a result have life
now and for eternity in
his name
PURPOSE
Signs Believe have Life

20. Seven signs of Jesus

21. Signs
 Change water into wine = reveals Jesus as master of quality / substance
– changing what a vine takes months to do
 Healing Official’s Son = over 30 km away –reveals Jesus is master of
distance & space
 Healing the Lame man = suffering disability set in body for 38 years –
reveals master of time
 Feeds Multitudes = multiplies food – reveals master of quantity
 Walk on water = reveals mastery over natural law
 Healing man born blind = reveals master over suffering & misfortune
 Raising Lazarus from dead = reveals master over death
– demonstrate Jesus transcendent nature as God – control over factors
of life: man is unable to control

22. to Believe
 Natural response to signs = BELIEVE or REJECT Christ
 Gospel written – to draw reader to > BELIEVE
 Greek = ‘Pisteuo’ – more than believe – personal commitment to
person / message
to have Life
 Believe > is the means to greater purpose >> have life (Greek = zoe)
 John 17:3 – life eternal is to know the only true God and His Son
 Life = consciousness + connection + development + eternity in Christ

24. Question 10.
What messages
did John
communicate ?

25.  Focus of John
1. Jesus is divine (John 1 & 7 signs & ‘I am’)
2. God loved the world > sent his Son (John 3:16)
3. Jesus provided the way & New Covenant to all
4. Jesus calls all to faith and new Life
5. Jesus will send His the Holy Spirit

26. Question 9.
What is the structure of John’s Gospel ?
How do we follow the direction of John ?

27. Structure of John’s Gospel

28. Public Ministry to
the multitudes
Growing rejection &
attacks on Jesus
Private Ministry to
equip the 12
apostles
Demonstration Son
of God - Crucifixion
& Resurrection
Direction
of John’s
Gospel

29. References: Books to Read …
 Benware, Paul (1990) Survey of the New Testament.
 Berding, Kenneth and Matt Williams (2008) What the New
Testament Authors Really Cared About.
 Tenney, Merrill C. (1997) New Testament Survey.

30. Recap: Can you answer these 10 Questions :
1. Who was John ?
2. How do we know he wrote this gospel ?
3. When and where was it written ?
4. To whom was it written ?
5. What style was it written in ?
6. Why did John write this Gospel ?
7. What role of Jesus did John focus on ?
8. What did John want to communicate ?
9. What is the structure of his gospel ?

31. Extra:Difference between ‘Religion’ & the Gospel Message

32. Extra:
Difference
between
‘Religion’ &
the Gospel
Message

33. Extra:
Difference
between
Gospels and
Islamic view
of Jesus