Summary of the Gospel of John
This summary of the
Gospel of John provides information about the title, author(s), date of
writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the
chapters of the Gospel of John.
The author is the apostle
John, "the disciple whom Jesus loved" (13:23 [see note
there]; 19:26; 20:2;21:7,20,24).
He was prominent in the early church but is not mentioned by name in this
Gospel -- which would be natural if he wrote it, but hard to explain otherwise.
The author knew Jewish life well, as seen from references to popular Messianic
speculations (see, e.g., 1:21 and note; 7:40-42), to the hostility between Jews and
Samaritans (see 4:9 and note), and to Jewish customs, such
as the duty of circumcision on the eighth day taking precedence over the
prohibition of working on the Sabbath (see note on 7:22). He knew the geography of the Holy Land,
locating Bethany about 15 stadia (about two miles) from Jerusalem (11:18) and mentioning Cana, a village not referred
to in any earlier writing known to us (2:1 [see note
there]; 21:2). The Gospel of John has many touches that
appear to reflect the recollections of an eyewitness -- such as the house at
Bethany being filled with the fragrance of the broken perfume jar (see 12:3 and note). Early writers such as
Irenaeus and Tertullian say that John wrote this Gospel, and all other evidence
agrees (see Introduction to 1 John: Author).
In general, two views
of the dating of this Gospel have been advocated:
- The traditional view places it
toward the end of the first century, c. a.d. 85 or later (see
Introduction to 1 John: Date).
- More recently, some
interpreters have suggested an earlier date, perhaps as early as the 50s
and no later than 70.
The first view may be supported by reference to the statement of Clement of Alexandria (died between 211 and 216) that John wrote to supplement the accounts found in the other Gospels (Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History, 6.14.7), and thus his Gospel is later than the first three. It has also been argued that the seemingly more developed theology of the fourth Gospel indicates that it originated later.
The second view has
found favor because it has been felt more recently that John wrote
independently of the other Gospels (see essay and chart, p. 1943). This does
not contradict the statement of Clement referred to above. Also, those who hold
this view point out that developed theology does not necessarily argue for a
late origin. The theology of Romans (written c. 57) is every bit as developed
as that in John. Further, the statement in 5:2 that there
"is" (rather than "was") a pool "near the Sheep
Gate" may suggest a time before 70, when Jerusalem was destroyed. Others,
however, observe that John elsewhere sometimes used the present tense when
speaking of the past.
John's Gospel is
rather different from the other three. Whether or not he knew them (or any one
of them) continues to be debated. In any event, his witness to Jesus goes its
own way, highlighting matters that in the other Gospels remain implicit and
underdeveloped. The literary style of this witness of Jesus is also unique
among the Gospels; here focus is on the "signs" of Jesus' identity
and mission and on lengthy, theologically rich discourses.
John begins with the
profound announcement that Jesus is the "in the beginning" creative
Word of God who had become embodied (incarnated) as a human being to be the
light of life for the world. After this comes the proclamation that this Jesus
is the Son of God sent from the Father to finish the Father's work in the world
(see 4:34 and note). God's own glory is made
visible in him ("Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father," 14:9), and what he does glorifies the Father. In
him the full grace and truth of God has shown itself. Strikingly, a series of
"I am" claims on Jesus' lips echoes God's naming of himself in Ex 3:14, further strengthening the link between the
Father and the Son (see 6:35; 8:12; 9:5; 10:7,9,14; 11:25; 14:6;15:1,5).
Jesus' words to
Nicodemus nicely summarize this Gospel's central theme: "For God so loved
the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall
not perish but have eternal life" (3:16). Although a variety
of motivations for the composition of John's Gospel have been posited by
interpreters (such as to supplement the other Gospels, to combat some form of
heresy, to oppose the continuing followers of John the Baptist), the author
himself states his main purpose clearly in 20:31: "that you may believe
that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have
life in his name."
For the main emphases
of the book see notes on 1:4,7,9,14,19,49; 2:4,11; 3:27; 4:34; 6:35; 13:1 -- 17:26;13:31; 17:1-2,5; 20:31.
- The Beginning of Jesus' Ministry (1:19-51)
- Changing Water into Wine (2:1-11)
- Cleansing the Temple (2:12-25)
- Jesus Teaches Nicodemus (3:1-21)
- John the Baptist's Final
Testimony about Jesus (3:22-36)
- Jesus and the Samaritans (4:1-42)
- Healing of the Official's Son
(4:43-54)
- Jesus' Visit to Jerusalem at
an Annual Feast (ch. 5)
- Feeding the 5,000 and Jesus'
Claim to Be the Bread of Life (ch. 6)
- Jesus at the Feast of
Tabernacles and Disputes over Who He Is (chs. 7-8)
- Healing of the Man Born Blind
(ch. 9)
- Jesus is the Good Shepherd (10:1-21)
- Conflict at the Feast of
Dedication over Jesus' Identity (10:22-42)
- The Raising of Lazarus (ch. 11)
- Statement of the Gospel's Purpose (20:30-31)
- Epilogue: Jesus' Recommissioning of the Disciples (ch. 21)
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