- Timeline
- Author, Date, and Recipients. John the son of Zebedee wrote this Gospel. He was a Palestinian Jew, one of the 12 disciples, and a member of Jesus’ inner apostolic circle.
- Theme and Purpose. The theme of John’s Gospel is that Jesus is the long-awaited, promised Messiah and Son of God. ...
- Key Themes. Jesus is God, the “I am.” He existed before the creation of the world, and he has supernatural knowledge.
- Outline
- The Setting of John. The events of the Gospel of John take place in Palestine, incorporated into the Roman Empire in 63 b.c. ...
What is the main theme in the Bible Book of John?
ANSWER: The main theme in the Bible book of John is to prove conclusively that Jesus is the Son of God and that all who believe in Him will have eternal life.
What are the Gnostic elements in the Gospel of John?
To say John's gospel contained elements of Gnosticism is to assume that Gnosticism had developed to a level that required the author to respond to it. Bultmann, for example, argued that the opening theme of the Gospel of John, the pre-existing Logos, along with John's duality of light versus darkness in his Gospel were originally Gnostic themes ...
What is the main message of the Gospel of John?
- The Wilderness (Mark 1:1-15)
- Galilee (Mark 1:16-8:21)
- The Way (Mk 8:22-11:11)
- Jerusalem (Mk 11:12-14:52)
- The Tomb (Mk 14:53-16:20)
What does the Gospel of John present Jesus as?
The central theme to the Gospel of John is that Jesus is the Son of God. This is most evident by the way that John continues to build a case for Christ’s deity from the very first verse to the very end of this book. John begins his gospel by writing, “ In the beginning the Word was God and the Word was with God ” ( John 1:1 ).
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What is John's purpose in writing the Gospel?
Towards the end of his gospel, John describes his purpose in writing, that the signs that Jesus performed are described so that the readers may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and may have life in his name (20:31).
What did Jesus preach in the Gospels?
In the synoptic gospels, Jesus preached the message that the Kingdom of God had come (eg Mk 1:14-15). In John, Jesus brought life or eternal life. This is the blessing of eternal life in the kingdom of God, under the rule and authority of God.
What did Jesus say about the bread of life?
After feeding the 5000, Jesus said, “I am the bread of life” (Jn 6:35). He had given relief to their physical hunger, but Jesus is the bread of life who believers feed on to receive eternal life, to satisfy spiritual hunger. Jesus also called himself the living bread (Jn 6:51), compared with the manna in the wilderness. Manna gave temporary relief from physical hunger, whereas Jesus gives eternal relief from spiritual hunger. Before raising Lazarus from the dead, Jesus said, “I am the resurrection and the life” (Jn 11:25). Lazarus was given back his life, although only temporarily. Jesus promises an eternal resurrection from the dead, spiritually now and physically in the future.
What does Jesus say about his hour?
The first three say that his hour has not yet come. In the early part of the gospel, everything is moving towards this hour. At the wedding at Cana, Jesus says to Mary that his hour has not yet come, when asked about the wine running out at the wedding (2:4). He was telling his mother that he was working only according to his Father’s timetable, his eyes were fixed on his hour to come.
What does "I am" mean in John's Gospel?
The words ‘I am’ are used several other times in John's gospel as a statement of Jesus being God. For example, at his betrayal, the soldiers asked for Jesus. Jesus replied, “I am” (‘ego eimi’) (Jn 18:5). Their response was to draw back and fall to the ground, the normal response when meeting with God himself.
What is the meaning of John's metaphor?
John uses several metaphors drawn from everyday life to describe eternal life. The first is birth, being born of the Spirit, or born from above, or being born again (3:3-9). The second is water, living water which quenches thirst forever (4:14), and the third is bread, living bread which satisfies hunger forever (6:27ff).
What does the Greek word "ego" mean in John's Gospel?
The ‘I am’ Statements. The Greek words ‘ego eimi’ can be translated ‘I am’ or ‘I am he’. It is one of the most characteristic and most significant expressions in John's gospel. In Greek, the word ‘eimi’ on its own means ‘I am’. The addition of ‘ego’ adds emphasis, emphasising the ‘I’.
What is the theme of John's letters?
Walk in the Truth. “Truth is a major concern of all three of John’s letters,” Campbell reveals. In 1 John, truth is intricately intertwined with its other themes. For example, “Those who reject the truth are not able to love as God loves, nor are they able to know or love God” (10). 2 and 3 John feature the specific language ...
How many themes does Campbell explore in his Johannine epistles?
Today we offer you some of his broad insights into the Johannine epistles by briefly exploring six themes he’s identified.
What does John mean by "walking in the truth"?
John is overjoyed when he sees believers walking in obedience to the truth.
Why does John write "so that you will not sin"?
In fact, one of the reason’s John wrote the first epistle is “so that you will not sin” ( 2:1 ), because the two—fellowship and sin—are incompatible. “Sin belongs to the devil and the world,” Campbell explains, ...
Why is John's love theological?
John’s kind of love is deeply theological, because God is love. Our model for this love is Jesus. “The Son models God’s love by laying down his life for us…And we are to emulate this sort of love toward one another” (11).
What is hospitality in John the Elder?
For John, hospitality is both theological and pastoral. It’s also the outworking of truth and love. In 2 John the elder appeals to his readers to withhold their hospitality from false teachers.
How many themes are there in the Gospel of John?
The course approaches the Gospel of John in a way that looks at seven key themes. These themes bind the Fourth Gospel together in a manner that allows us to see this ‘new way of living’ as possible for followers of King Jesus.
What is the Gospel of John about?
About the Course: The Gospel of John has been a favorite of many readers of the New Testament and is full of beauty, mystery, and, occasionally, surprises. Jesus, in this Gospel, point to a new way of living. It is the Kingdom of God way of life. This way of life was in contrast to the normal Roman way of living in the first century A.D as much as it is in contrast to what most people in the twenty-first century experience.
What is the main focus of John's Gospel?
And then, during the main phase of Jesus' adult ministry, with just a few parallels to episodes from the synoptic gospels, John focuses primarily on the times Jesus traveled to Jerusalem at the annual festivals of the Jews and the ways that His teachings and claims about His own identity on those occasions demonstrated the fulfillment of the deepest meaning of the rituals and festivals and events that they commemorated. On top of all of this, John's narrative seems to reflect a quite different style of writing than that in the synoptic gospels, including among the teachings of Jesus. The style found among John's accounts of Jesus' teaching is quite similar to John's style as narrator throughout the rest of his gospel.
What miracles did John have?
He has distinctive and dramatic miracles, like turning water into wine, or the resurrection of Lazarus.
What is the most distinctive gospel in the New Testament?
At long last we come to the gospel of John , by far the most distinctive of the four gospels in the New Testament. For those who have not read John closely on the heels of one or more of the synoptics, it may be worth reviewing just how different a gospel John is. Many of the details and themes central to the synoptic gospels are largely, if not completely, absent from John: the baptism of Jesus, the calling of the twelve disciples, exorcisms, the transfiguration, parables and Jesus' words over the bread and cup at the Last Supper. On the other hand John has numerous lengthy discourses or dialogues of Jesus with the disciples or with crowds, but none of them is the same as the few found in the synoptics. He has distinctive and dramatic miracles, like turning water into wine, or the resurrection of Lazarus.
What are the details of the synoptic gospels?
Many of the details and themes central to the synoptic gospels are largely, if not completely, absent from John: the baptism of Jesus, the calling of the twelve disciples, exorcisms, the transfiguration, parables and Jesus' words over the bread and cup at the Last Supper.
Why is Jesus the Revealer?
He is Revealer in terms of His deeds, to be sure, but Revealer even more so in terms of His words, because He was, indeed, the very Word of God. 2. Lamb of God. A second distinctive title is Lamb of God, found particularly in John 1 in the context of John the Baptist's testimony about Jesus.
How many times does John say "I am"?
Seven times in John's gospel, He uses the affirmation "I am" followed by a metaphorical predicate that reflects some aspect of this divinity: the Bread of life; the Light of the world; the Sheep Gate; the Good Shepherd; the Resurrection and the Life; the Way and the Truth and the Life; and the True Vine.
Where did John minister in the early church?
Strong early church tradition associates the aged apostle with ministering in his latter decades in and around Ephesus on the western coast of what today would be called Turkey. By the end of the first century, he had to deal with twin doctrinal challenges in that community, as in many parts of the empire at the end of the first century.
What is the theme of the Gospel of John?
One lasting idea I learned from Themes in the Gospel of John is that through Jesus and his Spirit, our Heavenly Father teaches us to not seek revenge or run away, but to remain, and to abide. This course will encourage you in new ways to bring new expressions of these themes to your community and to the world for his glory.
What is the purpose of the Critical Themes course in the Gospel of John?
This course allows us to practice and identify with the critical themes so prevalent in the Gospel of John. This allows us to study, embrace, and act in accordance with the Way of Jesus.
What is the purpose of the lectures in John's Gospel?
The lectures not only explore how these themes ought to inform the practices of the church and individual believers, but also how they shape genuine humanness. Using key texts from John’s Gospel, Prof. Wright highlights important matters of personal identity and the human vocation of bearing God’s image in the world.
What does Jesus teach us?
Through Jesus and his Spirit, our Heavenly Father teaches us to not to seek revenge or run away, but to remain, and to abide. Click To Tweet
What are the themes of the Wright course?
In this course Prof. Wright encourages students to think deeply about seven themes: justice, relationships, spirituality, beauty, freedom, truth, and power.
Why does it matter that God takes human experience seriously?
It matters because God takes the human experience seriously—so seriously that he became human to reflect the true and authentic way to be human in our world. Indeed, ‘the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us’ (John 1:14).
What is the theme of the Gospel of Luke?
Luke` main theme is the nature of Jesus Christ` messiah ship and mission. The gospel of Luke presents Jesus in ways that would appeal to an audience of high minded gentiles.
What was John's main purpose?
John` main purpose was evangelistic, to build up believers as well as to win new converts. John also focuses on Jesus` claim that He was God by including Christ’s seven “I am” statements. John records certain occasions when Jesus equals Himself with the Old Testament “I AM.”.
Why was Luke written?
Luke was written to strengthen the faith of all believers and to give an answer to the unbelievers. It was written to displace and unveil the false reports about Jesus. This third gospel presents the works and teachings of Jesus that are especially vital for understanding the way of salvation.
Why is Mark's Gospel important?
Mark’s gospel is simple and holds an important account of the ministry of Jesus Christ, with an emphasis on more of what Jesus did than what he said. Mark moves quickly from one scene in Jesus` ministry to another. Even though Mark bases his emphasis on the humanity he does not neglect the deity of Christ. Mark wrote to strengthen and guide the Roman believers who were being persecuted by Nero. After the death of Peter and eyewitnesses to Jesus` life, this gospel message needed to be written down. [ 2]
What does John 20:31 mean?
The writer of John also said that ” These are written that you may believe that Jesus Christ the Son of God and that believing you may have life in His name” John 20:31. John also speaks of Jesus as the pre-existent divine Word who became a human being so as to speak the words of God, reveal the glory of God’s grace and truth, to put a bridge between the children of light and the children of darkness, to bring judgment on the unbelieving world and to give eternal life through the gift of the Holy Spirit to all believe and abide in Jesus. John wrote that Jesus was and is the saviour of the world. [ 4]
What does John say about Jesus?
John speaks of Jesus as one sent from God to reveal His love and grace to man. All the four gospels have unique story on the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and they all speak of one person only Jesus who is the saviour of the Jews and the saviour of the world.
What is the purpose of Matthew?
The main purpose of Matthew is to prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah which means the anointed one. Jesus can also be interpreted as Joshua in Greek which means the Lord saves. Matthews’s goal was to convince his readers that the King of kings has come, with this in mind he uses words and names that the Jews are familiar with. Also unique to Matthew is the expression, “that it might be fulfilled” which is spoken by various prophets. [ 1]
