Lessons for such a time as this: *** a continuation of yesterdays on the GOSPEL of John*** - Excerpt from: Drane, J. W. (2000). Introducing the New Testament (Completely rev. and updated., pp. 215–217). Oxford: Lion Publishing plc. _____________ John’s purpose in writing In one sense this is an easy question to answer, for 20:31 spells out the purpose: ‘that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in his name’. Though that can be understood as a statement of some evangelistic purpose, which would mean the gospel was written for those outside the church, the first clause could also be translated ‘that you may continue to believe’, and other factors also seem to indicate that it was written with the needs of Christians in view: ■ There are extensive references to the concerns and interests of second-generation Christians who were not eyewitnesses of the events described (20:26–31), with specific mentions of persecution (15:18–25; 16:1–4), mission (14:12–14; 15:26–27; 17:15–19), the need for continued faithfulness (15:1–11; 17:11–12), unity and love within the community (15:12–17; 17:20–23), as well as extensive teaching throughout chapters 14–16 on the role of the Holy Spirit in the ongoing life of the church. ■ There is a strong emphasis on the distinction between ‘Jews’ and Christians here, which is not so much an ethnic distinction as a religious one (‘Jews’ are not contrasted with Gentiles). In view of the lack of racial overtones and the emphasis on religious differences, it is going too far to describe this as anti-Semitism, though the acrimony of a passage such as 8:42–47 is unmistakable, while 9:22, 12:42 and 16:2 clearly imply a total break between Judaism and Christianity, and some believe they reflect the situation around A.D.85–90 when Christians were expelled from the synagogues as a consequence of a prayer against heretics formulated by Rabbi Gamaliel II. If so, this experience was clearly in the past at the time the gospel was written, though its recipients (who seem to have included Gentiles as well as Jews) were still living with the painful memories of such an event. Author and date The question of authorship has always been rather confused. Early church traditions mention two Johns in connection with the gospel: the apostle, and a John whom they call ‘the Elder’. In the gospel itself, the ‘beloved disciple’ seems to be portrayed as a source of some of the information, though it is never made clear who this person was. Irenaeus identified the beloved disciple with John the apostle (Against Heresies I.1.1), though some interpreters believe he might just be an ideal figure, symbolic of the true follower of Christ, while others have pointed out that Lazarus is the only person of whom it is specifically and consistently said that Jesus loved him (John 11:5, 36). In addition, 21:24 appears to distinguish the final editor of the gospel from this ‘beloved disciple’, while implying that he was the source of much of its information. One way of explaining all this is to suppose that John has gone through two editions. Apart from the prologue, it does focus on issues related to the Jewish background and heritage of Christianity, whereas with the prologue it takes on the appearance of a book more suited to the wider Greek world. Could it be that the prologue was added after the completion of the original work, to commend the gospel to a new readership, facing relational issues with the synagogues, but well beyond the original context of Palestine? This possibility might be supported by the odd connection between chapters 20 and 21. The last verse of chapter 20 appears to be the logical conclusion of the book, though it is then followed by the post-resurrection instructions of Jesus to Peter in chapter 21. This final chapter could perhaps have been added at the time when the book was adapted to serve the needs of a new group of people, though its style and language is so close to that of the rest of the gospel that it must have been added by the same person or persons. It seems at least possible that the gospel was first written in Palestine, to demonstrate that ‘Jesus is the Christ’ (20:31), perhaps over against the views of sectarian Jews influenced by ideas like those of the Qumran community, and then when the same teaching was seen to be relevant to people elsewhere in the Roman empire, it was revised, with Jewish customs and expressions being explained, and the prologue and epilogue added. The advice to church leaders in chapter 21 suggests that the final form of the gospel might have been directed to a Christian congregation comprised of both Jews and Gentiles somewhere in the Hellenistic world, perhaps at Ephesus. The date of the gospel is not easy to ascertain, partly because (unlike the case of Matthew and Luke) there is no other evidence against which to set it. Traditions from the second century onwards suggest that it was written by John the apostle at the end of a long life, and most scholars continue to date it somewhere between about A.D.85 and 100, though opinions differ regarding the possible connection of it all with the apostle John. He cannot have been the final author, for that was a group of people who identify themselves as at least second-generation Christians (21:24). Nor are there are any specific indications that he was the ‘beloved disciple’, though a plausible case can be made out for that. However, there is no widely accepted opinion on the author’s identity, and the consensus at this point in time can best be described as an open-minded agnosticism, with many scholars willing to allow some direct connection between John the apostle and the fourth gospel, though few wish to be more precise than that. - via Logos 6 #lessonsforsuchatimeasthis #christjesus #theword #studyscripture #god #biblestudy #bible #jesus #faith #holyspirit #bookexcerpts #vineofchristministries
Posted on: Tue, 13 Jan 2015 20:31:51 +0000
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