New Testament · Gospel · book 43 of 66 · 2 min read
The book of John
The gospel that shares almost no material with the other three, replaces parables with long discourses, and states its purpose explicitly in its second-to-last paragraph.
“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only born Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish, but have eternal life.”
At a glance
- Chapters
- 21
- Author
- Traditionally John the apostle; formally anonymous
- Written
- Probably 90s AD
- Written for
- A community in conflict with the synagogue it came from
- Themes
- signs, glory, belief, abiding
What it is about
John is different from the first three in almost every respect. It has no birth narrative, no parables, no exorcisms and no last supper institution. Instead it has seven signs, seven I am sayings, and discourses that run for chapters.
It opens not with a genealogy or a manger but before creation, and the prologue is the densest theological writing in the New Testament. Its miracles are called signs and each one is interpreted at length.
It also tells you what it is for: these are written that you may believe. That is an unusually explicit statement of purpose for an ancient book, and it explains the selection.
Where to start
Chapter 1 for the prologue, then chapter 11, the raising of Lazarus, which is the last and largest of the signs.
The chapters worth knowing
- John 1 — The prologue, which starts before creation rather than in Bethlehem.
- John 11 — The raising of Lazarus, the last and largest sign, and the shortest verse in the Bible.
- John 17 — The prayer before the arrest, which is the longest recorded prayer of Jesus.
What people get wrong about it
That John is a devotional supplement to the historical three. It is making a sustained argument, and its differences from the others are structural rather than decorative.
From this book
Questions
Why is John so different from the other gospels?
It shares little material with them, replaces parables with extended discourses, and organises itself around seven signs. It was written later and to a community in a specific conflict, and it states its persuasive purpose openly.
What are the I am sayings in John?
Seven statements — the bread of life, the light of the world, the door, the good shepherd, the resurrection and the life, the way, the true vine — each attached to a sign or a discourse.