Gospel of John Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Theology== [[File:P52 recto.jpg|thumb|The [[Rylands Library Papyrus P52|Rylands Papyrus]] is the oldest known New Testament fragment, dated to about 125–175 AD.<ref>Orsini, Pasquale, and Willy Clarisse (2012). [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/290628533 "Early New Testament Manuscripts and Their Dates: A Critique of Theological Palaeography"], in: Ephemerides Theologicae Lovanienses 88/4 (2012), pp. 443-474, '''p. 470''': "...Tab. 1, 𝔓{{sup|52}}, 125-175 AD, Orsini–Clarysse..."</ref>]] ===Christology=== {{Further|Christology}} Scholars agree that while the Gospel of John clearly regards Jesus as divine, it just as clearly subordinates him to the one God.{{sfn|Hurtado|2005|pp=53}} According to [[James Dunn (theologian)|James Dunn]], this Christology view in John, does not describe a subordinationist relation, but rather the authority and validity of the Son's "revelation" of the Father, the continuity between the Father and the Son. Dunn sees this view as intended to serve the Logos Christology,<ref name="Dunn">{{cite book |last1=Dunn |first1=James D. G. |title=Neither Jew nor Greek: A Contested Identity (Christianity in the Making, Volume 3) |date=2015 |publisher=Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing |isbn=978-1-4674-4385-2 |page=353 |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=dVZeCwAAQBAJ |language=ar}}</ref> while others (e.g., [[Andrew Loke]]) see it as connected to the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|incarnation]] theme in John.<ref name="Loke">Loke, Andrew. "A Kryptic Model of the Incarnation." Ashgate Publishing, 2014, p. 28–30</ref> The idea of the [[Trinity]] developed only slowly through the merger of Hebrew monotheism and the idea of the messiah, Greek ideas of the relationship between God, the world, and the mediating Saviour, and the Egyptian concept of the three-part divinity.{{sfn|Hillar|2012|pp=132}} However, while the developed doctrine of the Trinity is not explicit in the books that constitute the [[New Testament]], the New Testament possesses a [[triad (religion)|triadic]] understanding of God{{sfn|Hurtado|2010|pp=99–110}} and contains a number of [[Trinitarian formula]]s.{{sfn|Januariy|2013|p=99}}<ref> {{cite book |first = Archimandrite |last=Januariy |editor-last1 = Stewart |editor-first1 = Melville Y. |editor-link1 = Melville Y. Stewart |orig-date = 2003 |location = Dordrecht |chapter = The Elements of Triadology in the New Testament |title = The Trinity: East/West Dialogue |url = https://books.google.com/books?id=xJzdBgAAQBAJ |series = Volume 24 of Studies in Philosophy and Religion |date = 9 March 2013 |publisher = Springer Science & Business Media |publication-date = 2013 |page = 100 |isbn = 978-94-017-0393-2 |access-date = 21 December 2021 |quote = Trinitarian formulas are found in New Testament books such as 1 Peter 1:2; and 2 Cor 13:13. But the formula used by John the mystery-seer is unique. Perhaps it shows John's original adaptation of Paul's dual formula. }} </ref> John's "high Christology" depicts Jesus as divine and pre-existent, defends him against Jewish claims that he was "making himself equal to God",<ref>{{bibleverse|John|5:18}}</ref>{{sfn|Hurtado|2005|p=51}} and talks openly about his divine role and echoing [[Yahweh]]'s "[[I Am that I Am]]" with seven "[[I am (biblical term)|I Am]]" declarations of his own.{{sfn|Harris|2006|pp=302–10}}{{Efn|The declarations are: * "I am the [[Bread of Life Discourse|bread of life]]"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|6:35|DRA|6:35}}</ref> * "I am the [[light of the world]]"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|8:12|DRA|8:12}}</ref> * "I am the gate for the sheep"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|10:7|DRA|10:7}}</ref> * "I am the [[good shepherd]]"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|10:11|DRA|10:11}}</ref> * "I am the resurrection and the life"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|11:25|DRA|11:25}}</ref> * "I am [[the way, the truth, and the life|the way and the truth and the life]]"<ref>{{bibleverse|John|14:6|DRA|14:6}}</ref> * "I am the [[true vine]]".<ref>{{bibleverse|John|15:1|DRA|15:1}}</ref>}} At the same time there is a similar stress as in [[Gospel of Luke|Luke]] on the physical continuity on Jesus' resurrected body, as Jesus asks [[Thomas the Apostle|Thomas]] to "Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe."{{sfn|Cullmann|1965|p=11}}<ref>{{bibleverse|John|20:27}}</ref> ===Logos=== {{Main|Logos (Christianity)}} {{see also|John 1:1|In the beginning (phrase)}} In the prologue, the gospel identifies Jesus as the [[Logos (Christianity)|Logos]] or Word. In [[Ancient Greek philosophy]], the term {{transliteration|grc|[[logos]]}} meant the principle of cosmic reason.{{sfn|Greene|2004|p=p37-}} In this sense, it was similar to the Hebrew concept of [[Sophia (wisdom)|Wisdom]], God's companion and intimate helper in creation.{{sfn|Dunn|2015|p=350-351}} The [[Hellenistic Judaism|Hellenistic Jewish]] philosopher [[Philo]] merged these two themes when he described the Logos as God's creator of and mediator with the material world. According to [[Stephen L. Harris|Stephen Harris]], the gospel adapted Philo's description of the Logos, applying it to Jesus, the [[Incarnation (Christianity)|incarnation]] of the Logos.{{sfn|Harris|2006|pp=302–310}} Another possibility is that the title {{transliteration|grc|logos}} is based on the concept of the divine Word found in the [[Targum]]s (Aramaic translation/interpretations recited in the synagogue after the reading of the Hebrew Scriptures). In the Targums (which all post-date the first century but which give evidence of preserving early material), the concept of the divine Word was used in a manner similar to Philo, namely, for God's interaction with the world (starting from creation) and especially with his people, e.g. Israel, was saved from Egypt by action of "the Word of the {{LORD}}," both Philo and the Targums envision the Word as being manifested between the cherubim and the Holy of Holies, etc.{{sfn|Ronning|2010|p=}} ===Cross=== The portrayal of Jesus' death in John is unique among the four gospels. It does not appear to rely on the kinds of atonement theology indicative of vicarious sacrifice<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|10:45}}, {{bibleverse|Romans|3:25}}</ref> but rather presents the death of Jesus as his glorification and return to the Father. Likewise, the three "passion predictions" of the Synoptic Gospels<ref>{{bibleverse|Mark|8:31}}, {{bibleverse|Mark|9:31}}, {{bibleverse|Mark|10:33–34}} and pars.</ref> are replaced instead in John with three instances of Jesus explaining how he will be exalted or "lifted up".<ref>{{bibleverse|John|3:14}}, {{bibleverse|John|8:28}}, {{bibleverse|John|12:32}}.</ref> The verb for "lifted up" ({{lang-grc|ὑψωθῆναι}}, {{transliteration|grc|hypsōthēnai}}) reflects the [[double entendre]] at work in John's theology of the cross, for Jesus is both physically elevated from the earth at the [[crucifixion]] but also, at the same time, exalted and glorified.{{sfn|Kysar|2007a|p=49–54}} ===Sacraments=== {{Further|Sacrament}} Scholars disagree both on whether and how frequently John refers to [[sacrament]]s, but current scholarly opinion is that there are very few such possible references, and that if they exist they are limited to [[baptism]] and the [[Eucharist]].{{sfn|Bauckham|2015b|p=83–84}} In fact, there is no institution of the Eucharist in John's account of the [[Last Supper]] (it is replaced with Jesus washing the feet of his disciples), and no New Testament text that unambiguously links baptism with rebirth.{{sfn|Bauckham|2015b|p=89,94}} ===Individualism=== In comparison to the synoptic gospels, the fourth gospel is markedly individualistic, in the sense that it places emphasis more on the individual's relation to Jesus than on the corporate nature of the Church.{{sfn|Bauckham|2015a}}{{sfn|Moule|1962|p=172}} This is largely accomplished through the consistently singular grammatical structure of various aphoristic sayings of Jesus throughout the gospel.{{sfn|Bauckham|2015a}}{{Efn|{{harvnb|Bauckham|2015a}} contrasts John's consistent use of the third person singular ("The one who..."; "If anyone..."; "Everyone who..."; "Whoever..."; "No one...") with the alternative third person plural constructions the author could have used instead ("Those who..."; "All those who..."; etc.). He also notes that the sole exception occurs in the prologue, serving a narrative purpose, whereas the later aphorisms serve a "paraenetic function".}} Emphasis on believers coming into a new group upon their conversion is conspicuously absent from John,{{sfn|Bauckham|2015a}} and there is a theme of "personal coinherence", that is, the intimate personal relationship between the believer and Jesus in which the believer "abides" in Jesus and Jesus in the believer.{{sfn|Moule|1962|p=172}}{{sfn|Bauckham|2015a}}{{Efn|See {{bibleverse|John|6:56|DRA}}, {{bibleverse|John|10:14–15|DRA|10:14–15}}, {{bibleverse|John|10:38|DRA|10:38}}, and {{bibleverse|John|14:10, 17, 20, 23|DRA|14:10, 17, 20, and 23}}.}} The individualistic tendencies of John could potentially give rise to a [[realized eschatology]] achieved on the level of the individual believer; this realized eschatology is not, however, to replace "orthodox", futurist eschatological expectations, but is to be "only [their] correlative."{{sfn|Moule|1962|p=174}} ===John the Baptist=== {{Further|John the Baptist}} John's account of John the Baptist is different from that of the synoptic gospels. In this gospel, John is not called "the Baptist."{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005}} John the Baptist's ministry overlaps with [[Ministry of Jesus|that of Jesus]]; his [[baptism of Jesus]] is not explicitly mentioned, but his witness to Jesus is unambiguous.{{sfn|Cross|Livingstone|2005}} The evangelist almost certainly knew the story of John's baptism of Jesus and he makes a vital theological use of it.{{sfn|Barrett|1978|p=16}} He subordinates John to Jesus, perhaps in response to members of John's sect who regarded the Jesus movement as an offshoot of their movement.{{sfn|Harris|2006|p=}} In the Gospel of John, Jesus and his disciples go to Judea early in Jesus' ministry before John the Baptist was imprisoned and executed by [[Herod Antipas]]. He leads a ministry of baptism larger than John's own. The [[Jesus Seminar]] rated this account as black, containing no historically accurate information.{{sfn|Funk|1998|pp=365–440}} According to the biblical historians at the Jesus Seminar, John likely had a larger presence in the public mind than Jesus.{{sfn|Funk|1998|p=268}} ===Gnosticism=== {{Further|Christian Gnosticism}} In the first half of the 20th century, many scholars, primarily including [[Rudolph Bultmann]], forcefully argued that the Gospel of John has elements in common with [[Gnosticism]].{{sfn|Harris|2006|p=}} Christian Gnosticism did not fully develop until the mid-2nd century, and so 2nd-century [[Proto-orthodox Christianity|Proto-Orthodox Christians]] concentrated much effort in examining and refuting it.{{sfn|Olson|1999|p=36}} To say the Gospel of John contained elements of Gnosticism is to assume that Gnosticism had developed to a level that required the author to respond to it.{{sfn|Kysar|2005|pp=88ff}} 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 the gospel were originally Gnostic themes that John adopted. Other scholars (e.g., [[Raymond E. Brown]]) have argued that the pre-existing Logos theme arises from the more ancient Jewish writings in the eighth chapter of the [[Book of Proverbs]], and was fully developed as a theme in Hellenistic Judaism by [[Philo Judaeus]].{{sfn|Brown|1997}} The discovery of the [[Dead Sea Scrolls]] at [[Qumran]] verified the Jewish nature of these concepts.{{sfn|Charlesworth|2010|p=42}} [[April DeConick]] has suggested reading John 8:56 in support of a Gnostic theology;{{sfn|DeConick|2016|pp=13-}} however, recent scholarship has cast doubt on her reading.{{sfn|Llewelyn|Robinson|Wassell|2018|pp=14–23}} Gnostics read John but interpreted it differently from the way non-Gnostics did.{{sfn|Most|2005|pp=121ff}} Gnosticism taught that salvation came from ''[[gnosis]]'', secret knowledge, and Gnostics did not see Jesus as a savior but a revealer of knowledge.{{sfn|Skarsaune|2008|pp=247ff}} The gospel teaches that salvation can only be achieved through revealed wisdom, specifically belief in (literally belief {{em|into}}) Jesus.{{sfn|Lindars|1990|p=62}} John's picture of a supernatural savior who promised to return to take those who believed in him to a heavenly dwelling could be fitted into Gnostic views.{{sfn|Brown|1997|p=375}} It has been suggested that similarities between the Gospel of John and Gnosticism may spring from common roots in Jewish [[Apocalyptic literature]].{{sfn|Kovacs|1995}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. 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