The Gospel According to John

Biblical Research Monthly
February, 1955
Dr. David L. Cooper
(Installment One)

PRELIMINARIES TO THE STUDY OF JOHN

The Synoptic Gospels the Background for the Gospel of John

With this article I begin a series of studies in the Gospel According to John, which I trust will prove to be a great blessing to every one who reads it. There are four records of the Gospel. The first three, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, are called the Synoptics, they give a brief outline of the life and labors of our Lord during His personal ministry.

It is generally conceded by believing scholars that the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark, who was an interpreter of the Apostle Peter, as we learn from Papias, one of the early disciples. According to tradition Mark wrote his record of the Gospel (by inspiration, of course) for the benefit of the Romans who liked to hear of a man of action and of deeds. Hence, the brevity of his record of the Gospel. He wrote, as is usually conceded, around 59 or 60 of the Christian Era—thirty years after the crucifixion and ascension of our Lord.

Matthew, it is likewise conceded, wrote his record of the Gospel for the Jews. This is quite evident from the material which is employed in the setting forth of the life and ministry of our Lord. The writer assumed, on the part of the reader, a knowledge of the Old Testament and a belief in the Writings of Moses and the Prophets. It is believed he wrote around A.D. 60, or just a little after Mark's record.

Luke wrote and addressed his Gospel (and Acts of the Apostles) to Theophilus, who was evidently a Greek. When all the data is taken into consideration, the believing scholar comes to the conclusion that probably Luke wrote his record of the Gospel before A.D. 63.

The occasion for the writing of the Four Gospels seems to be this: While the eyewitnesses and ministers of the Word who had accompanied Jesus during His ministry were still alive, the people preferred hearing the personal testimony of those who had seen and heard the Lord Jesus. One usually prefers the testimony of an eyewitness to the written message. But, with the passing of the first thirty years of the Christian Era, these eyewitnesses began to die off. Then there arose a demand that there be written records of the life and labors of the Lord. Hence, God satisfied this natural desire by giving us the three Synoptic records of the Gospel.

These three records run parallel, one with the other, with certain variations. Mark and Luke, as a rule, are chronological and present their material with the same sequence. There is, however, a section in Luke—9:51—18:14—for which there is no counterpart in Matthew and Mark. Luke tells us in his preface, 1:1-4 that he had done research and had written down an orderly account of the life and deeds of our Lord from the beginning. Matthew and Mark did not have such an aim as that. We can see how Luke can have the fuller account of the life of Christ.

The Purpose and Authorship of John

To believing scholars it is apparent that John wrote his record of the Gospel in order to refute Gnosticism. This is also true of I John. The Apostle Paul, in the Colossian Letter, written about A.D. 63, combated Gnosticism, which has become known in ecclesiastical circles as the Colossian heresy. It seems quite apparent that Gnostic philosophy had invaded the Christian ranks to such an extent that it had to be dealt with in a complete and summary manner. John the Apostle, therefore, was led by the Spirit of God to write his record of the Gospel, the date of which is probably around A.D. 80. This record of the Gospel seems to meet the Gnostic heresy as it had developed about A.D. 80.

The Deity of Jesus in the Gospel Records

As stated above, Matthew, Mark, and Luke gave us a brief outline or survey of the life of our Lord. At the mouth of two or three witnesses everything should be established. Thus, in the three accounts of the Gospel, we have God's three witnesses to the life and ministry of our Lord.

But John came forth with his message demonstrating the deity of the Lord Jesus as none of the others had done. There is a great tendency on the part of rationalistic scholars to deny that the Synoptic writers presented Jesus as the God-man. But they say that this is what John did. Those taking this position overlook much data which has bearing upon the question in the Gospel of Matthew. For instance, in 5:17, the Lord Jesus said: "Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets…." The word "came" is a very significant term. This implies that He was somewhere else before He appeared on earth. He left that place and came to the earth. Of course, the place from which he came was none other than heaven, the immediate presence of God. Again, in Matthew 10:34, 35, the Lord Jesus said: "Think not that I came to send peace on the earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35 For I came to set a man…."

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus quotes words that God had spoken through Moses and then placed His own special message along beside them, or in opposition to it. For instance, in Matthew 5:21, 22 Jesus said: "ye have heard that it was said to them of old time, …but I say unto you…." Throughout the Sermon on the Mount Jesus places His words on a level with those of the Father. This type of utterance assumes His equality with God.

Again, Jesus said: "Not everyone that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven…. Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, …(Matt. 7:21, 22). Here Jesus assumes that He is Lord and equal to God, who will sit upon the throne of judgment and render decisions with reference to the human family. In Matthew 11:27 we clearly see the deity of Jesus: "All things have been delivered unto me of my Father: and no one knoweth the Son, save the Father; neither doth any know the Father, save the Son, and he to whomsoever the Son willeth to reveal him."

These and other facts that are found in the Gospel of Matthew show that the writer believed in the deity of Jesus just as strongly as John does. In view of these facts, then, it is false to assert that the Synoptic Gospels do not present Jesus as the Divine Son of God, God manifested in the flesh, but that they simply picture Him as a great Teacher and religious Reformer. It is clear from the reading of the three Synoptic records that the writers understood that Jesus was God in human form.

John simply, seeing the situation that had arisen, and that was confronting the Christian movement in the form of Gnosticism, presented the deity of Christ in a forceful and emphatic way, sounding the same note that had been struck by the other Evangelists.

The Gospel of John Largely Sermonic

As stated before, the Synoptic Gospels are really surveys of the life of our Lord. At the same time Matthew, for instance, gives us several sermons. The Sermon on the Mount (Matt., chaps. 5, 6, 7); the parables of the kingdom (Matt., chap. 13); the sermon denouncing the scribes, Pharisees, and hypocrites (Matt., 23); finally, the Olivet Discourse (Matt., chaps. 24, 25). At the same time the bulk of Matthew is devoted to narration and accounts of the labors and teachings of Jesus. In contrast with Matthew, John presents various sermons and debates which Jesus had with His opponents at Jerusalem. For instance, in John, chapter 3, we have Christ's sermon to Nicodemus. In chapter 4, His message to the woman of Samaria at the well. In chapter 5 we have the controversy which arose concerning Jesus' healing the crippled man on the Sabbath, and also Christ's discourse concerning the four witnesses bearing testimony to Him. John, chapter 6, records the Lord's sermon on the bread of life, which He delivered in the synagogue at Capernaum, after having fed the five thousand the day before. In John, chapter 7, we have the debate which occurred between the Lord Jesus and His opponents at the Feast of Tabernacles, in the final year of His ministry. In chapter 8 we have the statement of His being the Light of the World and the debate which followed this message. Chapter 9 gives us the account of the healing of the blind man and the controversy that arose over this miracle. In 10:1-21 we have the parable of the Good Shepherd and the sheepfold which grew out of the occasion of Christ's healing the blind man. In John 10:22-39 appears the record of the clash which took place between our Lord Jesus and His opponents at the feast of Dedication. The narration of the raising of Lazarus, as recorded in chapter 11, is interspersed with statements and declarations which Jesus made. In chapter 14 we have one of the quiet talks which Jesus had with His disciples after having observed the Passover Supper and having instituted the Lord's Supper. In chapters 15 and 16 we have another quiet talk which Jesus had with His disciples on the way from the place where He observed the Passover in Jerusalem (probably the house of John Mark) to the Garden of Gethsemane. In John, chapter 17, is recorded our Lord's prayer, which He prayed just before entering Gethsemane. After He entered the Garden, He prayed, as all four of the Evangelists tell us. From this little survey we can see that John is indeed sermonic, and that we should recognize these literary units and study each as a whole.

Certain Words Characteristic of John's Gospel

John records seven miracles which Christ performed. These he designates as signs. By the use of this term he is laying the emphasis upon the purpose of Christ's performing these miracles. He recognizes that they are manifestations of divine power, but lays emphasis upon the fact that they served as proof, as evidence of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus. But he tells us that "these are written, that ye believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye may have life in his name" (John 20: 30, 31).

John lays great emphasis upon the word "believe." If one studies this Gospel carefully, he will see that emphasis is laid upon belief, and the growing faith on the part of the disciples of Jesus, whereas he also emphasizes the thought that unbelief and distrust likewise were developing on the part of His opponents.

John also is very fond of the use of the word "life." By this he means life that is imparted to the believer who accepts the Lord Jesus Christ as Saviour, Lord, and Master. He also uses other abstract terms, but is very simple in his style and presentation of the material which he has for us.

The Passover Feasts Mentioned in John

John mentions three Passover Feasts and another feast, which he designates "the feast of the Jews," mentioned in John 5:1. Believing scholars generally are of the opinion that this feast thus mentioned is another Passover. If this supposition is correct, the ministry of Jesus lasted three and a fraction of years, usually spoken of as three and a half years.

If a person will study carefully, he will see that there is quite a bit of activity, deeds, and movements that occurred before the first feast which is mentioned in John 2:13. For instance, Jesus left Nazareth, went to the Jordan, was baptized then spent forty days in the wilderness, being tempted of the devil. Then He came back to the place where John was baptizing after that ordeal. How long He stayed there, we cannot say. Then He returned to Galilee and attended a marriage feast at Cana of Galilee. After this He moved His headquarters from Nazareth to Capernaum. All these movements took some time; hence we say, roughly speaking, that something like half a year passed before the first Passover in our Lord's ministry.

At this first Passover there was a great movement toward Jesus, as we are told that "many believed on his name, beholding his signs which he did" (2:23). At this time He had His famous talk with Nicodemus, in which He declared that men must all, everywhere, be born again.

The second Passover in our Lord's personal ministry is mentioned in John 6:4. Jesus did not attend the Passover at Jerusalem as He did on other occasions, but was in Galilee, as the facts in the parallel passages in the Synoptic Gospels and as those mentioned by John indicate. The events connected with this Passover are given in John, chapter 6.

In 5:1 we read of "the feast of the Jews." As stated above, conservative scholars are of he conviction that this is a third Passover mentioned in our Lords ministry. If this conclusion is correct, two and a half years of our Lord's life have passed by, by the time we reach John, chapter 6.

The fourth and last Passover is recorded in John 12:1. Here Jesus attended the Passover in Jerusalem. For it was at this time that He was crucified and buried—but He arose again and ascended to glory, as all the Evangelists tell us.

The Glories of Jesus the Messiah

As we study the life of our Lord, presented by John, we shall see Him in His glory, sublimity, and beauty, as in no other portion of the Word. We shall feel His pulse and heartbeat. And we shall experience a thrill derived from a knowledge of His love for us, and a desire for the redemption of the human family.