The Book of John: Background Information and Theme

The apostle John was the son of Zebedee, a seemingly well-to-do man (Mark 1:20), and Salome, who was the sister of Jesus’ mother Mary (John 19:25; see also Matt. 27:56, 61; Mark 15:40, 47). John wrote his gospel toward the end of his life. Scholars have long debated the authorship of the gospel since it claims only to have been written by the “beloved disciple” (John 21:20, 24). Clement of Alexandria called the Gospel of John the “spiritual Gospel.” John (lit. “Yahweh has been gracious”) was joined by Peter and James in Jesus’ inner circle (Mark 5:37; 9:2; 14:33). As fishermen, John and his brother James lived in Capernaum. Jesus labeled them Boanerges (lit. “sons of thunder,” Mark 3:17). John and Peter were described as “uneducated and untrained men” (Acts 4:13). John referred to himself throughout this gospel as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (John 21:20, 24). He was an eyewitness to the life and ministry of Jesus and ministered longer than any other disciple. John was present at the Last Supper (John 13:23–26), stood at the cross with Jesus’ mother (John 19:25–27), accompanied Peter to the empty tomb (John 20:2–10), and recognized Jesus after His Resurrection (John 21:7). John is also credited with writing the epistles of First, Second, and Third John as well as the Book of Revelation. He played an active role in the Jerusalem church (Acts 3:1) and later served as pastor of the church at Ephesus. The Book of Revelation was written while he was in exile on the island of Patmos during the reign of Emperor Domitian (Rev. 1:9). Date Most scholars believe that John’s gospel was the last of the four gospels to be written. Although dates have been suggested from a.d. 60 to 90, church tradition narrows the date to sometime between a.d. 80 and 95. Background Information Setting: Irenaeus supports the theory that John wrote the gospel when he lived in Ephesus, a large and cosmopolitan city housing one of the largest Christian communities in the Gentile world of the first century. Purpose: The Gospel of John presents Jesus as the divine Word, the Logos (Gk., lit. “Word”), the Christ, and the Son of God. Jesus is the Revealer and Redeemer. He is the sacrificial “Lamb” who came to take away “the sin of the world” (John 1:29). John’s gospel is often seen as the most evangelistic of the four gospels. Audience: John wrote this evangelistic gospel to fellow Jews, encouraging them to confess Jesus as the Christ. The Jews who accepted Christ were expelled from the synagogue and were persecuted by the Jewish community. John’s gospel helped provide the Christian community with purpose and identity. Literary Characteristics: The Gospel of John is a theological retelling of history. It is written in narrative form. While it does not contain parables, as do Matthew, Mark, and Luke, the book does record allegories and extended discourses used by Jesus in His teaching ministry. Theme More than any other book in the New Testament, John introduces Jesus as the unique Son of God (John 20:31). The gospel begins with an introduction (John 1:1–51), then proceeds into the ministry of Christ (John 2:1–4:54), the opposition He experienced (John 5:1–12:50), and finally His deeds and words (John 13:1–21:25). Bibliography: The Woman’s Study Bible

Furnished by Rick Livermore Webmaster220 San Juan Capistrano California –  https://rick-livermore-on-blogger.blogspot.com/