gospel john gospel according john greek called gospel john fourth gospel simply john canonical new testament traditionally appears fourth luke john begins witness john baptist concludes death burial resurrection post resurrection appearances jesus author identified disciple jesus loved early christian tradition identified jesus gospel closely related style content surviving commentators treat books book revelation single corpus literature arguments modern scholars believe john author books later suggested tradition developed tradition gave rise gospel discovery large number fragments manuscripts themes led scholars recognize texts influential early church contained gospel concerned issues church debate time composition notable john community appears define primarily contrast judaism wider christian community christianity started movement judaism gradually separated judaism mutual opposition religions structure content gospel john divided sections prologue book signs book glory epilogue structure highly seven signs culminating raising resurrection jesus seven culminating thomas proclamation jesus lord god title claimed roman emperor prologue jesus placed cosmic setting eternal flesh reveals god gives salvation believers andrew bear witness lamb god son god christ book signs narrative jesus public ministry beginning introduction disciples jesus consists seven signs interspersed long dialogues culminating raising dead john temple prompts authorities jesus executed seven signs consist jesus miracle wedding healing royal official son healing feeding walking water healing man born blind raising dead incidents recounted segment gospel include temple jesus conversation explains importance spiritual rebirth conversation woman gives bread life discourse prompted disciples leave jesus claims light world good shepherd jesus rejection jews jesus plot kill jesus jesus jesus entry jerusalem prediction son man prediction judgment book glory narrative jesus passion resurrection post resurrection appearances passion narrative opens account supper differs significantly found jesus washing disciples feet instead new body blood followed jesus farewell discourse account betrayal arrest trial death burial post resurrection appearances final commission followers includes peter denial institution promise true vine high prayer truth jesus mocking discovery tomb thomas section ends conclusion purpose gospel reader believe jesus christ son god believing life epilogue narrative jesus post resurrection appearance disciples lake catch fish prophecy peter restoration peter fate beloved disciple large majority scholars believes chapter addition gospel composition setting authorship date origin gospel john anonymous author identified disciple jesus loved called john church tradition identified beloved disciple john identification rejected majority modern biblical scholars scholars believe text went editions reaching current form significant minority consider traditional account authorship genuine scholars argued stylistic unity john significant barrier theories multiple stages editing arguing cut cloth addition ancient external authorship strong consistent noted orthodox writer proposes alternative author fourth gospel book accepted early canonical lists significant given frequent john usually dated arose jewish christian community process breaking jewish john regularly describes jesus opponents simply jews consistently hostile jews body writing historian roman catholic priest states climax movement comes chapter john jesus portrayed denouncing jews offspring john jesus tells jews father devil desires father murderer beginning stood truth truth jews depicted wishing kill jesus similar statements gospel matthew viewed evidence jew hatred conflicts jews early years christian church noted scholar scathing portrayal jews opened john charges anti careful reading reveals jews class designation religious ethnic grouping denoting adherents judaism general term primarily refers hereditary temple religious authorities later centuries john support anti semitic author gospel regarded jew championed jesus followers jews probably wrote largely jewish community historical reliability chapters john hint disciple jesus loved beloved disciple eyewitness jesus ministry majority scholars cautious accepting face value exception passages teachings jesus found different recorded john 19th century scholars argued style likely historical likely written theological purposes scholars usually agree john entirely historical value generally accepted certain john old older counterparts representation topography jerusalem superior testimony jesus executed accurate presentation jesus garden prior meeting held jewish authorities possibly historically plausible parallels history position library greek fragment john commonly dated half 2nd century oldest manuscript known substantially complete text john exists beginning 3rd century latest evidence gospel commonly accepted earlier reliable john stands fourth standard ordering matthew mark luke earliest surviving gospel collection 3rd century order matthew john luke mark placed order matthew mark john luke theology gospel john presents high depicting jesus divine according unorthodox interpretations subordinate god rejects denial equality persons trinity including based passages john gospel gives focus relationship son father focuses relation believers announcement holy spirit advocate greek lit latin greek prominence love element christian character jesus divine role jesus speaks divine role obscured secret john jesus talks openly divine role echoes father statement identity identify symbols major significance says prologue john identifies jesus word philosophy term meant principle cosmic reason sense similar hebrew concept wisdom god companion intimate creation jewish philosopher merged themes described god creator material world adapted description applying jesus incarnation opening verse john translated word god word god orthodox english alternative views witnesses word god word god scholars version gospel developed jesus loosely translates phrase god offered better representation original meaning controversial areas interpretation john theology scholars views fallen wide spectrum ranging anti non ultra hyper scholars disagree frequently john refers degree importance places individual scholars answers questions correspond answer frequency allusion according allusions baptism believed passages later scholars reject assessment scholars weaker spectrum deny allusions passages gospel symbolism applied subjects passages protestant catholic respectively stronger end spectrum found allusions chapters found references baptism gospel found additional references sick center spectrum cautious school identifying passages containing allusions rating according assessment degree certainty importance scholars stronger end spectrum assess great importance scholars find fewer references view references find highly important particular views john counter anti hand agrees anti passages views absence institution narrative evidence anti john meant warn conception eternal life dependent physical ritual comparison fourth gospel markedly sense places emphasis individual relation jesus corporate nature church largely accomplished consistently singular structure jesus gospel according emphasis believers coming new group conversion absent john theme personal intimate personal relationship believer jesus believer jesus jesus believer according tendencies fourth gospel potentially rise realized achieved level individual believer realized replace orthodox expectations john baptist john account baptist different gospel john called baptist baptist ministry overlaps jesus baptism jesus explicitly mentioned witness jesus certainly knew story john baptism jesus makes vital theological use subordinates baptist jesus response members baptist sect regarded jesus movement movement john gospel jesus disciples early jesus ministry john baptist imprisoned executed leads ministry baptism larger john jesus rated account black containing historically accurate information according biblical historians jesus john likely larger presence public mind jesus elements commonly understood scholars including argued gospel john elements common christian fully develop century 2nd century concentrated effort examining john gospel contained elements assume developed level required author respond example argued opening theme gospel john pre existing actually theme scholars argued pre existing theme arises ancient jewish writings eighth chapter book fully developed theme comparisons based author says language uses notably use concepts light scholars argued ancient jewish community concept light versus darkness arguments school seriously compromised mid-20th century discoveries library genuine writings gospel john library jewish writings similar gospel john read john interpreted differently way taught salvation came secret knowledge jesus knowledge asserts gospel teaches salvation achieved revealed wisdom specifically belief literally belief jesus contends picture came alien world said accepted world promised return heavenly dwelling fitted world picture god love world suggested similarities john gospel spring common roots literature comparison gospel john significantly different major variations material theological emphasis chronology literary style john amounting contradictions material john lacks scenes jesus baptism calling supper conversely includes scenes found including jesus turning water wine wedding resurrection jesus washing feet disciples multiple visits jerusalem fourth gospel contains account jesus unlike matthew luke mother mary frequently mentioned identified john assert jesus known son joseph contrast matthew luke agreement mark comes town john jesus town origin irrelevant comes world god father john makes direct mention jesus baptism quote john baptist description descent holy spirit dove happens jesus baptism major speeches jesus absent including sermon mount discourse demons mentioned supper narrative jesus disciples feet instead celebrating women mentioned going tomb accompanied mary mary mother james mary john lists disciples names disciple found appears parallel found paired philip respective james son john prominent disciples john mentions epilogue referred sons thomas given personality mere described thomas theological emphasis jesus identified word word identified god greek identification mark jesus urges disciples secret john open discussing referring title god gives exodus self revelation moses chief theme specifically matthew john theme jesus source eternal life kingdom mentioned twice contrast expectation kingdom term meaning coming john presents realized chronology ministry jesus takes single year john takes evidenced references events order date different time jesus temple occurs beginning jesus ministry beginning literary style quotations jesus usually form short john longer quotations given vocabulary different filled theological import john jesus work greek sing signs greek sing divine identity scholars consider john contain contains stories good shepherd true vine individual element corresponds specific person group thing scholars find short story woman dying grain according arrest jesus reaction temple according john triggered raising portrayed uniformly opposed jesus instead portrayed sharply divided debate frequently john accounts far partially sympathetic jesus believed accurate historical depiction debate system belief john baptist publicly jesus lamb god baptist recognizes jesus secretly matthew mark luke gospel john baptist deny mark matthew identify temple appears beginning jesus ministry occurs soon jesus representations gospel john influenced painters renaissance art literature depictions jesus influences greek jewish european history depicted live productions plays film recent portrayal film gospel john directed narrated jesus film gospel john directed narrated jesus parts gospel set music setting power anthem come written 20th anniversary including lyrical fragments taken book signs additionally composers settings passion portrayed gospel notably composed verses borrowed matthew
Gospel of John