The purpose and authorship of the 4th gospel: A gospel to convert the Jews and Gentiles

Question 1

What are the two main answers to the question about who John was written for?

Answer 1

• Aimed at Jewish readers, trying to convince them that JC is the Messiah
• Aimed at Gentiles, trying to convince them that JC’s offer of eternal life is for them too

Question 2

Why did Christianity go from a messianic sect within Judiasm to a missionary religion?

Answer 2

Because they tried to convert people to their faith

Question 3

What is John’s equivalent of the Great Commission?

Answer 3

‘As the Father sent me, so I send you’

Question 4

Why does the fourth gospel seem like it is intended to convert Jews upon first reading?

Answer 4

The Prologue is essentially an imitation of Genesis - even starting with the phrase ‘in the beginning’

Question 5

How does the first disciple make an appeal to Jewish tradition?

Answer 5

The first disciple of JC is Andrew and he immediately tells his brother Peter ‘we have found the Messiah’ (John 1:41). The gospel uses the Aramaic term for Messiah rather than the Hellenic to emphasise its Jewish credentials

Question 6

List some of the reasons that the 4th gospels may have been directed towards Jews

Answer 6

• There are lots of debates between JC and the Jewish leadership
• The writer knows lots about Jewish places, feasts and traditions
• JC is often concerned with Jewish Law and Jewish beliefs about God
• JC’s actions often correspond with Jewish festivals
• A lot of the conflict in John surrounds the keeping of the Sabbath

Question 7

Give an example of one of JC’s actions corresponding with a Jewish festivals

Answer 7

JC’s I am the Light of the World discourse happened during the Feast of the Tabernacles, when the temple was being lit up

Question 8

Why does the tone of the gospel make it unlikely that it was written to appeal to Jews?

Answer 8

• JC’s enemies are described as ‘the Jews’
• JC and the disciples refer to Jewish Law as ‘your law’ as if they weren’t Jews themselves
• The Jews are called ‘children of the devil’ and are presented as murderers and hypocrites

Question 9

What would Jews have thought of the high christology in John?

Answer 9

They would have found it blasphemous

Question 10

Why would the idea of the Eucharist have been shocking for Jews?

Answer 10

Because eating anything with blood in it is forbidden in Judaism

Question 11

Which gospel would be a better fit than John for trying to convert Jews to Christianity?

Answer 11

Matthew

Question 12

What could John be trying to convince the Gentiles to do?

Answer 12

Give up their pagan ways and convert to Christianity

Question 13

How would John have appealed to Gentiles?

Answer 13

• It presents JC in terms of Greek philosophy.
• It uses universal symbolism like light and darkness and flesh and spirit
• Many Gentiles were dualists, meaning they would have been interested in the idea of a world we can see and a heavenly world we cannot see
• The concept of JC as the SoG would not have been offensive to pagans
• JC offers the idea of eternal life without the need to follow petty rules or undergo surgical operation - very appealing

Question 14

Counter the idea that John was written to convert the Gentiles

Answer 14

• Gentiles don’t feature anywhere near as much as they do in Matthew and Luke - JC spends most of his time arguing with fellow Jews
• He does manage to convert the Samaritans, but to the pagan Gentiles they would have just seemed like another kind of Jew
• The specific details about Jerusalem and Jewish festivals would have been off putting or incomprehensible to a Gentile reader