Who is the author of the gospel? what does he do?
The author of the Gospel of John is disputed and argued about between scholars. However the main belief is that it was Johannes (John) the writer of the Epistles and The Book of Revelations. It is also a commonly held belief that he was the Disciple of Jesus, John the Beloved.
This John is the son of Zebedee and Salome. He is also the brother of James the Greater. They are often mentioned in the gospels as "the sons of Zebedee". The brothers originally worked as fishermen with their father in the Lake Genesareth. They were given the name "sons of thunder" by Jesus. They eventually became disciples (followers) of John the Baptist. Both John the Evangelist and his brother James the Greater were called by Jesus from John's circle of followers to become one of his disciples. Other known disciples that left the circle with John and his brother include; Peter and Andrew. He is believed to have been living in Asia Minor in the later decades of the First Century.
Other pieces of information that give the impression that John was an important figure in the "early church" include:
This John is the son of Zebedee and Salome. He is also the brother of James the Greater. They are often mentioned in the gospels as "the sons of Zebedee". The brothers originally worked as fishermen with their father in the Lake Genesareth. They were given the name "sons of thunder" by Jesus. They eventually became disciples (followers) of John the Baptist. Both John the Evangelist and his brother James the Greater were called by Jesus from John's circle of followers to become one of his disciples. Other known disciples that left the circle with John and his brother include; Peter and Andrew. He is believed to have been living in Asia Minor in the later decades of the First Century.
Other pieces of information that give the impression that John was an important figure in the "early church" include:
- Being one of three witnesses to the raising of Jairus' daughter, the Transfiguration (Jesus becomes radiant atop a mountain) and the Agony in Gethsemane . The other two present were Peter and James.
- His involvement in the preparation for the Last Supper. Only Peter and John were asked to go to the city early to prepare the feast for the Last Supper.
- His dedication to Christ. He stood at the foot of Christ's cross with Mary (mother of Christ) promising to take care of her for him.
When was this gospel thought to be written?
John's Gospel is considered to be the last of the four canonical Gospels and is thought to be written between 90 and 100 AD. The exact date the Gospel of John was written is unknown but most scholars presume it was written between 90 and 100 AD but it is still disputed. Some scholars believe the Gospel may have been written earlier because John does not rely on the synoptic Gospels that written before his own gospel. The three other gospel written by Mark, Luke and Matthew are considered synoptic gospels (meaning they give a synopsis of the actual actions that had occurred). John's Gospel however claims to be an eyewitness account of the actual occurrences.
When compared to the dates that the other gospels were believed to have been written, John comes much later (90 -100 AD). Mark was the first of the four gospels to be written and as such was used as a source for the gospels of Luke and Matthew. Mark's gospel is thought to be written in 65 AD. Following Mark's gospel was Matthew's which was written between the years 70 and 80 AD. Luke soon followed suit and his gospel was written at about 85 AD (about 60 years after Jesus died). John's gospel was last to be written at about 90 to 100 AD.
When compared to the dates that the other gospels were believed to have been written, John comes much later (90 -100 AD). Mark was the first of the four gospels to be written and as such was used as a source for the gospels of Luke and Matthew. Mark's gospel is thought to be written in 65 AD. Following Mark's gospel was Matthew's which was written between the years 70 and 80 AD. Luke soon followed suit and his gospel was written at about 85 AD (about 60 years after Jesus died). John's gospel was last to be written at about 90 to 100 AD.
Who is the intended audience of the gospel?
The gospel was originally written in Greek (Koine) and was therefore intended for a community that spoke that language. Countries such as Egypt and the West of Asia spoke Greek and are most likely the intended audience of the gospel. It is thought to be written for the Gnostic community (a community that was a big part of the first two centuries of the church). This community is now known as the Johannine community as a result of its connection with John (Johannes). John also seems to be driving home the impression that Jesus is the one and only God and if you do not follow him you are a sinner. The language that he uses seems to try and persuade the sinners to convert to the young church. As a result he mainly writes for the Gentiles and some Jews that are considered to be of a higher class than the people that Mark, Matthew and Luke wrote for. The majority of scholars agree that he wrote for an audience that was mainly made up of Gentiles because of his continous explanation of Jewish customs.
Although most scholars believe that John wrote for the Gentiles many will argue that the Gospel of John was written for the world at large as opposed to a specific cultural or religious group. Many believe that it was John's intention to inform the world of Jesus and his powerful message, while giving a much fuller and deeper understanding than the synoptic gospels. He was able to do this because of his eyewitness accounts.
Although most scholars believe that John wrote for the Gentiles many will argue that the Gospel of John was written for the world at large as opposed to a specific cultural or religious group. Many believe that it was John's intention to inform the world of Jesus and his powerful message, while giving a much fuller and deeper understanding than the synoptic gospels. He was able to do this because of his eyewitness accounts.
Where was this gospel written?
There is no definite answer as to where the gospel of John was written. Scholars are still speculating the area in which the gospel had been written. As it was written for John's community (the Gnostic community) most scholars believe that it was also written in the area in which they lived. Scholars however, have never found the place in which the Gnostic community had resided. Some scholars believe that it was written in Syria although they still have no solid proof to back up their claims. Undoubtedly most scholars believe that John's gospel was written in Ephesus which was located in Asia Minor. This is because there has been a long held belief that John the Evangelist (or Apostle) had been exiled to the island of Patmos (a part of Greece) and had written the Book of Revelations while being there. He then supposedly returned to Ephesus after he finished the Book of Revelations. There have been recent discoveries however, that would state that the John that wrote the Book of Revelations may have been a completely different John by the name of John of Patmos.
Most scholars believe that the Gospel of John was written in Ephesus. Ephesus is currently a part of modern day Turkey and can be found on the map above. East of Ephesus is where Syria is located. Syria is also believed to be where John wrote his gospel. West of Ephesus is Greece (can be seen by the label of Athens). Below Athens is a group of Greek islands. One of which is Patmos, where John the Evangelist was thought to be exiled.
5: What was happening to the community at the time of the gospel being written? What was the intended message of this gospel?
The community that John had been writing to was one that had been suffering ever since the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem. They at the time had been suffering for twenty years and had began to lose faith in God. John wrote the gospel using persuasive language that was made to try to make people believe that Jesus was the one and only true God and that if you don't follow him you will be penalised. They believed that the end was coming as a result of the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem and the rule of Emperor Nero. Emperor Nero had burnt down Rome to clear land and had blamed it on the Christians. He had many killed as a result. He was aslo often associated with the number 666 (the devils number). This is because when the letters in Hebrew were translated to numbers Caesar Nero came out as 666. In the scriptures 666 was used as a code word for Nero himself.
The intended message of the gospel is to announce that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. He tries to persuade people that there is hope even when there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of giving a synopsis John gives an eyewitness account to the life of Jesus in a more spiritual manner than that of Mark, Matthew or Luke. He stresses that there is a trinity and that it is the Holy Spirit that will guide people. John also depicts two kinds of people in the world. The darkness: people that lead a life without Christ. The light: people that lead a life that embraces Christ and the Holy Trinity.
The intended message of the gospel is to announce that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God. He tries to persuade people that there is hope even when there doesn't seem to be a light at the end of the tunnel. Instead of giving a synopsis John gives an eyewitness account to the life of Jesus in a more spiritual manner than that of Mark, Matthew or Luke. He stresses that there is a trinity and that it is the Holy Spirit that will guide people. John also depicts two kinds of people in the world. The darkness: people that lead a life without Christ. The light: people that lead a life that embraces Christ and the Holy Trinity.
© 2013 Robert Guirguis 9H