THE NEW TESTAMENT
The John’s gospel asserts it is the work of an eyewitness:
This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and has written them, and we know that his testimony is true. John 21.24
The presumed author is mentioned six times in the gospel:
The next day John again was standing with two of his disciples, and as he watched Jesus walk by, he exclaimed, ‘Look, here is the Lamb of God!’ The two disciples heard him say this, and they followed Jesus… They remained with him that day… One of the two… was Andrew…” (John 1.35-36, 39-40)
One of his disciples—the one whom Jesus loved—was reclining next to him… So while reclining next to Jesus, he asked him, ‘Lord, who is it?’ (John 13.23, 25)
Simon Peter and another disciple followed Jesus. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he went with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest. (John 18.15)
When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, ‘Woman, here is your son.’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Here is your mother.’ And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home. (John 19.26-27)
One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once blood and water came out. (He who saw this has testified so that you also may believe. His testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth.) (John 19.34-35)
John 21 is like an appendix to the Gospel. It takes place by the Lake of Galilee/Sea of Tiberias after the Jesus’ resurrection.
Gathered there together were Simon Peter, Thomas called the Twin, Nathanael of Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two others of his disciples. Simon Peter said to them, ‘I am going fishing.’ They said to him, ‘We will go with you.’ … That disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ‘It is the Lord!’ (John 21.2,3, 7)
There is no reason to doubt that the anonymous “the disciple whom Jesus loved” and “the other disciple” are the same person. Indeed in John 21 it is clear that they are the same. Thus John son of Zebedee or one of the other two disciples, not named but presumably also called John, are the clearest contenders to be the author of the Fourth Gospel.
EARLY CHURCH TRADITION
The earliest accounts of the gospel do not ascribe its writing to the apostle. The Muratorian Canon, probably c. 190 and the earliest list of New Testament books, says, “The fourth of the gospels is of John, one of the disciples. To his fellow-disciples and bishops, who were encouraging him, he said, ‘Fast with me to day for three days and whatever is revealed to each of us, let us tell to one another.’ It was revealed to Andrew, one of the apostles, that all should certify what John wrote in his own name.” It was written at the instigation of John’s fellow-disciples and bishops. John related all things in his own name, aided by the revision of all…” (A New Eusebius, p. 145)
Eusebius of Caesarea ( 260-339) wrote his Ecclesiastical History, quoting earlier writers, particularly Papias (c.130), as follows: “There were two tombs at Ephesus, each of which to this day is said to be John’s…. (Papias) acknowledges that he received the discourses of the apostles from those who had been their followers, but says that he was himself an actual hearer of Aristion and of John the elder.” (A New Eusebius, p.51)
About 190 AD Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus, wrote of “John too, who leant back on the Lord’s breast, who was a priest and wore the priestly plate, both martyr (which can simply mean witness) and teacher. He has fallen asleep in Ephesus.”
All these indicate that the author of the gospel was called John, though he was not an apostle. He was a disciple who had known Jesus personally.
THE CONTENTS OF THE GOSPEL
John’s pattern is to give a historical event and then comment on it. See especially John 3.1-15, and 3.16-21. Later in chapters 7-10 he has longer conversations and discourses with only one miracle which gives rise to a lengthy confrontation with the Pharisees in chapter 9.
a) Signs and discourses/conversations
Chapter 2 Wedding at Cana & Cleansing of Temple
Chapter 5 Healing on Sabbath
Chapter 6 Feeding of Five Thousand
Chapter 9 Healing of a blind man
Chapter 11 Raising of Lazarus
Chapter 12 Triumphal entry, final discourses
b) Conversations.
Much of the gospel is taken up with conversation, just like Plato’s account of Socrates’ conversation. Half of chapter 7 is taken up with statements and questions by the Jewish crowd. It gives a real flavour of what the word on the streets of Jerusalem was at that time. It seems that John uses his memory of the disputes which Jesus had to construct a recognisable picture of Jesus. These discourses are by and large conversations, which Jesus uses to make claims for his God-given authority.
Chapter 1 Jesus and the first disciples
Chapter 3 Nicodemus + disciples of John the Baptist.
Chapter 4 the Samaritan woman
Chapter 6 Crowd – the bread of life
Chapter 7 Crowd – the Feast of Booths/Tabernacles
Chapter 8 Crowd – bitter opposition
Chapter 10 The Good Shepherd – final rejection
c) The Last Supper
John’s account of the Last Supper stresses the washing of the feet and Peter’s response, followed by a chapter of teaching in response to three questions which are asked of him. Chapters 15-17 may be later reflection by John on Jesus’ private teaching.
Chapter 13 Washing the disciples’ feet
Chapter 14 At the last supper – conversation with three disciples
Chapter 15 Discourse on the Vine (no conversation)
Chapter 16 Discourse on the Spirit (some conversation)
Chapter 17 Final prayer (no conversation)
d) The Final Conflict
Conversations are placed at every stage of the Passion: with Annas, Pilate, Mary Magdalen etc.
Chapter 18 Arrest and trials
Chapter 19 Crucifixion
Chapter 20 Resurrection
JESUS’ TEACHING
Amen Amen
Here are the 24 saying in John which are introduced with “Amen Amen I say to you…”
You will see heaven opened and angels from God ascending and descending upon the Son of Man. (1.51)
No one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above. (3.3)
No one can enter the kingdom of God without being born of water and Spirit. (3.5)
We speak of what we know, and testify to what we have seen. (3.11)
The son can do nothing on his own, but only what he sees the father doing. (5.19)
Anyone who hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. (5.24)
The hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. (5.25)
You are looking for me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate your fill of the loaves. (6.26)
It was not Moses who gave you the bread from heaven, but it is my father who gives you the true bread from heaven. (6.32)
Whoever believes has eternal life. (6.47)
Unless you eat the flesh of the Son of Man and drink his blood, you have no life in you. (6.53)
Everyone who commits sin is a slave to sin. (8.34)
Whoever keeps my word will never see death. (8.51)
Before Abraham was, I am. (8.58)
Anyone who does not enter the sheepfold by the gate but climbs in another way is a thief and a bandit. (10.1)
I am the gate for the sheep. (10.7)
Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. (12.24)
Slaves are not greater than their master, nor are messengers greater than the one who sent them. (13.16)
Whoever receives one whom I send receives me; and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me. (13.16)
One of you will betray me. (13.21)
The one who believes in me will also do the works that I do, and , in fact, will do greater works than these, because I am going to the Father. (14.12)
You will weep and mourn, but the world will rejoice; you will have pain, but your pain will turn into joy. (16.20)
If you ask anything of the Father in my name, he will give it to you. (16.23)
(to Peter) When you were younger, you used to fasten your on belt around you and to go wherever you wished. But when you grow old, you will stretch out your hands, and someone else will fasten a belt around you and take you where you do not wish to go. (21.18)
I Am sayings
I am the bread of life. (6.35) I am the living bread that came down from heaven. (6.51)
I am the light of the world. (8.12, 9.5)
You will die in your sins unless you believe that I am. (8.24) When you have lifted up the Son of Man, you will realise that I am. (8.28) Amen amen I tell you, before Abraham was, I am. (8.58)
Amen amen, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate. (10.7, 9)
I am the good shepherd. (10.11, 14)
I am the resurrection and the life. (11.25)
I am the way, the truth and the life. (14.6)
I am the true vine, and my father is the vine-grower/you are the branches. (15.1, 5)
SOME QUESTIONS
(i) What was gospel writer’s relationship with the Twelve?
He seems to have known Andrew and Philip well. Andrew (with Simon Peter) came from the fishing town of Capernaum, and Philip from the neighbouring town of Bethsaida. They are mentioned in 1.40-43, in the feeding of the five thousand (6.7-8), in the request for some Greeks (12.20-22) and at the Last Supper (14.8). With John coming from the cosmopolitan atmosphere of Jerusalem, It may be significant that these are the only two of the Twelve with Greek names. The rest, Shimon, Yacoub, Yochanan, Bar-talmai, Mattityahu, Taddai, Tauma and Y’hudah are thoroughly Jewish. John is the only one who refers to Judas Iscariot’s father Simon, meaning coming from Kerioth, a town south of Hebron in Judah. Thomas appears just before the raising of Lazarus and famously a week after the resurrection (11.16, 20, 24-29, 21.2). Peter speaks up for the other disciples (6.68), but plays a not very noble part in the Passion (13.6-10, 36-38, 18.10-27), and in the Resurrection story, (20.2-10; 21.1-23)
(ii) If the raising of Lazarus is historical, why is it not mentioned as part of the events leading up to the final week in Jerusalem? There is a simple answer. It happened in February, not just before Passover. John tells us that Jesus was in Jerusalem for Hanukah, i.e. December (10.22) But he left in order to escape arrest (10.39) and went across the Jordan (10.40). To go back to Jerusalem when Lazarus was ill and when there were no crowds of pilgrims to watch his back was to put himself into his enemies’ power, as Thomas recognised (11.16, 53). So he left and stayed in “a town called Ephraim” (11.54) – by tradition the modern West Bank town of Taybeh. From there he had to travel back to Jerusalem again for the final Passover.
(iii) Why is the sharing of the bread and wine not mentioned in the Last Supper? Though teaching about it is clearly given in chapter 6. My guess is that for the Early Church it was a secret ceremony, which only the baptised were able to share in. Just a guess!
(iv) Why are the Last Supper discourses repetitive? My guess is that chapters 15 and 16 were written after chapter 14, as a renewed reflection on Jesus’ encouragement of his disciples before his arrest and death, and that the long prayer in chapter 17 is largely John’s construction.
CONCLUSION
By the 4th century it was generally accepted that the John of the Gospel was the same as John the Apostle. I think that it makes much more sense to see the author of the Fourth Gospel as John of Jerusalem, who always saw himself as a disciple, not an apostle; later, in Ephesus, called John the Elder. His work gives genuine insight into Jesus’ teachings in Jerusalem, but they are John’s own work, reflecting on his memories.