PREFACE
I have just finished the Epistles of John, 9/16/03, and I enjoyed my studies in the epistles of John so much, that I feel as though I know John personally. I finished the third epistle with this thought of meeting the apostles face to face, or as John stated it, mouth to mouth, to ask him questions I have not been able to find in other writings; so I am continuing my expository writings on John's Gospel hoping to encourage my wife, who is my chief support, and then to my children and grandchildren, and a few brothers and sisters, who encourage me to write, and they make up my make-believe congregation. I have all of them in mind as I am writing, so I am very careful not to make up anything just for the sake of being different. It is my sincere desire to present the Word as uncorrupted as I possibly can, in order that whoever might read this exposition will be encouraged to make personal study of the Bible a primary concern.
The literal Greek translation of each verse is taken from the United Bible Societies Greek New Testament; as I said in the preface to the Epistles of John, I will check my accuracy in translating with some very reputable Greek scholars, namely, A.T. Robertson, Marvin R, Vincent, George Ricker Berry, Summers and Sawyer, Daniel Wallace, J.Vernon McGee, The Analytical Greek Lexicon and various Bible Commentators. One of the reasons I am doing a translation of each verse is an exercise for my own benefit, in order that I am able to use this tool of the Greek grammar, so as not to lose it. If I don't use it, I am likely to lose it. I am very much aware that in all translations, syntax (context) is the chief aim. I had a very able Greek Professor, and he would warn us students not to flaunt our knowledge of Greek. He also told us at an early stage in our learning that we now know just enough to be dangerous. Also, as long as I am in the confession mood, I will tell you that I am very much aware of the deception of the 'ego.' I spent twenty years or so listening to my older brother preach, and one thing that has impressed my mind is, that no one is able to stand up in front of an audience or to write a book, or in my case an exposition, without wanting to appear intellectual, and be well thought of or to be admired. I agree with my brother, so I am very much aware of my shortcoming in this area, and I will try very hard to keep my ego in control; I know this will be impossible completely, but please bear with me as I try. The one thing I pray is that I don't mislead anyone into error, and I am sure kids, if you examine every verse prayerfully, and ask God to teach you by His Holy Spirit, and you use the great deduction of His grace, you will be safe, even from me, whom I know you love and respect. I really want you to 'study to show yourselves approved (after examination) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (without perversion or distortion) the Word of truth' (II Tim. 2:15). As I know that He loves each and every one of us, if we work hard to learn, He will teach us, God Bless you all.
INTRODUCTION
The Gospel of John has been thought to be a very simple Book. It is not simple, even though it presents the plan of Salvation in a very easy to understand way. I don't believe anyone who has studied the Gospel would say it is simple. I don't believe anyone should teach any Book of the Bible without studying it first. I think the reason someone would think John's Gospel is simple, is that they have only read such verses as 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believes on Him, will not perish, but have everlasting life, and 1:12, "But as many as received Him, to them gave he power to become the sons of God, even to them who believe on His name". Even though these verses present God's plan of personal salvation very simply, they are far from simple.
I will not get into the controversy (among other things, I am not qualified) presented through the ages as to whether or not The Apostle John was the author of this Gospel, as well as his three epistles, and the Apocalypse, because he didn't state his name at the beginning of his writings, except in the Apocalypse. John was the oldest of the apostles and was the last living when he wrote this Gospel, and many of the members of the assemblies in Asia Minor knew John. John lived in the latter part of the first century and the beginning of the second century, so we have plenty of testimonies from his personal disciples, namely Polycarp, and Irenaeus a disciple of Polycarp. The writings of Polycarp and Irenaeus although not inspired, are trustworthy accounts of the validity of John's authorship; all this is what is called 'external evidence.' What is most convincing is the 'internal evidence', that is, what is revealed in the Word of God itself, which would include the 'Johannine style' revealed in the Gospel and the Epistles; even though we don't see it in the Apocalypse. I will quote one passage from F.F. Bruce that will suffice in the matter of external evidence:
"By the end of the second century, then, the Gospel of John was generally acknowledged throughout the Christian churches as one of the four canonical gospel-writings. Our principal witness from this period is Irenaeus, who went from his home in the province of Asia shortly after AD 177 to become bishop of Lyon in the Rhone valley. Irenaeus was familiar with Christianity in the eastern and western parts of the Roman Empire; he also maintained close association with the church in Rome. His statement about the books of the NT, like his statements about Christian doctrine as a whole, reflect the consensus of Christian belief over a wide area.
To Irenaeus, the fourfold character of the gospel record is as axiomatic (self-evident) as the four quarters of the world or the four principal winds (or, as we should say today in an idiom which was not available to him, the four cardinal points of the compass). Not only was he sure that the Fourth Gospel was authoritative; he had no doubt of the Evangelist's identity: 'John the disciple of the Lord, who leaned on his breast, published the Gospel while he was resident at Ephesus in Asia,' The Evangelist, that is to say, was the beloved disciple of Jesus (John 13:23), and his name was John.
In this as in other matters Irenaeus attached importance to the testimony of reliable Christian tradition, and with regard to the Fourth Evangelist he relied on one specially important bearer of tradition - Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna. On one occasion he had occasion to remonstrant with Florinus, a former acquaintance of his, whom he had known in Smyrna many years before, and wrote to him as follows:
I remember the events of those days more clearly than those, which have taken, place recently, for what we learn as boys grows up with our lives and becomes united to them. So I can describe for you the very place where the blessed Polycarp sat and discoursed, how he came in and went out, his manner of life and his bodily appearance, the discourses which he used to deliver to the people, and how he would tell of his converse with John and with the others who had seen the Lord, how he remembered their words, and what things he had heard from them about the Lord, including his mighty works and his teachingÂ….
It is inevitable that we should identify the John of whom Polycarp spoke with that John who, according to Iranaeus, published the Gospel at Ephesus. Polycarp, who was at least eighty six years old at the time of his martyrdom in AD 156, could well have known in his earlier years men and women who had met Jesus and who lived on into the eighties and nineties of the first century" (Irenaeus against Heresies 3.1.2; Eusebius Ecclesiastical History 5.20. 5, 6).
I believe as we examine the Gospel of John you will see how similar it is in style with his three Epistles, hopefully kids, you have read them, but if not, I will make comparisons as I go on in this exposition. John states one purpose for his writing this book in Chapter 20 verses 30, 31, "But these are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing ye might have life through His name." Another purpose is stated in the first verse, and that is, the deity of Christ. John was so aware of the false teachings that were spreading throughout the world, especially Gnosticism, Docetic and Cerinthian (for a brief description of this heresy, see my introduction to the Epistles of John); his teachings were also aimed at making his little children aware of the poison of heresy. The Gospel of John declared Christ's deity assuming his humanity, where as, the Epistles declared Christ's humanity, assuming His deity.
The Date of the Gospel
The date of the Gospel of John is c 85 - 90 AD
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