An Overview of the Gospel of John

What do you know about when John’s Gospel was written? Who was the Gospel authored for originally? Read to learn more about the Gospel of John.

Who Wrote the Gospel of John and When Was It Written?

The Gospel of John is greatly beloved—probably because the author presents so clearly Jesus’ promise of eternal life for those who simply believe in Him.

Evidence for the Authorship of John

Internal Evidence. The unnamed author was an eyewitness of Christ (1:14; 19:35; 21:24) and has identified himself as “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23; 21:7, 20). He was also one of the 12 apostles (Mt 10:2). On several occasions, the author is shown closely associated with Peter (20:2-8; 21:7), as the apostle John is in the Synoptics and Acts (Mt 17:1; Ac 3:1-4). In addition, the similarities with Revelation, written by John, reinforce the strong case made for the traditional view that the apostle John wrote the book.

External Evidence. The early church father Irenaeus (d. AD 200) claimed that John wrote the Fourth Gospel after he was released from prison on the island of Patmos (Rv 1:9) and lived in Ephesus. Irenaeus also wrote that he personally learned this information from the aged Polycarp, bishop of Smyrna (d. AD 155), who in turn was discipled by the apostle John.

Dating the Gospel of John

A first-century date for the writing of John has been confirmed by the 1920 discovery of the Greek ms fragment of John known as P 52, written c. AD 125. The original must have been penned much earlier, perhaps c. AD 80–90. This date is strongly supported by patristic testimony. However, Jn 5:2 states, “By the Sheep Gate in Jerusalem there is [present tense] a pool” (HCSB, italics added). This may point to a date even before the Roman destruction of Jerusalem (AD 70).

What Are the Purpose and Theme of the Gospel of John?

Faith in Christ for eternal life is central to John’s gospel, as his purpose statement reflects (20:30-31). The verb “believe” (pisteuo) is used about 100 times, with numerous synonyms of and symbols for “believe” such as “receive” (1:11), “know” (4:42; 6:69), “come to” (5:40; 6:35), “behold” (6:40), and “eat” and “drink” (6:54). Various other synonymous constructions include “believe in” (pisteuo eis) and “believe that” (pisteuo hoti). In the NT, the Fourth Gospel also presents the most extensive testimony that Jesus is the divine Son of God and prophesied Messiah.

While the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke) contain much parallel material, over 90 percent of John is unique. Unlike the Synoptics’, John’s unique content (e.g., woman at the well, Nicodemus) was designed primarily for evangelism (20:30-31). In the OT, God demonstrated perfection and completeness by mentioning a number plus one (Ps 62:11; Pr 6:16; Dn 3:24-25; Mc 5:5). Three Synoptic Gospels plus one (John) implies a complete but not exhaustive revelation of Christ. See also the sidebar, “A Comparison of the Synoptics and John.”

Who Was the Original Audience for the Gospel of John?

The readers were likely non-Christians whom John hoped to win to faith (20:31). Many Semitic (Hebrew) expressions are given a Greek equivalent (e.g., Jn 1:38, 41), suggesting the readers were Greek-speaking. Sometimes Jewish concepts are left unexplained (e.g., “the Lamb of God,” 1:29). The natural conclusion is that John was writing to Greek-speaking, Jewish non-Christians living outside Israel, perhaps in Ephesus.

What Is the Background of the Gospel of John?

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls in 1948 proved that most of John’s concepts derive from Judaism, not Hellenism. Characteristics of John include stark contrasts (e.g., light/darkness, life/death), symbolism, and irony (see commentary throughout).

The term “the Jews” is recurrent in John and refers to (1) the Jewish people in general (e.g., 18:33); (2) the hostile Jewish people in Jerusalem (e.g., 11:54); or (3) the hostile Jewish leaders in Jerusalem (most references). The negative references have sometimes resulted in a charge of anti-Semitism. However, some passages use the term in a positive (8:31; 11:45; 12:11) or neutral way (3:1). Even when John presented the Jews negatively, the viewpoint is no more severe than similar denunciations of Israel by the OT prophets, who like John, were themselves Jewish.

After the prologue (chap. 1), chaps. 2–12 feature seven major signs that prove Jesus’ messianic identity (see comment on 2:11). After describing Christ’s farewell instructions to His disciples (chaps. 13–17) and His crucifixion (chaps. 18–19), John presented the climactic eighth sign (a number + 1; see above)—Christ’s resurrection (20:1-29; cf. 2:18-22). This account is immediately followed by John’s purpose statement (20:3031). A final epilogue balances the prologue and completes the book (21:1-25).