manuscript-arabic-gospeljohn-1684.jpg

John

Bible Studies, Messages, Papers

 

Photograph: An illuminated manuscript of the Gospel of John from an Arabic copy of the four Gospels from 1684 AD.  The copy was made in Egypt by Ilyās Bāsim Khūrī Bazzī Rāhib, who was most likely a Coptic monk.  Photo credit:  Walters Art Museum Ms. W.592 folio 212a, Public domain.

Below are messages, small group leader notes, and exegetical notes on the writings of John: the Gospel of John; the Revelation to John; and the first, second, and third Letters of John.

 

Messages on John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation

 
 
 

Small Group Leader Notes on John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation

 

John 1:1 - 18 Jesus Defines Who God Is and Who Humanity Is

John 1:1 - 18 Jesus is at the Center of the Universe, Not You

John 1:19 - 51 The Chain of Witnesses

John 2:1 - 12 Jesus' Fullness:  A Hint of the New

John 2:13 - 25 Jesus' Fullness:  The Fall of the Old

John 3:1 - 21 Glimpses of a New Humanity

John 3:22 - 36 I Must Decrease, Jesus Must Increase

John 4:1 - 29 Can Jesus Satisfy Our Thirst?

John 4:1 - 42 Jesus' Witness to Samaria

John 4:30 - 54 Belief on What Basis?

John 5:1 - 15 Jesus Calls Us Out of Self-Pity

John 5:16 - 47 The Son Testifies About the Father, and Vice Versa

John 6:1 - 21 Jesus is the New Bread of Life

John 6:22 - 51 You Are What You Eat

John 6:52 - 71 Where Else Shall We Go?

John 7:1 - 53 The Law, Jesus, and the True Fountain of Life

John 8:1 - 11 The Woman Caught in Adultery: A Lesson in the True Intent of the Jewish Law

John 8:12 - 36 Jesus Grants True Freedom

John 8:37 - 59 Who's Your Daddy?

John 9:1 - 41 Jesus Gives Sight to the Blind

John 10:1 - 21 Jesus is the Door and the Shepherd

John 10:22 - 42 Jesus' Case to Be Messiah, and the Case Against Him

John 11:1 - 44 Jesus Raises the Dead

John 12:1 - 19 Jesus' Last Visit to Jerusalem

John 12:20 - 50 The Time Has Come

John 13:1 - 38 Jesus Washes His Disciples' Feet

John 14:1 - 7 Jesus is the Way, Truth, and Life

John 14:8 - 21 Jesus' Spirit in Us

John 14:22 - 31 Jesus' Word and His Spirit

John 15:1 - 17 The Vine and the Branches, Part One: Abiding

John 15:1 - 17 The Vine and the Branches, Part Two: Loving

John 15:18 - 16:3 Like Teacher, Like Student

John 16:4 - 16 The Holy Spirit's Work

John 16:17 - 33 Joy, Sorrow, and Courage

John 17:1 - 13 Jesus' Prayer For Us, Part 1

John 17:14 - 26 Jesus' Prayer For Us, Part 2

John 18:1 - 19:16 The Two Trials

John 19:17 - 42 The Revealing of Jesus

John 20:1 - 31 To Believe is to Be Sent

John 21:1 - 25 Jesus Restores the Fallen

Thematic Study The Theme of Fire in Revelation

Revelation 17:1 - 18:24 The Fall of Human Civilization

 
 

Personal Study Notes on John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation

 

John 1:1 - 18 Jesus Defines Who God Is and Who Humanity Is

John 1:1 - 18 Jesus is at the Center of the Universe, Not You

John 1:19 - 51 The Chain of Witnesses

John 2:1 - 12 Jesus' Fullness:  A Hint of the New

John 2:13 - 25 Jesus' Fullness:  The Fall of the Old

John 3:1 - 21 Glimpses of a New Humanity

John 3:22 - 36 I Must Decrease, Jesus Must Increase

John 4:1 - 29 Can Jesus Satisfy Our Thirst?

John 4:1 - 42 Jesus' Witness to Samaria

John 4:30 - 54 Belief on What Basis?

John 5:1 - 15 Jesus Calls Us Out of Self-Pity

John 5:16 - 47 The Son Testifies About the Father, and Vice Versa

John 6:1 - 21 Jesus is the New Bread of Life

 
 

Notes and Essays on John’s Gospel, Letters, and Revelation

 
 
 
 
 
 

The Theme of Light and Fire in John’s Gospel and Revelation

 
 

Jesus, the Bronze Serpent, and the Healing of Humanity: Exegesis of John 3:14 - 15

A paper written for Dr. Bruce Beck at Holy Cross Greek Orthodox Seminary, Spring 2019. This paper explores the intertextual use of Numbers and Isaiah by John's Gospel

 
 
 
 

Other Resources on the Writings of John

 

Kaufman Kohler, Memra. Jewish Encyclopedia. Memra means “the word” and this article gives a good summary of the Hebrew Bible / Old Testament of “the word of God” from a Jewish perspective. This is important background to John’s use of “Word of God” for Jesus.

Robert Alter and Frank Kermode, The Literary Guide to the Bible. Harvard University Press | Amazon page, Sep 1, 1990. Contributions give very helpful insights into the Gospels and biblical narrative in general.

N.T. Wright, The New Testament and the People of God. Fortress Press | Amazon page, Sep 1992. Wright gives has valuable historical context, and high level survey of Matthew.

Ancient Faith Ministries, End Times Part 2, Church History. Ancient Faith Ministries, Oct 8, 2006. Surveys views on the second coming of Christ, what Christians have believed about it, including the more enthusiastic periods,

Eugenia Scarvelis Constantinou, Andrew of Caesarea and the Apocalypse in the Ancient Church of the East. PhD dissertation, 2008. The earliest commentary on the Book of Revelation, dating back to 611 AD,

Michael Gorman, Reading Revelation Responsibly: Uncivil Worship and Witness: Following the Lamb into the New Creation. Cascade Books | Amazon page, Oct 2010.

David Moffitt, Atonement and the Logic of Resurrection in the Epistle to the Hebrews. Brill Academic Press | Amazon page, July 2013. Moffitt focuses on the resurrection of Jesus and the ongoing mediator role that Jesus fills in the model of a Levitical sacrifice. Moffitt also argues that 1 John 1 argues for Jesus as our ongoing mediator, which requires our confession — see 73 minute podcast interview by Erin Heim, David Moffitt – Rethinking the Atonement. On Script, Jun 1, 2023. See David M. Moffitt, Rethinking the Atonement: New Perspectives on Jesus's Death, Resurrection, and Ascension. Baker Academic | Amazon page, Nov 2022.

Greg Boyd, Greg's Response to Driscoll's "Is God a Pacifist" Part 1. ReKnew blog, Oct 28, 2013.

Greg Boyd, Greg's Response to Driscoll's "Is God a Pacifist" Part 2. ReKnew blog, Oct 28, 2013.

Greg Boyd, Greg's Response to Driscoll's "Is God a Pacifist" Part 3. ReKnew blog, Oct 29, 2013. 

Paradosis, Engaging the Gospel of John. Audio lectures, Sep 25 - 27, 2014.

Father Aidan Kimel, Recovering the Good News of Predestination. Eclectic Orthodoxy blog, Nov 12, 2014. Contrasts Augustine and Maximus Confessor on John 6:39.

John Behr, The Incarnation and Passion in the Gospel of John. Fleetwd1, Dec 27, 2019. An hour lecture by patristics scholar and former dean of St. Vladimir’s Seminary John Behr.

Ku Leuven Faculty of Theology and Religious Studies, New Jerusalem: Conceptions of Revelation’s Holy City in Late Antique Christianity. Ku Leuven, Sep 30, 2020.

Diana Butler Bass, All the Marys: A Monday Musing from The Cottage. The Cottage, Jul 18, 2022.  Possibly, Mary of Bethany came to be known as Mary Magdalene, meaning “the Tower,” paralleling Simon “the Rock.”  This is because of a likely scribal error about “Martha” in John 11, who was really the character of Mary but split because of confusion or an attempt to diminish her.  Bass’s sermon  “draws from Elizabeth Schrader’s work on the Marys, I sent it to her that she might listen. She responded by saying it was “powerful” and well-represents her work (noting the stylistic differences between an academic paper and a sermon!). And she also wanted listeners to know that, at this point, the Nestle-Aland committee of the Greek New Testament is aware of this work and will take it into account as they work on updated critical editions of the New Testament. In her words, “they are unlikely to remove Martha completely unless further discoveries come to light, but the apparatus (the footnotes) in John 11 may well change as a result of this discovery.” A more cautious assessment is offered by Marg Mowczko, Is Martha Missing in the Oldest Surviving Text of John 11? Marg Mowczko, Aug 2, 2022.  

Marg Mowzcko, The Holy Spirit as Mother in Early Syriac Texts. Marg Mowzcko, Mar 31, 2023. A very readable, concise article about the textual tradition.

 
 

Bible Studies and Messages from The Anástasis Center: The New Testament:

 
 

Bible Studies and Messages from The Anástasis Center: