*This outline has been generated using artificial intelligence. Review the content carefully, as it may contain errors.
Introduction to the Gospel of John
When you start the study of a new book of the Bible, you should cover its authorship, purpose, and date of writing. The traditional view, supported by early external testimony, attributes the Gospel to the Apostle John, one of the twelve disciples of Jesus. John never names himself in the text, a practice common among Gospel writers. While some 19th and 20th-century scholars suggested the Gospel was written much later, possibly by John’s disciples in the 2nd or 3rd century AD, archaeological discoveries challenge this claim.
Archaeological Evidence and Dating
John Rylands fragment is a papyrus scrap from John 18 found in Egypt, dated around AD 125. Since this was a copy, the original Gospel must have been written earlier, reinforcing the scholarly consensus that John wrote it around 80-90 AD. This evidence counters skepticism about the Gospel's authenticity and timing. Unlike the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), which share common narratives, John’s Gospel includes unique material. John himself states his purpose in John 20:31, emphasizing belief in Jesus as the Christ as the source of eternal life.
Beginning the Text: The Logos
John 1:1-3 describes Jesus as “the Word” (Logos). The Greek term "Logos" was significant to both Jewish and Greek audiences. In Greek philosophy, the Logos was an impersonal rational principle underlying the universe, embraced by Stoics and Epicureans. Stoics viewed life as deterministic, finding meaning in virtue, while Epicureans pursued pleasure since they believed death marked the end. John, however, redefines the Logos as a personal being—one who was with God and was God.
Illustrating the Greek and Jewish Perspectives
[Example of space heater] to explain how the Greeks perceived the universe as governed by rational principles. In Jewish tradition, God’s Word was an expression of His power, notably in creation (Genesis 1). Unlike ancient mythologies where gods constructed from pre-existing materials, the Bible depicts God creating “ex nihilo” (out of nothing) by His word alone. Furthermore, God's Word is not just a force but a self-disclosure, showing His desire for communication and relationship with humanity.
John's declaration that the Logos was “with God and was God” challenges Greek thinking. Unlike their impersonal force, John presents the Logos as a personal being, revealing a relational and intimate aspect of God that was foreign to Greco-Roman and even many Jewish conceptions.
The Absence of God and the Issue of Morality
The alternative to a personal God is a world without objective morality. While people still hold strong moral convictions, without God there is no absolute basis for morality. Observing global injustices evokes deep moral outrage, but if morality is purely subjective or socially constructed, it loses its foundation. Belief in a personal, moral God provides coherence to these moral intuitions.
The Incoherence of Moral Relativism
The dominant moral perspectives in contemporary culture:
- Morality is person-specific – individuals determine their own right and wrong, and no one should impose their morality on others.
- Morality is culturally relative – different cultures have different moral values, and it would be arrogant to judge them by Western ideals.
- Morality is self-evident – people intuitively know that some things, like racism, are wrong without needing external justification.
However, these three views are incoherent when taken together. For instance, if morality is truly relative, then people cannot justifiably condemn oppressive regimes like the Taliban, who genuinely believe in the morality of their actions. While many instinctively feel that certain injustices are universally wrong, moral relativism prevents them from making objective claims.
A World Without God Lacks Meaning
Beyond morality, a world without God results in a lack of meaning. Many today experience a sense of existential vertigo, questioning whether their lives truly matter. Jean-Paul Sartre, a French existentialist philosopher, argued that no finite point has meaning unless it has an infinite reference point. In other words, human life has no objective value without a transcendent anchor.
[Mathematical example] illustrates that without a fixed point of reference, there is no way to measure one's value. Without God, people often attempt to drown out these existential concerns through busyness, substances, or distractions. However, if there is a Creator, then both morality and personal meaning are rooted in something absolute.
The Creator Gives Meaning and Objective Morality
If God exists and created humanity in His image, then morality is no longer an arbitrary construct but an objective reality. This allows people to confidently declare that injustices, such as human rights violations and oppression, are objectively wrong, regardless of cultural differences.
Deriving value from a Creator does not diminish human worth. Instead, it’s like admiring a well-designed vehicle—the craftsmanship of its creator enhances its significance rather than diminishes it. This ties into John’s statement that the Word was God, introducing the doctrine of the Trinity: God is one in essence but three in person.
The Trinity and Its Philosophical Significance
The concept of the Trinity has been a point of confusion and criticism, especially from philosophers and other religions. However, its complexity does not make it illogical. In fact, the Trinity solves a major problem of monotheism—how a singular, self-existent God could be relational. Unlike other conceptions of monotheism, Christianity presents a God who was eternally relational within Himself. This doctrine, though controversial, would have deeply challenged John’s Jewish audience.
The Logos as the Creator of All Things
John’s statement that "all things came into being through Him" (John 1:3) is profound because it affirms that Jesus (the Logos) is the Creator of the universe. This echoes Genesis 1:1 ("In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth").
Historically, many believed the universe was eternal. However, in 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered that the universe is expanding, which led to the Big Bang Theory. This scientific breakthrough supported the biblical idea that the universe had a beginning, aligning with John’s assertion that creation came into existence through God’s Word.
Scientific Resistance to a Created Universe
Many scientists initially resisted the idea that the universe had a beginning because it suggested a cause beyond nature. Nobel Prize-winning scientist Arthur Eddington found the idea repugnant, while prominent astrophysicist Fred Hoyle dismissed it as a "crackpot theory." However, physicist Alexander Vilenkin later concluded that the evidence overwhelmingly supports a universe that had a beginning.
This has significant implications: if the universe had a beginning, it must have had a cause. Atheist philosopher Quentin Smith bleakly stated that humanity came "from nothing, by nothing, and for nothing." The bible asserts that something does not come from nothing—the existence of design suggests a designer.
The Light and Life of Christ
John 1:4 states, "In Him was life, and the life was the light of men." The terms life and light were deeply meaningful to John’s Jewish audience.
- Life represents eternal life, which God grants to believers.
- Light signifies God’s self-disclosure—His desire to reveal Himself to humanity.
John then declares, "The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it." This means that while Christ reveals truth, many reject or fail to understand it.
[Hotel stay example]. Light exposes reality, just as truth exposes sin and spiritual darkness.
The Light Exposes the Darkness
Light exposes reality—both good and bad. [Hotel stay example]. People often like the idea of revelation but struggle with exposure because it reveals uncomfortable truths about themselves.
John 3:19-21 reinforces this point. People instinctively resist God’s truth because it exposes their flaws. However, God’s intention is not to shame or harm but to reveal humanity’s deep need for Him.
John 1:10-13 highlights the two ways people respond to Christ:
- Rejection – Some ignore Him, even though He is the Creator.
- Acceptance – Those who receive Him gain the right to become children of God.
This divine adoption is an extraordinary offer: the Creator of the universe wants a personal relationship with people. This is like having direct access to a world leader—an impossibility in human terms, yet made possible with God through Jesus.
Personal Faith vs. Inherited Belief
Faith is not inherited—it’s not based on family descent ("not of blood"), nor on personal effort ("not of the will of the flesh"). Some assume they are Christians simply because they grew up in Christian households, but true faith must be personally embraced.
[Example of son’s personal faith decision].
Faith is like declaring love in a relationship—it’s not just about feeling something but expressing and affirming it. Similarly, faith is dynamic, growing over time, but there is an important moment when one personally chooses to trust God.
John 1:12-13 emphasizes that becoming a child of God is a gift—not something earned through good works, but something received by faith. Those who have never made that decision can turn to God in faith, accepting the gift of salvation offered through Jesus.