How is John's gospel the most 'Jewish' of the four?

Answer 1

A comparative study of the gospels reveals that Matthew's is the most "Jewish" of the four, with the most references to Old Testament prophecy (about sixty) and quotations of OT scripture (about forty), and the greatest focus on what the Jews in partuicular needed to know and understand about Jesus' mission. Its primary purpose was to show that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the kingly Messiah of Jewish prophecy.

John's gospel is the most "spiritual" of the four, concentrating on the divinity of Jesus. In it, Jesus gives a more complete revelation of Himself and of God than is given in the synoptics.

The synoptic gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) serve to draw readers of various backgrounds TO Christ, while John's gospel serves to increase faith IN Christ.

No. the first gospel - Matthew, and NOT John, the fourth gospel - is deemed by almost all scholars as the most Jewish. There are several reasons for this, but let's just concentrate on just a few:

• Matthew begins his gospel with the family tree of Jesus showing his Jewish heritage ahd indicating his descent from David that is necessary for messiahship.

• Matthew uses many descriptions and references to Jewish customs and culture (unique in the gospels) without any explanation. This strongly suggests that he is writing to a Jewish audience (as opposed to, say, Luke who is a gentile wriiting to a gentile audience) and therefore explanations of these customs and culture are nor necessary.

• Matthew is the only gospel to include many prophesies linking Jesus with the promised Messiah, again, unique in the gospels. In all he includes 65 references to the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) as evidence that Jesus is the promised Messiah. This emphasises the Jewishness of Jesus, and the status as the promised Messiah (he "of whom Moses in the Law and the Prophets did write" writes Matthew). Such rhetoric is not seen in the other gospels - especially John, the fouth gospel, as here John emphasises the divinity of Christ and not his Messiahship, as John is not writing to Jews primarily.

• Matthew's style of writing (in the original Greek) is very Jewish in style, idiom, phrasing and so on.

• Matthew underlines Jesus actual role in his life and mission. he records Jesus as saying "I am not come to destroy [the Law and the Prophets], but to fulfill" thus persuading his Jewish readers that Jesus is not a replacement of Judaism, but its fulfilment. This is not a necessity had the gospel been directed to a gentile audience.

Answer 2

In the most important sense, the Fourth Gospel, the Gospel According to Saint John, is the least Jewish gospel. Written long after the final break between the Christians and Judaism, it displays more hostility towards the Jews than any other gospel.

At a technical level, John displays more understanding of Jewish ritual than any of the other gospels. For example, the author of John's Gospel understood the lowly status of Galilean Jews when he had the say that no prophet would come out of Galilee. It is John's Gospel that recognises that the Sanhedrin would never have met during hours of darkness to try Jesus, resolving this by eliminating the first trial and merely having Jesus brought separately before Annas and Caiaphas. Only John properly identifies that first-century Jewish burial practice was always to cover the face of the deceased with a separate napkin.

Answer 3

A:Christians have traditionally regarded Matthew as the most Jewish of the four New Testament gospels, largely because of its frequent references to the Old Testament. However, many Jews have pointed out that the author of Matthew seems uncertain of Jewish customs and that the Old Testament references are always to the Septuagint, a flawed, early Greek translation of the Hebrew scriptures. They say that the author of John seems more aware of Jewish customs and traditions, in spite of its more pronounced anti-Jewish rhetoric.

Answer 4

AnswerChristians often believe that Matthew's Gospel is the most Jewish of the New Testament Gospels because of its frequent references from the Old Testament. However, Jewish scholars dispute this and say that first century Jews would not have found Matthewvery credible.

John's Gospel displays more understanding of Jewish ritual than any of the other gospels. For example, the author of Johnunderstood the lowly status of Galilean Jews when he had the say that no prophet would come out of Galilee. It is John's Gospel that recognises that the Sanhedrin would never have met during hours of darkness to try Jesus, resolving this by eliminating the first trial and merely having Jesus brought separately before Annas and Caiaphas. John's crucifixion made more use of Passover tradition than did the other gospels. Only John properly identifies that first-century Jewish burial practice was always to cover the face of the deceased with a separate napkin.

At the same time, it should be noted that John's Gospel was more strongly anti-Jewish than its predecessors.

Answer 5

I would say that the Gospel of Matthew is directed to, for the most part, a "Jewish" audience. Why do I say this?

1. Matthew focuses on the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
2. He shows that Abraham is in Jesus' lineage
3. He doesn't explain Jewish customs well
4. He uses Jewish wording (terminology)

Answer 6

Some believe that Matthew's Gospel is the most Jewish of the four New Testament gospels, mainly because it contains more Old Testament references than any other gospel. Some believe that John's Gospel is the most Jewish gospel because its author shows more understanding of first-century Jewish culture than any other. John largely avoids the pitfall Matthew falls into when it uses the Septuagint translation of the Hebrew scriptures, which a Palestinian Jew of the first century would immediately recognise and reject.

Answer 7

If Jews find the fourth gospel to be the most Jewish gospel, then that is likely to be the case!

All the New Testament gospels were originally anonymous and we do not really know who wrote any of them, but New Testament scholars say that none of them could have been written by an eyewitness to the events described. However, the author of John's Gospel showed more understanding of first-century Jewish culture than any of the other evangelists. He was even willing to alter the original gospel story to make it more realistic in the milieu of the time.