Who wrote John's Gospel?

Answer 1

A:Ian Wilson (Jesus: The Evidence) says that it can come as quite a shock to discover that no-one can even be sure who wrote the gospels. Despite the versions printed in our Bibles long having borne the names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, these names are mere attributions, and even as such are rather less reliable than attributions given to unsigned works of art. The gospels were all written anonymously and only attributed to the disciples whose names they now bear later in the second century.

The Church Fathers of the second century noticed that this Gospel does not mention the disciple John, and so assumed that its 'disciple whon Jesus loved' must be John. They then decided that this disciple was also the author and that it was out of modesty that he did not tell us his name, thus arriving at the decision that the gospel now known as John's Gospel was written by John. This was a very problematic piece of analyis on the part of the Church Fathers, particularly as it can be shown that the Gospel was not written by an eyewitness to the events it portrays, so we do not really know who wrote John's Gospel.

AnswerJohn wrote John's gospel and Revelation under the direction of the Holy Spirit. He was the apostle of Jesus. AnswerThe internal evidence against the authenticity of the Fourth Gospel is conclusive. The Apostle John did not write it. John, the apostle, was a Jew; the author of the Fourth Gospel was not a Jew. John was born at Bethsaida; the author of the Fourth Gospel did not know where Bethsaida was located. John was an uneducated fisherman; the author of this Gospel was an accomplished scholar. Some of the most important events in the life of Jesus, the Synoptics declare, were witnessed by John; the author of this knows nothing of these events. The Apostle John witnessed the crucifixion; the author of this Gospel did not. The Apostles, including John, believed Jesus to be a man; the author of the Fourth Gospel believed him to be a god.

Regarding the authorship of the Fourth Gospel, Dr. Davidson says: "The Johannine authorship has receded before the tide of modern criticism, and though this tide is arbitrary at times, it is here irresistible" (Canon of the Bible, p. 127).

AnswerThe fourth gospel was attributed to the disciple John, late in the second century CE, and has since been known as the Gospel According to Saint John, or more commonly as John's Gospel. It appears to have been written quite a few decades after the crucifixion of Jesus, thus suiting the notion of being written by a disciple who would not die.

However, the gospel is clearly derivative and therefore is now considered not to have been written by an eyewitness to the events described. The second century Roman teacher, Gaius, called the Gospel of John "heretical" and claimed that it was written by John's worst enemy, Cerinthus.

Many scholars are now convinced that the Gospel of John emerged from an intense debate over who Jesus was, with its purpose to defend certain views and oppose others. The gospel appears to have been written in layers, by anonymous authors from a Christian sect now known as the "Johannine Community".

AnswerJohn wrote John's gospel and Revelation under the direction of the Holy Spirit. He was the apostle of Jesus. AnswerThe fourth gospel was attributed to the disciple John, late in the second century CE, and has since been known as the Gospel According to Saint John, or more commonly as John's Gospel. It appears to have been written quite a few decades after the crucifixion of Jesus, thus suiting the notion of being written by a disciple who would not die.

However, the gospel is clearly derivative and therefore is now considered not to have been written by an eyewitness to the events described. The second century Roman teacher, Gaius, called the Gospel of John "heretical" and claimed that it was written by John's worst enemy, Cerinthus.

Many scholars are now convinced that the Gospel of John emerged from an intense debate over who Jesus was, with its purpose to defend certain views and oppose others. The gospel appears to have been written in layers, by anonymous authors from a Christian sect now known as the "Johannine Community".

AnswerJohn wrote John's gospel and Revelation under the direction of the Holy Spirit. He was the apostle of Jesus. AnswerThe internal evidence against the authenticity of the Fourth Gospel is conclusive. The Apostle John did not write it. John, the apostle, was a Jew; the author of the Fourth Gospel was not a Jew. John was born at Bethsaida; the author of the Fourth Gospel did not know where Bethsaida was located. John was an uneducated fisherman; the author of this Gospel was an accomplished scholar. Some of the most important events in the life of Jesus, the Synoptics declare, were witnessed by John; the author of this knows nothing of these events. The Apostle John witnessed the crucifixion; the author of this Gospel did not. The Apostles, including John, believed Jesus to be a man; the author of the Fourth Gospel believed him to be a god.

Regarding the authorship of the Fourth Gospel, Dr. Davidson says: "The Johannine authorship has receded before the tide of modern criticism, and though this tide is arbitrary at times, it is here irresistible" (Canon of the Bible, p. 127).

AnswerInternal Evidence:The proposition that the author of the Gospel of John is 'the disciple whom Jesus loved' and also the one who leaned on His breast at supper (21:20 cf. 21:7) and that the same person is indeed the apostle John is supported by a number of lines of evidence under three main points:

1. He was evidently a contemporary of the events described:

The writer was personally known to the High Priest and entered his residence along with Jesus on the night when Jesus was arrested (18:15). This author alone mentions the fact that it was the servant of the High Priest who had his ear cut off by Peter (18:10). This author deals with questions which are relevant to the period prior to AD 70 and not with controversies which were occurring in the second century connected with the Gnostic and Ebionite groups. (cf 6:15; 11:47-50) Many other details indicate contempoaneity with the events described.

2. He was Jew of Palestine:

The opening words of the book demonstrate an acquaintance with Hebrew (cf Genesis 1:1). On three occasions there are quotes from the Hebrew (12:40; 13:18; 19:37). There is intimate knowledge displayed regarding the Hebrew festivals viz. the Festival of Booths (7:2 Tabernacles KJV) the Feast of Dedication (10:22) and the Passover (21:13,23; 6:4; 13:1;18:28). Jewish customs and ways of thinking are familiar to the author eg. questions about purification (3:25;11:55), marriage customs, especially the method of arranging the waterpots (2:1-10); customs relating to burial (11:38,44; 19:31,40). Knowledge of the geography of Palestine is demonstrated such as the descent from Cana to the Sea of Galilee (2:12) and also the fact that Jacob's well is deep (4:11). Specific places such as Ephraim (11:54), Mount Gerizim (4:20), Jerusalem and the Kidron valley (18:1), Bethsaida and Siloam (5:2; 9:7), and Golgotha (19:17 etc).

3. He was John, the beloved disciple.

This can be deduced in a general sense from the above facts. He indicates the precise hours when particular events took place (1:39; 4:6,52; 19:14). He records quotations of the disciple Philip (6:7; 14:8), Thomas (11:16;14:5), Judas (14:22), and Andrew (6:8-9). He leaned on the breast of Jesus at supper on the night of the betrayal (13:23-25) and was among the three 'inner circle' of Peter, James, and John. Peter is distinguished from this author by name in 1:41-42;13:6,8 and James had become a martyr very early, long before the Gospel was written (Acts 12:2). He has a particular way of introducing himself (John 13:23; 19;26; 20:2; 21:7,20). These facts cumulatively make it difficult to come to any other conclusion, but that John was the author of the Gospel which bears his name.

Source: The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Merril F. Unger, Moody, Chicago. 1988. p 701.

It must also be understood that the early church was interested in knowing who authored the works they were asked to accept as truth. No other author was ever suggested for this book, which is unusual indeed if someone other than John wrote it. The reason the early Christians wanted to know who wrote these works was that they were only interested in truth, and truth which had apostolic authority.

AnswerThe fourth gospel was attributed to the disciple John, late in the second century CE, and has since been known as the Gospel According to Saint John, or more commonly as John's Gospel. It appears to have been written quite a few decades after the crucifixion of Jesus, thus suiting the notion of being written by a disciple who would not die.

However, the gospel is clearly derivative and therefore is now considered not to have been written by an eyewitness to the events described. The second century Roman teacher, Gaius, called the Gospel of John "heretical" and claimed that it was written by John's worst enemy, Cerinthus.

Many scholars are now convinced that the Gospel of John emerged from an intense debate over who Jesus was, with its purpose to defend certain views and oppose others. The gospel appears to have been written in layers, by anonymous authors from a Christian sect now known as the "Johannine Community".

AnswerSt. John the Apostle is the author. AnswerIt doesn't say in the gospel, but early church father Irenaeus, Clement of Alexandra, Tertulian and Hippolytus ascribe the gospel to John, the youngest of the twelve apostles.

Answer 2

Tradition says that the apostle John wrote this gospel, so Ian Wilson (Jesus: The Evidence) says that it can come as quite a shock to discover that no-one can even be sure who wrote the gospels. Despite the versions printed in our Bibles long having borne the names Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, these names are mere attributions, and even as such are rather less reliable than attributions given to unsigned works of art. The gospels were all written anonymously and only attributed to the disciples whose names they now bear later in the second century.

The Church Fathers of the second century noticed that this Gospel does not mention the disciple John, and so assumed that its 'disciple whom Jesus loved' must be John. They then decided that this disciple was also the author and that it was out of modesty that he did not tell us his name, thus arriving at the decision that the gospel now known as John's Gospel was written by John. This was a very problematic piece of analysis on the part of the Church Fathers, particularly as it can be shown that the Gospel was not written by an eyewitness to the events it portrays, so we do not really know who wrote John's Gospel.