Theology Club: Why did John write his Gospel?

Lazy afternoon said:

Lazarus was the man of the spirit who was close to Jesus and an example for us all to attain to.

So many want to be apostles and the like but Lazarus was given the best part.

Joh 13:21 When Jesus had thus said, he was troubled in spirit, and testified, and said, Verily, verily, I say unto you, that one of you shall betray me.
Joh 13:22 Then the disciples looked one on another, doubting of whom he spake.
Joh 13:23 Now there was leaning on Jesus' bosom one of his disciples, whom Jesus loved.
Joh 13:24 Simon Peter therefore beckoned to him, that he should ask who it should be of whom he spake.
Joh 13:25 He then lying on Jesus' breast saith unto him, Lord, who is it?

Joh 18:15 And Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple: that disciple was known unto the high priest, and went in with Jesus into the palace of the high priest.

Joh 20:2 Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him.
Joh 20:3 Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre.
Joh 20:4 So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.
Joh 20:5 And he stooping down, and looking in, saw the linen clothes lying; yet went he not in.
Joh 20:6 Then cometh Simon Peter following him, and went into the sepulchre, and seeth the linen clothes lie,
Joh 20:7 And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself.
Joh 20:8 Then went in also that other disciple, which came first to the sepulchre, and he saw, and believed.
Joh 21:7 Therefore that disciple whom Jesus loved saith unto Peter, It is the Lord. Now when Simon Peter heard that it was the Lord, he girt his fisher's coat unto him, (for he was naked,) and did cast himself into the sea.

Joh 21:20 Then Peter, turning about, seeth the disciple whom Jesus loved following; which also leaned on his breast at supper, and said, Lord, which is he that betrayeth thee?
Joh 21:21 Peter seeing him saith to Jesus, Lord, and what shall this man do? Joh 21:22 Jesus saith unto him, If I will that he tarry till I come, what is that to thee? follow thou me.

Why did Peter ask, if it were of John?

LA

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Arsenios said:

Thank-you...

Greek ancient writing style does not permit self-naming in a narrative... Hence John could not write of himself except obliquely... Peter asked of him because he was following them in silence... And Christ rebuked Peter to follow Christ [which John was doing already] and keep his nose out of John's relationship with [eg following in silence] Christ. In terms of the Lazarus teaching, John was Mary, taking the best part which would not be taken from her, and Peter was Martha, looking around at what others were doing.

That rebuke went unnoticed a thousand years later when the German Popes took over the Latin Papacy and tried to take over the Headship of the Eastern Church...

Plus - Lazarus is never named as one of the 12 anywhere in the Bible...

Arsenios

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Lazy afternoon said:

That is something to consider when Lazarus was so close to Jesus and was unafraid while Peter was terrified to be indentified with Jesus in the courtyard.

There is a great message here for the rank and file believer who is so often cast aside as being nothing in the eyes of men.

The difference here is between the man who only sees the churches, and the spiritual man who serves in His Kingdom.

Joh 3:8 The wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou hearest the sound thereof, but canst not tell whence it cometh, and whither it goeth: so is every one that is born of the Spirit.

LA

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Arsenios said:

Your sentiment here is utterly Orthodox... I used to actually think that Lazarus might have BEEN John prior to his apostleship... The Church records that Lazarus, the Four Days Dead, became a Bishop in the first century Church, while John went on to exile in Patmos and wrote his Evangel and Apocalypse... So we do not have to rely on interpretation of the meaning of Scripture, but have as well a further historical record...

John records that he and the Blessed Virgin were at the foot of the Cross and were not scattered as were the rest of the Disciples... And that Christ assigned to him His mother as his mother, and he her son... Which He would only do as a Jew IF there were no other children by her, which there were not... The death of a widow's only child was VERY bad news for the widow's future care in those days, for family had to take care of family, and the Theotokos was an only child of long dead parents with no one to take care of her until Christ gave her care to John, whom the Church records as the youngest of the Apostles, and a virgin - as was she...

Arsenios

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Arsenios said:

Which He would only do as a Jew IF there were no other children by her, which there were not... The death of a widow's only child was VERY bad news for the widow's future care in those days, for family had to take care of family, and the Theotokos was an only child of long dead parents with no one to take care of her until Christ gave her care to John, whom the Church records as the youngest of the Apostles, and a virgin - as was she...

Arsenios

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Lazy afternoon said:

It is highly unlikely (to say the least) that Jesus would give the responsibility of looking after Mary to John the Apostle, especially as Lazarus was the head of the actual house anyway.

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Lazy afternoon said:

Mat 12:46 While he yet talked to the people, behold, his mother and his brethren stood without, desiring to speak with him.
Mat 12:47 Then one said unto him, Behold, thy mother and thy brethren stand without, desiring to speak with thee.
Mat 12:48 But he answered and said unto him that told him, Who is my mother? and who are my brethren?
Mat 12:49 And he stretched forth his hand toward his disciples, and said, Behold my mother and my brethren!
Mat 12:50 For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother.

Mat 13:55 Is not this the carpenter's son? is not his mother called Mary? and his brethren, James, and Joses, and Simon, and Judas?
Mat 13:56 And his sisters, are they not all with us? Whence then hath this man all these things?

LA

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Arsenios said:

A Prophet is not without honor...
Except...
In his own country...

The Blessed Virgin is the Mother of our Lord...

A

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Danoh said:

Of two Bibles used by Catholics...

http://www.usccb.org/bible/matthew/1

Matthew 1: 25 "He had no relations with her until she bore a son,* and he named him Jesus." (The New American Bible, Revised Edition (NABRE)

Matthew 1: 25 And he knew her not till she brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS. (Douay-Rheims 1899 American Edition (DRA)

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Bright Raven said:

John 20:30-31 New King James Version (NKJV)

That You May Believe

30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book;

31 but these [SIGNS] are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

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Arsenios said:

This tells us why these signs were included, but not the reason for the writing of this Gospel account.

Arsenios

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Bright Raven said:

John 20:30–31

The Purpose of John’s Gospel
30 And truly Jesus did many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name.

The purpose is highlighted in red

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Arsenios said:

So then do you think the Gospel of John was written for the purpose of giving an account of the Signs which will bring us to faith and Salvation?

I see the Signs as included for this reason, but the Gospel in which they are included as having a different purpose. I see the first three Gospels as written for enquirers, to attract them into the Faith, whereas I am seeing the Gospel of John as being written for those well established in the Faith, that they should "complete the course unto perfection" [maturity] in it.

eg John's audience is for the Spiritual growth the worshiping Ekklesia, whereas the first three were for the growth in numbers of the worshiping Ekklesia, to induct them INTO that community...

Arsenios

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Bright Raven said:

His writing shows us that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God and that in Him we may have eternal life.

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Arsenios said:

John disagrees - He said that his inclusion of these SIGNS within his writing was for that purpose... He does not indicate, except, perhaps, by the Genesis 1 grandeur of his opening sentence: "In the Beginning..." the purpose of the writing of the whole of it...

Arsenios

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Bright Raven said:

John writes his Gospel, the epistles and revelation to reveal Christ as the Son of God.

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