Book Of John 7 Analysis

Introduction The first few books of the New Testament relate Jesus's ministry on earth. Jesus preforms many miracles and institutes excellent lessons for all mankind. One passage, in John 8, is an example of this. In it, Jesus wards off people who were going to stone an adulteress by saying, “He who is without sin among you, let him throw a stone at her first.” (John 8:7 NKJV). This very passage, overall, fortifies Jesus's sovereign ability to judge sinners and teaches people to give grace.

Authorship

The writer of the Book of John was likely John himself. One Bible agrees, crediting the author of John as the Apostle John (Meyer). Although this gospel is formally anonymous, meaning there is not an author stated in detail, most biblical scholars

However, John does not state them directly in the book. Most likely, the paramount recipients of John were Jewish Christians. Messiah is used to refer to Jesus, and the use of terms bread, water, and light in John 5-10 are “closely connected to their use in Jewish rituals” (Hwang). However, a contradicting theory states, due to the author’s “hostile manner” in referring to them, that the gospel was written for the Jews who do not believe. This is disbelieved due to those against Jesus mainly involving scribes and Pharisees, a quality that has been used to testify that the author of John is, in fact, Jewish (Guthrie). The Muratorian Canon suggests that John was written for the disciples in Ephesus, yet “there is no certainty is this” (Introduction to the Gospel of John). The Book of John could have likely been written for Samaritans because, during His time on earth, Jesus was not shown going to Samaria, but, as evident by topographic descriptions of the region, Christians likely ministered there after His resurrection

The primary purpose, according to John 20:31, is that the readers, “may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name.” One website coexists with this, describing John as “not an autobiography” but “an aid to personal faith” (Akostenberger). However, the purpose has still been debated. For instance, the very statement from John 20:31 is interpreted as either to strengthen the faith of those who were already saved or so those who are not saved may believe in Christ. The former is regarded as the primary theory, while the latter is seen to be its significant secondary purpose (Hwang). Another theory by H. Windisch seemingly overlooks John 20:31, stating that the Book of John was written to supersede the other gospels. However, due to the “incomplete and inadequate account of the ministry of Jesus”, received little-to-no support (Guthrie). Another theory believes that the Book of John was written “in order to complement the Synoptics where they were lacking”, while another states that the previously mentioned disciples in Ephesus “urged him [John] to write an account” (Introduction to the Gospel of John). The Book of John was also believed to be written to correct a Baptist cult or a church’s eschatology, but the likely intention for writing John is, as stated previously, to deliver Christian faith to those who read the Book of John