Authorship
Holy Apostle and Evangelist John the Theologian
15 AD – born of Zebedee & Salome, daughter of St. Joseph
30 AD – called by Christ with James while fishing, Sea of Galilee
30-33 AD – “beloved”, inner circle, at Cross, 1st to Tomb
33 AD – care for Theotokos (Mt. Zion in Jerusalem, later Ephesus)
44 AD – preaches in Asia Minor, with his disciple St. Prochorus
56-68 AD – Nero tries to kill St. John (cup of poison, boiling oil)
90 AD – writes 1, 2, and 3 John – Catholic/General Epistles
95 AD – exiled by Domitian to Patmos; writes Book of Revelation
96 AD – writes Gospel in Ephesus *
100 AD – repose in Ephesus
* possibly 90–110 AD
Care-taker of the
Virgin Theotokos
After the Crucifixion, the Apostle John welcomed the
Theotokos into his home in Jerusalem on Mt. Sion,
regarding her as his own mother [John 19:27].
After the persecution under King Herod (Acts 12:1-3),
St. John escorted the Virgin to Ephesus for protection
and since it was his lot to preach the Gospel there.
Later St. John brought the Theotokos back to
Jerusalem, where she reposed, before himself
returning to Ephesus.
On account of their close companionship, the
Theotokos spoke with St. John more than any other
regarding the life of her Son and the divine mysteries.
Ephesus – Residence of St. John
Model of basilica of St. John in Ephesus
6th century basilica of St. John in Ephesus
Exile on Patmos
St. John was exiled to Patmos, during the
persecutions under Emperor Domitian (r. 81-
96 AD), where he wrote the Apocalypse.
Revelation 1:9 says that the author wrote
the book on Patmos:
“I, John, both your brother and companion
in tribulation, ... was on the island that is
called Patmos for the word of God and for
the testimony of Jesus Christ.”
Monastery of St. John - Patmos
Cave of the Apocalypse
General History of the Gospels
Manuscript of Gospel of St. John (P66)
Unbroken Tradition
All ancient manuscripts say that the 4th Gospel
was written by “John”; never disputed in the
Church whether it was the Apostle John.
“John, the disciple of the Lord who also leaned
on His breast, himself published a Gospel
during his residence at Ephesus.” (Irenaeus
+202, Against Heresies)
“the man who leaned on Jesus’ breast… left a
single Gospel” according to Irenaeus, who
learned from Polycarp, who knew St. John.
(Eusebius +340, Ecclesiastical History 6.25)
Why
Anonymous?
• Last of the Twelve Apostles, illustrious,
well-known, pastoral oversight of all
seven church in Asia Minor
• authority, position, power = meaningless
• eyewitness = everything!
• Inner circle (with Peter and James),
“beloved disciple”, leaned upon Jesus’
breast, stood at foot of the Cross, ran
first to the tomb, saw the Risen Christ.
Composition Date: 96 AD
Place: Ephesus
Scribe: St. Prochorus, his disciple and one of the
original seven deacons of the Church
Why Another Gospel?
And when Mark and Luke had already published their Gospels, they say that John,
who had employed all his time in proclaiming the Gospel orally, finally proceeded
to write for the following reason. The three Gospels already mentioned having
come into the hands of all and into his own too, they say that he accepted them
and bore witness to their truthfulness; but that there was lacking in them an
account of the deeds done by Christ at the beginning of his ministry. And this
indeed is true. For it is evident that the three evangelists recorded only the deeds
done by the Saviour one year after the imprisonment of John the Baptist, and
indicated this in the beginning of their account... John, in his Gospel, records the
deeds of Christ which were performed before the Baptist was cast into prison, but
the other three evangelists mention the events which happened after that time.
One who understands this can no longer think that the Gospels are at variance
with one another, inasmuch as the Gospel according to John contains the first
acts of Christ, while the others give an account of the latter part of his life. And
the genealogy of our Saviour according to the flesh John quite naturally omitted,
because it had been already given by Matthew and Luke, and began with the
doctrine of his divinity, which had, as it were, been reserved for him, as their
superior, by the divine Spirit.
Eusebius of Caesarea
Ecclesiastical History (3.23.7-13)
That which was from the beginning, which
we have heard, which we have seen with our
eyes, which we have looked upon, and our
hands have handled, concerning the Word of
life— the life was manifested, and we have
seen, and bear witness, and declare to you
that eternal life which was with the Father
and was manifested to us— that which we
have seen and heard we declare to you, that
you also may have fellowship with us; and
truly our fellowship is with the Father and
with His Son Jesus Christ. And these things
we write to you that your joy may be full.
1 John 1:1-4
Catechism & The
Gospels
Christian catechesis prepared catechumens for
their baptism and first receiving of the Eucharist at
Pascha. These two events (baptism and the
Eucharist) are the bookends of the catechesis.
The Gospel of Mark grew organically out of the
Church’s catechesis, covering the events of this
narrative. It is the shortest of the Gospels.
Matthew and Luke include more parables and
teaching.
Gospel of John was not used in prebaptismal
catechism.
Mystagogy
The Gospel of John was first read on Pascha
night only after the catechumens had been
sacramentally received into the Church and
as newly-illumined could now fully
participate in the Divine Mysteries.
The practice of mystagogy referred to the
postbaptismal instruction of the neophytes.
Sources indicate that this postbaptismal
period of catechesis lasted anywhere from
five to seven days during Bright week. Its
purpose was to explain to the neophytes the
significance of the various rituals, signs, and
symbols that they experienced at their
initiation at the Pascha Vigil.
The Gospel of St. John was the primary text.
It was at the Mystagogy that St. Ambrose, St. Cyril of Jerusalem, and
other Church Fathers preached their classic homilies on the Christian
Sacraments, opening their meaning to those who were newly
frequenting them. It is here that the Church has traditionally taught
the meaning of the sacramental life in Christ. These postbaptismal
homilies represent some of the richest sources of patristic
sacramental theology, often expounding on the Gospel of St. John.
Commentary
We will study the Gospel of St. John using the commentary of
Blessed Theophylact of Ochrid (ca. 1050/60-ca. 1108), one of
the most famous Byzantine biblical scholars and exegete. An
inspired theologian and orator, he has left many homilies and,
most importantly, a commentary on the whole New Testament.
St. Nikolai Velimirovic, wrote that Theophylact’s “commentaries
on the Four Gospels and other books of the New Testament ...
are the finest works of their sort after St. John Chrysostom, and
are read to this day with great benefit.”
Structure
Material found in the Synoptics but absent from John Material found in John but absent from the Synoptics
Narrative parables Symbolic discourses
The Kingdom of God Teaching on eternal life
The end-time (or Olivet) discourse Emphasis on realized eschatology
The Sermon of the Mount and Lord's Prayer Jesus's "farewell discourse"
The baptism of Jesus by John Interaction between Jesus and John
The institution of the Lord's Supper Jesus as the "bread of heaven"
The Transfiguration of Jesus Scenes in the upper room
The Temptation of Jesus by Satan Satan as Jesus's antagonist working through Judas
Exorcism of demons No demon exorcisms
Ground Up or
Heaven
Down?
Unlike the Synoptics which
reveal Jesus’s divine
identity slowly, over time,
making the case that He is
God from the ground up,
St. John reveals Jesus’s
divinity and complete
equality with the Father
immediately, from the
beginning, as He comes
from heaven down to us.
Logos - Greeks
• The Greek word "logos" means
word, principle, order, and reason.
• In ancient Greek philosophy, the Logos
was the divine reason or universal law
implicit in the cosmos, ordering it and
giving it form and meaning, and regulated
its phenomena.
• The Stoics believed that the Logos existed
both in the human soul and the universe,
and they identified justice within the life
of a man who lived according to this
universal order.
Logos – Old Testament
“Various OT visions and events indicate that in pre-
Christian Judaism, the Word of the LORD was
perceived and understood as a divine Person who
had appeared and spoken to the prophets in bodily
form. This Person was both distinguished from and
identified as Yahweh, the God of Israel.” (The Religion
of the Apostles, Fr. Stephen De Young)
• The Word of the LORD came to:
• Abram (Genesis 15:1),
• Elijah the Tishbite (1 Kings 18:1),
• Jeremiah (Jeremiah 33:19),
• Jonah (Jonah 1:1), etc.
• The LORD would speak to Moses face to face as
one speaks to a friend. (Exodus 33:11) … But He
added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can
see Me and live.” (Exodus 33:20)
Logos - Jews
• Philo of Alexandria, a 1st-century
Jewish philosopher, attempted a
synthesis between the Logos in the
Scriptures and Greek philosophy.
• Philo taught that the Logos was the
intermediary between God and the
cosmos, being both the agent of
creation and the agent through
which the human mind can
apprehend and comprehend God.
The Logos and logoi
“The logoi are firmly fixed, preexist in God, in accordance with which all things
are and have become and abide, ever drawing near through natural motion to
their purposed logoi.” Thus the logoi are like a blueprint, identified with the
thought and will of God for each distinct creature.
By Him all things were created that
are in heaven and that are on earth,
visible and invisible, whether
thrones or dominions or
principalities or powers. All things
were created through Him and for
Him. And He is before all things, and
in Him all things consist.
Colossians 1:17-18
Science -> God
• Expanding Universe
• Hubble telescope / Redshift / Balloon illustration
• Finely tuned constants
• Gravitational constant: 1 part in 10^34
• Electromagnetic force versus force of gravity: 1
part in 10^37
• Cosmological constant: 1 part in 10^120
• Mass density of universe: 1 part in 10^59
• Expansion rate of universe: 1 part in 10^55
• Initial entropy: 1 part in 10^ (10^123)
• DNA
• “DNA is like a computer program but far, far more
advanced than any software ever created.”
(Bill Gates)
Limited/ • Gospel of John has only half of the vocabulary of Luke and a substantially smaller
vocabulary than Matthew and Mark
Selected • Repetition of words: Father, Son, One, Know, Believe, Life, Truth, Light, Love, etc.
Vocabulary • Continuity builds overtones/layers of meaning, connections, themes, theology
Moses Encounters God
at the Burning Bush
• In Exodus, God states
His own Name for the
first time: “God said to
Moses, ‘I AM WHO I
AM.’ And He said, ‘Say
this to the people of
Israel: ‘I AM has sent me
to you’” (Exodus 3:14).
The Greek letters “O WN” have
the meaning “I AM”, “He Who
Is” or “The Existing One”,
remind us that Jesus Christ is
“YHWH [He Who Is], the God
of our fathers, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac,
and the God of Jacob.”
mir·a·cle /ˈmirək(ə)l/ Noun
1) a surprising and welcome event that is not
explicable by natural or scientific laws and is
therefore considered to be the work of a
divine agency.
St. Augustine (430 AD) a miracle is not contrary to nature, but only to our knowledge of nature;
miracles are made possible by hidden potentialities in nature that are placed
City of God there by God.
Miracles &
Mysteries
The power of the Kingdom already
experienced in the Church is manifested
through the divine mysteries or sacraments
offered in faith. It is through these, as
through windows, that the risen Christ
enters this dark world to put sin and
corruption to death and introduce abiding
and immortal life.
"As the Church is the perpetual extension
of Christ, so the mysteries are the power
by which the Church sanctifies people."
(Ch. Androutsos)
The
Incarnation
And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among
us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the
Only Begotten of the Father, full of grace and
truth. (John 1:14)
Man alone is able to unite all of creation with
God because he alone is composed of both an
immaterial soul and a material body. Mankind
alone is found on both sides of each division:
they belong in paradise but live in the inhabited
world; they are earthly and yet destined to
heaven; they have both mind and senses; and
though created, they are destined to share in the
uncreated nature by deification. (Lars Thunberg
on St. Maximos, 7th C)
My Lord and
my God!
Jesus said to Thomas, “Stop
doubting and believe.”
Thomas replied, “My Lord and
my God!”
Jesus said to him, “Because you
have seen Me, you have
believed; blessed are those who
have not seen and yet have
believed.”
Chiastic Structure
A chiasm is a writing style
that uses a unique repetition
pattern for clarification and
emphasis.
Prayer Before Reading
the Holy Scriptures
Illumine our hearts, O Master Who lovest mankind, with
the pure light of Thy divine knowledge. Open the eyes of
our mind to the understanding of Thy gospel teachings.
Implant also in us the fear of Thy blessed commandments,
that trampling down all carnal desires, we may enter upon
a spiritual manner of living, both thinking and doing such
things as are well-pleasing unto Thee. For Thou art the
illumination of our souls and bodies, O Christ our God, and
unto Thee we ascribe glory, together with Thy Father, Who
is from everlasting, and Thine all-holy, good, and life-
creating Spirit, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
Rightly Dividing
the Word of
Truth
2 Timothy 2:15
Do your best to present yourself to God as one
approved, a worker who has no need to be
ashamed, rightly handling the word of truth.
[English Standard]
Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a
worker who does not need to be ashamed, rightly
dividing the word of truth. [New King James]
be diligent to present yourself approved to God—a
workman not ashamed, straightly cutting the word
of truth; [Literal Standard Version]
Prayer for
Hierarchs
Among the first, remember,
O Lord, His Beatitude,
Metropolitan _______, His
Grace, our Bishop _______.
Grant them for Thy holy
churches in peace, safety,
honor, health, and length of
days, rightly to divide the
word of Thy truth.
Divine Liturgy
Abraham > Isaac > Jacob (Israel)
Isaac Blesses Esau Jacob
Jacob Tricked By Laban
Jacob = supplanter
Rachel = lamb
Leah = weary
Christ = New Israel
Christ = Lamb of God
Christ = wearied servant
“Give me
somethin
g to
drink.”
Thrist
In this earthly world, the soul feels itself a
discontented traveler in a foreign land, and
that nothing in the world can fully feed and
refresh it. And even were the soul to be
able to pour the whole universe into itself
like a glass of water, its thirst would not
only not become less but would, of a
certainty, become greater. For then there
would not remain in it one single illusory
hope that it would, beyond the next hill,
come upon an unsuspected source of water.
St. Nicholai Velimirovich
Come to Me and Drink
Whatever you thirst for - so long as it is not contrary to the spirit
of the Lord - you will find it quenched in Him. If you thirst for
knowledge, run to the Lord, for He is the one and only light,
enlightening every man. If you thirst for cleansing from sin and
quenching of the flames of your conscience, run to the Lord, for
He tore asunder the handwriting of our sins upon the Cross. If
you thirst for peace in your heart, run to the Lord, for He is the
treasury of all good, Whose abundance will teach you to forget
all deprivations and despise all earthly good, so as to be filled
with Him alone. If you need strength, He is almighty. If you need
glory, His glory surpasses the world. If you desire freedom, He
gives true freedom. He will resolve all of our doubts, loose the
bonds of our passions, dispel all our troubles and difficulties, will
enable us to overcome all obstacles, temptations and intrigues of
the enemy, and will make smooth the path of our spiritual life.
Let us all run to the Lord!
St. Theophan the Recluse
RELATIONSHIP
Are you greater than our father Jacob?
Christ the Bridegroom
Thirst of King
David
“Like as the deer pants for the streams of water, so
my soul longs after Thee, O God. My soul is athirst for
God; truly, the living God!”
Psalm 41/42:1-2
This is not a cry by a poor and simple man, who had
no way of refreshing his soul with human wisdom,
worldly knowledge and skills, philosophy and art: the
knowledge of the fine threads from which the lives of
men and nature are woven. It is not; but it is the sad
and heartfelt cry of a king, rich with earthly riches,
genial in mind, noble in the motions of his heart, and
powerful in the strength and acts of his will.
St. Nicholai Velimirovich
* King David had seven wives.
* King Solomon is said to have had a harem that
included 700 wives and 300 concubines (1 Kgs 11:3).
Hymnology
Jesus met the Samaritan woman by Jacob's
well. He wraps the earth in clouds, yet He
asks for water from her. Oh Wonder! He
Who rides on the cherubim speaks with an
adulterous woman. He Who suspended the
earth on the waters asks for a drink. He
Who causes the lakes and springs to
overflow is weary with thirst. Truly He
desires to set the woman free from the
Enemy's snares. He drowns her sins in the
waters of life, for He alone is the
compassionate Lover of mankind.
Lord I Call, Stichera
Geography
3. [Jesus] left Judea and departed again to Galilee.
4. But He needed to go through Samaria.
5. So He came to a city of Samaria which is called Sychar,
near the plot of ground that Jacob gave to his son Joseph.
Saint Photini
The Great-martyr Photini of Samaria (or Svetlana), Equal-
to-the-Apostles, encountered Christ at the well of Jacob.
Tradition relates that the Apostles baptized her with the
name "Photini" meaning "enlightened one." She converted
her five sisters and her two sons, all martyred in Rome
under Nero around 66 AD. Her feast days are February 26,
March 20, and the Sunday of the Samaritan Woman.
Witnesses to
Christ
1. John the Baptist (1:7-8,15,32,34; 3:26; 5:33; cf. 1:26-27,29-31,36)
2. God the Father (5:32.37; 8:18)
3. The Scriptures (5:39; cf. also 5:46)
4. Jesus’ own works (5:36; 10:25)
5. The Spirit-Paraclete (15:26)
6. The disciple whom Jesus loved (19:35; 21:24)
7. Jesus’ disciples altogether (15:27; cf. also 13:34-35; 15:8; 17:18,20-23)
8. The Samaritan woman (4:39; cf. 4:42)
9. The crowd that had seen Lazarus being raised from the dead (12:17)
10. Jesus bears witness to whatever he had seen and heard from the Father
(3:11,32-33). He bears witness to the truth (18:37) and indeed to
Himself (8:13-14,18; cf. 5:31).
Scriptural
Witness
Professor Emeritus of Science at Westmont College, Peter
Stoner, has calculated the probability of one man fulfilling the
major prophecies made concerning the Messiah. The estimates
were worked out by twelve different classes representing some
600 university students.
For example, concerning Micah 5:2, where it states the Messiah
would be born in Bethlehem Ephrathah, Stoner and his students
determined the average population of BETHLEHEM from the
time of Micah to the present; then they divided it by the
average population of the earth during the same period.
They concluded that the chance of one man being born in
Bethlehem was one in 300,000, (or one in 2.8 x 10^5 - rounded).
After examining only eight different prophecies, they
conservatively estimated that the chance of one man fulfilling
all eight prophecies was one in 10^17.
What are the
odds?
Let us try to visualize this chance. If you mark one of ten tickets, and place
all of the tickets in a hat, and thoroughly stir them, and then ask a
blindfolded man to draw one, his chance of getting the right ticket is one in
ten. Suppose that we take 1017 silver dollars and lay them on the face of
Texas. They will cover all of the state two feet deep. Now mark one of
these silver dollars and stir the whole mass thoroughly, all over the state.
Blindfold a man and tell him that he can travel as far s he wishes, but he must pick up
one silver dollar and say that this is the right one. What chance would he have of getting the right one?
Just the same chance that the prophets would have had of writing these eight prophecies and having
them all come true in any one man, from their day to the present time, providing they wrote using their
own wisdom.
Now these prophecies were either given by inspiration of God or the prophets just wrote them as they
thought they should be. In such a case the prophets had just one chance in 10 17 of having them come
true in any man, but they all came true in Christ.
Messianic Prophecies
1. Betrayed by a friend. (Psalms 41:9; Matthew 26:49).
2. Thirty pieces of silver (Zechariah 11:12; Matthew 26:15).
3. Betrayal money cast to the floor of the temple (Zechariah 11:13; Matthew 27:5).
4. Betrayal money used to buy the potter’s field (Zechariah 11:13: Matthew 27:7).
5. Forsaken and deserted by his disciples (Zechariah 13:7; Mark 14:50).
6. Accused by false witnesses (Psalms 35:11; Matthew 26:59-60).
7. Silent before His accusers (Isaiah 53:7; Matthew 27:12).
8. Wounded and bruised (Isaiah 53:5; Matthew 27:26).
9. Hated without a cause (Psalm 69:4; John 15:25).
10. Struck and spat upon (Isaiah 50:6; Matthew 26:67).
11. Mocked, ridiculed and rejected (Isaiah 53:3; Matthew 27:27-31 and John 7:5, 48).
12. Collapse from weakness (Psalms 109:24-25; Luke 23:26).
13. Taunted with specific words (Psalms 22:6-8; Matthew 27:39-43).
14. People will shake their heads at Him (Psalms 109:25; Matthew 27:39).
15. People will stare at Him (Psalms 22:17; Luke 23:35).
Messianic Prophecies continued…
16. Executed among “sinners” (Isaiah 53:12; Matthew 27:38).
17. Hands and feet will be pierced (Psalms 22:16; Luke 23:33).
18. Will pray for his persecutors (Isaiah 53:12; Luke 23:34).
19. Friends and family will stand afar off and watch (Psalms 38:11; Luke 23:49).
20. Garments will be divided and won by the casting of lots (Psalms 22:18; John 19:23-24).
21. Will thirst (Psalms 69:21; John 19:28).
22. Will be given gall and vinegar (Psalms 69:21; Matthew 27:34).
23. Will commit Himself to God (Psalms 31:5; Luke 23:46).
24. Bones will be left unbroken (Psalms 34:20; John 19:33).
25. Heart will rupture (Psalm 22:14; John 19:34).
26. Side will be pierced (Zechariah 12:10; John 19:34).
27. Darkness will come over the land at midday (Amos 8:9; Matthew 27:45).
28. Will be buried in a rich man’s tomb (Isaiah 53:9; Matthew 27:57-60).
29. Will die 438 years after the declaration of Artaxerxes to rebuild the temple in 444 BC (Daniel 9:24).
30. Will be raised from the dead (Psalms 16:10; Acts 2:31), ascend to heaven (Psalms 68:18; Acts 1:9) and be seated the right hand of
God in full majesty and authority (Psalms 110:1; Hebrews 1:3).
Jesus performed many other signs in the presence of His disciples, which are not written in this book. But
these are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that by believing
you may have life in His name.
