It is quite evident that the "Gospel of John" was originally known by this name not because it was supposed to have been written by "John Zebedee" but because it was supposed to be an account of the testimony of John the Baptist.
The big difference between the Gospel of John and the Synoptic Gospels is that in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist in never arrested and John plays a role throughout the story.
Just look at the first chapter of John:
This Gospel is clearly written in response to the Synoptic Gospels. It knows that in the Synoptic Gospels present John as the Spirit of Elijah, and refutes this claim. Why does it do this? Because this Gospel is anti-Jewish and Gnostic in nature. The writer does not want his witness John to be a Jewish prophet.
Note that John 1:19 is often translated as "this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was." But the texts says "Jews", not "Jewish leaders", setting John apart from the Jews.
Again in John 3: "25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing." Again this implies that John and his followers are not Jews. Now this is never made explicit, but it is just a subtle implication that sets John apart.
In John 3 we hear more testimony from John:
This is John the Baptist explaining who Jesus Christ is. Of course this is the "Gospel of" this John (the Baptist).
Again, we see that this Gospel is about the testimony of John (the Baptist).
So in this Gospel, John the Baptist plays a key role in having prepared people to receive the message and baptism of Jesus and witnessed his coming into the world. It is due to John's testimony that many turn to Jesus. And in its original form, prior to orthodox revisions that were done when the Gospel was included in the four Gospel collection, this Gospel indicated that Jesus was not from the Jewish Creator God, rather Jesus came from a Higher God who the Jews did not know. This is why John is "not a prophet" and "not Elijah" according to this writer.
So clearly, the "Gospel of John" was originally the "Gospel of John the Baptist" used by a Gnostic sect that presented John the Baptist as the primary witness to corroborate the divinity of Jesus.
The fact that none of the orthodox church fathers understood this speaks volumes about their actual understanding of the scriptures, where they came from, and how the worship of Jesus actually originated. They clearly had no actual comprehension of where these writings came from and what they originally meant.
The big difference between the Gospel of John and the Synoptic Gospels is that in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist in never arrested and John plays a role throughout the story.
Just look at the first chapter of John:
1 In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning. 3 Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made. 4 In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. 5 The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
6 There was a man sent from God whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness to testify concerning that light, so that through him all might believe. 8 He himself was not the light; he came only as a witness to the light.
9 The true light that gives light to everyone was coming into the world. 10 He was in the world, and though the world was made through him, the world did not recognize him. 11 He came to that which was his own, but his own did not receive him. 12 Yet to all who did receive him, to those who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God— 13 children born not of natural descent, nor of human decision or a husband’s will, but born of God.
14 The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
15 (John testified concerning him. He cried out, saying, “This is the one I spoke about when I said, ‘He who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’”) 16 Out of his fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given. 17 For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ. 18 No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is himself God and is in closest relationship with the Father, has made him known.
19 Now this was John’s testimony when the Jews in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was. 20 He did not fail to confess, but confessed freely, “I am not the Messiah.”
21 They asked him, “Then who are you? Are you Elijah?”
He said, “I am not.”
“Are you the Prophet?”
He answered, “No.”
22 Finally they said, “Who are you? Give us an answer to take back to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?”
23 John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, “I am the voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way for the Lord.’”
24 Now the Pharisees who had been sent 25 questioned him, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Messiah, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?”
26 “I baptize with water,” John replied, “but among you stands one you do not know. 27 He is the one who comes after me, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie.”
28 This all happened at Bethany on the other side of the Jordan, where John was baptizing.
29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
32 Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
This Gospel is clearly written in response to the Synoptic Gospels. It knows that in the Synoptic Gospels present John as the Spirit of Elijah, and refutes this claim. Why does it do this? Because this Gospel is anti-Jewish and Gnostic in nature. The writer does not want his witness John to be a Jewish prophet.
Note that John 1:19 is often translated as "this was John’s testimony when the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem sent priests and Levites to ask him who he was." But the texts says "Jews", not "Jewish leaders", setting John apart from the Jews.
Again in John 3: "25 An argument developed between some of John’s disciples and a certain Jew over the matter of ceremonial washing." Again this implies that John and his followers are not Jews. Now this is never made explicit, but it is just a subtle implication that sets John apart.
In John 3 we hear more testimony from John:
31 The one who comes from above is above all; the one who is from the earth belongs to the earth, and speaks as one from the earth. The one who comes from heaven is above all. 32 He testifies to what he has seen and heard, but no one accepts his testimony. 33 Whoever has accepted it has certified that God is truthful. 34 For the one whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God gives the Spirit without limit. 35 The Father loves the Son and has placed everything in his hands. 36 Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life, but whoever rejects the Son will not see life, for God’s wrath remains on them.
This is John the Baptist explaining who Jesus Christ is. Of course this is the "Gospel of" this John (the Baptist).
31 “If I testify about myself, my testimony is not true. 32 There is another who testifies in my favor, and I know that his testimony about me is true.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
33 “You have sent to John and he has testified to the truth. 34 Not that I accept human testimony; but I mention it that you may be saved. 35 John was a lamp that burned and gave light, and you chose for a time to enjoy his light.
36 “I have testimony weightier than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to finish—the very works that I am doing—testify that the Father has sent me. 37 And the Father who sent me has himself testified concerning me. You have never heard his voice nor seen his form, 38 nor does his word dwell in you, for you do not believe the one he sent. 39 You study the Scriptures diligently because you think that in them you have eternal life. These are the very Scriptures that testify about me, 40 yet you refuse to come to me to have life.
Again, we see that this Gospel is about the testimony of John (the Baptist).
40 Then Jesus went back across the Jordan to the place where John had been baptizing in the early days. There he stayed, 41 and many people came to him. They said, “Though John never performed a sign, all that John said about this man was true.” 42 And in that place many believed in Jesus.
So in this Gospel, John the Baptist plays a key role in having prepared people to receive the message and baptism of Jesus and witnessed his coming into the world. It is due to John's testimony that many turn to Jesus. And in its original form, prior to orthodox revisions that were done when the Gospel was included in the four Gospel collection, this Gospel indicated that Jesus was not from the Jewish Creator God, rather Jesus came from a Higher God who the Jews did not know. This is why John is "not a prophet" and "not Elijah" according to this writer.
So clearly, the "Gospel of John" was originally the "Gospel of John the Baptist" used by a Gnostic sect that presented John the Baptist as the primary witness to corroborate the divinity of Jesus.
The fact that none of the orthodox church fathers understood this speaks volumes about their actual understanding of the scriptures, where they came from, and how the worship of Jesus actually originated. They clearly had no actual comprehension of where these writings came from and what they originally meant.
Statistics: Posted by rgprice — Mon Jan 29, 2024 3:43 am