John Study Guide

Themes:

Inseparability of professing and living the Christian faith (1 John 2:4-7; 3:9-10; 4:19-21; John 13:12-15, 34-35; 15:17)

Inseparability of love of God and love of neighbor (1 John 4:20-21; John 14:15-23; 15:14)

Necessity of living in union with (i.e., abiding in) Jesus, the Son of the Father (1 John 2:21-26; 3:21-24; John 15:1-17)

Importance of believing in the name of Jesus/the Son (1 John 3:23; 5:15; John 1:12; 3:18; 20:31)

Fundamental options of belonging to God or the world (1 John 2:15-17; 4:4-6; 5:3-5, 18-19; John 15:18-25; 16:33); to light or darkness (1 John 2:8-11; John 1:4-9; 3:19-21; 8:12)

The prologue of John identifies at least 9 themes while the First Letter of John has been described as commentary on John’s Gospel. For at least 4 of the themes, identify from the text how 1 John addresses them and explain how the letter sheds light on the literal meaning of the Gospel.

Professing and living: John instructs that children of God do not sin because of their relationship to him, which explains Jesus’ dialogue with the Jews over being sons of Abraham or not (Jn 8:39-47)

Love of God and love of neighbor (1 John 4:20-21 ) which explains his instructions in the Last Supper Instructions (John 15:13-15) because Jesus indicates by his words and actions the actions of cleaning and caring for brothers is how they can show love.

Abiding with Jesus 1 John 2:21-26 which clarifies Jesus’ promise to send an advocate who will guide them to all truth so that they are not deceived by an antichrist (John 14:15-17)

Light and Darkness 1 John 2:8-11; clarifies Jesus’ identification as the “light of the world” in John 8:12 and John 8:24, “will die in your sins” unless they believe in him. In this way, Jesus points out there are only two options at the end of all things: with Jesus or against him.

Q3

John’s Gospel account provides numerous explicit citations and various allusions to the Old Testament (OT) that offer valuable insight into the passages in which they occur, and the Book of Revelation is permeated with images that correspond with OT passages.

Explain how these characteristics correspond with insights provided by at least two Gospel passages such as John 1:18, 45; 5:39, 45-47 (or similar passages) and the angel’s statement in the book of Revelation that “... the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy” (Rev 19:10).

John 1:18 “No one has ever seen God; the only-begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, he has made him known.” John explains that only by God’s self revelation can man come to know him personally, which corresponds to prophecy throughout the Bible specific instances of God’s revelation to men and women for the sake of deepening his relationship with them and all humanity. John connects it all to Jesus who is Revelation, who is all previous revelation’s fulfillment.

John 5:45-47 records Jesus’ explanation that Moses was not the fulfillment but rather pointed to a fulfillment (Deut. 18:15) who is Jesus.

Provide two examples of words or images in Revelation that recall OT passages and briefly comment on how they offer greater insight into their meaning.

Description of heavenly sanctuary (4:2-6a) Similarities with visions in Ezekiel 1; Isaiah 6; esp. Daniel 7

“sealed the servants of our God on their foreheads [μέτωπον]” (Rev 7:3) recalls the marking of the faithful in Ezekiel 9:1–11 “

Q4

The temple (the preeminent location) and Passover (the preeminent feast) were collectively the summit of first-century Jewish worship and, in a certain sense, embodied the whole of it. John’s account of Jesus’ death and what transpires directly after it (John 19:25-35) in light of the Scriptures cited (John 19:36-37) provides evidence of the fulfillment of the true worship (see John 4:20-24) prefigured by first-century Jewish worship (and foretold in the Old Testament) with the origin of Christian worship. Identify four examples of such evidence in John 19:25-37 along with relevant contextual information that helps to illuminate it.

“So the soldiers did this. But standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother, “Woman, behold, your son!” Then he said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother!” And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home. After this Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfil the Scripture), “I thirst.” A bowl full of vinegar stood there; so they put a sponge full of the vinegar on hyssop and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the vinegar, he said, “It is finished”; and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. Since it was the day of Preparation, in order to prevent the bodies from remaining on the cross on the sabbath (for that sabbath was a high day), the Jews asked Pilate that their legs might be broken, and that they might be taken away. So the soldiers came and broke the legs of the first, and of the other who had been crucified with him, but when they came to Jesus and saw that he was already dead, they did not break his legs. But one of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear, and at once there came out blood and water. He who saw it has borne witness—his testimony is true, and he knows that he tells the truth—that you also may believe.

“Woman, behold your son”

A new creation, fulfilling the Protoevangelium of Gen 3:15

The Greek text shows a progression from “his mother” to “the mother” to “your mother”

The address of Mary as “Woman” mirrors the address to the Samaritan woman who spoke about true worship

“I thirst” and a bowl of vinegar

Again, bookends the dialogue with the Samaritan woman. Jesus says he is thirsty, but he does not take a drink from the vinegar. Perhaps because he has water from a different source.

“I thirst” recalls and affirms Jesus’ desire to “drink” the cup given him the Father (John 18:11) to the very end (John 19:28-30)

“It is finished”

Completes the uses of teleiao used earlier in the Gospel, distinct from pleneao

All previous uses of τελειόω in the Gospel associate it with completion of the Father’s work (John 4:34; 17:4, 23)/works (John 5:36)

But one of the soldiers pierced his side

Fulfillment of Zechariah 12:10 ““And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of compassion and supplication, so that, when they look on him whom they have pierced, they shall mourn for him, as one mourns for an only child, and weep bitterly over him, as one weeps over a firstborn.”

The blood & water convey perfect worship offered & enabled and correspond with the Eucharist & Baptism

Q5

In the Farewell Discourse (John 13:1-17:26), Jesus promised “…another Paraclete to be with you forever … the Spirit of Truth …” (John 14:16-17), and he speaks of different ways that the Spirit would assist his disciples (chapters 14-16). Identify three ways in which content pertaining to the Spirit in chapters 14-16 of John’s Gospel corresponds (or conflicts) with content associated with the Advocate/Paraclete, “the anointing,” and/or “the Spirit [of God]” in chapters 2-5 of the First Letter of John. (1 John 2-5)

“…a new commandment which is true in him and in you…” (1 John 2:8) and “…that you love one another as I love you” (John 15:12)

John’s letter interprets the commandment by grounding it in Jesus as the source of it

The commandment is true in him and true in us which points again to the importance of remaining united with Christ

“It is to your advantage that I go away, for if I do not go away, the Counselor will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you” (John 16:7) which is explained in part by 1 John 2:1–2 “My little children, I am writing this to you so that you may not sin; but if any one does sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; and he is the expiation for our sins, and not for ours only but also for the sins of the whole world.”

Where now it is good that Jesus is away from us corporeally because he can then be in the presence of God and intercede on our behalf

The letter is different though because there Advocate/Paraclete/Counselor refers to Jesus Christ whereas John in his Gospel the term refers to Jesus Christ

3. Anointing: “you have an anointing from the Holy One, and you all know” (1Jn 2:20) and Jesus baptizes with the Spirit, John 1:33 “I myself did not know him; but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’”

In the letter, John encourages the faithful by reminding them of the anointing they received, and for this reason they need not fear the antichrist and his deception.

Similarly, John the Baptist did not know Jesus was the Christ, but he was told by God to look for confirmation by the Spirit.

In both cases, the Spirit is the guarantor of the Lord’s work and assists the faithful in discerning his actions; the faithful do not need to worry obsessively over whether they are misled because God’s Spirit brings clarity and peace, not confusion.

Q6

The response of the survivors of the earthquake in Rev 11:13 is fundamentally different from the responses noted elsewhere in the Book of Revelation (cf. 9:20-21; 16:8-11) as is the content immediately following it. Discuss the essential differences in the response of the people in Rev 11:13 and at least three aspects of the content immediately following it that attest to the significance of the response. Also comment briefly on how the response in Rev 11:13 reflects an element (or exhortation) present in Jesus’ messages to 5 of the 7 churches (2:1-3:22).

Their response “the rest gave glory to God” (Rev 11:13); this is an exceptional response (cf. Rev 16:9)

"We give thanks to you, Lord God almighty, who are and who were. For you have...established your reign” (Rev 11:17).

Since God is present, the inhabitants omit “who is to come” as earlier

As promised in 2 Macc 2:4-8, God will now reveal the location of the ark (Rev 11:19)

And the glory of the Lord will appear, the child (Rev 12:1)

The response echoes Jesus’ exhortation to repent to 5 of 7 churches (n. Smyrna n. Philadelphia)

Q7

Two of the structural and literary features identified in the Book of Revelation are that its progression is more circular than linear, and that it provides progressive recapitulation of and elaboration on aspects of the ongoing revelation (1:1) or prophecy (1:3; 22:18-19) given to John by Jesus. Provide an example of such an aspect and describe how it is initially introduced and how subsequent recurrences of it (or allusions to it) provide insight into the meaning of that aspect as well as into the overall biblical text.

Example: who dwell [κατοικοῦντας] upon the earth” (3:10).

Revelation 3:10 “Because you have kept my word of patient endurance, I will keep you from the hour of trial which is coming on the whole world, to try those who dwell upon the earth.”

here, to Philadelphia the Christians will be given the grace to persevere

Those who dwell upon the earth are those who espouse its values

Continues to interpret the theme of ultimately a fundamental option between God and the world

Revelation 8:13 “Then I looked, and I heard an eagle crying with a loud voice, as it flew in midheaven, “Woe, woe, woe to those who dwell on the earth, at the blasts of the other trumpets which the three angels are about to blow!””

The three coming woes associated with the final three trumpet blasts will impact those dwelling [κατοικοῦντας] on the earth (8:13)

We see now another way those who are associated with the earth will be destroyed while those aligned with God are protected, if not from trial altogether they will not be overcome by it

Revelation 11:10 “and those who dwell on the earth will rejoice over them and make merry and exchange presents, because these two prophets had been a torment to those who dwell on the earth.”

Here, those who dwell on the earth rejoice over the beast’s killing of the two prophets

We see those who dwell on the earth are those who reject God’s revelation, especially in the Law and Prophets

For the whole text, we see again how the message to John is a message of hope for the people who trust in God, no matter what tribulations will come their way

Revelation 13:12 “It exercises all the authority of the first beast in its presence, and makes the earth and its inhabitants worship the first beast, whose mortal wound was healed.”

Here, the people who dwell on the earth are further led into idolatry by worshiping the first beast

That is, the people who dwell on the earth are guilty of idolatry alongside their previous sins of rejecting the law and prophets

Revelation 13:14 “and by the signs which it is allowed to work in the presence of the beast, it deceives those who dwell on earth, bidding them make an image for the beast which was wounded by the sword and yet lived;”

continuing on from the previous verse, the people here are led further into idolatry

The idolatry in this instance is compounded: not only worshiping the beast, itself, but now led to worship of images of it

Through this example, we see the development of the understanding of “dwellers on the earth” and their division from God: through their idolatry, despising God’s prophets and Law, and the ease with which they are deceived into further idolatry.