Session 6: New Testament

Session 6: The Gospel of John

Aims

By the end of this session you should be able to:

give an overview of the themes and structure of the gospel of John
be able to state approximately when the book was written and who the author may have been
give an account of the main themes of the gospel and how they relate to your faith journey and ministry as well as that of the church as a whole

Prayer

God love and life

May I learn more of you and of your love for

your people and your world

as I look into this gospel.

Open my eyes to new things in familiar passages and open my heart

to the moving of your spirit.

Amen.

Introduction

Again, this session is made up of three parts: Part One is a short overview of the gospel from Bibledex with some questions for reflection; Part two is a video of just over 20 minutes which has been split into several sections so you can pause and reflect on the questions underneath before continuing.

Part 3 is another overview video which will help you to consolidate and deepen what you have learned in Part 2. There is some overlap and repetition in all the videos - this is deliberate as repetition is what makes things 'stick' in our minds and it's how we learn best. Please treat the questions as a buffet and choose one or two that interest you to think about rather than trying to do all of them. If you'd like to watch the Bible Project Overview of the book you can find it in the Resources Section.

Part One - Bibledex

Watch the video opposite then think about the following questions:

Have you ever noticed how different in style John's gospel is from the other three and how differently Jesus speaks? How do you feel about the explanations given for this?

What do you think about the placard in the video 'Get Jesus or you Got Hell!'. How effective do you think that would be as an evangelistic tool? What does John 3:16 mean to you?

How do you feel about Thomas - can you relate to him?

Write your thoughts in your Learning Journal.

Part 2 - Considering John

Watch the video. To access it, click on the picture then click 'Sign In' next to the green box that says Subscribe to Watch This Video. Input these details:

Email Address: dos@gmail.com

Password: Videos1!

This should enable you to watch the video.

Please email dawn.glen@derby.anglican.org if you have any problems. The transcript can be found here

Questions for Reflection

Select and consider one question only from those below and note your thoughts in your journal for discussion in your Learning Support Group.

0:00 - 5.09 Introduction

Gooder notes that the gospel of John has been perceived very differently from the other three gospels and has not always sat comfortably with tradition. Is this a new thought for you? What did you make of it and how do you feel about the gospel yourself?

5.10 - 7.59 Themes

What do you make of the similarities and differences between the themes and language that run through the blocks of writing whose authorship is ascribed to John? Had you ever noticed that only these books talk about Jesus as "Lamb of God"?

8.00 - 13.50 Authorship

Did you think that the author of John's gospel was 'the beloved disciple'? What do you make of Gooder's idea that we could all see ourselves as the 'beloved disciple'? How do you feel about the fact that it is clear we can't really know who it was that wrote the gospel?

13.52 - end Structure and Date

Gooder's insights into the issues with timing are interesting, what do you make of them and the idea that John 8 was added at a later date? Does it make any difference to how you see the stories, and if so what is the implication of that difference for you and your faith journey?
What do you think about the idea of the gospel of John, and the other Johannine writings, being authored by a community rather than a single person? What do you think that means for us as church communities today, passing on our experiences of Jesus and our faith?

Part 3 - Going Deeper

Take the quiz here (this is required).

You must now do one or the other of the tasks below and then note your thoughts in your learning journal for discussion in your Learning Support Group and to inform the Reflect section below.

Either watch the 50 minute video opposite
Or read Chapter 12 of 'Exploring the New Testament Volume 1' on the Hub - instructions for how to access this can be found here

If you would like to, download and read the documents in the Resources section below - but this is optional.

Spotlight on Doctrine

The doctrine of the Incarnation is one of the key ideas of the Christian faith, but you may be surprised to hear that it is not unique to Christianity. Other religions carry the idea of their deity coming to earth in corporeal form (Hinduism for example believes that god has been incarnated on earth many times in many different forms, each with a different name, and the images of these forms are part of their worship). How does the prologue to John's gospel fit into your understanding of the Christian faith, and what difference does it make to your life? Could Christianity still be Christianity if Jesus was not God?

Spotlight on Spirituality

For many people, as Gooder notes, John's gospel is the one they love the most. Why do you think this might be?

There is much more use of sign and symbol in the fourth gospel than in any other, and, because of this, it seems to emphasise the mystery of God - incarnate and yet still 'other', unfathomable, great and unknowable.

For some Christians, particularly Anglo-Catholics, this view of God is extremely important and forms a major part of thier life of faith. Does it for you?

Reflect

What has struck you most from Part 3 of this session?
How has your learning challenged you to grow in your faith and ministry?
How might you, in your life and ministry, deliver, and encourage others to live out, the Diocesan Vision outcomes of deepening our relationship with God and challenging injustice?

In no more than 300 words, post your thoughts on the Forum

Pray

Pray about what you have learned in this session, thanking God for any new insights into this gospel.

Lift to God anyone who has come into your thoughts as you have studied.

Write your thoughts in your learning journal.

Something Practical To Do

Pay particular attention to (or think particularly about) everything in your church that speaks of the incarnation and also the mystery of God. Where are these things to be found? Had you noticed them in the same way before and how to do you feel about them now?

How do you live incarnationally in the world?

If you like, share some of what you have found on the discussion board in the Forum