John 1
Book Introduction - John
Read first chapter of John WRITER: The fourth Gospel was written by the Apostle John John 21:24. This has been questioned on critical grounds, but on the same grounds and with equal scholarship, the early date and Johanean authorship have been maintained. DATE: The date of John's Gospel falls between A.D. 85 and 90. Probably the latter. THEME: This is indicated both in the Prologue ( 1:1-14), and in the last verse of the Gospel proper ( 20:31), and is: The incarnation of the eternal Word, and Son of life; (2) that as many as believe on Him as "the Christ, the Son of God" ( 20:31) may have eternal life. The prominent words are, "believed" and "life." The book is in seven natural divisions:- Prologue: The eternal Word incarnate in Jesus the Christ, 1:1-14.
- The witness of John the Baptist, 1:15-34.
- The public ministry of Christ, 1:35-12:50.
- The private ministry of Christ to His own, 13:1-17:26.
- The sacrifice of Christ, 18:1-19:42.
- The manifestation of Christ in resurrection, 20:1-31.
- Epilogue: Christ the Master of life and service, 21:1-25.
- (1) a thought or concept;
- (2) the expression or utterance of that thought. As a designation of Christ, therefore, Logos is peculiarly felicitous because,
- (1) in Him are embodied all the treasures of the divine wisdom, the collective "thought" of God 1 Corinthians 1:24; Ephesians 3:11; Colossians 2:2,3 and,
- (2) He is from eternity, but especially in His incarnation, the utterance or expression of the Person, and "thought" of Deity John 1:3-5,9,14-18; 14:9-11; Colossians 2:9.
- (1) Grace is "the kindness and love of God our Saviour toward man... not by works of righteousness which we have done" Titus 3:4,5.
- (2) As a dispensation, grace begins with the death and resurrection of Christ Romans 3:24-26 4:24,25. The point of testing is no longer legal obedience as the condition of salvation, but acceptance or rejection of Christ, with good works as a fruit of salvation, ; John 1:12,13; 3:36; Matthew 21:37; 22:24; John 15:22,25; Hebrews 1:2; 1 John 5:10-12. The immediate result of this testing was the rejection of Christ by the Jews, and His crucifixion by Jew and Gentile Acts 4:27. The predicted end of the testing of man under grace is the apostasy of the professing church: See "Apostasy" (See Scofield "2 Timothy 3:1") 2 Timothy 3:1-8 and the resultant apocalyptic judgments.
- (3) Grace has a twofold manifestation: in salvation Romans 3:24 and in the walk and service of the saved Romans 6:15.
Copyright information for
Scofield