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At the present time there is an inner circle, embracing that small company of believers that are members of
the Body of Christ and blessed under the terms of the Mystery, with Paul the prisoner as the appointed channel of
teaching and truth, and a large outer circle embracing a vast number of believers, who while they have life, have no
clear idea as to what is the hope of their calling. These find their gospel, comfort and teaching in John's Gospel.
Let us consider the character of the times in which John's Gospel operates, as compared with the character of
the times covered by the three synoptic Gospels and the Acts. During the earthly ministry of Christ, He pointedly
limited His ministry to the lost sheep of the house of Israel and forbade His disciples to go into the way of the
Gentiles. This limitation is most definitely set aside by John's Gospel. There, the most prominent word indicative
of sphere and scope is "the world", where it occurs about seventy-nine times, as against fifteen occurrences in the
three synoptics. The bulk of the Scriptures, whether Old or New Testaments, was written for Israel, about Israel, or
written for the guidance of believing Gentiles who were "blessed with faithful Abraham". To-day Israel has long
been in the condition known as Lo-ammi "not My People" (Hos. 1:9), and if the Gospel of John belongs to the
period when Israel is not a living active factor, then, it should contain evidence that it was written for non-Jewish
readers. We turn to the Gospel, and are not only struck with the title Logos "the Word", which is more intimately
associated with Greek Philosophy than it is with the Law and the Prophets, but we discover that John goes out of his
way to interpret terms which every Jew would know from childhood. Consider the following passages in the light
of the argument that John wrote for non-Jewish readers, as over against the idea that John, like the writers of the
three gospels, addresses the same people on the same theme.
"They said unto Him, Rabbi, (which is to say, being interpreted, Master) where dwellest Thou?" (1:38).
"We have found the Messias, which is, being interpreted, the Christ" (1:41).
"And there were set there six waterpots of stone, after the manner of the purifying of the Jews" (2:6).
"The Jews" Passover was at hand"; "The Passover, a feast of the Jews, was nigh"; "The Jews" Passover was nigh
at hand" (2:13; 6:4; 11:55).
"The Jews" feast of Tabernacles" (7:2).
"And it was at Jerusalem the feast of the Dedication, and it was winter" (10:22).
"The Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (4:9).
"Go, wash in the pool Siloam, (which is by interpretation, Sent.)" (9:7).
"Thou shalt be called Cephas, which is by interpretation, A stone" (1:42).
It is evident that no Jew needed to be told the meaning of Rabbi, Messiah, or Cephas, neither did he need to be
instructed that the Passover or Tabernacles were feasts of the Jews. Let us take the reference in 10:22 as a proof
text. Some time ago a book came into our hands, and as we read we were at first somewhat mystified. Birds were
described as flying North, in order to get to a warmer clime! Christmas Day was described in terms of the warmest
summer, and where one would naturally look for typical Christmas fare and indoor conditions, picnics and open air
enjoyment of the summer were its accompaniments. It began to dawn upon us that this book belonged to another
part of the earth than England, and the mystery was solved by turning to the title page, where we discovered that it
had been written and published in New Zealand. A book originating in London and addressed to European readers,
would never use such an expression as "it was Christmas Day, and it was winter", or "it was August Bank holiday,
and it was summer", and the fact that John felt called upon to add the words "and it was winter" to his reference to
the feast of Dedication is a proof that non-Jewish readers were in mind. Upon opening each of the three synoptic
Gospels, we discover Christ presented to the people as the long promised King and Saviour, not until we are some
distance through the narrative does it appear that Israel will reject their King. With John's Gospel, rejection is
imprinted on the opening chapter.
"He came unto His own, and His own received Him not" (1:11).
Here the rejection of Matthew 12 and 13 and Acts 28 is assumed as it also is in the words of John 9:39 "For
judgment I am come into this world, that they which see not might see; and that they which see might be made