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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" (Hosea 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).
"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 either 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 Matt. 12: & 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