MacArthur Bible Studies: John

Top Highlights

“John wrote his Gospel about a.d. 80–90, about fifty years after witnessing Jesus’ earthly ministry.” (Page 2)

“Although the author’s name does not appear in the Gospel, early church tradition strongly and consistently identified him as the Apostle John. The early church father Irenaeus (a.d. 130–200) was a disciple of Polycarp (a.d. 70–160), a disciple of the Apostle John, and he testified on Polycarp’s authority that John had written the Gospel during his residence at Ephesus in Asia Minor when he was advanced in age (Against Heresies 2.22.5; 3.1.1).” (Page 1)

“Strategic to John’s background and setting is the fact that according to tradition John was aware of the Synoptic Gospels. Apparently, he wrote his Gospel in order to make a unique contribution to the record of the Lord’s life (a spiritual Gospel) and, in part, to be supplementary as well as complementary to Matthew, Mark, and Luke.” (Pages 2–3)

“3) At the supper described in the first part of chapter 12, how did Mary’s attitudes and behavior contrast with Judas’s?” (Page 82)

“Yet, the recurring designation of himself as the disciple ‘whom Jesus loved,’ a deliberate avoidance by John of his personal name, reflects his humility and celebrates his relation to the Lord Jesus. No mention of John’s name was necessary because the original readers clearly understood that he was the gospel’s author.” (Pages 1–2)