www.nwlcc.

org
The Gospel of John
Northwest London Christian Church
Series

Background to John’s Gospel

What is a Gospel?
As Christians, we get so used to reading the Gospels that we don’t even ask ourselves the
most basic question – “What kind of literature am I reading?” This is important because we
read different types of writings in different ways. We don’t read a dictionary expecting to find a
thrilling story – we need to read a novel for that. We don’t read a book of poetry expecting to
find directions to the nearest bus stop – we need a map for that. If we don’t know what kind of
writings the gospels are, we won’t see clearly what they’re trying to tell us. This is especially
true of John’s Gospel since it’s style is different from the other three Gospels (called the
‘Synoptics’ – meaning ‘common view’ or ‘seen together’ because of their similarity to one
another).

The Greek word for gospel is euangelion, which means “good news”. It became a title for the
four gospels after they were written. Was it an uniquely Christian invention? In New
Testament times there were three main types of writing when telling a story about someone:

1. Greek Aretalogy – the deeds of a godlike hero

2. Jewish Midrash – historical events with added layers of legend
3. Greco-Roman Biography – accounts of the lives of great leaders

Most people think the third type fits the Gospels best. But there are differences. Unlike
traditional biographies of the period, the Gospels keep the writer in the background. Matthew,
Mark, Luke and John also include a great deal of teaching and exhorting as well as recording
the deeds of the ‘hero’.

So it’s probably best to see the Gospels as an unique style of biography. This makes sense
when you consider that no-one like Jesus had ever lived before! Jesus was so different that
the early Christians who wrote about him had to adapt the existing style of writing and develop
a new style to get the message across. As someone said, “the uniqueness of the Person on
whom they focus has forced the evangelists to create a literary form that is without clear
parallel.”1
What’s distinctive about John’s Gospel?
John’s Gospel is probably closer to the Greco-Roman style of biography than the other
Gospels. This is because, although it contains history, facts and deeds as well as teaching, it
tells the story of the life of Jesus in a way that brings out the essence of who he is. Perhaps
John’s Gospel shows us more of what made him tick than any of the others. We get more of
an insight into his thinking, his heart and his feelings than in Mark, Luke or Matthew (although
it’s there in the other Gospels). Maybe this is why for some people John’s Gospel is their
favourite. All the Gospels give us an accurate picture of Jesus, but what can you see through
the eyes of John that you don’t see through Mark, Matthew or Luke’s accounts? Why not
read, think, and make up your own mind.

As we go through this series, will you get closer to the heart and mind of Jesus? I hope so.

Malcolm Cox

1 Carson, Moo, Morris, Introduction to the New Testament, Zondervan, 1992, p48