Education and Learning at Hollywood Lutheran Church
Κατὰ Ἰωάννην εὐαγγέλιον ~ The Gospel According to John
Bible Study begins Wednesday, March 3 at Hollywood Lutheran Church at 7:15 p.m.
In our skeptical times—when many people have been turned off by or have walked away from the Christian Church —there is a renewed interest in the figure of Jesus.
The Fourth Gospel is the most mysterious account of his life, ministry and death.
Unlike the other three Gospels, John reveals the purpose of his selectivity in what he relates about the life and deeds of Jesus. If you have ever cracked the Bible, you probably will remember that most-quoted verse, John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that he gave his only son, that whosoever believes in him may not perish but have eternal life.”
Here we also we find the well-known language about being born again, the Good Shepherd, the Light of the World, and the Bread of Heaven. In fact, John’s Gospel contains many unique sayings and discourses attributed to Jesus that do not appear in Matthew, Mark or Luke.
Was Jesus really divine? John is the only Gospel that tells us, without equivocation, that Jesus was divine, and came down from God to become a human being. That has become a doctrinal cornerstone for the Christian Church, yet it seems it was an idea that was not accepted quickly among Jesus’ original disciples in the first century. Speaking of which, it is far from certain when this Gospel was written, although most scholars think it was the last of the four in the New Testament, written some 60-75 years after the crucifixion of Jesus. And The Gospel is not without problems for modern faith. John’s Gospel is criticized as anti-Semitic and giving ammunition to those blame Jewish people for Jesus’ death. Even more, John’s Gospel has sayings which claim that Jesus is the only way to God—as if all other religions are wrong or worthless. The Gospel contains well-known scenes not mentioned elsewhere in the New Testament, including the Marriage at Cana, the man born blind, the , the Beloved Disciple, the washing of feet, and mysterious scenes in which Jesus appears after his death and resurrection. The unusual detail he gives about Jesus’ being alive after his own burial, and his relationship to Mary Magdalene gives us much controversy to discuss. | A fragment of the Rylands Papyrus codex, a very early manuscript quoting John 18:31-33 and John 18:37-38. See more at Wikipedia. |
Join us in Hoick Conference Room, on Wednesdays beginning March 3. Potluck Supper is at 6:30, and prayer and study begin around 7:15 p.m. No advance preparation is required, and the style of the study is informal with intense discussion and debate.