Differences and Similarities between John’s Gospel and Synoptic Gospels

Table of Contents

Introduction

The word gospel means good news, and is a term used to define the written accounts of Jesus of Nazareth in the New Testament. The four widely known gospels are the canonical gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. In comparison with the Synoptic gospels (first three gospels), John’s gospel is much more unified in content and style. It has sometimes been called ‘seamless, woven in one piece.’¹ The fourth book of the New Testament is in most Greek manuscript simply known as “According to John.” This links this gospel to the three preceding ones. But it is obvious that John’s Gospel is distinct from what is known as “The Synoptic Gospels.”²

Differences between synoptic and John so many there are. Also there are some notable similarities. The distinction between the perspectives of the synoptic gospels and the fourth gospel concerns, not only the amount of material involved, but also practically every other phase of their relationship: the order of the events, style the content and the method of Jesus’s teaching and the theological outlook of the writers.³ Through this study the author wants to discuss the main differences and similarities of the synoptic gospels and the gospel of John.

1. Synoptic Gospels

The New Testament contains four narrative witnesses to the ministry of Jesus those are known as Gospels. Our modern English word “Gospel” is derived from the Anglo Saxon word godspell, from God and spell (a story). It may thus mean either “God Story” or “Good Story”. Opinion is divided but the latter meaning, “good story” or “good tidings”, is in harmony with the Greek term euaggelion for which it is the common translation.

The first three gospels are designated as “Synoptic gospels” in order to indicate the common perspective in which they view the life and teaching of Jesus Christ as distinguished from that of the fourth gospel. The term Synoptic comes from two Greek words (syn and optikos) that mean “view together” or “common point of view”. The authors of the synoptic gospels viewed the life and ministry of Jesus from a common perspective different than the fourth gospel’s author. In general they follow the same outline and recorded same material. Although they present the ministry of Jesus within the same outline and generally from the same point of view, each gospel also contains distinctive features. As a result, each Synoptic has its unique character and emphasis and proclaims the good news Jesus in such a way as to make him most attractive to the audience each evangelist is addressing.

2. The Gospel of John

About forty years after the first New Testament book was written, God inspired the aged Apostle John to compose the last of the gospel accounts, known today as the fourth gospel. In many ways it distinct from the other three gospels and serves as capstone revelation of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ.

The Gospel of John is the most unusual and perhaps the most valuable member of the canonical gospels. Although it deals with the same broad sequence of events to be found in others gospels, it is unique in structure and style. The church is traditionally believed that it is written by Apostle John. The date of this gospel is to be assigned between 85 and 95 A.D. The real aim of this gospel is spiritual. It is quite evident from all his writings that the author’s intent is to conduct men to saving faith in Christ as the Son of God and so enable them to obtain the eternal life.

Even though the Gospel of John gives no as to the place where it was written, but the unanimous voice of ancient tradition points to Ephesus as the place of origin.

3. Differences between John and Synoptic Gospels

When we compares John’s Gospel with the other three gospels, we will struck by the distinctiveness of his presentation. A comparison with other three gospels shows a marked difference by the fourth gospel. A large amount of material included in others is lacking from John, whereas a considerable amount of the Johannine material is lacking from the synoptic. In fact there is a little material common to all four gospels, apart from the passion narratives. Now the author is focusing which are the main differences of gospel of John comparing with synoptic gospels.

3.1 Location of the Ministry of Jesus

One of the major difference is that the synoptics concentrate on the Galilean ministry of Jesus Christ, whereas John fixes his attention on the Jerusalem ministry. In the synoptics with the exception of the last week, Jesus’ ministry is largely devoted to Galilee, while in John his ministry centers on several visits to Jerusalem whereas Jesus does not reach in Jerusalem until the last week of his life in other three gospels.

In John the main scene of the ministry is Jerusalem and Judea with only occasional withdrawals to Galilee (John 2:1-13; 4:35- 5:1; 6:1-7:14). In John Jesus is in Jerusalem for a passover which occurred at the same time as the cleansing of the temple, as John tells the story (John 2: 13); He is in Jerusalem at the time of an unnamed feast (John 5: 1); He is there for the feast of the tabernacle (John 7: 2, 10); He is there at the time of the feast of dedication at the winter time. (John 10: 22). In fact according to the fourth gospel Jesus never left Jerusalem after the feast; after chapter 10 He is in Jerusalem all the time, which would mean a stay of months, from the winter-time of the feast of the dedication to the spring-time of the passover at which He was crucified.

In point of fact in this particular matter John is surely right. The other gospels show us Jesus mourning over Jerusalem as the last week came on. But it is clear that Jesus could not have said that unless He had paid repeated visits to Jerusalem and made repeated appeals to it. It was impossible for Him to say that on a first visits in this John is unquestionably right. “The Gospel according to John contains the first acts of Christ, while the others give an account of the latter part of His life” (Eusebius, The Ecclesiastical History 5: 24.)

3.2 Difference in Time

There is a difference we can found about the time in John’s gospel while comparing with others. John is distinctive to present the way of incidents in its chronology. The synoptics mention only one Passover and seem to report the events of only a year or two; but in John there are at least three passovers (2:13; 6:4; 13:1). One at the cleansing of the temple (John 2: 13); one near the feeding of the Five Thousand (John 6: 4); and final passover at which Jesus went to the cross. According to John the ministry of Jesus would take a minimum of two years, and probably a period nearer three years to cover its events.

Again John is unquestionably right. When the disciples plucked the ears of corn (Mark 2: 23) it must have been spring time. When the five thousand were fed, they sat down on the green grass (Mark 6: 39); therefore it was spring time again and there must have been a year between the two events. There follows the tour through Tyre and Sidon, and the transfiguration. At the transfiguration Peter wished to build three booths and to stay there. It is most natural think that it was the time of feast of tabernacles or booths and that is why Peter made the suggestion (Mark 9: 5). That would make the date in early October there follows the space between that and that last passover in April. Therefore behind the narrative of the other three gospels lies the fact that Jesus’ ministry actually last for at least three years, as John represents it.

3.3 Lack of Important Materials

John’s Gospel leaves out a great deal of material that is characteristic of the Synoptics. The fourth gospel has no account of the birth of Jesus, of His baptism, of His temptations; it tells us nothing of the last supper, no account of the transfiguration, no record of the institution of the Lord’s Supper, nothing of Gethsemane, and nothing of the ascension. It has no word of the healing of any people possessed by devils and evil spirits. And, perhaps most surprising of all, it has none of the parable stories Jesus told which are so priceless a part of the other three gospels. Jesus speak either in this wonderful stories or in short, epigrammatic, vivid sentences which stick in the memory. But in the fourth gospel the style of Jesus’ teaching is of that is long discourses. Speeches of Jesus are often a whole chapter long; and are often involved, argumentative pronouncements quite unlike the pithy, unforgettable sayings of the other three. Even more surprising the account of the facts of life and ministry of Jesus Christ is often different from that in the other three.

3.4 Different Account on the Beginning of the Ministry of Jesus

John has a different account of the beginning of the ministry of Jesus. In the other three gospels it is quiet definitely stated that Jesus did not emerge as a preacher until after John the Baptist had been imprisoned. “Now after John was arrested Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God” (Mark 1: 14; Luke 3: 18, 20; Mathew 4: 12). But in John there is quiet considerable period during which the ministry of Jesus over lapped with the activity of John the Baptist (John 3: 22-30; 4: 1, 2).

3.5 The Style of Greek

We can observe that the style of writing is quite different from that of the Synoptics. For instance, the vocabulary is smaller, there is frequent parataxis (the use of co-ordinate clauses instead of subordinating expressions, which elegant Greek much prefers), peculiar uses of pronouns (e.g. ekeinos, ‘that’ one’ frequently no more than ‘he’ in John), and many instances of asyndeton (simply laying out clauses beside each other, without connecting them with particles or conjunctions, as Greek prefers). More importantly, there is little discernible difference in style between the words that are ascribed to Jesus and the Evangelist’s own comments. John has re-written the whole.

3.6 Materials that Only in John

John includes a fair amount of material of which the Synoptics make no mention. John alone tells us the story of the marriage feast in Cana of Galilee (2: 1-1); of the coming of the Nicodemus to Jesus (3: 1-15); of the women of Samaria (4); of the raising of Lazarus (11); of the way in which Jesus washed the feet of disciples (13: 1-17); of Jesus’ wonderful teaching about Holy Spirit, the comforter, which is scattered through the chapters 14 to 17. It is only in John that some of the disciple really come alive. It is inn John that Thomas speaks (11: 16; 14: 5; 20: 24-29); that Andrew becomes a real personality (1: 40, 41; 6: 8, 9; 12: 22); that we get the glimpses of the character of Philip (6: 5-7; 14: 8, 9); that we hear the carping protest of Judas at the anointing at Bethany (12: 4, 5).

Further, again and again John shows distinctiveness in his writing. John is the only person who include the seven I am sayings of Jesus Christ. “I am the bread of life (6: 35), “the light of the world” (8: 12),”the door” (10: 7), “the good shepherd” (10: 11), “the resurrection and the life” (11: 25), “the way, the truth and the life” (14: 6), “the true wine”.

4. Similarities between John and the Synoptic

A number of John’s stories are found in the Synoptic Gospels. Among the most prominent are the following: the cleansing of the temple (2:13–25; see Mark 11:11–17; Matt 21:10–17; Luke 19:45–46); feeding the 5,000 (6:1–15; see Mark 6:32–44; Matt 14:13–21; Luke 9:10–17); walking on the water (6:16–21; see Mark 6:45–52; Matt 14:22–33); Mary’s anointing of Jesus (12:1–8; see Mark 14:3–9; Matt 26:6–13; Luke 7:36–50); and the triumphal entry into Jerusalem (12:12–19; see Mark 11:1–10; Matt 21:1–9; Luke 19:28–40). Besides these direct parallels, other Johanine stories closely resemble synoptic stories, for example, the healing of the official’s son (4:46–54; see the healing of the centurion’s servant in Matt 8:5–13; Luke 7:1–10); the Sabbath healing of the man who had been sick thirty-eight years (5:1–9; see the healing of the paralytic in Mark 2:1–12; Matt 9:1–8; Luke 5:17–26; the healing of the man with the withered hand in Mark 3:1–6; Matt. 12:9–14; Luke 6:6–11; the healing of the crippled woman on the Sabbath in Luke 13:10–17; and the healing of the man with dropsy in Luke 14:1–6); Peter’s confession (6:66–71; see Mark 8:27–33; Matt16:13–23; Luke 9:18–22); and the healing of the man born blind (Ch. 9; see the healing of the blind man in Mark 8:22–26 and Bartimaeus in Mark 10:46–52; see also Matt20:29–34; Luke 18:35–43). Along with these narrative episodes are a number of Jesus’ sayings that also echo the synoptic tradition: “a prophet has no honor in the prophet’s own country” (4:44; see Mark 6:4); “those who love their life lose it” (12:25; see Mark 8:35; Matt 16:25; Luke 9:24); “whoever receives me receives him who sent me” (13:20; see Mark 9:37; Matt 18:5; Luke 9:48); “ask and you will receive” (16:24; see Matt 7:7–8; Luke 11:9–10); and “save me from this hour” (12:27; see Mark 14:33–36; Matt 26:39; Luke 22:42). John the Baptist’s testimony about Jesus (1:26–27) has very close parallels in the Synoptic Gospels (see Mark 1:7–8; Matt 3:11–12; Luke 3:16; also John the Baptist’s use of the bridegroom image in 3:29–30; cf. Mark 2:19–20; Matt 9:15; Luke 5:34–35).

Especially in John’s Passion Narrative, which technically begins in 18:1 but actually begins as early as 11:47, there is close resemblance to the synoptic Passion Narrative not only in terms of the episodes reported but also in their sequence. Admittedly, John’s account shows considerable variation from the Synoptic. For example, John places the plot to kill Jesus (11:45–57) and Mary’s anointing of Jesus (12:1–8) before the triumphal entry (cf. Mark 14:1–9). Yet from Jesus’ betrayal and arrest (18:1–12) onward, John’s account follows the Markan sequence fairly closely (compare John 18:1–19:42 and Mark 14:43–15:47). John’s account exhibits many distinctive elements, but there is an undisputed family resemblance with Mark’s account.

Conclusion

There are similarities between John and other three. But more than similarities there are lots of differences. One thing is certain, if john differs from the other three Gospels, it is not because of his ignorance and lack of information. The plain fact is that, if he omits much that they tell us, he also tells us much that they do not mention.

However John differ from other three gospels, that difference is not to be explained by ignorance but rather by the fact that he had more knowledge or better source or a more vivid memory than others.

Bibliography

Barclay, William. The Gospel of John VOL 1. Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975.
Butrick, George Arthur eds., The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible. Nashville, New York: Abingdon Press, 1962.
Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Eerdmans Publishers, 1991.
Eldon Ladd, George Eldon. A Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William Eerdmans publishing company, 1993.
Gablein, Frank E eds., The Expositors Bible Commentary. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979.
Guthrie, Donald and Motyer, J.A et.al, New Bible Commentary. Third Edition. Secunderabad: O M Books, 1990.
Hiebert, D. Edmond. An Introduction to the New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1975.
Jensen, Irving L. Jensen’s Survey of the New Testament. Chicago: Moody Press, 1981.
Michaels, Ramsey. New International Biblical Commentary on John. U.S.A: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995.
Muddiman, John and John Barton, eds., The Oxford Bible Commentary, The Gospels. Great Clarendon Street: Oxford University Press, 2001.
Schultz, John. Commentary to the Gospel according to John. Malaysia: Bible-Commentaries Publication, 2002.
Tenney, Merrill C. New Testament Survey. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1953.
Theilman, Frank. Theology of the New Testament. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2005.
Unger, Merrill F. Unger’s Bible Dictionary. Chicago: Moody Press, 1977.
Walvoord, John F. and Zuck, Roy B. et.al, The Bible Knowledge Commentary. U.S.A: S.P Publication, 1983.
Holladay, Cal. R. A Critical Introduction to New Testament. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005.

Footnotes

1. Frank Theilman, Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 2005), 45.
2. D. Edmond Hiebert, An Introduction to the New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1975), 19.
3. George Arthur Butrick, eds., The Interpreters Dictionary of the Bible, 492.
4. Frank E. Gablein, eds., The Expositors Bible Commentary (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1979), 501.
5. Ibid., 507.
6. Irving L. Jensen, Jensen’s Survey of the New Testament (Chicago: Moody Press, 1981), 174.
7. Merrill C. Tenney, New Testament Survey (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 1953), 185.
8. Merrill F. Unger, Unger’s Bible Dictionary (Chicago: Moody Press, 1977), 599.
9. D. Edmond Hiebert, An Introduction to the New Testament, 220.
10. John F. Walvoord and Roy B. Zuck, et al., The Bible Knowledge Commentary (U.S.A: S.P Publication, 1983), 268.
11. Donald Guthrie and J.A Motyer, et al., New Bible Commentary, Third Edition (Secunderabad: O M Books, 1990), 927.
12. Ibid., 927.
13. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1993), 251.
14. William Barclay, The Gospel of John Vol 1 (Kentucky: Westminster John Knox Press, 1975), 2.
15. Ibid., 2.
16. Ibid., 2–3.
17. J. Ramsey Michaels, New International Biblical Commentary on John (U.S.A: Hendrickson Publishers, 1995), 13.
18. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, 251.
19. William Barclay, The Gospel of John Vol 1, 4.
20. Ibid., 4.
21. D. A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), 24.
22. Ibid., 24.
23. William Barclay, The Gospel of John Vol 1, 2.
24. Ibid., 2.
25. Ibid., 25.
26. Ibid., 5.
27. George Eldon Ladd, A Theology of the New Testament, 252.
28. Cal R. Holladay, A Critical Introduction to New Testament (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2005), 69.

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