Johannine Understanding of Ministry and Mission: Witness as Mission
Witness In Conflict- Bringing the Deeds of Darkness to Light
Witness as Dialogue- Towards Experiencing and Sharing New Birth and New Identity with Others
INTRODUCTION
The Johannine understanding of ministry and mission centers on the idea of witness. In John’s Gospel, witness is more than just words, it is a testimony that reveals Christ’s truth and presence in the world. This witness takes two important forms. First, it is witness in conflict, which means confronting and exposing the deeds of darkness by bringing them into the light of Christ. Second, it is witness as dialogue, where believers invite others to experience the gift of new birth and to share in a new identity through faith in Jesus. Together, these dimensions show that mission, in the Johannine sense, is both a struggle against falsehood and an invitation to transformation, making witness a way of life and not just an activity.
1. WITNESS AS MISSION
In the Gospel of John, the concept of witness is central to the understanding of ministry and mission. John presents witness as the core of purpose rather than a supporting act. Being a witness is identifying Christ as the real light and pointing others to Him. As someone who was “sent from God…to bear witness to the light,” John the Baptist is the earliest example of this calling (John 1:6-7). Since witnessing about Christ fulfills the objective of being sent, this demonstrates that testimony and mission cannot be separated. According to John, mission is a testimony that calls others to faith and change because it is a means of taking part in God’s redemptive process. Accordingly, mission is about living out and sharing the truth of Jesus so that others might believe and live in His name, not just about carrying out actions or spreading ideas (John 20:31).[1]
John highlights that witness is both an encounter and a statement. As an example, Jesus’ dialogue with the Samaritan woman (John 4:28-30, 39) demonstrates how a life-changing experience with Jesus inevitably results in testimonies and spreading the gospel. Additionally, witnesses are characterized as bringing light into the dark; according to John 3:19-21, individuals who bear witness to Jesus fight misleading and expose divine truth. Jesus’ disciples are called to carry on this work. Jesus emphasizes that mission is inseparably connected to witness and is based on love, truth, and the direction of the Spirit when he prays in John 17:18 that his disciples be sent into the world as he was sent.[2]
1.1. MISSION
A mission is a defined goal or objective that an individual or group aims to achieve by a variety of movement patterns, such as sending or receiving, arriving and departing, climbing and descending, gathering by calling others to follow, or following.[3]
The idea of “being sent” is strongly related to mission in the Johannine literature. The Son sends His followers to carry on His work after the Father sends the Son into the world (John 20:21). This pattern shows that mission originates from God’s own sending rather than being self-initiated. In order for the world to accept Jesus as the Christ and experience life through Him, this mission is to make God’s love and truth known. According to John, mission is based on reproducing Christ’s presence in the world rather than being restricted to preaching or other activities. Like Jesus, the disciples are expected to live as witnesses who draw people into the new life of faith and provide light in the midst of darkness. Accordingly, mission in the Johannine meaning is transforming, relational, and participatory and it uses the testimony of faithful witness to bring others into communion with God.
Jesus came to earth to reveal the Father, brighten the dark, and provide believers eternal life. His teachings, signs, and, eventually, his death and resurrection are acts of mission because they make the world aware of God’s truth and love. According to John, Jesus’ purpose finishes on the cross, not failure, “when I am lifted up, I will draw all people to myself” (John 12:32).[4]
1.2. MISSION THROUGH WITNESS
According to the Johannine understanding, the testimony fulfills mission. The believer’s calling to carry on Jesus’ work is the first aspect of mission. Jesus sends His followers into the world in the same way that the Father sent the Son, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (John 20:21). This emphasizes that Christians’ work is a direct continuation of Christ’s ministry rather than something apart from it. By living and acting in accordance with Christ’s truth and love, the religious community extends His presence in the world.[5]
Second, witness means actively taking part in God’s redemptive mission. In John’s Gospel, bearing witness is a living testimony that identifies Jesus as the source of life rather than just a verbal declaration. As someone who came “to testify to the light, so that all might believe through him,” John the Baptist is a prime example of this function (John 1:7). By bringing others into the light of Christ through genuine testimony, the believer in turn takes part in God’s redemptive purpose. In this way, mission by means of witness which is based on the invitation to reveal God’s loving presence in the world is both a divine gift and a human responsibility.[6]
In John 20:31 it states that, “These are written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.” This is the fundamental goal of John’s Gospel. The purpose of this written testimony is to guide readers toward faith and new life. John the Baptist serves as the first witness, pointing others away from himself and pointing them toward Jesus as “the Lamb of God” (John 1:29). The disciples, who are called to bear fruit that endures (John 15:16), and the Samaritan woman (John 4), who describes her experience with Jesus, both carry on this pattern of testimony. In each case, mission flows not from authority or power but from personal experience of Jesus, shared with others.[7]
Witness is often debated and appears in conflict in Johannine thinking. According to John 8:14-18, Jesus himself is portrayed as the reliable witness of the Father, bearing witness to divine truth even in the face of rejection. Similar to how the Paraclete (Holy Spirit) will continue to testify, people who follow him are also obligated to bear testimony in the face of adversity (John 15:26-27). Therefore, mission through witness is about bringing light into the dark and asking individuals to experience a new birth and a new identity as God’s children, rather than using force to convert.[8]
2. WITNESS IN CONFLICT: BRINGING THE DEEDS OF DARKNESS TO LIGHT
Conflict with the powers of darkness is a common aspect of testimony in the Johannine understanding of ministry and mission. The Fourth Gospel makes it clearly obvious that sin and unbelief are exposed for what they really are when Jesus is present as the light of the world. According to John 3:19, “And this is the judgment, that the light has come into the world, and people loved darkness rather than light.”[9]
Thus, bearing witness is bringing all kinds of hidden conduct to light, exposing lies, pushing and fighting for change. Just as Jesus encountered disapproval and rejection during His ministry, this act of expressing truth often leads to opposition.[10]
2.1. CONFLICT IN JOHANNINE CONTEXT
Throughout ancient literature, including later Jewish works, darkness is typically used as a negative symbol. The past action likely sums up every aspect of Jesus’ incarnate ministry because it implies opposition among “the Jews,” as we see in John 1:11, “He came to what was his own, and his own people did not accept him.” This is in reference to the specific historical claim beyond its general application to history. A darkness that seems to have the upper hand in the world would ultimately be eliminated in favor of the sons of light in the struggle between light and darkness. “Let not darkness conquered over light, nor let truth escape falsehood,” this has been stated by one of the earliest Christian authors. In John 1:5 it shows some sort of conflict between light and darkness where John applies his beautiful words in this book throughout his gospel, and also here it talks about darkness could not “apprehend” or “overtake” the light, whether by comprehending it or by overcoming it.[11]
The inevitable clash between the forces of unbelief and Jesus’ revelation of God is shown as conflict in the Gospel of John. John introduces Jesus as the Light that shines into the darkness, yet the darkness pushes back (John 1:5, 11). His actions and words reveal the religious leaders’ spiritual blindness, as they oppose his claims of divine sonship (John 10:30-33) and reject his healing on the Sabbath (John 5:16; 9:16). For John, this is not just about the underlying reality of cosmic dispute between truth and error, light and darkness, rather than merely disputes within Judaism.
The lived experience of the Johannine community, who most likely suffered persecution and exclusion, is likewise reflected in this dispute (John 9:22; 16:2). They are provided with comfort by the gospel that hatred directed at Jesus’ disciples is an element of the greater conflict between the world and God’s truth. Judas’ betrayal (John 13:30) and the rejection of several disciples (John 6:66) demonstrate that conflict can occur both inside and outside of the discipleship circle. However, John presents the crucifixion, the height of resistance as the last accomplishment, where Jesus’ ascension by being “lifted up” (John 12:31-32) demonstrates that light eventually prevails over darkness. John’s theology of witness, then, is centered on conflict, standing with Jesus involves both facing opposition and sharing in the victory of his revelation.[12]
2.2. COST OF WITNESS
Being a witness for Jesus is both an honor and an expensive duty in the Gospel of John. Although witness is essential to purpose, it frequently results in confrontation with the outside world. The first and most important witness is Jesus himself; according to John 18:37, he bears witness to the Father’s truth. However, this testimony is met with hostility, rejection, and eventually the crucifixion. His story demonstrates that there is always a price for being a faithful witness. The warning that “the world has hated them because they do not belong to the world” (John 17:14) represents the cost of witness for the disciples. Following Jesus involves becoming one with him and, as a result, encountering the same resistance that he did. This hostility includes social marginalization, rejection from religious leaders, and even misinterpretation from one’s own society in addition to external persecution (John 9:22; 16:2).[13]
The reality of this cost is illustrated in John 9 by the story of the blind man. He gets expelled from the synagogue after being seen and testifying to Jesus. His story serves as an example of how following Jesus can result in exclusion from traditional social and religious structures. Witness to the light in Johannine theology always reveals the darkness, and this encounter has a cost. However, promise also comes with the price of being a witness. Jesus promises his disciples that they would be strengthened to witness by the Paraclete, or Holy Spirit (John 15:26-27). The greatest symbol that loss may be turned into glory is the cross itself. For John, being a witness comes with a real price: rejection, pain, and even death but there is also hope. A witness who experiences Jesus’ agony also experiences his ultimate victory and life.[14]
2.3. LIGHT PREVAILS OVER DARKNESS
Jesus is referred to be the Light of the World several times in the Gospel (John 8:12; 9:5). This self-identification highlights the fact that He is the one who leads people out of spiritual blindness and the source of divine revelation. His miracles, like the healing of the blind man (John 9), are symbolic actions in which spiritual and physical darkness is broken by light. When the light of Christ confronts the darkness of ignorance and sin, it cannot be hidden, as these stories demonstrate the Johannine belief. Jesus and His followers’ goal is to spread this victory of light across the world by calling people to the truth and exposing falsehoods.[15]
In addition to creation, God makes himself known through the Logos, especially in the world (kosmos) that he made for humans to live in. Since humans would otherwise live in the darkness of evil and be cut off from their Creator, the life in the Logos is light to them. To put it another way, the revelation brought about by the Logos has a salvific or saving impact in that it provides life to every human being who will receive it (John 1:9-12) and drives out evil (John 1:5b; John 15:3; Jesus’ word as a cleansing agent).The arrival of the Logos in incarnation, which is referenced in John 1:14, should not be confused with the current references to the coming of light. Despite people’s inability to see and embrace it, the coming of light described in John 1:4-5, 9-12 may indicate the pre-incarnate arrival of the Logos through a number of passages. Therefore, according to John, the Logos made himself known not only in creation but also in the Bible (cf. 5:39,46–47), not just in Jewish scripture but also in the scriptures of all other faiths that view God as light.[16]
In John’s Gospel, the picture of light depicts Jesus’ mission and the lifestyle he gives (John 8:12), whereas darkness stands for sin, wickedness, deception, and death (John 3:19-21; 12:35). According to John 1:4 and 12:36, “walking in the light” refers to a relationship with God based on trust, faithfulness, and love, whereas “walking in darkness” denotes a rejection of the truth and a flight from responsibility (John 3:20). People are drawn to faith, truth, and life by light (John 1:5; 12:44-46), but they are drawn to darkness by covering up and opposition to God. John admits that because real-life circumstances are complicated, this contrast is not straightforward and calls for judgment. Nevertheless, the decision between light and darkness influences every action and commitment, following Jesus as the light means accepting love (John 14:31), avoiding sin, advancing life (John 9:4; 11:9-10), and opposing the forces that oppose God, whereas darkness poses a threat to life and draws people away from God, as demonstrated most strikingly by Judas’ betrayal of Jesus at night (John 13:30).[17]
3. WITNESS AS DIALOGUE: TOWARDS EXPERIENCING AND SHARING NEW BIRTH AND NEW IDENTITY WITH OTHERS
In John’s Gospel, bearing testimony involves both facing evil head-on and engaging in conversation that results in change. Jesus’ interactions with Nicodemus (John 3) and the Samaritan woman (John 4) in particular points out that genuine testimony occurs in dialogical and social interactions. Jesus urges individuals to experience a new birth and the discovery of a new identity created by God’s Spirit during these times rather than imposing truth. Conversation turns becomes an opening for the exchange and reception of the life of God which is shared and received.
Witness as dialogue highlights that mission is a shared journey in which the believer talks and listens, rather than a one-way declaration. As seen by Jesus’ meeting with the Samaritan woman, whose testimony subsequently led her whole village to believe, and that conversation is where boundaries of gender, race, and social economic status are broken (John 4:39-42). This demonstrates that witnessing develops in real human connection that brings people to know Christ directly rather than being restricted to authoritative doctrine.[18]
John views his new birth as an admission into a new religious group as well as a personal spiritual experience. By sharing their narrative in conversation, Christians encourage people to adopt a new identity as God’s children and abandon previous identities that were created by sin, fear, or isolation (John 1:12-13). Therefore, in the Johannine understanding, ministry and mission are primarily relational and focused on communication that develops new life and identity in Christ.[19]
3.1. DIALOGUE AS TRANSFORMATIVE ENCOUNTER
Dialogue in the Gospel of John is more than just talk; it is a life-changing experience that summons people to new life and exposes truth. Jesus’ conversations frequently start out with miscommunication or opposition but progress toward greater faith and insight. For instance, Jesus uses conversation to guide Nicodemus toward the new birth of the Spirit when he arrives by night, confused about being “born again” (John 3:1-10). Similar to this, the Samaritan woman is skeptical at first, but after talking with Jesus, she comes to see him as the Messiah, the Savior, and the prophet, and she shares this with her entire community (John 4:7-42). Jesus uses dialogue as a spiritual process in John’s Gospel, gently engaging people at their level of comprehension before guiding them to eventually meet God’s truth in him.[20]
3.1.1. JESUS AND NICODEMUS
In John 2:23-3:21, the evangelists contrast draws a distinction between the deeper spiritual transformation necessary to fully see God’s kingdom and external belief based on Jesus’ signs. Despite the fact that many people in Jerusalem “believed” due to signs, Jesus saw their hearts and refused to put his confidence in them. The Sanhedrin leader Nicodemus, who approaches Jesus and acknowledges his signs but is unable to understand who he really is, serves as an example of this. Jesus draws his attention to the need to be “born again,” demonstrating that traditional Judaism represented by Nicodemus and the temple leaders cannot acknowledge the Messiah in the absence of spiritual restoration. Moses’ raising of the snake in the desert serves as a metaphor for Jesus’ crucifixion, which grants everyone who believes eternal life.
The story emphasizes a change, God’s redeeming love is not limited to Israel but encompasses the whole world (John 3:16-17). However, many turn down this gift because they “love darkness” instead of light because they are afraid of their actions being revealed (John 3:19-20). Those who embrace the truth, on the other hand, emerge into the light and display lives that have been changed by God (John 3:21). John thus illustrates the conflict between faith that is founded on fragile signs and true faith that reacts to Jesus, the Light of the world, in a way that is transformative and open.[21]
Nicodemus’ interest in learning is rapidly diverted by Jesus to the core of spiritual change. He emphasizes that one must be “born from above” (John 3:3), citing the new birth of the Spirit as the exclusive means of accessing God’s kingdom. This focus reflects John’s view of purpose as guiding people toward a new identity and connection with God, rather than merely imparting knowledge. Nicodemus’s perplexity on, “How can someone be born when they are old?” highlights the conflict between spiritual truth and human logic. According to Johannine understanding, true faith is based on being given new life by the Spirit rather than on one’s religious standing or level of effort. The dialogue also reflects the broader mission theme in John, Jesus as the Revealer who brings divine truth, challenging individuals to move from misunderstanding to belief.[22]
Jesus also revealed the spiritual blindness of the Jewish authorities (the loudaios), who continuously failed to understand the things of God’s Spirit, by questioning Nicodemus. The entire leadership was being portrayed negatively if even Nicodemus, who was one of the most honest and educated among them, was unable to comprehend. But in addition to criticizing Judean officials, this parable challenged Samaritans and other Israelites to consider if their own leaders were just as deceitful. As the Son of the Living God, Jesus is therefore emphasized in the Gospel as the one who offers genuine spiritual restoration and as the actual challenger to the established religious establishment.[23]
3.1.2. JESUS AND THE SAMARITAN WOMAN
Jesus’ interaction with the Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well (John 4:5-26) starts with an unexpected turnaround. Instead of showing kindness, Jesus immediately asks her for water, which is surprising given that Jews avoided Samaritans. This basic requirement allows Jesus to speak of “living water,” a metaphor for the Holy Spirit, who provides eternal life. The lady first misunderstands, thinking simply of physical water, but Jesus exposes her to a higher reality: the Spirit as an infinite source of life. Their conversation also focuses on her personal history, which Jesus exposes with miraculous insight, not to disgrace her, but to demonstrate how the Spirit gives forgiveness and new creation.[24]
The conversation then turns to worship. The lady brings up the long-standing controversy between Jews and Samaritans over holy places, but Jesus explains that real worship is no longer about a specific location, such as Jerusalem or Mount Gerizim, but about worshiping God “in spirit and truth.” This indicates a new identity in the Spirit, in which God is referred to as Father and worship becomes relational rather than limited to holy settings. Confused by it, the woman talks about her experience with her neighbors, becoming a witness and leading others to Jesus. The tale demonstrates how, through discussion, Jesus leads individuals into new birth, forgiveness, and a new identity in the Spirit, transcending traditional borders of race, gender, and religion.[25]
The nature of sincere worship is a central issue in the conversation. The lady raises the age-old issue about whether God should be worshiped in Jerusalem or on Mount Gerizim, but Jesus redefines worship, “The true worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth” (John 4:23). This doctrine is consistent with the Johannine focus that identity in God is determined by the Spirit’s work rather than sacred locations or ethnic background. This verse transfers the focus of mission from sacred locations to a new community of worshipers born of the Spirit.[26]
3.2. NEW BIRTH AND NEW LIFE
In John 6, the narrative at Capernaum shows a series of discussions between Jesus and various groups, demonstrating diverse reactions to his message. First, Jesus challenges the people, drawn in by the miracle of the feeding of the five thousand, to seek everlasting life rather than temporary nourishment. He informs them that trusting in the one sent by God is the actual work of God. When they ask for a sign, Jesus points beyond the manna their ancestors ate in the desert, stating that he is the genuine food from heaven, the “bread of life,” who provides permanent fulfillment to those who come to him and believe. He emphasizes that he came to do the Father’s will, offering eternal life to all who believe, and promises to raise them on the last day.[27]
The conversation then moves to Jews and Jesus’ disciples, where his teaching causes uncertainty and rejection. The Jews wonder how Jesus, Joseph’s son, could have appeared from heaven, and many disciples find his teaching about eating his flesh and drinking his blood difficult to believe. Jesus teaches that everlasting life is obtained through unity with him, emphasizing that the Spirit gives life and that his words are spirit and life. Many disciples drift away, but Peter and the core group of believers confirm their confidence in Jesus. Overall, the narrative draws on food imagery to indicate that trust in Jesus is important for eternal life, demonstrating the gap between those who accept his message and those who reject it, and underlining that real acceptance of Jesus is founded on faith rather than simple observation of miracles.[28]
3.3. NEW IDENTITY
The prologue to John’s Gospel contains one of the most significant concepts in Christian theology that is through Christ, humans have the right to become God’s children. This concept is clearly stated in John 1:12-13: individuals who receive and trust in Christ are given a new identity, an identity based on God Himself rather than human birth, social standing, or ethnic origin. The chapter highlights that this gift is gained through faith, and that individuals are pulled into this identity through Jesus’ and His disciples’ testimony, which is frequently expressed in conversation.
For John, witness (martyria) is vital to the Gospel. John the Baptist is described as a witness to the light, rather than the light itself (John 1:7). His function, like that of others in the Gospel, is dialogical, he directs people to Christ so that they might experience Him for themselves. Dialogue is not an argument, but an invitation. The witness of John’s Gospel is intended to make belief through engagement, telling and retelling, until the hearer stands before Christ. This implies that Christian witness today must be conversational and encounter-based rather than authoritative.[29]
John 1:13 emphasizes that being a child of God is not by “blood,” “flesh,” or “human will,” but “of God.” This demonstrates the radical character of new birth, which is wholly dependent on God’s initiative. It should be emphasized that this passage denies both Jewish claims of physical genealogy from Abraham and Greco-Roman concepts of lineage or civic identity; instead, it adds a spiritual connection established by God. The identity of God’s offspring is thus distinguished by grace, not genealogy, and by divine restoration, and not human accomplishment.
The Johannine vision of becoming God’s children includes not just personal development, but also the establishment of a new community of believers. Believers have the same heavenly origin, thus they live life together as brothers and sisters. So, it can be said that the new birth of believers establishes a new family of God in which traditional barriers are overcome, and a new community is created. Therefore, witnessing through various ways there can be communal implications and by the new identity that is shared through witnessing, there can be a communal implication; by guiding others to faith, believers welcome them into this family, expanding the circle of God’s children.[30]
CONCLUSION
The Johannine understanding of ministry and mission emphasizes the importance of witness as a transformational force in the world. By bringing the deeds of darkness to light, Christians bravely confront the reality of sin and suffering, showing the route to redemption and healing. In addition, the emphasis on dialogue promotes a community sense of new birth and identity, allowing others to join in a journey of faith and discovery.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Ashton, John. Understanding the Fourth Gospel. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991.
Barrett, C. K. The Gospel According to St. John. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978.
Bauckham, Richard. Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony. Grand Rapids: Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006.
Bauckham, Richard. Testimony in the Spirit: Resurrecting Witness in the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2021.
Brown, Raymond E. The Gospel According to John I-XII. New York: Doubleday, 1966.
Bultmann, Rudolf. The Gospel of John: A Commentary. Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971.
Carson, D. A. The Gospel According to John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991.
Collins, Raymond F. These Things Have Been Written: Studies on the Fourth Gospel. Louvain: Peeters Press, 1990.
Eyzenberg, Eli Lizorkin. The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of All Israel. Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2015.
Kanagaraj, Jey J. and Ian S. Kemp. The Gospel According to John. Farrer Road: Asia Theological Association, 2002.
Keck, Leander E. The New Interpreter’s Bible: Luke-John Volume 9. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996.
Keener, Craig S. The Gospel of John, A Commentary, Vol. 1. Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2003.
Kobel, Esther. Dining with John: Communal Meals and Identity Formation in the Fourth Gospel and its Historical and Cultural Context. Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2011.
Koester, Craig R. Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel: Meaning, Mystery, Community. Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003.
Koester, Craig R. The Word of Life: A Theology of John’s Gospel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008.
Kostenberger, Andreas J. A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009.
Kostenberger, Andreas J. The Missions of Jesus and the Disciples according to the Fourth Gospel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998.
Lincoln, Andrew T. The Gospel According to Saint John. London: Continuum, 2005.
Martyn, Louis J. History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel. Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1979.
Michaels, J. Ramsey. John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Books, 2011.
Moloney, Francis J. The Gospel of John. Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998.
O’ Day, Gail R. and Susan E. Hylen, John. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006.
Painter, John. The Quest for the Messiah: The History, Literature and Theology of the Johannine Community. Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1993.
Schneiders, Sandra M. Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel. New York: Crossroad, 1999.
Smith, D. Moody. The Theology of the Gospel of John. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995.
Thompson, Marianne Meye. John: A Commentary. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015.
Thompson, Marianne Meye. The God of the Gospel of John. Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001.
Footnotes
[1] Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII (New York: Doubleday, 1966), 29-31.
[2] Gail R. O’ Day and Susan E. Hylen, John (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2006), 76.
[3] Andreas J. Kostenberger, The Missions of Jesus and the Disciples according to the Fourth Gospel (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1998), 41.
[4] Francis J. Moloney, The Gospel of John (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 1998), 523-524.
[5] Raymond E. Brown, The Gospel According to John I-XII…, 1035.
[6] C.K. Barrett, The Gospel According to St. John (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1978), 159-160.
[7] Sandra M. Schneiders, Written That You May Believe: Encountering Jesus in the Fourth Gospel (New York: Crossroad, 1999), 164.
[8] Marianne Meye Thompson, John: A Commentary (Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), 276.
[9] Rudolf Bultmann, The Gospel of John: A Commentary (Philadelphia: Westminster Press, 1971), 155.
[10] D.A. Carson, The Gospel According to John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1991), 205.
[11] Craig S. Keener, The Gospel of John, A Commentary, Vol. 1 (Grand Rapids: Baker Publishing Group, 2003), 387.
[12] Richard Bauckham, Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels as Eyewitness Testimony (Grand Rapids: Williams B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2006), 379-383.
[13] Andrew T. Lincoln, The Gospel According to Saint John (London: Continuum, 2005), 274.
[14] Richard Bauckham, Testimony in the Spirit: Resurrecting Witness in the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2021), 156.
[15] Leander E. Keck, The New Interpreter’s Bible: Luke-John Volume 9 (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1996), 547.
[16] Jey J. Kanagaraj and Ian S. Kemp, The Gospel According to John (Farrer Road: Asia Theological Association, 2002), 65.
[17] Craig R. Koester, The Word of Life: A Theology of John’s Gospel (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2008), 188-191.
[18] Craig R. Koester, Symbolism in the Fourth Gospel: Meaning, Mystery, Community (Minneapolis: Fortress Press, 2003), 137-142.
[19] Marianne Meye Thompson, The God of the Gospel of John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2001), 152-156.
[20] John Ashton, Understanding the Fourth Gospel (Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1991), 389-392.
[21] Andreas J. Kostenberger, A Theology of John’s Gospel and Letters (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 2009), 197-200.
[22] J. Louis Martyn, History and Theology in the Fourth Gospel (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1979), 132.
[23] Eli Lizorkin Eyzenberg, The Jewish Gospel of John: Discovering Jesus, King of All Israel (Illinois: Crossway Bibles, 2015), 34-35.
[24] J. Ramsey Michaels, John (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Publishing Books, 2011), 69-72.
[26] Raymond F. Collins, These Things Have Been Written: Studies on the Fourth Gospel (Louvain: Peeters Press, 1990), 96.
[27] Esther Kobel, Dining with John: Communal Meals and Identity Formation in the Fourth Gospel and its Historical and Cultural Context (Leiden: Martinus Nijhoff Publishers, 2011), 75-77.
[28] Kobel, Dining with John: Communal Meals and Identity Formation in the Fourth Gospel and its Historical and Cultural Context…, 75-77.
[29] D. Moody Smith, The Theology of the Gospel of John (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 1995), 89.
[30] John Painter, The Quest for the Messiah: The History, Literature and Theology of the Johannine Community (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1993), 203.
Friendly Note
Greetings in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ! We are deeply thankful for your visit to BD Materials. It is our mission and joy to serve Bible students, pastors, and believers with high-quality theological resources that strengthen faith and understanding of God’s Word.
At BD Materials, you’ll find study notes, articles, question papers, and valuable academic content designed to support your biblical and theological education. We are dedicated to helping you grow in knowledge, ministry, and devotion to Christ.
We also invite you to explore our partner sites: Telugu Gospel Lyrics, featuring inspiring gospel song lyrics in Telugu, and Theological Library, a hub for Christian book summaries and devotionals.
Your encouragement means a lot to us! We invite you to share your study materials, articles, or insights with our community. Thank you for being part of this mission—may God bless your studies and ministry abundantly!
