THE PROLOGUE OF JOHN

Why is the prologue of John (Jn.1:1-18) considered to be important for the Gospel of John. Show the singularity of the Fourth Gospel and its relation to the Synoptics. Compare and contrast the difference between the disciples of Jesus both in the Gospel of John and the Synoptics.

a) Why the prologue of john is important for the gospel

• The prologue represents a poetic summary of the whole theology and narrative of the Gospel, as well as an introduction.
• It introduces the main themes: word, grace, glory, light, truth, life.
• It describes how the word that was with god from eternity came into the sphere of time and history. It is a cyclic movement from God then going back to the Father.
• What will happen in the gospel is based on the prologue.

John opens his Gospel with one of the most challenging texts in the New Testament. The prologue functions as an introduction to the whole Gospel. It is a hymn summarizing the whole theology of the Gospel. It touches many important themes such as life, light, darkness, testimony, witness, believe, world, glory, truth which will be taken up again and developed further in the body of the Gospel. It describes how the Word that was with God from eternity came into the sphere of time and history. The Evangelist conceives the story of Jesus as a cyclic movement of the Word: down from the father- to our world –and up the Father. (Word in God 1:1; Word in history 1:14; Word in God 1:18)

Daniel J. Harrington would say that the prologue of the fourth Gospel is one of the most celebrated passages in the New Testament. More importantly, it expresses the major Christological beliefs of Christianity: the Word preexisted creation with God; creation was through the Word; divine filiation is possible for believers; Jesus Christ is the incarnation of God, the Word become flesh; he shares in the divinity of God, yet he has taken on the human condition totally; Jesus is the unique, once-and-for-all revelation of God in the human history; the perfection of God’s earlier gift of the Law to Moses takes place in and through Jesus Christ.[1]

            To understand the theological world of John, one must recognize the centrality of incarnation to the gospel. This is clearly seen in the prologue: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us”. These two claims are the foundation of the gospel and mark the importance of the prologue in a sense that the Word (Jesus Christ provides access to God in ways never before possible, because Jesus’ revelation of God derives from the most intimate relation with God.

The hymn can be divided into four major units:

-vv 1-5: The Word as light and life of creation;

-vv 6-8: The witness of John the Baptist;

-vv 9-13: The coming of the Word into the world;

-vv 14-18: The Word became flesh and dwelt among us.

The singularity of the fourth Gospel

The Gospel of John is highly regarded as the most theological of all the four Gospels. If we read with a critical and reflective mind we get not only the fascinating insight into the deep theology of the Book but also a profound spiritual experience that takes us to another world, the world of the divine with a deeper vision of the person of Christ. Reading this Gospel is like climbing from a lower level of meaning to a higher level of meaning. This can be substantiates by these examples: the living water (Jn.4:10) that is explained as the Holy Spirit (Jn.7:38-39); the food of Jesus (Jn.4:32) that is to do the will of the Father (Jn.4:34). John uses very simple words, but yet with very deep theological meaning. To grasp it one requires a great spiritual openness which John symbolizes by the eagle with very keen eyes and piercing signt.

Moreover, the Gospel of John has played an immense role in the formation and formulation of Christian doctrine. The Church has found in it the definitive basis for Christology (doctrine on Christ), Pneumatology (doctrine on the Holy Spirit) and Trinity (doctrine on the Triune God). The theology of the fourth Gospel is a theology from above. This is why John is called the great theologian.

Relationship between the Gospel of John and the Synoptics

            John follows the same pattern with the synoptics as far as Jesus’ ministry is concerned. They talk about the life of Jesus with the disciples who did not understand Jesus. They have the same theology, but John explicit the synoptics. (Who do people say I am? John brings Jesus as the bread of life, the light of the world, the good shepherd, the truth, the life, the way, the resurrection.

            The major themes of differences are about the Theology and the style of communication.

Commonalities

Differences

-They all speak of the same Jesus as Jewish teacher with disciples; -They all speak of Jesus’ words and actions; -The public ministry in Palestine; -They present Jesus’ debate with Jewish religious leaders; -They all present the passion, death, resurrection and appearances of Jesus.

-Theological content: John’s high theology. Synoptics teach on the kingdom of God but John the eternal life. -Style of communication: The synoptics use the parables, the miracles and exorcisms, but John uses seven signs, discourses and dialogues. -Duration of Jesus’ public ministry: for John it is three years (Jn.2:13; 6:4; 11:55) whereas in the Synoptics it is about one year (Mk.14:1=Mt.26:2=Lk.22:1). This is according to the mentioning of the Passover feast. -The place of Jesus’ public ministry: One single journey to Jerusalem in the synoptics, while John mentions a frequent movement between Galilee and Jerusalem. -The time of recognition of Jesus’ divinity: This is at the end in the synoptics Matt16:16, while in Jn it s at the beginning Jn1:41.49.

Compare and contrast the disciples in John and in the Synoptics

John’s view of discipleship in Jesus: Discipleship for John is a journey made with Jesus that demands decisions on the part of the disciple. John presents discipleship as a process of becoming, a process of growth. This process gradually involves faith of the disciple (14:9; 16:18, 30) and the full understanding of Jesus. Again disciple is someone who identifies himself with Jesus. The one who accept Jesus’ call: “Come and see” to get the identity of Jesus as the Messiah.

Disciples of Jesus in the gospel according to John and those of the synoptic: In the Synoptic call narratives, the call is task-oriented, “I will make you fishers for people” (Mk 1:17) but on John the call narratives is person-oriented, “Come and see.”(Jn 1:39a). The call narratives in John consist almost entirely of dialogues, so that the reader himself becomes a participant in the drama of discipleship. The reader is able to hear Jesus’ initial question to the first disciples, “what do you seek?” (1:38), as a question addressed to the reader as well. In this way the Johannine Jesus invites every reader to respond to his call to discipleship.

The disciples of Jesus in John and in the Synoptics have some common patterns but also different patterns. The rationale behind is that John had different perspective than the one in the Synoptics.

-The call pattern of “following” or “coming after” that is in John 1:43b is also found in Mark 1: 17a; in Matthew 4: 19a and in some manner in Luke 5: 11b. However, they all use this pattern, in the synoptics the call is too mechanical and artificial because just after the call the disciples could leave everything and follow Jesus whereas in John the call is more dialogical. In fact John wants to show a certain dynamic or movement and growth in a call.

-In both John and the Synoptics the disciples are presented with human weakness. The disciples did not understand fully who Jesus is or what his words meant during his ministry (Jn.12: 16; 13: 7; 16: 12). Only later, after the coming of the Holy Spirit, were they able to understand the significance of Jesus’ words and actions (Jn.14: 26).

-The disciples in John recognize Jesus as the Messiah at the beginning of his public ministry (Jn.1: 41b) whereas in the Synoptics Jesus is recognized as Messiah towards the end of the public ministry (Mk.8: 29b; Mt.16: 16; Lk.9: 20b).

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[1] Cf. Francis J. Moloney, S.D.B., The Gospel of John. Sacra Pagina, vol. 4, ed. Daniel J. Harrington (Collegeville, Minnesota: The Liturgical Press, 1998), p. 41.