Writer: Apostle John

1. What do the Scriptures show as to the closeness of John’s association with Jesus?

THE Gospel records of Matthew, Mark, and Luke had been circulating for over 30 years and had come to be treasured by first-century Christians as the works of men inspired by holy spirit. Now, as the close of the century neared and the number of those who had been with Jesus dwindled, the question may well have arisen, Was there still something to be told? Was there still someone who could, from personal memories, fill in precious details of the ministry of Jesus? Yes, there was. The aged John had been singularly blessed in his association with Jesus. He was apparently among the first of John the Baptizer’s disciples to be introduced to the Lamb of God and one of the first four to be invited by the Lord to join him full-time in the ministry. (John 1:35-39; Mark 1:16-20) He continued in intimate association with Jesus throughout his ministry and was the disciple “Jesus loved” who reclined in front of Jesus’ bosom at the last Passover. (John 13:23; Matt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33) He was present at the heartbreaking scene of execution, where Jesus entrusted to him the care of His fleshly mother, and it was he that outran Peter as they sped to the tomb to investigate the report that Jesus had risen.​—John 19:26, 27; 20:2-4.

2. How was John equipped and energized to write his Gospel, and for what purpose?

² Mellowed by almost 70 years in the active ministry and charged with the visions and meditations of his recent lonely imprisonment on the isle of Patmos, John was well equipped to write of things he had long treasured in his heart. Holy spirit now energized his mind to recall and set down in writing many of those precious, life-giving sayings so that each one reading ‘might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that, because of believing, he might have life by means of Jesus’ name.’​—20:31.

3, 4. What is the external and internal evidence for (a) the Gospel’s canonicity, and (b) John’s writership?

³ Christians of the early second century accepted John as the writer of this account and also treated this writing as an unquestioned part of the canon of the inspired Scriptures. Clement of Alexandria, Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Origen, all of whom were of the late second and early third centuries, testify to John’s writership. Moreover, much internal evidence that John was the writer is to be found in the book itself. Obviously the writer was a Jew and was well acquainted with the Jews’ customs and their land. (2:6; 4:5; 5:2; 10:22, 23) The very intimacy of the account indicates that he was not only an apostle but one of the inner circle of three​—Peter, James, and John—​who accompanied Jesus on special occasions. (Matt. 17:1; Mark 5:37; 14:33) Of these, James (the son of Zebedee) is eliminated because he was martyred by Herod Agrippa I about 44 C.E., long before this book was written. (Acts 12:2) Peter is eliminated because he is mentioned along with the writer at John 21:20-24.

⁴ In these closing verses, the writer is referred to as the disciple “Jesus used to love,” this and similar expressions being used several times in the record, though the name of the apostle John is never mentioned. Jesus is here quoted as saying about him: “If it is my will for him to remain until I come, of what concern is that to you?” (John 21:20, 22) This suggests that the disciple referred to would long survive Peter and the other apostles. All of this fits the apostle John. It is of interest that John, after being given the Revelation vision of Jesus’ coming, concludes that remarkable prophecy with the words: “Amen! Come, Lord Jesus.”​—Rev. 22:20.

9. What shows John’s Gospel to be supplementary, and yet does it fill out all the details of Jesus’ ministry?

⁹ The good news “according to John” is largely supplementary; 92 percent is new material not covered in the other three Gospels. Even so, John concludes with the words: “There are, in fact, many other things also which Jesus did, which, if ever they were written in full detail, I suppose, the world itself could not contain the scrolls written.”​—21:25.