Study scripture verses with commentary, concordances, and use highlighting, underlining, take notes in the bible. The biggest question burdening such an interpretation is one of motivation. We havent heard much about hell since the hellfire and brimstone era of the church. The death of judas iscariot was a suicide committed after he was filled with remorse but not repentance for his betrayal of jesus. They forbid to marry, command to abstain from foods, preach a false gospel galatians 1. Are those who have never heard of christ going to hell. The gospel of john illustrates what it looks like when god the son comes to dwell among his people.
We are not saying that this external and internal evidence constitutes absolute proof. Today, little if anything is spoken in churches about hell. In fact, he spoke more about hell than everybody else in the bible combined. Although this gospel is, by some among the learned, supposed to have been really written by nicodemus, who became a disciple of jesus christ, and conversed with him.
In the gospel of john, it doesnt matter if your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and pharisees. The method of philip savilles the gospel of john defies ordinary film criticism, and indeed ordinary movie viewing. During this time, they were introduced to many of the pagan gods in egyptian mythology. There are perhaps as many different reasons for rejecting christ as there are people who reject him, but the following four reasons can serve as general categories. Gospel according to john, fourth of the four new testament narratives recounting the life and death of jesus christ. Johns gospel visualized and enacted to be sure, and to that extent interpreted and glossed, but not adapted in the usual sense. The greek word logos signifies both word and reason. I had already realized that there is indeed a distinction between john and the other evangelists when he says jew.
The gospel of john is the fourth gospel in the new testament. As is the case with many apparent differences in the gospel accounts, god directed each human author to include those details that are pertinent to each gospel narrative. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it. If it is, then where is hell, who goes to hell, and can we be saved after.
Upon learning that lazarus cannot cross from heaven to bring any relief to those in hell, the rich man says, then i beg you, father, to send him to my fathers house for i have five brothers so that he may warn them, lest they also come into this place of torment. John 1 in the beginning was the word, and the word was with. This study will allow the group to focus on the preeminence of jesus of nazareth. The dialogue of the movie is word for word, solely. Hell cannot be part of the gospel if the gospel is unconditional good news. The catholic church teaches you can kill yourself and go to heaven. Jan 02, 2020 the gospel of john shares much about the approaching ministry of the holy spirit after jesus ascension. The evangelist from hell hope and passion ministries.
While john, therefore, was thus teaching those in hades, the first created and forefather adam heard, and said to his son seth. They are both products of what is known as the prosperity gospel and the word of faith movement, or the seed faith movement. Jesus is also usually in terrible danger whenever hes in judeaespecially jerusalem. Scripture teaches that there is a real place called hell. Heracleon commentary on the gospel of john, along with a vast collection of material about gnosticism and the tradition of john.
Charles haddon spurgeon alfords greek testament for the use of theological students and ministers, is an invaluable aid to. The dates of its accreted sections are uncertain, but according to the 1907 edition of the catholic encyclopedia scholars agree in assigning the resulting work to the middle of the fourth century ad. On the surface, when we ask a question like that, whats lurking there is, how could god ever possibly send some person to hell who never even had the opportunity to hear of the savior. The gospel of john s significance for christianity has been obvious from the time of irenaeus. Lets walk through the gospel accounts and hear the words of jesus regarding the. Jesus visited the sisters, mary and martha, and resurrected their dead brother, lazarus. My questions and comments along the way will be in blue text so that you do not think what i write is the gospel. The account of the descent into hell part ii is an addition to the acta. What are the verses that mention hell in the new testament. God chose to communicate the details of jesus christs journey to crucifixion as illustrated in both matthew and john. For most people, that preferred version is the gospel of john. Watch our overview video on the gospel of john, which breaks down the literary design of the book and its flow of thought.
People who follow this lie and kill themselves will certainly end up in hell. Jesus spoke more about hell than anybody else in the bible. The gospel of john, though, doesnt seem to care much about all that. It is better for you to enter life maimed than with two hands to go into hell, where the fire never goes out. The new testament contains some presentations of the gospel. The sources the gospel of john hell, catholic, god. What are the best gospel songs about hell, damnation and the. Pastor john writes to help her understand what god says. Why do many people choose to reject jesus as savior. There are four versions of the life of jesus in the new testament but, lets face it, everyone has a favorite. Christ, it is supposed, entered into the depths to proclaim the gospel to old covenant believers. Matthew and luke in the book of acts both mention some details of judass death, and reconciling the details between the two accounts has presented some difficulti.
Some forums can only be seen by registered members. John stands in a mystical sense, the law having ceased, and jesus comes, bringing the grace of the gospel, to which that same law bears testimony. Tony evans challenges christians who have grown comfortable and complacent in their faith. In fact, one of the striking features of the gospel of john is the number of distinct stories about women and the witness that they bear to jesus. Like, say, dante, who shows judas in the ninth circle of hell being chewed on for all eternity by satan himself. And he defined it as conscious, eternal punishment conscious, eternal punishment.
Suffice it to say that medieval bishops didnt invent the doctrine of hell as a way to scare the serfs. The gospel of john presents a specific vocabulary for salvation and the coming. I simply want to ponder the traditional interpretation that christ went to the place of the dead to preach the gospel to old testament saints that he might set them free for the full. Sep 21, 2008 most people in the world have no experience of lasting joy in their lives. How many times does the word word appear in gospel. It contains a variety of statements and information about jesus not contained in the synoptic gospels. He uses jews as a slur over 60 times in the gospel of john alone. The divinity of jesus christ is something that is very apparent in the gospel of john. Hardly anything is more disgraceful than the preaching of hell as a tool of evangelism.
The gospel of matthew relates that immediately after christ died, the earth shook, there was darkness, the veil in the temple was torn in two, and many people. While all the other evangelists begin with the incarnation, john, passing over the conception, nativity, education, and growth, speaks immediately of the eternal generation, saying, in the beginning was the word. Password please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members its free and quick. And it says that john was sharing with the people the word of god. Nov 01, 20 what john didnt record but matthew did include is that outside the city as they came out in matthew 27. In the gospel according to saint john the word hell does not appear in the kjv or the nkjv of the bible. The gospel is supposed to be an affront to fleshly pride, offensive to human sensibilities, foolishness in the eyes of worldly wisdom, and contrary to all carnal judgments. The apostles creed says, he was crucified, died, and was buried. In john, jesus becomes human as the incarnation of the creator god of. John 121 nkjv the eternal word in the beginning was. Dec 06, 20 for god so loved the world that he gave his one and only son, that anybody who believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
The false doctrine of hell exposed the real gospel of christ. It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet and be thrown into hell. The topic of discussion that jesus was having was the subject of judgment and comparing the old way of judgment according to the law and the new judgment according to the much. In him was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. He responded by telling them that they were liars, and that proved that they, not he, were of the devil. Dangers of the prosperity gospel john piper does a great job of defining what the prosperity gospel is and why it is so sinister. Gospel of john read henry alfords18101871 fascinating brief biography and phil johnsons related comments. I with my finger pointed out and made manifest the lamb of the.
How often that is used to say that nonchristians are doomed to. The gospels, the first four books of the new testament, tell the story of the life of jesus. Its not character, good deeds, and righteousness that carry any weight, only belief. John s psuedepigraphical author relied solely on the greek septuagint, did not have a semiticlanguage background, and colwell greek of the fourth gospel echoes what other scholars agree with, that being that the text of john shows language and vocabulary paralleled in pagan usage of the first century a. The above quote by kasemann suggests that in the gospel of john jesus divinity is definite and his presence is felt on the entire world through his words and actions. The dates of its accreted sections are uncertain, but according to the 1907 edition of the. The gospel of inclusion reaching beyond religious fundamentalism to the true love of god and self tuesday night bible study fall 2017 st. It is very evident that the distinction of jew is generally presented as an adversary of jesus. Here, according to the testimony of josephus, is the most likely origin of hell in the bible. Why did john say when i saw him, i fell at his feet as though dead. Nothing is more terrifying or more awful to contemplate than that any human being would go to hell. Feb 20, 2008 if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. The surprising ending of the lost gospel of peter christian origins december 31, 2015 a precious fragmented copy of a portion of the lost gospel of peter was discovered in 1886 by the french archaeologist urbain bouriant, buried in the tomb of a. In matthew, jesus makes a direct reference to hell nine times as compared to mark and luke in which hell is spoken of three times and not at all in john.
All of our resources exist to guide you toward everlasting joy in jesus christ. Sermon on the mount vs gospel of john how to get into. Women as witnesses in the gospel of john cbe international. The life of jesus from the gospel of john full movie.
The gospel of john has many touches that appear to reflect the recollections of an eyewitness such as the house at bethany being filled with the fragrance of the broken perfume jar see 12. The gospel of nicodemus, formerly called the acts of pontius pilate. The bible book we call the gospel according to john is the fourth and final record of jesus christs earthly ministry. Johns is the only one of the four not considered among the synoptic gospels i. Jun 21, 2014 intimate and reflective, the gospel of john offers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the incomparable life and times of jesus christ. The bestloved but least understood of the gospels, john presents a uniquely human portrait of courage and passion encompassing jesus entire threeyear ministry, the final years of his life. The surprising ending of the lost gospel of peter taborblog. There are a few of songs that describe what your asking for on my favorite album from my favorite artist. I am john the baptist, voice and prophet of the most high. According to the apocryphal gospel of nicodemus, the harrowing of hell was foreshadowed by christs raising of. The gospel of nicodemus, also known as the acts of pilate is an apocryphal gospel claimed to have been derived from an original hebrew work written by nicodemus, who appears in the gospel of john as an associate of jesus. Veteran british filmmaker philip saville directs the religious epic the gospel of john, a production of. The title gospel of nicodemus is medieval in origin. John is the fourth and last gospel an account of jesus life and ministry in the new testament.
Jesus is a great miracle worker, an omniscient teacher, a compassionate provider, and a faithful friend. Johns gospel profoundly shows how gods son, jesus, makes it possible for us to have an eternal relationship with god the father john 3. In addition, there are several other references in the gospels to these concepts spoken by either john the baptist or by the narratorgospel. This is the disciple who is testifying to these things and wrote these things, and we know that his testimony is true john 21. Everyones favorite gospel, the gospel of john, is a. You asked what happens to people who live far away from the gospel and have never heard about jesus. The 6thcentury christolytes, as recorded by john of damascus, believed that jesus left his soul and body in hell. Their lyrics are matchless and transcend other genres, lyrically. Before you can really understand the doctrine of hell, you must first understand some things concerning gods people the israelites who were under captivity of the egyptians for about 400 years. Jesus wanted to help the jews to believe in him and show all that he has power over the grave. I will prayerfully only add thoughts i believe will help you understand the gospel. Weve produced a featurelength film based on the gospel of john, and you can watch and share it for free.
In christian theology, the harrowing of hell is the triumphant descent of christ into hell or. In the final analysis we accept it by faith, a faith that takes account of the facts, namely, that toward the close of the first century a. This site includes the entire hammadi library, as well as a large collection of other primary gnostic scriptures and documents. Not only is jesus the way to god, but he is also god made. John 121 new king james version nkjv the eternal word. The messiah was born in galilee and the people will just have to deal with it. Yet only onethe gospel of john claims to be an eyewitness account, the testimony of the unnamed disciple whom jesus loved. John chapter 1 kjv king james version homosexuality is a modern day name for an ancient sin called sodomy. It is often said that the gospel of john portrays jesus as being on trial, and presents the host of witnesses called to his defense. A twelveyearold girl asked what will happen to all the people who have not heard the gospel. The only word you see is hell and because you see hell you think that provides all the validity you need to justify christianitys most vile doctrine ever invented. Asked in new testament how many times does the word immediately appear in the gospel of. Christs descent to hell study resources blue letter bible.
The decision to accept or reject jesus as savior is the ultimate life decision. Enjoyed your article, who are the jews in the gospel of john. The gospel has been depicted in live narrations and dramatized in productions, skits, plays, and passion plays, as well as in film. Thats one of the most emotionally laden questions that a christian can ever be asked. The gospel of nicodemus, also known as the acts of pilate, is an apocryphal gospel claimed to have been derived from an original hebrew work written by nicodemus, who appears in the gospel of john as an associate of jesus. For details about this sermon and for related resources, click here. Their the pharisees belief is that there is an undying power in souls and that, under the ground, there is an accounting to reward and punish those who were righteous or unrighteous in this life. If we are still dead in our sins and t respasses, then we should fear god, and fear the hell that he created.
Christ spent his three days preaching the gospel to the old testament believers who dwelt. The word hell is not even found in the gospel of john. Landscape of the gospel of john john wrote the gospel sometime after 70 a. Yet only onethe gospel of johnclaims to be an eyewitness account, the testimony of the unnamed disciple whom jesus loved. The description of satan as the father of lies comes from a passage in the gospel of john. The writer of john is believed to be a greek convert and his lack of knowledge of judaism and the torah is as appalling as his hatred of jews. The gospel of jesus christ is the good news that god provided the way for man to be freed from the penalty of sin john 14. The gospel of john was shown in a special presentation at the 2003 toronto film festival.
The most recent such portrayal is the 2014 film the gospel of john, directed by david batty and narrated by david harewood and brian cox, with selva rasalingam as jesus. There are certain words or phrases that create a recurring theme in the gospel of john. No, a person must hear the gospel of christ and place his or her faith in christ romans 10. And the only way hell can be made compatible with the gospel as unconditional good news is to believe that it is the. The bible, that is, the gospel of john, will be in black text.
The message of scripture is that salvation is a rescue a rescue from a real place called hell. This book was written by a disciple whom jesus lovedthe church traditionally attributes it to john. Lets walk through the gospel accounts and hear the words of jesus regarding the place where unregenerate people will spend eternity. No christian teaching exemplifies those characteristics more powerfully than the doctrine of hell. Jesus was addressing a group of religious leaders in israel, who were accusing him of being from satan. John and matthew both agree that jesus carried his cross out of jerusalem. Can a person have his sins forgiven and have eternal life apart from knowledge of christ. Then john sees jesus and he tells two other disciples that is jesus. I went before the face of the same lord, that i might make the waste and rough places into plain ways. The other gospels all describe jesus heritage from an earthly perspective, john, in contrast, doesnt start with his ministry, his parents, or john the baptist. Gospel of john this essay will show contrasts in views on the gospel of john regarding authorship,dates, and the relationship between john s gospel and the gospels of matthew, mark and luke.