That You May Believe: The Evangelistic Purpose and Message

That You May Believe: The Evangelistic Purpose and Message of John's Gospel in Relation to Free Grace Theology ? 2017 Thomas L. Stegall

This document is a revised version of a dissertation by the same title presented to the faculty of Grace Biblical Seminary in June 2017. It is made available here by their kind permission with a few revisions, including changes to some of the original formatting, the rewording of certain sections, and the addition of a chapter on the date of John's Gospel, which was previously published separately.

I am grateful to my family for their love, support, and encouragement throughout these studies. By the abundant grace and mercy of our God, may He be pleased now to use this dissertation on the Gospel of John as a helpful resource in the lives of those who choose to read it. Studying this rich and rewarding portion of God's Word, with its focus on the person, work, and provision of the Savior, has been one of the greatest joys and privileges of my life. May the Lord Jesus Christ be magnified as a result and receive the glory due His name.

The works of the LORD are great, studied by all who have pleasure in them.

(Ps. 111:2)

Worthy is the Lamb who was slain to receive power and riches and wisdom, and strength and honor and glory and blessing!

(Rev. 5:12)

ABSTRACT

THAT YOU MAY BELIEVE: THE EVANGELISTIC PURPOSE AND MESSAGE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL IN RELATION TO FREE GRACE THEOLOGY

This dissertation seeks to determine the primary purpose and message of John's Gospel, so that the teachings of Free Grace theology based on this Gospel may be confirmed, clarified, or corrected. The conclusion from the exegetical evidence is that John's primary purpose is evangelism of unbelievers, as the book seeks to lead its readers to fulfill the single, instantaneous condition of belief in Jesus Christ's person, work, and promise in order to receive the free gift of eternal life that cannot be lost.

Background study on the date and intended readers of John's Gospel is foundational to the study of its purpose. A survey of the evidence leads to a reasonable date range in the 60s?90s A.D. with John being the fourth Gospel published, in contrast to the claims of some Free Grace proponents that it was completed in the 30s?45 A.D. Thus, John's Gospel does not have theological priority over other New Testament books based on an alleged chronological priority.

The profile of John's intended reader is gleaned primarily from textual clues implicit within his Gospel, leading to the conclusion that John has the broadest possible application to Jews, Samaritans, and Gentiles, having been written for the salvation of the whole world. Several lines of evidence show that John was written directly to unbelievers for the primary purpose of evangelism that promises unending, divine life, while the book's secondary purpose is the edification of those who are already believers.

Examination of John's use of pisteuvw shows that eternal life results from a single act of faith. Supposed proof texts in John's Gospel do not teach that eternal life is dependent on, or necessarily proven by, perseverance in faith and good works, which are the manifestation of abiding in dependent fellowship with Christ as His disciple. John's Gospel supports Free Grace theology's doctrine of the nature of "saving faith."

John's content or object of faith for eternal salvation in the present age is expressed through the book's consummate view of Jesus as "the Christ, the Son of God." While many current proponents of Free Grace theology teach that to receive regeneration John's Gospel requires belief only in Jesus' promise of eternal life, irrespective of any knowledge of, or belief in, His person and work, John's Gospel actually teaches that belief in Jesus Christ as the object of "saving faith" has requisite content that includes: the promised gift of eternal life, Jesus' identity as the unique Son of God, who is both fully God and human, who died a substitutionary death for sin and rose from the dead. This content of "saving faith" does not necessitate belief in Jesus Christ's virgin birth, burial, status as a prophet and national king, Davidic lineage, and Second Coming.

While the primary purpose of John's Gospel is evangelism, it is not the only evangelistic book in the Bible, as many Free Grace adherents claim. A comparison of John's Gospel with Romans and Luke-Acts shows that each of these books shares the same saving message. Christians today are not limited to John's Gospel alone for evangelizing the lost with the saving message of the gospel of Christ.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

Tables and Figures ............................................................................................................. xi Chapter

1. INTRODUCTION .............................................................................................1 Reasons for This Study ..........................................................................2 Assumptions of This Study....................................................................8 Limitations of This Study ......................................................................9 Procedure of This Study.......................................................................10 Overview of This Study .......................................................................11

2. THE DATE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL .................................................................14 Introduction ..........................................................................................14 Johannine Priority .......................................................................15 Apostolic Authorship ..................................................................15 Order of Composition .................................................................16 Evidence for a Later Date (A.D. 80s?90s)...........................................18 False Assumptions ......................................................................18 Destruction of Jerusalem.............................................................21 Temple Replacement Theme ......................................................22 Absence of Sadducees.................................................................23 Sea of Tiberias ............................................................................25 Death of John & the Lord's Return.............................................25 Evidence for an Earlier Date (Pre-A.D. 70).........................................27 A.D. 70 and the Destruction of the Temple ................................28

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John 5:2 and the Historical Present.............................................29 Jewish Missions Document.........................................................31 Aramaic Original ........................................................................32 Other Voices for an Early Dating of John ..................................33 Obstacles to the Priority of John's Gospel...........................................35 John and Gentile Missions ..........................................................35 No Intratestamental References to the Gospel of John ...............36 John's Significant Omissions and Additions ..............................37 Twelve Disciples Assumed in John's Gospel .............................40 John the Baptist Assumed in John's Gospel ...............................40 Gospel of Mark Assumed in John's Gospel ...............................41 No Synoptic Literary Collaboration with John's Gospel............42 Patristic Testimony on the Order of the Gospels ........................43 Conclusion ...........................................................................................43

3. THE AUDIENCE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL .......................................................45 Evidence for a Jewish Audience ..........................................................45 Provenance of John's Gospel......................................................45 Old Testament Background ........................................................48 Prevalence of "the Jews" ............................................................50 Jewishness of Jesus .....................................................................52 Messiahship of Jesus...................................................................52 Omission of the Great Commission............................................55 Samaritans ...................................................................................57 Evidence for a Gentile Audience .........................................................58

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Gentiles versus Diasporic Jews...................................................58 Identification of Geography and Topography.............................59 Interpretation of Aramaic Words ................................................60 Interpretation of Jewish Customs and Feasts..............................60 Universal Scope of John's Gospel ..............................................61 Omission of the "Gentiles" .........................................................63 Conclusion ...........................................................................................64

4. THE PURPOSE OF JOHN'S GOSPEL ..........................................................66 Edification of Believers .......................................................................66 Upper Room Discourse...............................................................66 John's Epilogue...........................................................................68 Developing Faith of the Disciples...............................................69 2 Timothy 3:16?17 Principle ......................................................73 Evangelization of Unbelievers .............................................................73 Contrast with 1 John ...................................................................73 Pivot of the Prologue's Chiastic Structure..................................75 Predominant Usage of Pisteuvw .................................................76 Pronoun Identifiers......................................................................78 Possession of Everlasting Life ....................................................83 Conclusion ...........................................................................................90

5. THE MEANING AND NATURE OF PISTEUW IN JOHN'S EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE .........................................................................92

Text, Syntax, and Semantics of Pisteuvw in John 20:31 ....................92

Instantaneous versus Persevering Belief..............................................98

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Present, Substantival Participle of Pisteuvw ..................................101

Believing Illustrated by Looking (3:14?15) ......................................109 Believing Illustrated by Drinking (4:13?15)......................................112 Believing Illustrated by Eating (6:31?35)..........................................112

Pisteuv[s]hte and Pisteuvonte~ in John 20:31 ...............................114

Believing and Volition .......................................................................115 Believing, Works, and Grace .............................................................117 Believing and Assurance....................................................................124 Perseverance & Performance Proof Texts .........................................130

Untrustworthy Believers (2:23?25) ..........................................131 Believers Who Do the Truth (3:19?21) ....................................132 Disobedience of Unbelief (3:36)...............................................141 Resurrection Rewards for Good and Evil (5:28?29) ................144 Believers Who Abide for Discipleship (8:30?32) ....................146 Believers Who Abide as Fruitful Disciples (15:1?6)................148 Conclusion .........................................................................................156

6. THE OBJECT AND CONTENT OF PISTEUW IN JOHN'S EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE .......................................................................157 Placement & Perspective of John 20:30?31 ......................................157 Immediate Context of John 20:30?31................................................159 "Signs" in John 20:30?31 ..................................................................161 "The Christ, the Son of God" in John 20:30?31................................169 Deity of Jesus the Christ ...........................................................184 Humanity & Death of Jesus the Christ .....................................194

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Resurrection of Jesus the Christ................................................209 Words, Works, and Person of Christ ........................................213 Works, the Father, and Scripture ..............................................215 Jesus' "Name" in John 20:31 .............................................................217 Syntax and Translation of 20:31b .............................................218 Meaning of "Name" ..................................................................219 Life in/by His Name..................................................................222 Conclusion .........................................................................................225

7. THE CONTENT OF PISTEUW NOT INCLUDED IN JOHN'S EVANGELISTIC MESSAGE .......................................................................228 Jesus' Virgin Birth .............................................................................228 Jesus' Burial.......................................................................................231 Jesus as Prophet .................................................................................234 Prophet Passages in John's Gospel ...........................................234 Samaritan Concept of Messiah (John 4) ...................................237 Jesus' Davidic Lineage ......................................................................242 Davidic Lineage in John's Gospel ............................................242 Jewish Expectations of Davidic Messiah..................................243 Additional Reasons Excluding Davidic Lineage ......................245 Jesus as National King .......................................................................247 Unique Concept of Christ's Kingship.......................................247 Kingship Passages in John's Gospel.........................................249 Lordship Salvation Concept of Kingship..................................256 Jesus' Second Coming .......................................................................258

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