Introduction to John – John’s terminology

One of the major characteristics of John’s Gospel is his particular and special use of religious terms. We have already seen how he uses dualism (Flesh/Spirit; Light/darkness etc) to communicate ideas to both Jewish and Hellenistic readers. Now we’ll consider some words he uses regularly, which convey particular meanings to his readers.

This page should be helpful to you in constructing essays in two ways, dears. They should (a) cast light on what the Fourth Evangelist is trying to communicate about Jesus, and the response that readers of the Gospel should have (and not have) to Him. (b) They should also provide material for you to clarify the points you wish to make in essays. It is important to show clearly to the examiner that you understand what such terms mean within the context of the Fourth Gospel.
Jesus Himself defines what He means by 'Eternal Life' in John 17 v 3. Eternal Life is 'Knowing God, and the One who He sent.', ie, recognising the Messianic State of Jesus. 'Knowing' in the scriptural sense implies far more than a simple acquaintance. The verb translated 'Know' in the Septuagint is used for sexual intercourse, that most complete and intimate 'knowing' of one person by another. Jesus Himself referred to this act of marriage as a 'cleaving' of a man to his wife. I think it's no coincidence that John's Gospel presents Jesus throughout as the Heavenly Bridegroom, coming to woo and win his Bride. The consummation of that relationship (I go to prepare a place for you, I will come again for you to receive you unto myself that where I am, you may be also.' - John 14.3) John invites us to become part of the Bride of Christ now, to share in that Eternal life which consists of 'knowing God' and the One Whom He has sent. Jesus has come to woo and win us. Eventually, like the Middle Eastern bridegroom that He is, he will come to fetch us, to take us to His home to be with Him forever, wherever He may be.

Logos (Gk)

= ‘Word’

A term first used of the principle behind the world by Heraclates several centuries BC. The Stoics took up the idea, saying that man must live ‘.. in accord with the logos’, meaning that we must learn to live with, and according to the Divine principle, whose seeds could be seen in humans. Of course, the Jewish background is revealed in the Septuagint version of Genesis. ‘In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth. … And God said .. Thus John identifies the Logos at the beginning of the Prologue with the life-giving word of the creator. As Jesus is the ‘Logos become flesh’, then naturally, His words have life giving, cleansing power. They can heal the sick (see the signs, esp. the Centurion’s Son in Ch 4). They cleanse those who receive them (see that odd saying in Jn 15vs3, and then look at the foot-washing in Ch 13 and you’ll see what I mean. His words are life itself to those who keep them (Ch 15 vs7) Words are the means by which the Father effects his will in the world. The Logos is made flesh in Jesus, and his words are creation, power and life.

Now, dears, if you want a particularly clear example of the creative Logos in literature, you only have to get a copy of CS Lewis 'The Magician’s Nephew’. I’ve left you one in Room 28. Go about half way through it and read the account of the creation of Narnia by Aslan. Lewis, being a Greek scholar, really knew his ‘Logos’. It’ll make you feel better just reading it too!

Darkness

A state of spiritual blindness, death, of failure to recognise truth, in particular, the identity and authority of Jesus. This can be unintentional. In John’s gospel physical blindness can be a living metaphor for this spiritual state (See Ch 9 The Healing of a blind man). However, ‘darkness’ is most frequently used in the context of a deliberate refusal to recognise Jesus. See Ch 1 vs 5; 12:35-36; and, most eerie of all, 13:30, when Judas goes out to betray Jesus, and ‘it was night.’

Light

The opposite of darkness (natch). Also a metaphor for Life. (see the prologue) The prologue is all about the Light (Life) which the Logos, and only the Logos brings to the darkness of a dead race. Jesus, of course, describes Himself as the light. (See Ch 8) But there is a state of living in the Light which all can share by recognising Him. (Ch 8) ‘Walking in the Light’ ‘Light’ is necessary for people to ‘work’ – that is, to do God’s will (12.46). Jesus talks of a time when it will be dark and no-one will be able to work (9:4) This probably refers to the ‘night’ on which Judas will betray Jesus into the hands of those who have chosen the darkness.

See

As in English, this word can mean both seeing and understanding. True sight is the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the Only Son of God. One passage in the resurrection account nicely sums up this concept – Ch 20 vs 29 (Dear old Thomas!) It is perfectly possible for those who have not seen Jesus with their physical eyes to understand and respond to the claims that His words and actions make on them through the pages of the Gospel. Thus although they do not see, they are happy (blessed) because they understand!

Blindness

Unsurprisingly, the opposite of ‘seeing’. A failure to recognise the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah, and the one to whom God has given the authority to judge. As we saw before, people can be either unintentionally blind OR blind on purpose. Classic example of deliberate blindness is in Ch 9:39-41 The Healing of a blind man. The Pharisees who reject Jesus’ (astounding) claims are deemed sinful because they claim to ‘see’ but don’t believe. Jesus, of course has come to give the ‘blind’ sight (which he does earlier in the Chapter). But the true healing comes to the blind man when he comes to Jesus seeking the one whom God has sent (one of the few places in John where Jesus calls Himself ‘Son of Man’), and worships Him (9:38) The word ‘worship’ is significant here, because it is the appropriate response to Jesus

Knowing God

The Johannine definition of ‘eternal life’ (Ch17vs3) This is all bound up with concepts of ‘seeing’ ‘light’ ‘understanding’ etc.

Glory

This key word refers to the relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father. Particularly used of the times when, as the only begotten, Jesus is doing the will of the Father. Astonishingly, John uses it of the passion of Jesus, and in particular, of His crucifixion , his ‘hour’ (Ch 12 vs 27-33; Ch17vs 1-5) As Jesus is ‘working the works’ of the Father in the signs, they are times when his glory is manifested to the world.Water into Wine The Raising of Lazarus

Flesh

This word describes all in humanity that cannot relate to God. It does not, repeat not refer solely to the human body - although ‘the word became flesh’ obviously does. (You know how much I detest all this so-called ‘christian’ dualism about the body – ie a thinly disguised disgust of it! John’s gospel is, in many ways, the one which emphasises the way God relates to us in our embodied state – ie, a sacramental approach – which is much more truly christian, to me.) The flesh is that which is corruptible, and more often, that in humanity which rejects God, His Ways, and His insistence that He is the creator, and will rule within creation in the way He has chosen. The ‘flesh’ can manifest itself in all sorts of ways… in death, (this is the finite sense of the word referred to in Ch 3 vs 6). In this sense, ‘flesh’ is often contrasted with ‘spirit’ (See also the prologue) Here we see the contrast between that which will corrupt and disintegrate, and that which is eternal (the spirit).

However, there is also a sense in which the flesh cannot truly recognise the things of the spirit. In 8:15, Jesus talks about ‘judging according to the flesh’. This refers to human attempts to ‘play God’, and to the corrupt nature which cannot stand the test of God’s own judgement.

Ironically, it is through flesh that flesh and spirit can be reconciled – the flesh of Jesus (which is REAL food). This flesh is given for the life of the World The Feeding of the 5,000 on the Cross.

The World

The whole system of belief and existence, whether secular or religious, that rejects God’s work in Jesus, and does not ‘know’ Him (17vs25) Bear in mind here, that John’s Community was almost certainly in an ongoing dispute with the local synagogue, and possibly with people who had been part of the Church once, but had left because the Christology was so high. This may well explain the uncompromisingly condemnatory attitude of John towards those who refuse to accept Christ as Saviour.

Jesus has, of course, been sent not to condemn the world, but to give it eternal life (3:16; 17:21) The world needs to be convinced of the need to believe in Jesus – ‘convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement’ 16vs8. But often ‘the world’ will rejoice at the apparent disgrace of Jesus and the Church 16vs20. The world is a place of trouble for the believer, but Jesus assures His followers that He has overcome the world. 16vs33.

Life/Eternal Life/Everlasting Life

This is the key theme of the Gospel. For the evangelist, the whole aim of the Gospel is that the reader should be able to participate in the Life of the Life-giver, that they should be ‘born again’ (Ch 3) but this time, not to corruptible finite, human life, but to eternal life, the life of the creator himself. This life is not a future event, but begins as soon as the hearer begins to believe in Jesus as Messiah, Son of God and Logos. (Jn 5.24) Eternal life then, can begin now. Physical death will occur The Raising of Lazarus but the quality of eternal life is not affected, but continues even though physical death occurs (11.25-26). Jesus is the Logos, the creative source of this life. Ironically, (Johannine irony is famous, dears) it is through the death of Jesus that this life is given to the World – because it is through Jesus Flesh, which he gives for the life of the world, that believers can participate in life. Sacramentalism, dears. Makes you wonder if the Catholics and Orthodox haven’t got it right over the Real Presence. I don’t mean transubstantiation – but the Real Presence of Christ in the elements of the Eucharist – ie, they are not just emblems.

Eternal life doesn’t mean a disembodied existence – the Risen Jesus can be touched, heard, seen, can eat, speak and breathe. This is a ‘glorified’. Not resuscitated body. It is important to realise as well, that it is through the Holy Spirit that life is made available to the believer (3:1-8). The link between 'Spirit' and 'water', also made in 7:38, is one of the most distinctive areas of Johnannine thought on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.

Judge/Condemn

The verb John uses is krino (Gk) which is translated in most versions as ‘judge’ but in some as ‘condemn’. Devotees of Stainer’s Crucifixion will know the anthem ‘God so loved the World’ which uses the King James translation ‘God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world’ (I myself led a very sheltered life, having a father with strict sense of musical propriety, and did not even hear Stainer’s Crucifixion until I was in my mid-twenties!) This juxtaposition of the words in John 3:17 & 18 seems to me to sum up what the 4^th Evangelist means by ‘judge’. Judgement is something that happens to those who have refused to recognise the Messiahship of Jesus. Those who have believed are not judged – and they have passed from death to life. There is a whole section on judgement, so I won’t go into it here, but as far as signs are concerned, you can look at the reaction of the onlookers to the signs to see them either being judged because of unbelief, or believing and passing from death to life.

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Logos (Gk) = ‘Word’	A term first used of the principle behind the world by Heraclates several centuries BC. The Stoics took up the idea, saying that man must live ‘.. in accord with the logos’, meaning that we must learn to live with, and according to the Divine principle, whose seeds could be seen in humans. Of course, the Jewish background is revealed in the Septuagint version of Genesis. ‘In the beginning God made the heavens and the earth. … And God said .. Thus John identifies the Logos at the beginning of the Prologue with the life-giving word of the creator. As Jesus is the ‘Logos become flesh’, then naturally, His words have life giving, cleansing power. They can heal the sick (see the signs, esp. the Centurion’s Son in Ch 4). They cleanse those who receive them (see that odd saying in Jn 15vs3, and then look at the foot-washing in Ch 13 and you’ll see what I mean. His words are life itself to those who keep them (Ch 15 vs7) Words are the means by which the Father effects his will in the world. The Logos is made flesh in Jesus, and his words are creation, power and life. Now, dears, if you want a particularly clear example of the creative Logos in literature, you only have to get a copy of CS Lewis 'The Magician’s Nephew’. I’ve left you one in Room 28. Go about half way through it and read the account of the creation of Narnia by Aslan. Lewis, being a Greek scholar, really knew his ‘Logos’. It’ll make you feel better just reading it too!
Darkness	A state of spiritual blindness, death, of failure to recognise truth, in particular, the identity and authority of Jesus. This can be unintentional. In John’s gospel physical blindness can be a living metaphor for this spiritual state (See Ch 9 The Healing of a blind man). However, ‘darkness’ is most frequently used in the context of a deliberate refusal to recognise Jesus. See Ch 1 vs 5; 12:35-36; and, most eerie of all, 13:30, when Judas goes out to betray Jesus, and ‘it was night.’
Light	The opposite of darkness (natch). Also a metaphor for Life. (see the prologue) The prologue is all about the Light (Life) which the Logos, and only the Logos brings to the darkness of a dead race. Jesus, of course, describes Himself as the light. (See Ch 8) But there is a state of living in the Light which all can share by recognising Him. (Ch 8) ‘Walking in the Light’ ‘Light’ is necessary for people to ‘work’ – that is, to do God’s will (12.46). Jesus talks of a time when it will be dark and no-one will be able to work (9:4) This probably refers to the ‘night’ on which Judas will betray Jesus into the hands of those who have chosen the darkness.
See	As in English, this word can mean both seeing and understanding. True sight is the recognition of Jesus as the Messiah, the Only Son of God. One passage in the resurrection account nicely sums up this concept – Ch 20 vs 29 (Dear old Thomas!) It is perfectly possible for those who have not seen Jesus with their physical eyes to understand and respond to the claims that His words and actions make on them through the pages of the Gospel. Thus although they do not see, they are happy (blessed) because they understand!
Blindness	Unsurprisingly, the opposite of ‘seeing’. A failure to recognise the claims of Jesus to be the Messiah, and the one to whom God has given the authority to judge. As we saw before, people can be either unintentionally blind OR blind on purpose. Classic example of deliberate blindness is in Ch 9:39-41 The Healing of a blind man. The Pharisees who reject Jesus’ (astounding) claims are deemed sinful because they claim to ‘see’ but don’t believe. Jesus, of course has come to give the ‘blind’ sight (which he does earlier in the Chapter). But the true healing comes to the blind man when he comes to Jesus seeking the one whom God has sent (one of the few places in John where Jesus calls Himself ‘Son of Man’), and *worships* Him (9:38) The word ‘worship’ is significant here, because it is the appropriate response to Jesus
Knowing God	The Johannine definition of ‘eternal life’ (Ch17vs3) This is all bound up with concepts of ‘seeing’ ‘light’ ‘understanding’ etc.
Glory	This key word refers to the relationship that exists between Jesus and the Father. Particularly used of the times when, as the only begotten, Jesus is doing the will of the Father. Astonishingly, John uses it of the passion of Jesus, and in particular, of His crucifixion , his ‘hour’ (Ch 12 vs 27-33; Ch17vs 1-5) As Jesus is ‘working the works’ of the Father in the signs, they are times when his glory is manifested to the world.Water into Wine The Raising of Lazarus
Flesh	This word describes all in humanity that cannot relate to God. It does not, repeat *not* refer solely to the human body - although ‘the word became flesh’ obviously does. (You know how much I detest all this so-called ‘christian’ dualism about the body – ie a thinly disguised disgust of it! John’s gospel is, in many ways, the one which emphasises the way God relates to us in our embodied state – ie, a sacramental approach – which is much more truly christian, to me.) The flesh is that which is corruptible, and more often, that in humanity which rejects God, His Ways, and His insistence that He is the creator, and will rule within creation in the way He has chosen. The ‘flesh’ can manifest itself in all sorts of ways… in death, (this is the finite sense of the word referred to in Ch 3 vs 6). In this sense, ‘flesh’ is often contrasted with ‘spirit’ (See also the prologue) Here we see the contrast between that which will corrupt and disintegrate, and that which is eternal (the spirit). However, there is also a sense in which the flesh cannot truly recognise the things of the spirit. In 8:15, Jesus talks about ‘judging according to the flesh’. This refers to human attempts to ‘play God’, and to the corrupt nature which cannot stand the test of God’s own judgement. Ironically, it is through flesh that flesh and spirit can be reconciled – the flesh of Jesus (which is REAL food). This flesh is given for the life of the World The Feeding of the 5,000 on the Cross.
The World	The whole system of belief and existence, whether secular or religious, that rejects God’s work in Jesus, and does not ‘know’ Him (17vs25) Bear in mind here, that John’s Community was almost certainly in an ongoing dispute with the local synagogue, and possibly with people who had been part of the Church once, but had left because the Christology was so high. This may well explain the uncompromisingly condemnatory attitude of John towards those who refuse to accept Christ as Saviour. Jesus has, of course, been sent not to condemn the world, but to give it eternal life (3:16; 17:21) The world needs to be convinced of the need to believe in Jesus – ‘convicted of sin, righteousness and judgement’ 16vs8. But often ‘the world’ will rejoice at the apparent disgrace of Jesus and the Church 16vs20. The world is a place of trouble for the believer, but Jesus assures His followers that He has overcome the world. 16vs33.
Life/Eternal Life/Everlasting Life	This is the key theme of the Gospel. For the evangelist, the whole aim of the Gospel is that the reader should be able to participate in the Life of the Life-giver, that they should be ‘born again’ (Ch 3) but this time, not to corruptible finite, human life, but to eternal life, the life of the creator himself. This life is not a future event, but begins as soon as the hearer begins to believe in Jesus as Messiah, Son of God and Logos. (Jn 5.24) Eternal life then, can begin now. Physical death will occur The Raising of Lazarus but the quality of eternal life is not affected, but continues even though physical death occurs (11.25-26). Jesus is the Logos, the creative source of this life. Ironically, (Johannine irony is famous, dears) it is through the death of Jesus that this life is given to the World – because it is through Jesus Flesh, which he gives for the life of the world, that believers can participate in life. Sacramentalism, dears. Makes you wonder if the Catholics and Orthodox haven’t got it right over the Real Presence. I don’t mean transubstantiation – but the Real Presence of Christ in the elements of the Eucharist – ie, they are not just emblems. Eternal life doesn’t mean a disembodied existence – the Risen Jesus can be touched, heard, seen, can eat, speak and breathe. This is a ‘glorified’. Not resuscitated body. It is important to realise as well, that it is through the Holy Spirit that life is made available to the believer (3:1-8). The link between 'Spirit' and 'water', also made in 7:38, is one of the most distinctive areas of Johnannine thought on the person and work of the Holy Spirit.
Judge/Condemn	The verb John uses is krino (Gk) which is translated in most versions as ‘judge’ but in some as ‘condemn’. Devotees of Stainer’s Crucifixion will know the anthem ‘God so loved the World’ which uses the King James translation ‘God sent not his son into the world to condemn the world’ (I myself led a very sheltered life, having a father with strict sense of musical propriety, and did not even hear Stainer’s Crucifixion until I was in my mid-twenties!) This juxtaposition of the words in John 3:17 & 18 seems to me to sum up what the 4^th Evangelist means by ‘judge’. Judgement is something that happens to those who have refused to recognise the Messiahship of Jesus. Those who have believed are not judged – and they have passed from death to life. There is a whole section on judgement, so I won’t go into it here, but as far as signs are concerned, you can look at the reaction of the onlookers to the signs to see them either being judged because of unbelief, or believing and passing from death to life.