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The Authorship of the 4th Gospel Well I wonder, wonder who, who oo oo oo - Who Wrote the "Book of John"? Table of Contents Why Yochanan (John) Likely Isn't the Author The Author's Signature on the 4th Gospel Who is The Disciple Whom Yahusha Loved? Reasons for the Author's Relative Anonymity
Anyone who has been reading the articles and Bible studies on BibleTruth.cc know that traditional Christian teachings and interpretations are routinely called into question. Our approach to biblical interpretation is to let the Scriptures speak and have authority as the proper way and walk of faith without consideration to the traditions and commandments of men. This requires that we give no weight to man-made traditions which tend to steer people away from the truth. Much of what our fathers were taught and passed down to us is fraught with the errors of misinterpretation and misunderstanding of the culture and context of the writings of Scripture. Our fathers have taught us lies because they were taught lies. One such tradition that has been taught throughout the centuries and passed down by our fathers is that of the authorship of the fourth gospel. The "church fathers" attributed the writing of the fourth gospel to Yochanan (a.k.a. "John") the apostle, brother of Ya'acov (James) and son of Zebedee. But the writer never explicitly identifies himself by name in the writing of the gospel. The only explicit statement in the gospel about its authorship is in 21:24 where the "one whom Yahusha loved" is the same one "who testifies to these things and who wrote them down". Why Yochanan (John) Likely Isn't the Author Though the apostle John, brother of James (Ya'acov), son of Zebedee is thought to be the writer of the 4th Gospel, there are several compelling reasons why he likely isn't its author. First, Yochanan does not identify himself anywhere in this gospel as its author and writer. By contrast, Yochanan identifies himself several times at the beginning and at the end of the book of Revelation: The revelation of YHUSHA' Messiah, which Elohim gave him to show his servants what must soon take place. He made it known by sending his angel to his servant Yochanan, who testifies to everything he saw-- that is, the word of Elohim and the testimony of YHUSHA' Messiah. (Revelation1:1-2) Yochanan, To the seven assemblies in the province of Asia: Grace and peace to you from him who is, and who was, and who is to come, and from the seven spirits before his throne. (Revelation 1:4) I, Yochanan, your brother and companion in the suffering and kingdom and patient endurance that are ours in YHUSHA', was on the island of Patmos because of the word of Elohim and the testimony of YHUSHA'. (Revelation 1:9) I, Yochanan, am the one who heard and saw these things. And when I had heard and seen them, I fell down to worship at the feet of the angel who had been showing them to me. (Revelation 22:8) The fourth gospel does not even mention Yochanan by name anywhere. Yochanan the immerser (John the Baptist) is referred to many times, but the apostle Yochanan is not. It makes little sense that Yochanan would not give first hand testimony about himself in this account of the Messiah's ministry if Yochanan is its author. Secondly, not only is Yochanan never mentioned by name in the 4th Gospel, neither is his brother Ya'acov (James). Matthew, Mark, Luke and the book of Acts all mention both Yochanan and Ya'acov his brother and they each give certain accounts about their connection and involvement with Yahusha' Messiah. But nowhere in the 4th Gospel is either Yochanan nor Ya'acov, his brother, mentioned by name. Certainly, if Yochanan were the author of the 4th Gospel, he would have given eye-witness testimony about his and his brother's involvement with Messiah and their conversations and activities in conjunction with Yahusha'. But no such information is given about Ya'acov and Yochanan in the 4th Gospel. Their conspicuous absence suggests Yochanan is not its author. Thirdly, Yochanan was given explicit instructions by Yahusha' regarding his transfiguration. We are told that he was an eye-witness of this event: After six days YHUSHA' took with him Kepha, Ya'acov and Yochanan the brother of Ya'acov, and led them up a high mountain by themselves. There he was transfigured before them. His face shone like the sun, and his clothes became as white as the light. (Matthew 17:1-2) Afterward, these three disciples were strictly commanded about how and when to proclaim his glory: As they were coming down the mountain, YHUSHA' instructed them, "Don't tell anyone what you have seen, until the Son of Man has been raised from the dead." (Matthew 17:9) Thus, Yochanan was told to remain silent about this event UNTIL Yahusha's resurrection. The suggestion is clear: after the resurrection, tell what you have seen! But the writer of the 4th Gospel makes no mention whatsoever about this important revelation of Yahusha's esteem. As an eye-witness to this event, Yochanan would most certainly have told about this event in his account of Yahusha's ministry. So, its absence from the 4th Gospel suggests that Yochanan was not its author. Therefore, since the 4th Gospel does not claim to be written by Yochanan, nor does it even mention Yochanan or his brother Ya'acov, and since none of those events are described of which Yochanan was an eye-witness, particularly the transfiguration event of which Yochanan was only one of three witnesses and of which he was obligated to tell after Yahusha's resurrection, it is easy to call into question Yochanan's authorship. Yochanan as author of the 4th Gospel does not pass the tests of common sense and reasonability. Just because some church fathers said Yochanan wrote the 4th Gospel does not compel us to accept their information as accurate - in light of the glaring problems their proposal creates. The Author's Signature on the 4th Gospel If Yochanan (John) is not the author of the 4th Gospel, then who is? The writer of the 4th Gospel does indeed identify himself near the end of the gospel, but not by name: Kepha turned and saw that the disciple whom YHUSHA' loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against YHUSHA' at the supper and had said, "Master, who is going to betray you?") When Kepha saw him, he asked, "Master, what about him?" YHUSHA' answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." Because of this, the rumor spread among the brothers that this disciple would not die. But YHUSHA' did not say that he would not die; he only said, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you?" This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. (4th Gospel 21:20-24) By his own testimony, the writer of the 4th Gospel was a disciple of Yahusha', he was known as "the disciple whom Yahusha' loved", and he was the disciple who leaned on Yahusha' at the supper. What do we know about the "disciple whom Yahusha loved"? There are five explicit references to him by this designation in the 4th Gospel. The "disciple whom Yahusha loved" mysteriously first appears in the narrative of the 4th Gospel in chapter 13. He is at the supper Yahusha had with his disciples just before his betrayal. Yahusha had just washed his disciples feet and was revealing to them that one of them was going to betray him. His disciples stared at one another, at a loss to know which of them he meant. One of them, the disciple whom YHUSHA' loved, was reclining next to him. Shimon Kepha motioned to this disciple and said, "Ask him which one he means." Leaning back against YHUSHA', he asked him, "Master, who is it?" (4th Gospel 13:22-25) Since the disciple whom Yahusha loved was at this dinner, we can narrow down the list of possibilities. Who was at the dinner? What does the record indicate? We know that the 12 apostles were at the dinner. Matthew and Mark tell us so (see Matt 26:20, Mk 14:17). But were they the only ones present at the last supper? While the gospel writers don't explicitly tell us who else was there, there is a presumption that the one whose home they were meeting in was there. There must also have been people to cook and serve the meal, though they aren't explicitly mentioned. And there usually were others disciples, including women, with Yahusha wherever he went. While looking for a replacement for the traitor Yehudah, the apostles suggest that there were other disciples accompanying Yahusha throughout his ministry days: Therefore it is necessary to choose one of the men who have been with us the whole time the Master YHUSHA' went in and out among us, beginning from Yochanan's baptism to the time when YHUSHA' was taken up from us. For one of these must become a witness with us of his resurrection." So they proposed two men: Yoseph called Barsabbas (also known as Justus) and Matthias. (Acts 1:21-23) Though these two disciples of Yahusha accompanied Yahusha throughout his ministry days, nowhere do the gospel writers mention their presence. But they were there. So it stands to reason that there were others present at the supper besides Yahusha and the twelve. Therefore, the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" and who leaned back against Yahusha during the supper could have been one of the twelve, or he could have been some other unmentioned disciple who was present at that meal. The second explicit reference to the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" is found in the account when he was hanging on the tree: Near the cross of YHUSHA' stood his mother, his mother's sister, Miryam the wife of Clopas, and Miryam Magdalene. When YHUSHA' saw his mother there, and the disciple whom he loved standing nearby, he said to his mother, "Dear woman, here is your son," and to the disciple, "Here is your mother." From that time on, this disciple took her into his home. (4th Gospel 19:25-27) We know that the 12, including Kefa, forsook him. And there is no mention in any of the gospel accounts of any of the 12 witnessing first hand Yahusha's trial and hanging. Only these women mentioned and the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" were found present near the tree of his death. But there is, curiously, mention in the 4th Gospel of "another disciple" who accompanied Yahusha, first to the house of Annas, then to Caiaphas, and throughout his trial that night. Shimon Kepha and another disciple were following YHUSHA'. Because this disciple was known to the high priest, he went with YHUSHA' into the high priest's courtyard, but Kepha had to wait outside at the door. The other disciple, who was known to the high priest, came back, spoke to the girl on duty there and brought Kepha in. (4th Gospel 18:15-16) This disciple, found only in the 4th Gospel, gave a detailed account - much more detailed than in the other three gospels - of the conversations between Yahusha and Annas and Caiaphas and Pilate. This "other disciple" must be the same person as the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" and the author of the 4th Gospel because no one else could have given such a detailed eye witness account as we see in the 4th Gospel. There was none other who saw and heard the things the "other disciple" saw and heard. Also, this other disciple was "known to the high priest." This disciple cannot be Yochanan (John). The reason is obvious when we consider the testimony of Acts 4. Here, Kefa (Peter) and Yochanan (John) were preaching in the temple and were confronted by the religious rulers: They seized Kepha and Yochanan, and because it was evening, they put them in jail until the next day. But many who heard the message believed, and the number of men grew to about five thousand. The next day the rulers, elders and teachers of the law met in Yerushalayim. Annas the high priest was there, and so were Caiaphas, Yochanan, Alexander and the other men of the high priest's family. (Acts 4:3-6) So, Peter and John were brought in to Annas and Caiaphas. But look at the reaction of Annas and Caiaphas: When they saw the courage of Kepha and Yochanan and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they were astonished when they came to understand that these men had been with YHUSHA'. (Acts 4:13) This is not the reaction we would expect from the high priest if the high priest knew Yochanan. The text indicates that the high priest came to the understanding that these two men were disciples of Yahusha. Yet, the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" was already known to the high priest! So, Yochanan cannot be the "disciple whom Yahusha loved." If he were, the high priest would not have just come to understand that he was a disciple of Yahusha. The third explicit reference in the 4th Gospel to the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" is found in the account of the finding of Yahusha's tomb to be empty: Early on the first day of the week, while it was still dark, Miryam Magdalene went to the tomb and saw that the stone had been removed from the entrance. So she came running to Shimon Kepha and the other disciple, the one YHUSHA' loved, and said, "They have taken the Master out of the tomb, and we don't know where they have put him!" So Kepha and the other disciple started for the tomb. Both were running, but the other disciple outran Kepha and reached the tomb first. (4th Gospel 20:1-4) Here again, as in chapter 18, the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" calls himself "the other disciple." He was with Kepha and outran him - a detail that only a first person observer would likely make a note of. Then, "the other disciple" stops at the door of the tomb and looks in: He bent over and looked in at the strips of linen lying there but did not go in. Then Shimon Kepha, who was behind him, arrived and went into the tomb. He saw the strips of linen lying there, as well as the burial cloth that had been around YHUSHA's head. The cloth was folded up by itself, separate from the linen. Finally the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went inside. He saw and believed. (4th Gospel 20:5-8) The account does not say that Kepha believed when he saw. So what was it that caused "the other disciple" to believe when he saw the burial cloth and strips of linen laying on the ground? More about this later.... The fourth explicit reference to the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" in the 4th Gospel is when Yahusha appeared to his disciples while they were fishing: It happened this way: Shimon Kepha, Thomas (called Didymus), Nathanael from Cana in Galilee, the sons of Zebedee, and two other disciples were together. (4th Gospel 21:1-2) Here, Yochanan is mentioned by his father's name, and two "other disciples" are noted to have been there. This is, again, the author's signature way of identifying his presence at an event he is telling about. As they were fishing, Yahusha from the shoreline told them to cast out their nets. Then the disciple whom YHUSHA' loved said to Kepha, "It is the Master!" As soon as Shimon Kepha heard him say, "It is the Master," he wrapped his outer garment around him (for he had taken it off) and jumped into the water. (4th Gospel 21:7) While it is possible from the information given in this account that Yochanan could have been the "disciple whom Yahusha loved", we have already noted that the author is not in the habit of identifying himself by name when he recounts the events he witnessed. So, it is more reasonable that someone else, perhaps one of the "two other disciples" is the author who is recounting these events. And finally, the fifth explicit reference to the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" comes later on in this same account. When all the disciples had come ashore and as they were cooking the fish, Yahusha has a confrontational conversation with Kepha. He restores him to fellowship and then indicates the type of death Kepha will die for his faith. Then, Kepha turned and saw that the disciple whom YHUSHA' loved was following them. (This was the one who had leaned back against YHUSHA' at the supper and had said, "Master, who is going to betray you?") When Kepha saw him, he asked, "Master, what about him?" YHUSHA' answered, "If I want him to remain alive until I return, what is that to you? You must follow me." (4th Gospel 21:20-22) Yahusha' did not actually say that this disciple would not die, but that only Kepha should not concern himself with the way the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" would die. And this is how the account ends. The author identifies himself here as one and the same with "the other disciple" and with the "disciple whom Yahusha loved.": This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true. (4th Gospel 21:24) Upon reflection and analysis, the author of the 4th Gospel has a distinct pattern of referring to himself anonymously as either "the other disciple" or "another disciple" or "the disciple whom Yahusha loved." This is his way of putting himself in his rightful place in the story while trying to humbly diminish himself. He is not trying to conceal his identity, but he is merely displaying genuine humility. Yet he does very plainly reveal his identity. And he places himself in the center of his account. Who is The Disciple Whom Yahusha Loved? There are only two men recorded in the four gospels about whom it is emphatically stated that Yahusha loved him. The first is the rich young ruler. The record says As YHUSHA' started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?" "Why do you call me good?" YHUSHA' answered. "No one is good-- except Elohim alone. You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'" "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy." YHUSHA' looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. (Mark 10:17-22) Now we don't really know who this rich young man was. Where it says he was a ruler, this could mean that he was a judge or even a member of the Sanhedrin - a Pharisee or a Sadducee. But the record does say that Yahusha loved him. The account says that the man walked away sad, because he was rich. But it doesn't say that this man had rejected the council of Yahusha. Though it is not important to our study going forward, it is possible that this rich young ruler whom Yahusha loved is the same man spoken of in the 4th Gospel as the "disciple whom Yahusha loved." This rich young ruler may have later become a disciple of Yahusha. But we don't know for sure. The second person about whom it is said that Yahusha loved him is found in the 4th Gospel, chapter 11. There, we find that the friend of Yahusha was sick: Now a man named El‛azar (Lazarus) was sick. He was from Bethany, the village of Miryam and her sister Martha. This Miryam, whose brother El‛azar now lay sick, was the same one who poured perfume on the Master and wiped his feet with her hair. So the sisters sent word to YHUSHA, "Master, the one you love is sick." (4th Gospel 11:1-3) This is the first mention in the 4th Gospel of a person whom Yahusha loved. His name comes from the Greek word La,zaroj, Lazarus, which corresponds to the Hebrew rz"[.l; [pronounced Lazar], apparently the same as rz"['l.a,, (El‛azar or more commonly Eleazar) which means "whom Elohim helps." This El‛azar is the one of whom the 4th Gospel says that Yahusha loved! Two verses later it says the same thing again: When he heard this, YHUSHA' said, "This sickness will not end in death. No, it is for Elohim's glory so that Elohim's Son may be glorified through it." YHUSHA' loved Martha and her sister and El‛azar. (4th Gospel 11:4-5) The author of the 4th Gospel emphasized again that Yahusha loved El‛azar. Here, in addition, he notes that Yahusha also loved Miryam and Martha, his sisters. As the story unfolds, Yahusha tells his disciples that they are headed back to Yehudah, to the town of Bethany to see their friend El‛azar: After he had said this, he went on to tell them, "Our friend El‛azar has fallen asleep; but I am going there to wake him up." (4th Gospel 11:11) It is interesting to note that by calling El‛azar "our friend", the author is indicating that El‛azar was known by Yahusha and his disciples. They were not just acquainted, but they were well known to each other. They had spent some time together. Yahusha had a personal relationship with El‛azar. He loved him. As the events unfold, Yahusha goes to Bethany and meets with and talks to Miryam and Martha, and is then brought to the tomb of El‛azar, who had already been dead and buried for four days. As Yahusha weeps over the demise of his friend whom he loved, the Yehudim noted their attachment: YHUSHA' wept. Then the Yehudim said, "See how he loved him!" (11:35-36) So, the author of the 4th Gospel notes for the third time in this narrative that Yahusha loved this disciple El‛azar! Until this time, there was no mention anywhere in the 4th Gospel of anyone specifically identified as having been loved by Yahusha. But here, we find it written three times that Yahusha loved El‛azar. If we allow the testimony of the writer of the 4th Gospel to inform us about his identity, then it should be rather clear that the author, who always designates himself as the "disciple whom Yahusha loved," is none other than El‛azar, the friend of Yahusha whom he loved and raised from the dead. This, too, would give a plausible cause for "the other disciple" who outran Kepha to the empty tomb for looking into the tomb and declaring in the narrative that he "saw and he believed." The experience of having been bound in those same type of grave clothes after his death, and then at his resurrection, to have had those grave clothes and linen removed from him, would have made an indelible memory in the mind of El‛azar. When he saw the Master's grave clothes laying in the tomb without the body of Yahusha in them, he was reminded of the power of resurrection that Yahusha wielded on him, and he believed that Yahusha himself had been raised from the dead. Thus, "he saw and he believed." Following the raising of El‛azar from the dead, some of the Yehudim believed in Yahusha Messiah. But others among the Sanhedrin were angered and they plotted to take Yahusha to put him to death. Therefore YHUSHA' no longer moved about publicly among the Yehudim. Instead he withdrew to a region near the desert, to a village called Ephraim, where he stayed with his disciples. Then, as the season of the Pesach was nearing, Yahusha and his disciples did return to Yehudah: Six days before the Pesach, YHUSHA' arrived at Bethany, where El‛azar lived, whom YHUSHA' had raised from the dead. Here a dinner was given in YHUSHA's honor. Martha served, while El‛azar was among those reclining at the table with him. (12:1-2) It was at this dinner that Miryam took expensive oil and anointed the Master's feet. Then the Yehudim discovered that Yahusha was in town at El‛azar's home: Meanwhile a large crowd of Yehudim found out that YHUSHA' was there and came, not only because of him but also to see El‛azar, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to kill El‛azar as well, for on account of him many of the Yehudim were going over to YHUSHA' and putting their faith in him. (12:9-11) So, El‛azar had now become another focus of the plot of the Yehudim. Not only did they want to kill Yahusha, they wanted to kill El‛azar also, because his being raised from the dead brought many into believing that Yahusha is the promised Messiah. The fame of El‛azar and his being raised from the dead was becoming widespread: Now the crowd that was with him when he called El‛azar from the tomb and raised him from the dead continued to spread the word. Many people, because they had heard that he had given this miraculous sign, went out to meet him. (12:17-18) This is the final mention of El‛azar by name in the 4th Gospel. El‛azar appears in chapter 11 where he is the subject whom Yahusha raised from the dead. His name is placed into the record of the Gospel 13 times in chapters 11 and 12. And then after chapter 12, he seems to disappear. Where did he go? What happened to him? After El‛azar who was loved by Yahusha disappears, in chapter 13, the "disciple whom Yahusha loved" mysteriously appears out of nowhere and finds himself imbedded into the narrative all the way to the end of the Gospel. Then, the writer's final commentary is to identify himself as this "disciple whom Yahusha loved." Isn't is obvious that the author of the 4th Gospel, the "disciple whom Yahusha loved," is his friend El‛azar, whom he loved and raised from the dead? Reasons for the Author's Relative Anonymity Many have probably wondered why the writer of the 4th Gospel was so careful to mask his identity. The reality, however, is that the author clearly revealed his identity. He placed himself into the story of the life and ministry of Yahusha by dramatically telling what Yahusha had done for him. By explaining quite emphatically that El‛azar was the one whom Yahusha loved, and then thereafter referring to himself by this designation of the "disciple whom Yahusha loved," the author was forthcoming about his name and identity. What is probably more puzzling is that for all the millions of people who have read and studied this gospel record, the author's clear revelation of himself went unnoticed. Even the early church fathers missed the obvious references the author made of himself. And their proclamation and propagation of the false information of insisting that the apostle Yochanan (John) was the writer has led to a blinding of many eyes over the centuries. The remarkable power of persuasion that tradition holds over people cannot be overstated. Once a tradition is established, such as the one that identifies Yochanan as the author of the 4th Gospel, these traditions become entrenched in the psyche and thinking of people for many generations. Rarely does anyone come along who is willing to challenge the existing norms which tradition establishes. Therefore, I must acknowledge where I came into this understanding of the real author of the 4th Gospel. Hats off to J. Phillips for his carefully thought out insights into the true understanding of its authorship. His book, entitled, The Disciple Whom Jesus Loved, can be read in its entirety at his website, www.TheDiscipleWhomJesusLoved.com. Concerning El‛azar's relative anonymity, we have already noted that his humility is likely a major factor for not explicitly using his name in his signature at the end of the book. J. Phillips also suggests that another motive for the relative concealment of his identity is that he did not want to outshine the Master in fame. As we noted earlier, many people came to see El‛azar after Yahusha had raised him from the dead, and he was the reason many came to faith in Yahusha. So El‛azar revealed his identity as the writer without emphasizing himself in the narrative - to leave place for the glory and honor to be placed in the Master Yahusha. In my opinion, it was never El‛azar's intention to hide his identity. He quite plainly revealed himself as the one whom Yahusha loved and raised from the dead. The 4th Gospel was written by a man who describes himself as the "disciple whom Yahusha loved." The early church fathers began a tradition that attributes the writing of the 4th Gospel to the apostle Yochanan. But the internal evidence of the writing indicates that the author identifies himself by placing himself into the narrative of the life and ministry of Yahusha Messiah. The disciple named El‛azar (Lazarus) became the subject of the story in chapter 11. The raising of said El‛azar, who is emphatically described to be "loved by Yahusha" made El‛azar very famous because it was on account of his rising from the dead that many came to believe that Yahusha is the promised Messiah. El‛azar did not disappear from the scene after his being raised, but he remained with Yahusha and was an eye-witness of the last days of Yahusha leading up to his death. The writer of the 4th Gospel did not intend for his identity to be a mystery. He quite clearly revealed his identity by indicating that he was loved by Yahusha and thereafter referring to himself as the "disciple whom Yahusha loved." Written by David M Rogers www.BibleTruth.cc Published: December 2009 |