The Gospel of John is a reflection of the Johannine group’s social situation and embodies the dialogue of a community that is receiving pressure from society for its belief in Jesus being the Messiah (Meeks, 71). The Gospel is not only a theological document within the Johannine community, but also a discourse explaining the expulsion of the Johannine community from the temple. This is supported by the further emphasis of “Jesus’ pre-existence and sonship” in the Johannine epistles, as explained by Maurice Casey’s book From Jewish Prophet to Gentile God (Casey, 157). Returning to the “purpose” of John in 20:30-31 shows that the Gospel of John is written as a supplement to broader Christian beliefs with the specific purpose of strengthening an increasingly isolated Johannine
The Gospel of John is a reflection of the Johannine group’s social situation and embodies the dialogue of a community that is receiving pressure from society for its belief in Jesus being the Messiah (Meeks, 71). The Gospel is not only a theological document within the Johannine community, but also a discourse explaining the expulsion of the Johannine community from the temple. This is supported by the further emphasis of “Jesus’ pre-existence and sonship” in the Johannine epistles, as explained by Maurice Casey’s book From Jewish Prophet to Gentile God (Casey, 157). Returning to the “purpose” of John in 20:30-31 shows that the Gospel of John is written as a supplement to broader Christian beliefs with the specific purpose of strengthening an increasingly isolated Johannine