Gospel of John: Chapter 1 & Background Study Notes

A set of fill-in-the-blank practice flashcards covering Gospel of John quiz prep notes, including authorship, historical dating, theological concepts (Logos, debar, light vs. darkness), and early disciple testimonies.

Zebedee

The Galilean fisherman who was the father of the Apostle John and James, identifying the apostolic family background in the Gospel lecture notes.

Autographs

The original, hand-penned manuscript copies signed directly by the biblical authors, of which zero survive today for the New Testament Gospels.

Synoptic Gospels

The collection comprising Matthew, Mark, and Luke, which share a similar chronology, perspective, and narrative structure, distinct from the non-interchangeable material in John.

Parables

Illustrative, allegorical stories frequently used by Jesus to teach spiritual truths in the Synoptic Gospels, which are entirely absent from the Gospel of John.

Signs (Semeia)

The specific theological terminology John uses instead of 'miracles' to designate Jesus' supernatural works that reveal His glory and point to divine reality.

Evangelization (Purpose of John)

The primary aim stated in John 20:31 for recording Jesus' miraculous works—so that readers will believe He is the Christ, the Son of God, and find eternal life in His name.

70 AD

The historical year the Roman Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Second Temple, demonstrating that John's writing occurred close to the events within eyewitness lifetimes.

130 AD Papyrus Fragment

The estimated date of the earliest surviving physical piece of the New Testament (a fragment containing part of John 18), providing manuscript evidence for John as an early source.

Genesis 1:1

The Old Testament creation account ('In the beginning…') to which John deliberately links the prologue of his Gospel to proclaim the preexistence and divine agency of Jesus.

Greek

The lingua franca of the Mediterranean world in which the Gospel of John was composed, used by John despite Aramaic being the native spoken tongue of most Judeans.

Logos

The philosophical concept meaning 'Word,' understood as the universal reason, logic, or divine order governing the cosmos, personified in John as Jesus Christ.

Debar

The ancient Hebrew equivalent to Logos meaning both 'word' and 'deed,' signifying that God's spoken communication is dynamic, expressive, and inherently powerful.

Validation of Jesus' Words

The principle that because Jesus embodies both Logos and Debar (word and deed), whatever He speaks is demonstrated, confirmed, and validated by what He does.

Three Assertions about the Word

The foundational claims in John 1:1 declaring that the divine Word is eternal, is eternally with God, and is God Himself.

Darkness (in John's Prologue)

The condition described in the lecture notes as ultimate nothingness, the default state of creation without God, and utterly powerless to extinguish or overcome the incoming light.

Children of God

The relational status granted to those who receive and believe in Jesus, receiving full rights and inheritance as true heirs rather than fearful slaves.

Abba

An intimate, approachable Aramaic term meaning 'daddy' rather than a formal father, showing the personal, relational access believers now have with God.

Tabernacle

The wilderness sanctuary described in Exodus 25:8 where God dwelled right alongside and in the midst of His people, foreshadowing the Word becoming flesh.

Bethany across the Jordan

The specific geographical site east of the Jordan River where John the Baptist carried out his ministry of baptizing and identified Jesus.

The God Who Stoops

The lecture theme highlighting how God humbled Himself by entering human existence, emptying Himself, and taking on the form of a lowly servant.

Moses (in John 1:17)

The Old Testament leader through whom the Law was given, serving as a guide that is contrasted with the superior grace and truth realized through Jesus Christ.

Lamb of God

The sacrificial title proclaimed by John the Baptist identifying Jesus as the one who takes away the sin of the world, fulfilling the Old Testament sacrificial system.

Messiah

The Hebrew title meaning 'Anointed One,' proclaimed by Andrew upon meeting Jesus, representing the fulfillment of the deepest ancestral longings of the Jewish people.

The Prophets (Philip's Witness)

The Hebrew scriptural writers who, alongside Moses throughout the Old Testament, were recognized by Philip as having written all about Jesus.

Nazareth

The humble Galilean hometown of Jesus about which Nathaniel expressed skepticism, asking if any good thing could come from it.

Throne of David

The covenant promise that a descendant of King David would reign forever, referenced when Nathaniel declared Jesus to be the King of Israel.