Question 1

Describe the three stages of the Johannine community's history and how the text reflects this history.

Accepted Answer

Stage 1: The Johannine community began within the Jewish synagogue. They were Jews who believed Jesus was the messiah. Stories in the Gospel that emphasize Jesus' Jewishness and the conversion of some Jews probably originated at this time.
Stage 2: The Johannine Christians apparently proselytized and thereby created problems within the Jewish community. At some point, these Christians were forced to leave the synagogue.
Stage 3: John's community came to see the synagogue as completely other-it became the enemy and was even conceived of in demonic terms. It was during this time that the community's Christology shifted radically from Jesus the rabbi to the Word of God made flesh.

Question 2

Most scholars think the Gospel of John is more historically accurate than the Synoptic Gospels.

Accepted Answer

Most scholars actually view the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) as more historically accurate than the Gospel of John. While John may provide unique theological perspectives and details not found in the Synoptics, it is generally viewed as being written later and being influenced more by theological interpretations of Jesus' life and teachings rather than strict historical accuracy.

Question 3

Jesus claims to be divine in the Gospel of John.

Accepted Answer

In the Gospel of John, Jesus makes several explicit claims to be divine, such as when he says "I and the Father are one" (John 10:30) and "whoever has seen me has seen the Father" (John 14:9). These statements are among the reasons why some people believe that John's Gospel presents the highest Christology of any of the canonical Gospels.

Question 4

The Gospel of John emphasizes Jesus' power over demons.

Accepted Answer

The Gospel of John focuses more on Jesus' identity as the Son of God and his relationship with the Father, rather than emphasizing his power over demons, which is more prominent in the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke).

Question 5

Instead of talking about Pharisees, Sadducees, or other groups, the Gospel of John speaks more generally of &#34;the Jews.&#34;

Accepted Answer

The Gospel of John often refers to "the Jews" in a more generalized sense rather than focusing specifically on individual Jewish groups such as the Pharisees or Sadducees.

Question 6

Most scholars believe John was written independently, without using earlier sources.

Accepted Answer

Most scholars believe that John used earlier sources, such as the Synoptic Gospels and other written or oral traditions, to compose his Gospel.

Question 7

Which of the following methods seeks to uncover how a community's history affects the way it writes its history?&#10;A) Redaction criticism&#10;B) Genre criticism&#10;C) The socio-historical method&#10;D) The comparative method

Accepted Answer

The socio-historical method seeks to uncover how a community's history affects the way it writes its history by taking into account the cultural, social, and political context in which the text was produced. Redaction criticism examines how the author/editor of a text shaped it through the process of editing, while genre criticism focuses on the literary genre of a text. The comparative method compares different texts or traditions to identify similarities and differences.

Question 8

In John's community, the belief in Jesus' divinity probably:&#10;A) Came immediately after his resurrection&#10;B) Came during Jesus' ministry&#10;C) Developed over time&#10;D) Was a heretical belief

Accepted Answer

The Gospel of John was written several decades after Jesus' ministry and includes developed theological statements about Jesus' divinity. This suggests that the belief in Jesus' divinity likely developed over time in John's community rather than being an immediate belief after Jesus' resurrection or a heretical belief.

Question 9

John calls Jesus the &#34;Lamb of God&#34; because:&#10;A) He follows God.&#10;B) The Jews follow him.&#10;C) He is killed on the day before the Passover meal was eaten.&#10;D) He is divine.

Accepted Answer

John calls Jesus the "Lamb of God" because he is killed on the day before the Passover meal was eaten. In Jewish tradition, a lamb was sacrificed during the Passover as an offering for sin, and Jesus' sacrifice on the cross is seen as the ultimate sacrifice for the sins of humanity.

Question 10

At the beginning, the Johannine community was most likely made up of:&#10;A) Jews&#10;B) Gentiles&#10;C) Samaritans&#10;D) A mix of Jews, Gentiles, and Samaritans

Accepted Answer

The Johannine community, associated with the writings of John in the New Testament, was initially composed primarily of Jewish Christians. This is supported by the community's deep engagement with Jewish traditions, scriptures, and symbols, indicating its origins within a Jewish context before it later expanded to include Gentiles.

Question 11

The Johannine Christians most likely were excluded from the synagogue because:&#10;A) They believed that God would send a messiah.&#10;B) They tried to proselytize other Jews.&#10;C) They rejected everything about Judaism.&#10;D) They believed Jesus taught important things.

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Johannine Christians most likely were excluded...

Question 12

The Johannine Christians originally:&#10;A) Were involved in the synagogue&#10;B) Distanced themselves from Judaism&#10;C) Hated the Jews&#10;D) Worshiped in churches

Accepted Answer

The answer of The Johannine Christians originally:&#10;A) Were involved in...

Question 13

After they were excluded from the synagogue, the Johannine community did all of the following except:&#10;A) Develop an &#34;us versus them&#34; ideology&#10;B) Develop a higher Christology&#10;C) See the Jews as willfully denying Jesus' messiahship&#10;D) Begin to deny Jesus as the messiah

Accepted Answer

The answer of After they were excluded from the synagogue,...

Question 14

Which of the following is not one of the reasons most scholars think the Gospel of John used earlier sources?&#10;A) Literary seams&#10;B) Differences in writing style&#10;C) Overlap with the Synoptics&#10;D) Repetitions

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following is not one...

Question 15

Which of the following figures is not unique to the Gospel of John?&#10;A) Nicodemus&#10;B) Joseph of Arimathea&#10;C) Nathanael&#10;D) The Samaritan woman at the well

Accepted Answer

The answer of Which of the following figures is not...

Deck 10: Jesus, the Man Sent From Heaven: the Gospel According to John