Critics Of Gospel Of John

This article covers the Critics of Gospel of John.

We believe in the Gospel of Jesus. Jesus lived on this earth for over thirty years. And we believe in every word he preached.

Although when Jesus left the earth, if a person waited a year and then tried to recall what events or words were spoken, it would be difficult, furthermore, it would be even more difficult to record with accuracy what events really happened if it was written 5 or 10 years after the events took place.

Now the four canonized Gospels we have with us today (Matthew, Luke, Mark, and John) are estimated to have been written 60 to 200 years after Jesus departed the earth, out of these four Gospels, the Gospel of John was written the very last one, all of the Gospels were written before the Gospel of John which leaves the Gospel of John with a greater burden than the others to accurately recall the specific events that took place.

The Gospel of John

The Gospel of John

The list below shows how humans were headed in a direction of adding to Scripture and adding to the status of Jesus which did not appear in such magnitude in previous Gospels.

Here we now see the differences between the later written Gospel of John mostly compared to the earlier written Gospels;

2KI 2:11 Elijah went up to heaven.
JN 3:13 Only the Son of Man (Jesus) has ever ascended to heaven.

IS 44:24 God created heaven and earth alone.
JN 1:1-3 Jesus took part in creation

IS 53:9 Usually taken to be a prophecy re: Jesus, mentions burial with others.
JN 19:38-42 Jesus was buried by himself.

MT 3:16, MK 1:10 It was Jesus who saw the Spirit descending.
JN 1:32 It was John who saw the Spirit descending.

MT 4:1-11, MK 1:12-13 Immediately following his Baptism, Jesus spent forty days in the wilderness resisting temptation by the Devil.
JN 2:1-11 Three days after the Baptism, Jesus was at the wedding in Cana .

MT 10:34, LK 12:49-53 Jesus has come to bring a sword, fire, and division–not peace.
JN 16:33 Jesus says: “In me you have peace.”

MT 11:7-15, 17:12-13 Jesus says that John the Baptist was a prophet, and more.
JN 1:21 John himself says that he is not a prophet, nor is he Elijah.

MT 12:39, MK 8:12, LK 11:29 Jesus says that he will give no “sign.”
JN 3:2, 20:30 , Jesus proceeds to give many such “signs.”

MT 13:34, MK 4:34 Jesus addresses the crowds only in parables, so that they would not fully understand. He explains the meaning only to his disciples.
JN 1:1 – 21:25 (Throughout the book of John, unlike the other Gospels, Jesus addresses the crowds in a very straightforward manner. He does not employ parables.)

MT 21:2-6, MK 11:2-7, LK 19:30-35 The disciples follow Jesus instructions and bring him the animal (or animals, in the case of MT).
JN 12:14 Jesus finds the animal himself.

MT 21:12-13 The cleansing of the temple occurs at the end of Jesus’ career.
JN 2:13-16 It occurs near the beginning of his career.

MT 25:34 Heaven was prepared before the Ascension of Jesus.
JN 14:2-3 It was prepared after the Ascension of Jesus.

MT 26:7, MK 14:3 The oil is poured on Jesus’ head.
JN 12:3 On his feet.

MT 26:7, MK 14:3, LK 7:37 An unnamed woman does the anointing.
JN 12:3 It is Mary.

MT 28:6-8 The women ran from the tomb “with great joy.”
JN 20:1-2 Mary told Peter and the other disciple that the body had been stolen. (Would she feel “great joy” if she thought the body had been stolen?)

MT 26:14-25, MK 14:10-11, LK 22:3-23 Judas made his bargain with the chief priests before the meal.
JN 13:21-30 After the meal.

JN 13:21-30 Jesus forecasts his betrayal prior to the communion portion of the supper.
LK 22:14-23 After the communion portion.

JN 13:38 Peter was to deny Jesus before the cock crowed.
MK 14:66-72 The cock crows after both the first and second denials.
(Note: These discrepancies have been “translated out” in some Bible versions.)

MT 26:49-50, MK 14:44-46 Jesus is betrayed by Judas with a kiss, then seized.
LK 22:47-48 Jesus anticipates Judas’ kiss. No actual kiss is mentioned.
JN 18:2-9 Jesus voluntarily steps forward to identify himself making it completely unnecessary for Judas to point him out. No kiss is mentioned.

MT 26:57, MK 14:53, LK 22:54 After his arrest Jesus is first taken to Caiphas, the high priest.
JN 18:13-24 First to Annas, the son-in-law of Caiphas, then to Caiphas.

MT 26:18-20, 57-68, 27:1-2, MK 14:16-18, 53-72, 15:1 Jesus’ initial hearing was at night on Passover. In the morning he was taken to Pilate.
LK 22:13-15, 54-66 The initial hearing took place in the morning on Passover.
JN 18:28, 19:14 It took place the day before Passover, on the Day of Preparation.

MT 26:59-66, MK 14:55-64 Jesus was tried by the entire Sanhedrin (the chief priests and the whole council).
LK 22:66-71 There was no trial but merely an inquiry held by the Sanhedrin.
JN 18:13-24 There was no appearance before the Sanhedrin, only the private hearings before Annas and then Caiphas.

MT 27:11, MK 15:2, LK 23:3 When asked if he is King of the Jews, Jesus answers: “You have said so,” (or “Thou sayest”).
JN 18:33-34 He answers: “Do you say this of your own accord?”

MT 27:11-14 Jesus answers not a single charge at his hearing before Pilate.
JN 18:33-37 Jesus answers all charges at his hearing before Pilate.

MT 27:28 Jesus is given a scarlet robe (a sign of infamy).
JN 19:2 A purple robe (a sign of royalty).

MT 27:46-50, MK 15:34-37 Jesus’ last recorded words are: “My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me?”
LK 23:46 “Father, into thy hands I commit my spirit.”
JN 19:30 “It is finished.” (Note: Even though both MT and MK represent direct quotes and are translated similarly, the actual Greek words used for God are different. MT uses “Eli” and MK uses “Eloi.”)

MT 27:48, LK 23:36, JN 19:29 Jesus was offered vinegar to drink.
MK 15:23 It was wine and myrrh, and he did not drink it.
JN 19:29-30 Whatever it was, he did drink it

MT 27:55, MK 15:40, LK 23:49 The women looked on from afar.
JN 19:25-26 They were near enough that Jesus could speak to his mother.

MT 28:1 The first visitors to the tomb were Mary Magdalene and the other Mary (two).
MK 16:1 Both of the above plus Salome (three).
LK 23:55 – 24:1, 24:10 Mary Magdalene, Joanna, Mary the mother of James, and “other women” (at least five).
JN 20:1 Mary Magdalene only (one).

MT 28:1 It was toward dawn when they arrived.
MK 16:2 It was after sunrise.
LK 24:1 It was at early dawn.
JN 20:1 It was still dark.

MT 28:9 On his first appearance to them, Jesus lets Mary Magdalene and the other Mary hold him by his feet.
JN 20:17 On his first appearance to Mary, Jesus forbids her to touch him since he has not yet ascended to the Father.
JN 20:27 A week later, although he has not yet ascended to the Father, Jesus tells Thomas to touch him.

MK 1:14 Jesus began his ministry after the arrest of John the Baptist.
JN 3:22-24 Before the arrest of John the Baptist.

MK 6:53 After the feeding of the 5000, Jesus and the disciples went to Gennesaret.
JN 6:17-25 They went to Capernaum .

MK 15:25 It was the third hour when Jesus was crucified.
JN 19:14-15 It was after the sixth hour since Jesus was still before Pilate and had not yet been sentenced at that time.

MK 16:1-2 The women came to the tomb to anoint the body.
JN 19:39-40 The body had already been anointed and wrapped in linen cloth.

MK 16:5, LK 24:3 The women actually entered the tomb.
JN 20:1-2, 11 They did not.

LK 1:15 John the Baptist had the Holy Spirit from before his birth or the birth of Jesus.
LK 1:41 Elizabeth had it long before Jesus went away.
LK 1:67 So did Zechariah.
LK 2:25 So did Simeon.
LK 11:13 It is obtained by prayer (presumably at any time).
JN 7:39, JN 16:7, The Holy Spirit cannot come into the world until after Jesus has departed

LK 14:26 No one can be a disciple of Jesus unless he hates his parents, wife, children, brothers and sisters.
JN 3:15 Whoever hates his brother is a murderer.
JN 4:20 If anyone claims to love God but hates his brother, he is a liar.

LK 22:3-23 Satan entered Judas before the supper.
JN 13:27 It was during the supper.

LK 23:43 Jesus promises one of those crucified with him that they will be together, that very day, in Paradise .
JN 20:17 Jesus was not raised until the third day and did not ascend until at least forty days later.

LK 23:55-56 The women followed Joseph to the tomb, saw how the body had been laid, then went to prepare spices with which to anoint the body.
JN 19:39-40 Joseph brought spices with him (75 or a 100 lbs.) and anointed the body (as the women should have noticed).

JN 1:1, 10:30 Jesus and God are one.
JN 14:28 God is greater than Jesus.

JN 1:1 Jesus was God incarnate.
AC 2:22 Jesus was a man approved by God.

JN 3:17 , 8:15 , 12:47 Jesus does not judge.
JN 5:22 , 5:27 -30, 9:39 , AC 10:42 , 2CO 5:10 Jesus does judge.

JN 5:22 God does not judge.
RO 2:2-5, 3:19 , 2TH 1:5, 1PE 1:17 God does judge.

JN 5:31 Jesus says that if he bears witness to himself, his testimony is not true.
JN 8:14 Jesus says that even if he bears witness to himself, his testimony is true.

JN 5:38-47 Men have a choice as to whether or not to receive Jesus.
JN 6:44 No one can come to Jesus unless he is drawn by the Father.

JN 7:38 Jesus quotes a statement that he says appears in scripture (i.e., the OT). (No such statement is found in the OT.)

JN 10:27-29 None of Jesus’ followers will be lost.
TI 4:1 Some of them will be lost.

JN 12:31 The Devil is the ruler (or “prince”) of this world.
1CO 10:26 , RE 1:5 Jesus is the ruler of kings–the earth is his.

JN 13:36 Peter asks Jesus where he is going.
JN 14:5 Thomas does the same.
JN 16:5 Jesus says that none of them have asked him where he is going.

JN 17:12 Jesus has lost none of his disciples other than Judas.
JN 18:9 Jesus has lost none, period.

JN 17:12 Mentions a “son of perdition” as appearing in scripture (meaning the OT). (Note: There is no “son of perdition” mentioned in the OT.)

TI 1:15 Paul says that he is the foremost of sinners.
JN 3:8-10 He who commits sin is of the Devil. Children of God do not sin.

We now see since the Gospel of John was written the last of the four canonized Gospels, it differs more than the others, therefore, the quotes used from the Gospel of John has less credibility than the others.

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