Is John’s Gospel For Today,
Or Just For Past and Future Times?
Is John’s Gospel for Today,
Or Just For Past and Future Times?
BOBBI WENDELIN
EDITOR’S INTRODUCTION
I am happy to present to my readers a fellow Acts-28 believer, whom you have not met earlier here on my site.
Bobbi is a serious student of the Word of God ‘rightly divided’ – and so you will hopefully find her first article here
a helpful guide to your understanding of Scripture, and thus experience enlightenment – especially as you
eventually happen to read John’s Gospel!
The book of John sits with the three historic gospels which coincide with the BRANCH passages in the OT, which refer to Jesus Christ.
These are Is. 11:1-5, Jer.23:5, 33;15, Zech. 3:8, 6;12. These shew Jesus as… Matthew - the King, Mark - the Servant, Luke – the Man , and John – the Son of God, even the God of Isreal. It really does not make sense to split these up as they seem in accord to what God was doing in THAT time, or to make John’s gospel be for something that it was not intended for.
There are brethren in the Lord, who have taught that John’s gospel is “the gospel of your salvation” Eph 1:13 for us today, of the nations, in 2026. They teach that John had THE MYSTERY in Ephesians in mind when he wrote the book, using the idea that John addresses THE WORLD, (which he does and we will address this ), and uses language for the Jewish feasts that were not for the Jews as they would know what they were, and that he says …
Jn. 1:16 KJV, And of his fulness have all we received, and grace for grace.
This needs to be studied out. Let's go!
A helpful place to begin is with the timing and setting of John’s Gospel. I want to approach this as a Bible student myself, comparing scripture with scripture and allowing the text itself to guide the conclusion (2 Timothy 2:15; 1 Corinthians 2:13). While scholars offer different thoughts on when the books were written, the believer’s confidence ultimately rests in the Word of God and the Holy Spirit’s help in understanding it (2 Timothy 3:16-17, Eph.1:15-23).
Peter’s words in Acts 10 are important because he says this message had already been “published” throughout Judaea and began from Galilee after the baptism John preached (Acts 10:36-38). That helps us see John’s record in connection with what God was making known at that time.
Acts 10:36-42,
40 Him God raised up the third day, and shewed him openly;
Many of the things Peter describes are plainly seen in the Gospel accounts, including John: the ministry that followed John’s baptism, Christ’s works, Judas’ betrayal and the Jews’ betrayal; His death, resurrection, and the command to preach (Acts 10:37-42; John 1:29-34; John 20:30-31). If this message was already published throughout Judaea and began after John’s baptism, then it belongs to that revealed ministry of Christ to Israel rather than to the later revelation of the mystery made known through Paul in Ephesians (Matthew 10:5-6; Romans 15:8; Ephesians 3:1-9).
Another important point to consider is the word “world” in John. It is easy to assume that “world” must always mean Gentiles or the ungodly masses, but the context and the underlying words should be examined carefully (John 1:9-10; John 3:16-17; John 17:6, 9).
In John’s Gospel, the Lord is revealing who He is and bearing witness with miracles, and His earthly ministry takes place within the setting of Israel and the promises given to Abraham, thus to Israel (John 1:11; Matthew 15:24; Romans 15:8). This matter, because God is faithful to the order He had already revealed.
The Lord said in Mark 7:27,
This passage shows an order in the Lord’s earthly ministry: the children were to be filled first (Mark 7:27), - that principle also helps explain the following passages concerning the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 10:5-6; Matthew 15:24; Luke 15:4).
Matt. 10:5,
These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not: But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel
Matt.15:24,
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the the lost sheep of the house of Israel.
Luke 15:4,
What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it?
Let’s look more closely at the word “world” in John. Since the word appears many times in the book, it is understandable why readers notice it and connect it with the wider purpose of God (John 1:10; John 3:16; John 4:42; John 12:32). At the same time, the English word “world” does not always identify closely with what is being put forth, so it is useful to consider the words behind it and how they are used in context.
There are 2 Greek words for WORLD in John that I have found so far.
The first one is aion, or simply age. Strongs in Blue Letter Bible offers for definition …properly, an age; by extension, perpetuity; by implication…the world. For example…
Eph.3:21 KJV,
Unto him to be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, WORLD (aion) without end. Amen
The full concordance of this word for World AION in John is listed here for anyone who wants to see : Jn.4:14, 6:51, 58,8:35,51,52, 9:32, 10:28, 11:26, 12:34, 13:8, 14:16.
The 2nd Greek word for WORLD in John is COSMOS. It holds a much different concept in view. World affairs, government. Strong’s says decoration, by implication, world (in a wide or narrow sense, including its inhabitants, literally or figuratively, (morally)):- adorning world.
The full concordance of COSMOS in John is listed here:
Jn,1:9, 10, 29, 3:16, 17, 19, 4:42, 6;14, 33,51,7:4,7:7, 8:12, 23,26,9;5,39,10:36, 11:9,27, 12:19,25,31,46, 47, 13:1, 14:17, 19, 22, 27, 30, 31, 15:18,19, 16:8, 11,20,21,28,33,17:5,6, 9, 11,12, 13, 14, 15,16,18, 21, 23,24,25,18:20, 36, 37, 21:25
From these uses, it is worth noticing that “world” does not automatically identify the ungodly masses. It can mean more. Rather, John’s Gospel emphasizes the manifestation of Christ (Israel’s Messiah) Himself, the Word who was with God in the beginning and who is God (John 1:1-14; John 8:56-59).
In that sense, John presents Christ’s testimony to the whole cosmos (John 1:9-10; John 12:31-32; John 17:18). Later, through Paul’s ministry, we learn more fully how wide the scope of God’s eternal purpose in Christ and the Cosmos are, including ALL things in heaven and earth (Ephesians 1:9-10; Colossians 1:16-20). This does not require us to read Paul’s later revelation back into John, but it does help us to see the progressive revelation of the eternal purpose of God revealed.
Your father Abraham rejoiced to see my day: and he saw it, and was glad.
Then said the Jews unto him, Thou art not yet fifty years old, and hast thou seen Abraham?
Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, BEFORE ABRAHAM WAS, I AM.
Then took they up stones to cast at him: but Jesus hid himself, and went out of the temple, going through the midst of them, and so passed by. Jn.8;56-59
"And I, if I be lifted up from the earth, will draw all men unto me." Jn.12;32
I would encourage every reader to examine these things carefully in the scriptures and to test the conclusion by the text itself (Acts 17:11; 2 Timothy 2:15).
So… What is “the gospel of your salvation” that Paul our apostle speaks of in Eph.1:13?
Paul identifies “the gospel of your salvation” in connection with the mystery revealed for this present dispensation (Ephesians 1:13; Ephesians 3:1-9). By “our,” I am referring to Gentiles, the nations, who were once described as being without Christ, aliens from the commonwealth of Israel, strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope, and without God in the world (Ephesians 2:11-13).
This distinction becomes important to me after I got saved, and realized they were different groups in Paul’s epistles. (This is why we must rightly divide the word of truth of the gospel).
Paul did preach to Gentiles during the Acts period, but those Gentiles were connected with the promises and blessings associated with Israel (Acts 13:46-48; Romans 11:11-17, 15:27).
Romans 9-11 helps explain that setting. As Israel fell and diminished, the narrative moves toward the solemn conclusion of Acts 28:25-28.(that dispensation concluded at 70 AD). From there, Paul’s prison epistles reveal a further truth concerning God’s present purpose in Christ (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:25-27).
Today, we are saved by grace through faith, as Ephesians 2:8-9 declares. The riches made known in this present calling are described by Paul as “the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Ephesians 3:8).
The saving message is grounded in the preaching of the cross (1 Corinthians 1:18; 1 Corinthians 15:1-4), yet Paul’s later revelation shows a truth that had not been made known in the Old Testament scriptures: the mystery concerning this present dispensation and calling (Ephesians 3:3-9; Colossians 1:25-27), and the mystery of the gospel that can save everyone.
For that reason, I do not believe this revelation should be taught as the same in the Gospel of John. It is made known clearly when we come to Ephesians and Colossians (Ephesians 3:1-9; Colossians 1:25-27). Not before. The middle wall comes down here.
In addition it’s interesting to consider in the Book of Revelation, God’s nation will need to know WHO HE IS, therefore being warned not to take the mark of the beast. John’s gospel may be very helpful then, as well as the other Hebrew epistles.
Praise the LORD! May His grace and love be experienced by all Believer’s today as we seek to make known the revelation of the MYSTERY in Ephesians and Colossians in truth.
May God our Father grant to all that spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of HIM!
GOD BLESS and PEACE unto you.
Gracepano.com
